This morning I stepped outside before the sun was up. Ready to drive my son to his meet (or rather, have my son drive me, as it goes these days) wrapped in a coat I didn’t fully button I stood in my yard, taking in the early morning. The air had that clean, sharp winter feel—the kind that wakes you up even when you’re tired and running on 5 hours sleep. Everything was quiet. No traffic. No voices. Just the crunch of snow underfoot and the moon, full and unapologetic, hanging low, full, and round in the sky.
For a moment, I just paused. I didn’t jump right in the preheated car. I didn’t brace against the cold. I just stood there, feeling the air, taking in the moon.
Almost immediately, I felt my body relax.
My shoulders dropped. My breath slowed. I felt a peace and a contentment settle into my bones.
I’ve been working on my connection to my body, to my nervous system and I can feel the practices I’ve learned take effect. I am more aware of even the slightest physical sensations and I can shift my internal state with increasing ease. Standing in the cold air, in the light of the moon, contemplating what this moon means, what the start of a new year invites, allow me to return to myself in exactly the way I need right now.
When we tune into nature’s cycles, the full moon, the changing light, the shift in the air, we connect not only to the natural world but back to ourselves, to our bodies, to our source of true power. By recognizing the truths embodied in the seasons, by tuning in to the stories the natural world inspires, we learn to recognize deep truths about ourselves- truths that help us better know ourselves, truths that help us better care for ourselves.
This is what Sacred Saturdays are all about.
Not escaping modern life, but remembering what has always helped human beings cultivate wellness—and learning the practices and tools that ancient cultures have used and now modern science confirms as effective.
The Full Wolf Moon: Listening, Not Fixing
The January full moon is often called the Wolf Moon, named by Indigenous and European cultures who noticed wolves howling more frequently at this time of year. Winter was deep. Food was scarce. Communities of humans and animals alike drew closer together, relying on each other for survival and well-being.
Contrary to popular myth, wolves don’t howl because they’re aggressive or desperate. They howl to:
- Maintain connection across distance
- Coordinate movement
- Strengthen social bonds
The Wolf Moon symbolized a time to listen more carefully—to the land, to yourself, to your community.
Across cultures, this moon has always marked a period of:
- Turning inward
- Conserving energy
- Strengthening community ties
- Paying attention to subtle signals rather than dramatic action
It it not a time for big outward expansion. It is a time for attunement.
Today, we know that winter naturally shifts the nervous system:
- Reduced daylight affects melatonin and serotonin
- The body leans toward rest, repair, and reflection
- Social connection becomes even more important, serving as a protection against stress and depression
Research consistently shows that attuned connection—being seen, heard, and emotionally synchronized with others—is one of the strongest buffers against nervous system overload.
The Wolf Moon is an invitation to connect deeply while slowing down.
The Year of the Horse: Regulated Power, Not Relentless Motion
In the Chinese zodiac, the Horse symbolizes vitality, freedom, movement, and strength. Horses represent life force energy—qi—in motion.
But here’s the part that often gets misinterpreted.
In traditional interpretations, the Horse is not admired for intense speed. It is respected for:
- Endurance
- Responsiveness to cues
- The ability to move powerfully without panic
A horse-inspired practice values regulated power.
The Horse year invites us to:
- Align effort with purpose
- Move only when it is time to move
- Rest when it is time to rest
- Stay responsive rather than rigid
Strength is not about pushing through at all costs. It is about knowing when to go and when to pause.
Neuroscience now echoes this exactly.
Well-being, resilience, and even grit depend on flexibility, not intensity:
- A healthy nervous system moves fluidly between activation and rest
- Chronic stress comes from being “on” without recovery (pay attention all you kindred perfectionists!)
- True resilience looks like responsiveness, not reactivity.
The Horse doesn’t burn itself out. It listens to its body.
Where the Moon and the Horse Meet
Although the Wolf Moon and the Year of the Horse might seem to represent opposite energies—stillness and motion, reflection and action- together, they offer an integrated map for well-being:
- The Wolf Moon reminds us to listen, connect, and conserve
- The Horse reminds us to move with purpose and strength
Ancient cultures honored this balance. They understood something many of us have to relearn:
Health isn’t about a formula, or a clear path with constant progress. It’s not linear. It’s about rhythm. It’s about listening and learning what we need most now. And committing to making that a priority.
Modern research calls this biological regulation. Ancient cultures called it living in harmony.
Same truth. Different language.
A Sacred Saturday Practice
Tonight—or sometime this week—try this:
- Step outside or stand by a window.
- Take three slow breaths, longer on the exhale.
- Ask yourself (without forcing an answer):
- What message does my body hold that I have been ignoring? What practice will help me listen more deeply, more consistently?
- What do I need to move— where do I need to take thoughtful, steady action now?
Notice what your body does before your mind answers. Try to tune in to where sensations arise and how they feel.
This is how we lean in to the wisdom of your body, the wisdom of the Wolf and the Horse.
TL;DR
- The Wolf Moon symbolizes connection, listening, and conserving energy—exactly what modern science shows supports nervous system health in winter.
- The Year of the Horse represents embodied strength, flexibility, and regulated movement—replace new year’s resolutions with aligned intentions.
- Ancient cultures organized life around rhythm and attunement; modern neuroscience confirms these patterns are essential for well-being.
True wellness comes from knowing when to pause and when to move.
___________________
Begin Within
and align with the rhythm of nature and self.
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