There is a very definite werewolf theme developing in my
#AtoZChallenge this year. As I have said previously, I never used to be so fascinated with shapeshifters. I was always a vampire lover. I still am, but now the wolves are stealing my heart… they are so vibrant, so passionate, and so unpredictable. Today I will talk a little about the power of
Lunar cycles, and how the pull of the moon has such a hold over my Redcliffe wolves and their behaviour.
Traditional folklore dictates that a werewolf will only transform once a month, when the moon is full. I am still a little hazy about where this fact originated, but I am aware that people have always been fascinated by the moon and her mysterious ways. Before we developed the ability to study planets and stars, and properly explore our universe, people could only believe what they saw from the ground. They were aware of this huge, light-giving orb that showed in the night sky, and that seemed to ebb and flow on a constant cycle of death and rebirth. Many were aware of the feelings that came when they watched the moon, and how certain things seemed to occur naturally during the phases of full, dark, waxing and waning moon. It was all connected, although nobody could explain why and how.
My Redcliffe werewolves are not all controlled by the power of the moon. They are affected by it, however. The younger, weaker wolves will only transform once a month, when the moon is full. The older, stronger wolves, including alpha Danny Mason and his lieutenant Simon Bunce, are able to transform at will, although the process leaves them exhausted afterwards. Think about it: you are forcing you human body to change shape and form completely, and that can only be done with the use of magic. At other times of the month, the werewolves will exhibit different behaviour. They are more lethargic, and more human, when the moon is dark, or in the New Moon phase. Their strength and power grows with the moon, and on the nights surrounding the Full Moon, the Redcliffe wolves will be out hunting in the forest, embracing their animal instincts, and celebrating their true nature. How does the moon affect this? We will never know.
If you are interested in seeing other participants for the
#AtoZChallenge, check them out on the
official website. We have everything from book stuff, to cooking, to photography, to travel, and a whole lot more. Happy April!
*Werewolf and Moon image
found on Pinterest