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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November 2025: Tarot spread for the new moon in Scorpio

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

Tarot spread; astrology and tarot forecast; and ritual for the November 2025 new moon in Scorpio

The November 2025 new moon falls in the sign of Scorpio. The Scorpio archetype is known for its intense power and its ability to transform, much like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, ready to fly. The Scorpio archetype isn’t afraid of the birth-death-rebirth cycle, for it is only when parts of us die and are reborn that we can fully transform.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritually, the Scorpio archetype teaches us to surrender — to align our human will with divine will. It can teach us that sometimes our human trials can reveal a need for deep healing. This is not always easy to live with or to understand, especially when the need for healing arises from trauma, and yet on the other side of working with and healing trauma there can be deep and valuable transformation.

The November 2025 new 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 new 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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Feeling stuck in life? A simple guide to getting unstuck

Feeling stuck in life? A simple psychology-backed guide to getting unstuck

When we talk about feeling stuck in life, running on autopilot, or going through the motions, we are often referring to periods when our personal growth feels stalled. You want to move forward, but you can’t. You feel confused, stuck, like you’re drowning in mud. Then the anxiety, the overwhelm, and the feeling of worthlessness kick in.

But what if being stuck isn’t the problem? What if our understanding of personal growth and transformation is flawed?

One way of thinking about growth is to imagine it as a landscape.

I think of growth as a meandering path that twists and turns and sometimes folds in upon itself. Some paths are more well-developed than others, some trails more rock strewn, others bordered by wildflowers and lined with springy grass.

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November 2025: Tarot spread for the full moon in Taurus

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

Tarot spread and astrology and tarot forecast for the November 2025 full moon in Taurus

The November 2025 full moon falls in the sign of Taurus. The Taurus archetype is grounded and steadfast, calm and composed, firm and also somewhat stubborn. This is a sign that is practical and earthy, and is associated with material pleasures, desires, luxuriousness, and abundance.

Spiritually, the Taurus archetype teaches the principle of belonging through presence…our presence as sacred human beings…honoring the body temple…honoring the flow of life. This can be difficult given the society we live in, which praises the hustle over reverence and treats time as money rather than a finite resource that should be used wisely in the pursuit of the things that give us meaning.

This full moon also marks a time of endings and new beginnings. It can bring up old issues, patterns, or blocks for another go-around or a final resolution. Healing work — be it therapy or self-healing techniques — will be helpful during this time. Spend some time to review where you have been focusing your attention and decide where you want to go from there.

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