The Rolling Moon of the Starweave

Long ago, in the time of the first wolves, the Star Hunters gazed up at the night sky, seeing not just stars but the distant light of their ancestors. They knew the heavens above were more than just a canvas of sparkling lights; they were the eternal home of the spirits who had walked before them. Among all the celestial wonders, one phenomenon stood out—a rare and magical event that would become known as the Rolling Moon. 

This event happens only once a year, on the night of the Starweave—the sacred ceremony that honours the full cycle of the seasons and the passage of time. This night falls on what the wolves call the Hunter’s Moon, the full moon of Hallowe’en, when the veil between the living and the spirit world grows thin, and the wolves gather at the Moonshadow Circle to sing their songs to the ancestors.

On this night, when the moon is full and the air is crisp with autumn’s breath, the wolves look towards the Ancient Tree, a towering oak whose skeletal boughs have stretched toward the sky for hundreds of years. This tree, wise and weathered, has witnessed countless cycles of life and death, and it serves as a bridge between the earth and the sky.

As the ceremony of the Starweave begins, the wolves raise their voices in song, their howls echoing through the trees, summoning the spirits of their ancestors to join them in celebration. And then, as the final note fades into the stillness of the night, the wolves fall silent, their eyes turning towards the bough of the Ancient Tree.

It is in this moment that the Rolling Moon reveals itself.

The full moon, shining brightly against the dark sky, begins its journey. To the eyes of the wolves, it appears as though the moon is not moving across the sky in its usual arc, but instead rolling—like a giant, glowing ball—up the curved bough of the Ancient Tree. It moves slowly, deliberately, as though it is climbing towards the heavens. The wolves watch in awe, for they know that this is no ordinary sight.

The Rolling Moon is a sign, a bridge between their world and the world of the spirits. As it ascends the bough, it symbolizes the journey of their ancestors, who once walked the earth but now dwell among the stars. The rolling motion reminds the wolves that time is a circle, ever turning, ever connecting the past to the present, and the living to the departed.

When the moon finally reaches the tip of the bough, it seems to pause for just a heartbeat, as if it lingers to say farewell. And then, with a gentle release, it continues its path across the sky, leaving the Ancient Tree behind as it rises higher into the night.

The wolves believe that in this moment, the Rolling Moon carries their howls, their songs, and their memories up to the ancestors. It is said that if you listen carefully, you can hear the spirits whisper back on the wind, their voices mingling with the stars.

The Rolling Moon is more than an illusion—it is a reminder that the wolves are never truly alone. The spirits of the Star Hunters walk beside them, guiding them through the cycles of life and death, day and night, season after season. Each year, when the Rolling Moon ascends the Ancient Tree on the night of the Starweave, the wolves are reminded of their eternal bond with the heavens above, and with all who came before.

And so, under the Hunter’s Moon, with the light of their ancestors shining down, the wolves sing their songs, knowing that their voices will rise with the moon and echo through the stars for all time.