b.read.crumbs: Into the New
Or how shifting your attention to a different calendar can benefit you.
Deb and I discussed only one option for this year’s focus: Months.
Taking things month by month by month is about as close to being in the moment as I am capable of being. And, after 2025’s head-spinning attention-grabbing, cortisol-raising year, being in the moment feels like the best of ideas — so, MONTHS it is.
One of my works-in-progress (Because, yes, I have about seven of them right now, and that is not helping my in-the-momentness) has a calendar based on a lunar system. The New Moon in particular features some pretty spectacular magic. I thought I’d dreamed that one up on my own, but no, actually, I didn’t.
Turns out that while I’m not always the most observant Jew, I do know that the Jewish calendar is a lunar one. That’s why we get two New Year’s celebrations and much of the rest of the western world only gets one. We aren’t the only ones.
The Chinese calendar 2026 Year of the Fire Horse begins February 17, 2026. Fire Horse signifies intense energy, rapid change, innovation, and bold action. It’s a powerful year for reinvention and forward momentum, encouraging folks to shed old limitations and embrace new paths.
Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah in 2026, begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, 2026, and concludes at nightfall on Sunday, September 13, 2026. The cycle of holidays observed throughout each year, including the lunar-linked one I’ll talk about in a bit, provides a solid framework for reflection and inspiration.
Based on yet another lunar calendar, the Hijri New Year (Islamic New Year, or Muharram 1) is expected to begin at sunset on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, though the exact date depends on moon sighting. That sighting will mark the start of the Islamic year 1448 AH.
So my moon-driven calendar for my WIP isn’t unique. It has led me though, into a moon-calendar cycle of reflection based on the Jewish months. An organization called AT THE WELL sends out a prompt for reflection before Rosh Hodesh, or the New Moon. Somewhere deep inside me, I must have remembered how important that lunar event is in our history, and utilized it. Once I realized that confluence, I followed that rabbit down a deep dark research hole, which lead to my moon phase journaling practice. I’ve long taken stock of myself at the end of a month, setting new goals, and re-examining old ones. Now, I am journaling each new moon.s.
The Gregorian calendar month of January is split between the Hebrew months of Tevet December/January (Hibernating/Channeling Anger — and boy did 2025 bring up a LOT of anger for me) and Shvat January/February (Renewing Taste.) December was the month during which the darkest night of the year falls — and when the light returns to a growth cycle. Learning about this, at the end of 2025 when that fall into darkness — paired with a trust that the light will always come back to us — was pivotal for me.
The light WILL always come back for us.
May Tevet’s time of hibernation bring you ways to release anger and renew your taste for life, so that we can take more considered action once Shvat rolls in.
Meanwhile, get your moon studies on and don’t forget to spend some time writing.
Happy New Year.
ONE GREAT THING:
I have cut the cord to Amazon. Getting my library books from them is the only interaction I have — any ebooks I buy come from Bookshop.org. They have agreements with many independent bookstores for profit sharing, you can indicate which actual real-live store you want to support right there.
If you don’t have a favorite one of your own, select Hares and Hatters. My friend, Jaime is a co-owner, and they do good things.
ANOTHER GREAT THING
My friend, Jesse, has a new newsletter, where she expounds on submission opportunities and retreat options and other writing related things. It’s eclectic, and fun, and free. Check out INKSATIONS.