Prepare yourselves! The Wolf Moon shall rise tonight

Gather your pack together, ladies and gentlemen, because we have a lot to celebrate! The full Wolf Moon rises tonight, and its light will summon the wolves of the world to come together and — No, sorry. We’re just kidding.

Although the Wolf Moon doesn’t actually have any special wolf-summoning powers (that we’re aware of), one can still consider it a fairly special natural event. First of all, it’s the first full moon of 2017. This means you can look to the Wolf Moon as symbol of fresh starts and new beginnings.

“New Year, new me!”

If you believe that the energy of the moon has a direct affect on human energies and emotions, then the full Wolf Moon is currently welcoming in a period of cleansing. Once the moon has reached its full phase, it then enters the waning period, where it appears to get smaller each night.

Take time during the moon’s waning phase to clean out any negative energy or unwanted items or emotions from our life. The symbolism is that as the moon disappears it will take with it the surrounding negativity that you wish to banish from your day-to-day.

Prep a smudge stick to cleanse the atmosphere in your home, and get some clothes ready for donation. You’re going to star this New Year with a clean and happy slate.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, January’s full moon was named the Wolf Moon by some Native American tribes in North America who would hear the wolves howling in hunger outside their villages. Other tribes referred to January’s moon as the Old Moon or the Snow Moon, although February’s full moon is widely known as the Snow Moon.

The Wolf Moon became completely full at 6:35 AM EST and, according to Earthsky, it was actually the brightest last night to those of us in America. But, don’t you worry. The moon will still be bright and beautiful tonight as soon as the sky darkens.

So look up at the sky and howl away at the Wolf Moon! It’s bringing a lot of good vibes into the New Year.