2025 was an extremely difficult year for my family. As we walk through 2026, we are doing it with deeper intentions. I'm going to be laying out a monthly guide here. This is my personal guide for making 2026 the year of embodied mastery. I'd love for you to follow along if you'd like to be more intentional with your year.
February brings us a full moon on February 1st. This is known as the Storm or Snow Moon. The Celtics refer to it as the Moon of Ice. The Chinese refer to it as the Budding Moon. The Dakota Sioux refer to it as the Moon When the Trees Pop.
February's Full Moon will be shining bright near the brightest star, Regulus. Many cultures refer to this month's lunation as the Snow Moon. In part because it is a time when much of the world is still buried under the weighted cover of snow. With Spring still off in the distance, February still feels very much like winter. However, I have always found February to feel a bit different than January. It's almost as if the energy of change is just below the surface, waiting to spring forth.
The word for this month refers to an ancient Roman festival called Februalia from the Latin root word februa that means "to cleanse". This was a festival of purification and atonement before the new year began for the Romans in March. In more northern areas, the first few days of the month are celebrated as Imbolc, St. Brigid's Day, or Groundhog Day. These all celebrate and mark the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
The Celtic goddess Brigid, Christianized into St. Brigid, is a goddess of the eternal flame. She is also said to have carried healing, magic, poetry, and fertility. She is often portrayed carrying a bowl of fire and represents the energy of Spring. The fire she carries is said to thaw the chill from the earth. Devotees of Punxsutawaney Phil still celebrate Groundhog Day by watching to see if this little guy can predict how much winter we've still got left. These are reminders that we are still in the darkness of Winter, but hope of Spring is right around the corner.
Imbolc is a Gaelic word that likely translates to the meaning "in the belly". This was likely in reference to lambing season, a time when lambs are being born and milk is forthcoming. What a wonderful reprieve from the thinning harvests of fall this must have felt like.
The energy of this full moon is spring fire alit beneath the snow. Coupled with the FIERY horse coming forth on the 17th, I anticipate that February is going to feel flush with anticipation. The warmth and brighter days are subtle and still yet delicate. The intentions and dreams that I have been gestating since winter are beginning to feel much more alive and ready to start. As the light grows and the winds begin to change, I can feel my spirit shifting in response. I can feel the movement from quite contemplation of deep winter shifting into the bright beginnings of the year. I won't rush it though.
This energy is the reason that I have chosen February's intentions to feel so soft.
February feels like Nervous System Devotion.
Theme: My body leads.
How I am setting the tone: building rhythms my body can trust....gentle consistency over intensity.
I will be choosing my non-negotiables: sleep, breath work, digestion, and pacing myself gently.
Because I have lived most of my life out of a trauma response, it was often hard for me to listen to my intuition. So, hearing my intuition means knowing how my body speaks to me.
Anchor question: What does safety feel like in my body?
Much like St. Brigid is said to carry the fire in her belly to thaw the chill of winter.... I too will carry the fire.
February Affirmation: I nourish the spark of passion in my belly.
Wellness tips from a Clinical Herbalist:
Eat warm, cooked foods, drink warm beverages, and spend time with a heating pad on your mid-back, where your adrenal glands (atop your kidneys) are. They can get overly cold and depleted this time of the year. Hot baths, heating pad on the back, and saunas can also be so soothing this time of the year.
Practice gentle yoga, stretching, or other forms of movement that aren't exhausting.
A perfect herb to work with in February is milky oat tops (Avena sativa). This is an herb that is so near and dear to my heart all year, but especially in times of nervous system devotion.
Here's why...
Milky oat tops support safety, nourishment, and gentleness. Think this is not sedation, but instead it’s rebuilding gentle trust in the body.
Warm infusions enjoyed slowly, hands on the belly or heart, while taking long deep breaths. My favorite ways to support my body with milky oat tops is with these specific blends: click the link to see which is a good fit for you: Coming Home and Release and Surrender.
I use candles in my journaling process, meditation, and herbal practice. I am sharing with you the color candle that I will be using this month.
I have chosen purple for the month of February.
Purple represents intuition and spiritual development.
Purple represents wisdom and higher consciousness.
Purple represents ancestral work and dream work.
I made mention of the Budding Moon because it's also notable to make mention of the event coming on February 17th, the Lunar New Year. It's also being accompanied by an eclipse. This is going to bring a noticeable shift in the energy. 2025 was a year of shedding the old things that no longer serve us. 2026 is going to be fiery horse, so that means rapid movement. You can read more details about that: by clicking this link.