New Cold Moon 2026

The new moon this month was on January 18, 2026.

I use the new moons as a time to slow down and reflect. I go so far as to take the day off from work when I can. I use the day to take time for ritual, extra meditation, and to review the past month of activity and change. I like the monthly reminder to let things settle and catch my breath.

I’ve also taken to naming the moons according to my own experience. There are common traditional names and I use some of them, but in the Druid “choose-your-own-adventure” way of wildcrafting our spirituality, I use names that fit my lived experience of the time of year. The first new moon after the Winter Solstice is the Cold Moon for me. It’s when the land drops into the true cold of winter here. (The Cold Moon is traditionally the December moon for others.)

The past month was full of activity with the end of year holidays. We celebrate the Solstice with that breath of calm before heading into the three days of Christmas celebrations in Denmark. Then, of course, we welcome the new Gregorian year. This time around I took the final two weeks of the year off from work and we did not have a lot of social time on the calendar, so I soaked up all of the lovely quiet days. I spent a lot of time reading, doing a little writing, and plenty of long walks along the lake and in the forest.

Coming back from staycation and getting back into the regular rhythm of work was gentle this year, though the context of the world around us was jarring to say the least. I’ve been leaning into my spiritual path to give me balance. Right after Solstice I also completed my Ovate studies with the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) and entered the Druid grade. I did my initiation on this New Cold Moon. I’ve spent the weekend in deep reflection about the year that is already unfolding and where to best spend my energy. That means that I’ll be saying goodbye to some projects and communities while deepening my work in others.

I hope the Cold Moon brings crispness and clarity as well as an appreciation for the warmth of the hearth.