The full moon wasn’t visible last night due to cloud cover. I had gotten glimpses of the nearly full moon in the wee hours of Thursday morning and there were some blue skies during the day yesterday, but by evening the clouds had rolled in and I couldn’t see the moon at all. According to the Farmer’s Almanac website, this full moon is called the wolf moon. The site says that wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time of the year.

There is no scientific evidence that wolves are more likely to howl at a full moon than any other phase of the moon. However, the belief persists. Stories of wolves howling at the moon date back to Greek and Roman mythologies. Stories of werewolves being transformed during the full moon have been a part of popular culture for a long time. There is no scientific evidence that animal or human behavior is affected by the phase of the moon.

Belief that the full moon affects behavior, however, persists. I have plenty of friends who have worked in psychiatric hospitals and law enforcement who firmly believe that behavioral health issues increase on nights when the full moon is visible.

As far as i know there are no wolves near where we live. I have to be content with howling coyotes and while we have lived in places where we regularly heard coyotes we rarely hear them in our new home. I must say that my experience doesn’t include any evidence that coyotes are more likely to howl during the wolf moon. That may be due to the fact that the wolf moon occurs in the middle of the winter, when I am less likely to be sleeping with my windows open.

My personal theory, is that sound travels farther in crisp, cold winter air. People may have been more likely to be awake on nights when the moon is full and the landscape is bathed in light. And they may have been more likely to hear wolves howling during the winter when the air is cold. This is pure speculation and not all myths and stories have rational explanations, so there may be nothing to it at all.

The name “wolf moon,” however, persists as does the use of the word “lunatic” referring to someone with behavioral health problems. The root of the word lunatic is luna, which means moon. The suffix “atic” means “of the kind of,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The use of the word is based on the belief that there is a particular kind of insanity that is dependent upon the phases of the moon. As far as I know, there is no scientific evidence that such insanity exists. The use of the word lunatic is considered offensive to many who have experience with family members who suffer from mental illness.

Using the term wolf moon to describe a particular full moon, however, is not considered offensive. I guess that mistaken beliefs about animal behavior are less offensive to humans. I have no idea what wolves think of the designation.

I do know how controversial the introduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park has been among some of my rancher friends in Yellowstone country. There is a long-standing hatred of predators among sheep and cattle ranchers. There has been some predation of sheep in areas near Yellowstone National Park attributed to wolves, but most of the wolves are remaining in the park where they have helped to control the size of elk herds, which in turn has benefitted many plants and animals. The beaver population returned to normal after the reintroduction of wolves. The wolves decreased the number of elk, fewer elk meant less stream side erosion and left more willow plants for the beavers. The beavers, in turn, built dams that benefitted fish populations in the rivers.

If I were in Yellowstone country this winter, I would probably have made a point of going outside after dark just to listen to see if there were any wolves howling. I went outside to look for the moon here last night even though there are no nearby wolves and I couldn’t see the moon. I guess I hoped I might at least hear a few coyotes, but I heard none. The neighborhood dogs were quiet as well. Sometimes they can hear the coyotes when I cannot and howl in response.

There are many different traditions surrounding the first full moon of the new year. Some groups of people wear read to symbolize life. Others have campfires. There are drumming traditions and ceremonies held during the full moon. Some even howl at the moon as a social activity.

Last night’s wolf moon landed on the day of Epiphany, a day in which Christians celebrate the visit of the magi to the infant Jesus. Lighting candles and celebrating the gift of light in our lives are part of our traditions at this time of year. The Gospel of John begins this way:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Light shining in the darkness is an important symbol for us. Having a full moon on Epiphany is another experience of light in the darkness during a season when the sun rises late and sets early. For us, having been in South Carolina for the last week, the difference in the length of the days is very apparent as we return to the north. It is easy to understand why light has become an important part of our language and rituals at this time of the year.

We didn’t light a bonfire. We didn’t howl at the moon. We turned in early. Getting enough sleep is one ritual that we are quick to observe.

May this season bring light to your life.