The Snow Moon
Wisdom from Mountain Goat, Lion and the Snow herself
Hello, Dear Lunar Lovers ~
Another lunar cycle is upon us. Today, Sunday, January 18th, we welcome in the Snow Moon cycle. Grandmother Moon starts this lunar cycle with a New Moon in Capricorn. If I have one word to summarize this moon it is focus.
The moon waxes to fullness with a Full Moon in Leo occurring on Sunday, February 1st. This moon reminds us to stand in our courage as we move forward with our intentions.
The Snow Moon cycle reminds us of the stillness of winter. Snow covered landscapes invite in a time of quiet reflection as we go inward. The Full Moon occurs around the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. As the first signs of spring begin to push from the earth, it is a time to recognize what is also sprouting within us.
The shedding is done. Now, we run!
Before you start working with the energies at play in this Snow Moon lunar cycle, you may want to take some time to think in broader terms about the year ahead. I had a delicious few hours on a quiet morning to go through the image below line by line. It was illuminating to work with Snake in reflection and Horse in visioning. It’s not too late if you want to give it a go!
Snow Moon Journal Prompts
Alright, let’s jump into the juicy bits. Grab your journal or a piece of paper. The journaling practice outlined below guides you through a series of prompts to get to the heart of what Grandmother Moon is calling you into during the Snow Moon.
Here are some guiding principles for this practice:
Open yourself up to the wisdom flowing through you. It may help to offer yourself a few cleansing deep breaths to center yourself before you begin.
Remember there are no rules and you can’t make a mistake.
As with everything I offer, take what you like and leave the rest. If a prompt feels off to you, write your own.
Trust your intuition as you move through this exercise. Listen to what comes up first. No need to overthink it.
Light a candle, say a prayer, call in your guides. Do whatever would mark this time and space for reflection as sacred to you. Let’s frolic!
New Moon in Capricorn
Symbolized by the Mountain Goat, this grounded and earthy New Moon in Capricorn calls us to stay focused on our path. With surefootedness and the ability to seek new heights, Mountain Goat invites us to attune to our path for the new year.
Mountain Goats have incredibly flexible skeletal systems enabling them to leap upwards of 30 feet to land on small ledges. Their joints are able to absorb shock, and their feet act like pliers with the ability to grip as they move up steep mountains.
The Mountain Goat teaches us how to stretch and move up to new heights with flexibility. They teach us how to have trust in our own ability to land on our feet.
The grounded energy of this moon invites us into preparation and planning to achieve new heights for the coming year. This is not a moon to daydream; it’s about creating an action plan to make those dreams come true.
Prompts to work with as you reflect on this New Moon. Choose one or try them all out. If nothing resonates, write your own.
What do you need to focus on right now in order to step into your vision for 2026?
Where might you add some flexibility to your life to reach new heights?
How do you want to feel at this time next year? What do you need to commit to in order to make that happen?
What preparation is needed right now to achieve your purpose and higher calling?
Full Moon in Leo
Leo is represented by the Lion. The lion is the second largest member of the cat family. Unlike many cats, they prefer to live in groups called prides. Female lions are the hunters where males tend to do very little work.
Lions are protective of their community, but do not fight for fighting sake. They are non-confrontational yet show their strength and courage with a mighty roar to ward off predators.
The lion is symbolized by the golden sun. A young lion symbolizes the rising sun. Since the dominant energy in a pack is female, young lions represent the rising of the divine feminine within.
The Lion is calling us to tap into our feminine energies of creativity, intuition and imagination. They teach us to shine with the power of the golden sun.
The Full Moon in Leo invites us to follow the energy of the golden sun and step into the confidence exhibited by the lioness. Do not be afraid to roar to protect what you hold dear. Move forward toward your dreams with the heart-centered passion and bravery of the lion.
Prompts to work with for full moon reflection. Again, take what you like and leave the rest.
Where do you need the courage to shine like a golden sun?
What is being asked to be nurtured by your divine feminine?
Where might you need to roar to protect your deepest dreams and desires? (A roar could look like blocking your calendar for creativity, for example.)
Where might you benefit from embodying the essence of the lioness in your life?
The Snow Moon
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we are experiencing winter. You may or may not have a blanket of snow where you are, but I invite you to wrap up in it anyway.
Imagine yourself walking through the woods on a sunny winter day. Perhaps you are wearing snowshoes to tread lightly on her surface. You come to a clearing and pause to notice how the sun shines brilliantly reflecting off the bright white of the snow-covered landscape before you. The air feels crisp and clean as you steady your breath to listen. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel?
I offer this one simple prompt to reflect on from the stillness.
As we approach the halfway point between winter and spring, what is being called to emerge from within you?
Living in Alignment with the Moon
After you have reflected on each of these energies separately, now take a moment to think about how they work together. How does the practical New Moon balance with the courageous Full Moon? Then consider how the fire-y Full Moon mixes with a cold Snow Moon. How might the stillness of the Snow Moon blend with the focused intention of the New Moon? Finally, put it all together.
What is the one thing you are being called into by this Snow Moon lunar cycle?
Set your intention and check back in frequently. As the moon waxes to fullness and wanes once again into darkness, are you on track? Do you have any new insights? What might you need to finish or let go of? Grandmother Moon is a wise and wonderful teacher.
Ceremony & Ritual
I always find that daily life is a lot more enchanting when it is mixed with a little ceremony and ritual. In addition to the journaling practice above, I also like to bless my home (specifically my home office) with a bit of abundance.
I start by placing a touch of cinnamon in the palm of my left hand. Facing into the doorway to my home office I offer this blessing as I blow into the room. Be mindful there are no pets around when you do this to inhale the cinnamon.
Where the cinnamon blows, prosperity flows.
I used to do this at the start of the calendar month, but now find it feel so much more aligned and magical to do it at the start of the lunar cycle instead. Frolic on!
Snow Moon Guided Journal Practice Recording
On Friday a group of us gathered to work with the Snow Moon journal prompts together. Check out the post below to learn how to access the recording. Not a paid subscriber? No worries. Claim your free post to check it out.
Snow Moon Guided Journaling Practice
Today we gathered to listen to the wisdom of the Snow Moon lunar cycle that begins on Sunday, January 18th. It is wonderful to host these guided journaling practices to be in community with others who love Grandmother Moon as much as I do.
NEW Online Event: Live in Alignment with the Crow Moon
I’m excited to go back to Wild Weavings to offer the next guided journaling practice for the Crow Moon lunar cycle. Join me on Tuesday, February 17th at 1:00pm eastern as we welcome the Crow Moon just in time to kick off registration for next Crow cohort of Seminary of the Wild Earth. Serendipity!
Barbara Doane is a writer, speaker and founder of Find Your Frolic, where she helps humans unlearn societal conditioning to step into their soul calling. Her work weaves together decades of executive leadership with intuitive guidance, nature‑based practices, and gentle ritual to support deep personal and professional transformation. Work with Barbara to reconnect with your inner wisdom to build a career (and a life!) you love. Let's frolic.
