The art of listening

The art of listening

Birds chirping in the trees,

the scritch of the squirrel’s claws as it runs across the branch

the wind rustling through the leaves

a motor coming to life in the distance

the raised voice of a mother calling out to her child

in the distance, carried on the wind, the temple bells ringing

the sounds of an ordinary morning.

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February 2026: Tarot spread for the full moon in Leo

Plus an astrology and tarot forecast, and Womanrunes reading for the Leo full moon. And a bonus tarot spread for Neptune’s transit in Aries!

Tarot spread and astrology and tarot forecast for the February 2026 full moon in Leo

The February 2026 full moon falls in the sign of Leo. The bold and dynamic Leo archetype infuses us with a passionate zest for living. It is the archetype of the fiery creative who is confident and unafraid to stand in the spotlight. But this infectious dynamic can also succumb to its shadow aspects of overbearing pride, drama and arrogance.

Spiritually, the Leo archetype teaches the principle of creative manifestation. Clarity of thought and focused energy, which points to the spiritual principle that your beliefs about life tend to shape your life. You can see this spiritual principle at play with a regular gratitude practice. When you cultivate an active gratitude practice, you tend to experience a shift in your life and circumstances. And while your life may not change dramatically, your outlook to life can certainly shift.

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January 2026 reading wrap-up

Reading wrap up for January 2026

It’s a brand new year, so let’s talk goals.

I usually set a reading goal on Goodreads — my goal for this year is 35 books. Now, I usually end up reading a lot more than that, but when I try to bump up my goal, I immediately start to feel anxious. And since there’s no point in stressing yourself out over something that you enjoy doing, I keep it at an easy-breezy number. At least this way, I know I have one goal that I’ll breeze past — win, win!

I’ve already read 54 books this year, which puts me 2 books ahead of schedule. How cool is that? 😉

This year, I’m also keeping an eye on the seasonal challenges on Goodreads. I want to see how many of those bookmarks I can collect. So far, I’m acing it!

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The Word: 2026

Plus a reflection on last year’s word of the year

I’ve been working with the magic of a word of the year since over a decade, and it’s never failed to transform my life in small and big ways. This year, though, my word remained elusive. I had nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Every time I thought of the new year looming ahead of me, I felt a little flutter of anxiety. I’ve had a guiding word of the year for 11 years, after all, and I’m not sure I know quite how to function without one.

It sounds rather dramatic, even to me, especially since I don’t take it too seriously. I’m always open to more words showing up during the year, or changing my word if the one I chose at the start of the year doesn’t seem right any more. I even started 2024 with an image rather than a word.

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January 2026: Tarot spread for the new moon in Capricorn

Plus an astrology and tarot forecast, new moon ritual, and herbal lore for the Capricorn new moon.

Tarot spread; astrology and tarot forecast; and ritual for the January 2026 new moon in Capricorn

The January 2026 new moon falls in the sign of Capricorn. Symbolized by the mountain goat, which maintains perfect balance while it climbs over precarious rock ledges, the Capricorn archetype is one of disciplined and dogged determination towards the attainment of our worldly desires.

Spiritually, the Capricorn archetype teaches us about integrity and helps us to harness the ability to plan our work, and stick to it, no matter what. In these times of 24×7 consumption culture, it’s easy to be addicted with shiny object syndrome and forget about our goals and plans. Capricorn teaches us about the meaning of integrity: to align ourselves with our highest ideals and actualize our potential.

The January 2026 new moon also brings into focus the ways in which we communicate and the power of owning your voice. This isn’t always an easy thing — to speak your truth. There’s a lot of anxiety that it can bring up, around how you are perceived; how your words translate; and what people may think of you. It can lead to fears of being “found out” or ostracized, neither of which is a rational fear!

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January 2026: Tarot spread for the full moon in Cancer

Plus an astrology and tarot forecast, journaling prompts, and Womanrunes reading for the Cancer full moon.

Tarot spread and astrology and tarot forecast for the January 2026 full moon in Cancer

The January 2026 full moon falls in the sign of Cancer. The Cancer archetype is emotional, intuitive, nurturing and healing. It also symbolizes “home” and all the things that home represents – not just our physical home, but also our emotions, energy, body, and the spiritual hearth of our souls.

Spiritually, the Cancer archetype is one of compassion, of recognizing that people, in general, act to the best of their abilities, limited by their education, upbringing and current awareness. The Cancer archetype knows that love and forgiveness, where possible, are the best way to respond to destructive behavior – along with firm boundaries, of course.

This full moon also highlights our sense of self-worth and self-esteem, which are intrinsically tied to our finances, our emotions, and the things we value. This Cancer moon encourages us to reflect on our tangible and intangible possessions (our feelings and emotions, as well as our inner selves, needs and wants) and our values — specifically on the ways in which our material possessions are either harming or supporting us.

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December 2025: Tarot spread for the new moon in Sagittarius

Tarot spread; astrology and tarot forecast; and ritual for the December 2025 new moon in Sagittarius

The December 2025 new moon falls in the sign of Sagittarius. The freedom loving Sagittarius archetype is in a constant search for inspiration, new avenues of exploration, and adventure. This is a sign that gets bored of the status quo easily, and needs the rush of a new quest to keep them on their toes.

Spiritually, the Sagittarius archetype teaches us to cultivate our own personal relationship with the divine. Contrary to what most religions and a lot of spiritual teachers say, you don’t need an intermediary between you and Source/God/the Universe. You have that connection available to you at all times. Learning to tune in and trust that connection is where a lot of us seem to stumble, though.

This new moon also highlights your voyage of self-discovery: who you are, who you’re becoming, how do you realize your best self? It’s an excellent time to shine some light on your unique personality traits, the things about yourself that you want to change, and perhaps more importantly, to consider how you can achieve your goals while working with yourself {your strengths, vision, etc.} rather than against yourself {following “conventional” advice, which may or may not be serving you}.

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2026 book bingo

Read more, read widely in 2026!

The 2026 Book Bingo reading challenge: prompts + how to participate

It’s that time of the year again — presenting an all-new edition of the Book Bingo reading challenge! This reader favorite is back for a seventh consecutive year, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of your reading journey once again!

Read on for all the details.

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December 2025: Tarot spread for the full moon in Gemini

Plus an astrology and tarot forecast, journaling prompts, and Womanrunes reading for the Gemini full moon.

Tarot spread and astrology and tarot forecast for the December 2025 full moon in Gemini

The December 2025 full moon falls in the sign of Gemini. The Gemini archetype is very curious, an excellent communicator, and a disseminator of knowledge. It is the sign of the writer, of those who tend to think deeply, are highly perceptive, and prefer to learn from experience.

Spiritually, the Gemini archetype is about courageous conversation, be it with another person or with the Universe. Gemini adds its vibration to the advancement of culture and civilization through dialogue, be that via books or blogs or letters.

The December 2025 full moon also highlights our search for meaning and our desire to define or refine our life purpose. Which can sound very lofty – so instead of thinking about your “life purpose”, use this full moon to reflect on the things that you want to focus on in the coming months or year. And when you think of those things, try not to make it a beating-yourself-up goals list – make space for joy and beauty and delight.

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November 2025 reading wrap-up

mini book reviews

November’s reading has been rather hit-and-miss, with a mix of some really interesting books and others that fell rather flat. But isn’t that the way of things with the reading life, sometimes?

Some books make you wonder why they garnered such hype — is it simply based on the cover or the blurb? On paid promotions or sponsorships? Or do some books just become “trendy” because of their gorgeous covers?

In this age of BookTok and Bookstagram, I often wonder if people are actually reading the books they gush over, or if they’re simply promoting the experience of being a reader, or the aesthetics of the reading life?

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