Full Moon January 2014, full wolf moon

What is your favourite name for our full moon in January, the beginning of 2014? This is a very important moon being the first of the New Year and signals new beginnings and opportunities for growth. January is named for the Roman god Janus who had two faces and ruled over beginnings and endings and the past and the future.

As we have seen in previous moon names, a lot of the names our ancestors called this January moon are centred around the weather. January is often the most bitterly cold month of the year. Although our world is returning to the light, the days are still reasonably short and the cold can often be extreme. Thus we see words such as winter moon, cold moon, moon of the terrible and ice moon being used, these names are particularly common with North American Indian tribes. Other names that they used include Cooking Moon, Moon of the Terrible, Moon When Trees Pop, Moon of the Raccoon, Full Snow Moon. The January Full Moon was the time for the Cold Moon Dance. Also at this time, community fires were put out and new ones made from the ashes of the old.

Below are some popular names for the January Moon

American                  Winter Moon

Chinese                     Holiday Moon

Cherokee                  Cold Moon

Choktaw                    Cooking Moon

Dakatah Sioux            Moon of the terrible

Celtic                         Quiet Moon

English                       Wolf Moon

Pagan                         Ice Moon

Druid                         Poets Moon

We often see moons named for the flora and fauna that are around at that time of the year. Therefore wolf moon is a popular name for the January Moon. In ancient times during the cold month of January wolves often crept closer to human settlements in their search for food. Their cries would be heard very distinctly and thus it would be natural to name the January moon after them.

It is also said that the name of the Wolf Moon comes from the ancient Scottish Gaelic word Faoilleach, which means “wolf month”

If you are born under the sign of the Wolf Moon you will be fiercely loyal to close friends and family- your ‘pack’.  Although sometimes hard to get to know, once you have welcomed someone into your inner circle you have a friend for life. You are strong when you need to be and face adversity head on. You are also hard working and will keep your head down and get on with anything that has to be completed.

The Chinese name of Holiday Moon rreflects the Chinese New Year which occurs on the first day of the New Moon. Chinese New Year is considered a time for settling debts, honouring ancestors, and being with family.

The druids called this moon Poet’s Moon. As the first full moon in the year, this is a perfect time for creativity, your writing, drawing and painting will flow very easily during this January Moon.

Here is a poem for you to celebrate the Poet’s Moon

Silver

Slowly, silently, now the moon 
Walks the night in her silver shoon; 
This way, and that, she peers, and sees 
Silver fruit upon silver trees; 
One by one the casements catch 
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch; 
Couched in his kennel, like a log, 
With paws of silver sleeps the dog; 
From their shadowy coat the white breasts peep 
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep; 
A harvest mouse goes scampering by, 
With silver claws, and silver eye; 
And moveless fish in the water gleam, 
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

- Walter de la Mare

In the Southern Hemisphere moon names reflect the warmth that is predominant now. Thus popular names for the January moon are: Hay Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Mead Moon

Choose a name that resonates with you and embodies the sprit of the January Moon. Think about the qualities that name has and try and encorporate those into your daily life. I’m going to go with Wolf Moon for the January Moon 2014 and concentrate on the strength and grounding that this wonderful animal can show us.

Full moon times for you are below:

The next full moon will be:Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 05:52:12 am
Central European Time (CET)
Moon sign: Cancer 25° 07'

In other time zones:
WELLINGTON = Thursday * 16th Jan 2014 * 05:52:12 pm (NZDT)
SYDNEY = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 03:52:12 pm (AEDT)
TOKYO = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 01:52:12 pm (JST)
BEIJING = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 12:52:12 pm (CST)
BANGKOK = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 11:52:12 pm (ICT)
DELHI = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 10:22:12 am (IST)
MOSCOW = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 08:52:12 am (MSK)
RIYADH = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 07:52:12 am (AST)
BERLIN = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 05:52:12 am (CET)
LONDON = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 04:52:12 am (GMT)
RIO = Thursday * 16th January 2014 * 02:52:12 am (BRST)
NEW YORK = Wednesday * 15th Jan 2014 * 11:52:12 pm (EST)
MEXICO CITY = Wednesday * 15th Jan 2014 * 10:52:12 pm (CST)
LOS ANGELES = Wednesday * 15th Jan 2014 * 08:52:12 pm (PST)
HONOLULU = Wednesday * 15th Jan 2014 * 06:52:12 pm (HAST)

http://www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar.html