by Sid Baglini
Monday, January 13th, 2025 7:00 PM
On this night, we begin our sixth year of walking under the Full Moon in Malvern. We’ve had to cancel a few due to weather (thunder storms or icy footing) and we’ve had two DIY walks when the summer Moon rose above the horizon too late to make an organized walk reasonable, but other than that, we’ve kept our appointment with that gorgeous orb. It also means this is the 61st one of these invitations to walk with us that I have written so if you haven’t done a Full Moon Walk with us yet, it’s not because you haven’t been asked to join in the fun.
January is widely known as The Wolf Moon, a name given to it by people in both the “Old” and “New” Worlds. In the silence of deep winter, the howls of a wolf pack on the hunt or delineating their territory were a reminder of dangers beyond just the cold and the scarcity of food.
Other names for this Full Moon all have something to do with the fearsome temperatures experienced by the indigenous tribes of North America There is nothing understated about the names “Hard Moon”, “Severe Moon”, “Frost Exploding Moon”, “Freeze Up Moon” or just plain “Cold Moon”. I particularly relate to Moon of the Strong Cold and better yet, Moon When the Snow Drifts Into Teepees. Clothing fashioned from the skins and pelts of animals and an open fire in a teepee or wigwam were the only protection from bone chilling temperatures. The one name that does not refer to the cold is “Center Moon” referring to the fact that this Full Moon is approximately the middle of the winter season, a slight nod to better days ahead if you survive!
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower will be winding down when we walk, active from December 26th until January 16th but having peaked on the night of the 2nd to the 3rd. It can produce some bright fireballs but we won’t expect to be so lucky. Our consolation prize is that 4 planets, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn should be visible during the time we will be walking. Neptune and Uranus will also be “visible” although not to the naked eye but that certainly amounts to what is termed “a parade of planets” so let’s hope for clear viewing.
We invite you to bundle up and join us for the first Moon Walk of 2025. Please keep in mind that if snow or ice create a walking hazard, we will have to cancel our plans. Weather permitting, we will meet behind Borough Hall where there is plenty of parking on 1st or Channing Avenues.