January 2026 Full Moon Highlight

Welcome to 2026 friends! I hope you all enjoyed a lovely holiday season and are gearing up for an incredible new year. I really value this time of year. It’s a time of quiet, warm stews, muted colors and fresh bread. I use this time to really ‘Winter’ - I retreat to my home, read books, focus on working with my hands, and sort through my hopes and goals. One of my favorite herbs to Winter with is Chicory (Cichorium intybus.) Chicory, particularly when roasted, has a deep, bitter, and earthy flavor similar to coffee. There is a darkness and depth to it that make it perfect for this reflective season. It invites you to curl up, think big thoughts, and clear out what no longer serves you.

Therapeutically it works by aiding the liver, digestive, urinary, and lymphatic systems to purge waste and toxins. This plant literally helps to clear sh*t out! It is often blended with dandelion and burdock root in formulas for acne-prone skin and liver congestion. It makes a lovely coffee-substitute for folks looking to cut back on caffeine; I like to combine it with dandelion root and reishi mushrooms for a tasty alternative. I blend it with Mullein and Echinacea for swollen glands and lymph nodes. It gently supports the digestive system and is lovely when stagnation and sluggishness are present.

Magically it is used to remove obstacles…sound familiar? (I just LOVE it when magic and medicine match one another!) It is used in spells to unlock things; be they obstacles, blockages, or physical barriers. It was believed that if you held chicory to a door or box it would unlock and reveal what lay inside. I often associate Chicory with The Fool in Tarot. While we as the readers know challenges await in his journey, he sees none and is happily skipping along free of obstacles. I like the idea of harnessing this magical intention as the entirety of the new year stretches before me. There is power in knowing that I can remove and navigate around whatever stumbling blocks may present in 2026.

I hope you all are able to channel the quiet peace of Wintering this month. Start the kettle, curl up, turn down the volume, hibernate, and heal. Wishing you a magical 2026!