If you have looked at the sky these nights, you will have seen that the Moon was already very illuminated, already showing the immense “hump” that announced the approach of the full Moon. And it is that the first full Moon of the lunar calendar of 2024It is just around the corner.
It arrives this Thursday, January 25, and it will be, above all, on the night from Thursday to Friday when it can be seen in all its splendor.
This January 2024 Full Moon, the most anticipated astronomical event on the January lunar calendar, is the second Full Moon of this winter and, in the Northern Hemisphere, is known as the Wolf Moon.
Full moon January 2024: what time is it and how to see it
The full moon phase from an astronomical point of view occurs exactly at 18:54 Spanish peninsular time. At that time, the alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon at an angle of 180 degrees, with the Earth in the middle, will allow the visible side of the Moon to be completely illuminated.
At that time, the Moon will have already risen over the horizon, in the east, while the Sun sets in the west. On the night of Thursday the 25th we will see, therefore, the Moon rising in the firmament already full, showing itself as a disk of light, jnext to the constellation of Cancer. It will not hide behind the horizon again until just before nine in the morning.
Anyway, both the night before and the night afterwhen looking at the sky at night the Moon will also give the impression of being completely illuminated, since the difference will be imperceptible to the human eye.
On Wednesday the 24th the Moon will be more than 99% illuminated when it rises over the horizon and will grow as the hours progress; On Friday the 26th it will come out again, a little later, with 99% lighting, but it will already be entering a waning phase and the percentage of lighting will decrease as the first night of the weekend progresses.
This Full Moon in January 2024 It occurs just 4 days before the lunar apogee takes place., the moment when the Moon, in its orbit, moves furthest from the Earth. This will make us see it slightly smaller than usual, although it will take a trained eye to see it with the naked eye.
January: Full Wolf Moon
The full Moon in January is known in North American tradition, collected in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, like Wolf Moon. It is believed that this name is due to the fact that at this time the wolves increase their howls, which become more audible.
In fact, in other cultures the name of the month of January has its origins in this animal. Thus, in Old Saxon, January was Wulf-monaththe month of the wolf, while, in Gaelic, January is Januarythat comes from active, wolf. The fact that the wolf is a nocturnal animal and raises its head when howling could have contributed to its figure being so associated with the Moon.
Other names of the full moon in January
The full Moon in January also receives names of other animals whose activity has caught the attention of human beings at this time according to culture. It is also, for example, the Bear Moon or the Goose Moon.
Other names by which this January full Moon is known are Festive Moon, Old Moon, Cold Moon or Moon that follows Yule, among others. For the Celts it was also the “Moon of staying at home.”
In India this full Moon marks the celebration of a popular festival in Keralawhich takes place in honor of the god Shiva.
How the Full Moon in January influences you and what it symbolizes
The association of this full Moon with the wolf, an animal very attached to the packhas traditionally led to considering that this Moon invites you to get closer to loved ones and strengthen ties. For the Sioux people, in fact, this was the Moon in which the wolves run together.
in astrologyalthough the full Moon in January appears in the sky next to the constellation of Cancer, it is considered that this month of January occurs Full Moon in Leo. This time it happens in the sign of Leo. “The energy of this full Moon invites us to contemplate with great affection what prevents us from manifesting ourselves just as we are, what prevents us from shining with force, putting all our energy into it,” explains Marga Roldán, an agricultural engineer trained in evolutionary astrology. The day before we can take advantage, according to this expert, “to reflect, meditate or do yoga and connect with our unconscious part and our emotional world.” .
It is a full Moon marked by the entry, two days before, of Venus in Capricorn according to astrology. The entry of Venus into Capricorn represents, according to this discipline, a opportunity to analyze how we relate without falling into idealizations, and also to strengthen those bonds in which we feel that we can be ourselves.
In biodynamic agriculture It is not recommended to pay during the full moon. The days before are considered ideal for sowing those plants that we grow for their flowers, leaves or stems, while the days after favor the sowing of roots and tubers.