Aaand the new year has arrived!

January rarely creeps up on us. It usually feels like a deep, welcome breath after the rush of the holidays, a moment to pause between what has been and everything yet to come.

The first month of the calendar year invites us to rest, reset and re-direct.

For witches, this month tends not to be about resolutions (those may have been set at Samhain, or perhaps you’re waiting until Imbolc, at least?)

No, January is all about reconnection.

Reconnection to your magic, to the spark of your inner fire, and to the quiet wisdom that winter sits in the deep midwinter.

Many of January’s witchcraft correspondences remind us that even in stillness, the Earth hums with potential…

Energy and Symbolism of January

January’s energy is all about renewal, purification, and clarity.

Named for the Roman god Janus, guardian of doorways and thresholds, this month is one where we look both backwards and forward; it is a sacred moment between endings and beginnings.

Magical themes for January include:

• Cleansing rituals (physical and energetic)

• Setting spiritual and magickal intentions

• Protection and home blessings

• Divination for the year ahead

• Shadow work and journaling in the depths

When the outside world feels quiet, turn your magick inward. Think of January as the cauldron of the year – it’s still, robust, but full of creativity and potential, simmering beneath the surface.

January Magical Correspondences

Moon: Wolf Moon

Zodiac signs: Capricorn · Aquarius

Sabbat: N/A (but prepare for Imbolc on Feb 1st)

Deities: Janus · Freyja · Inanna · Sarasvati · Hera · Ch’ang-O · Sinn · Pax · Venus

Animals: Fox · Wolf · Coyote · Pheasant · Blue Jay

Nature Spirits: Gnomes · Brownies

Trees: Birch · Evergreens

Colours: White · Grey · Blue-Violet · Indigo · Purple · Black

Crystals: Garnet · Onyx · Jet · Chrysoprase · Moonstone  · Ruby · Red Tourmaline · Clear Quartz · Hematite

Flowers & Herbs: Marjoram · Holy Thistle · Galanthus (Snowdrop) · Carnation · Crocus · Peppermint · Patchouli · Lavender · Pine

Themes: Renewal · Purification · Beginnings · Wisdom · Inner Peace

How to Use These Correspondences

Quite simply, working with January’s correspondences helps you move in rhythm with the season. This will help you to ground your energy and clear space for new beginnings.

January blends Earth’s stability with Air’s clarity, reminding us to stay centred while opening our minds to fresh inspiration.

Here are a few simple ways to weave these correspondences into your practice:

• Burn herbs like pine, peppermint, or lavender to purify your space and refresh your energy.

• Carry winter crystals such as garnet, onyx, or moonstone for grounding, protection, and intuition.

• Work with birch, the tree of renewal. Use a twig or symbol of birch in spells for resilience or growth.

• Call on deities like Janus for new paths, Freyja for strength, or Sarasvati for creativity. Make offerings, and ask for guidance.

• Align with the Wolf Moon, meditating on instinct, clarity, and purpose.

• Add seasonal colours – such as white, grey, indigo, or deep blue – to candles, altars, or clothing to enhance peace and focus.

Including these correspondences needn’t be extra work! Simply swapping out herbs, incense, colours, or crystals will align your magickal efforts with the natural forces that already exist all around you.

So have fun with it!

The Wolf Moon & Casting Lunar Magick

January’s Wolf Moon carries a deep, protective energy, and it’s a potent time to listen to your instincts and trust your inner voice. This moon invites us to connect with intuition and the unseen threads that guide us through the year.

Wolf Moon Ritual Ideas:

• Write down your intentions for the year and set them out beneath the full moonlight to charge up and gain power.

• Light a white or silver candle with an intention for guidance and spiritual focus.

• Create a simple home protection charm using pine, salt, and a piece of onyx.

• Collect snow water under the full moon for future cleansing or blessing rituals.

As you work with this moon, imagine the howl of the wolf as a call to courage! Receive its light, as a reminder that your magick, too, can echo through the dark.

Witchy Things to do in January

When the world slows down, fill your days with gentle, nourishing magick:

• Cleanse and reset your altar with intention for the new year.

• Craft a winter charm for protection or renewal.

• Brew herbal teas like rosemary, marjoram, or peppermint to refresh body and spirit.

• Journal your magickal goals, setting intentions that align with your heart.

• Light a renewal candle spell, focusing on clarity and calm.

Remember, your January magick doesn’t need to be elaborate (who’s got the energy for that?!) It – and you – will most likely thrive in simplicity, mindfulness, and warmth.

IF you want to play a whole year of spells, crafts and magickal activities, download THIS stunning Book of Shadows covering the next 12 months! 

January Journal Prompts

Journaling is a wonderful way to harness the unique energies of January’s energies, by reflecting on the past year, and setting intentions for what’s ahead.

Use these prompts to guide your own journaling practice:

1. New Beginnings: What intentions or goals do I want to plant this month for the year ahead?

2. Release & Purify: What old habits, fears, or energies do I need to release to make space for new growth?

3. Lunar Reflection: How do I feel during the Wolf Moon, and what guidance or insights arise when I meditate under its light?

4. Personal Magic: Which correspondences (crystals, herbs, colours, or deities) feel most aligned with me this month, and how can I incorporate them into my practice?

5. Inner Wisdom: What lessons from the past year do I want to carry forward, and what should I leave behind?

6. Nature Connection: How can I attune to the natural rhythms of January — the quiet of winter, the stillness of trees, and the subtle energy of snow and frost — in my own spiritual practice?

Tip: You can combine journaling with ritual tools — for example, light a white candle, hold a piece of garnet, or burn rosemary while writing in response to these prompts to deepen your connection to the month’s correspondences.

Reflect and Renew!

As the first month unfolds, above all, let yourself rest. The Earth is dreaming beneath her frosty blanket, and you are part of that dream.

January’s magick is soft, and like the glow of candlelight behind a dark window, it offers us quiet hope in a sometimes murky season.

“Even in the coldest months, magick blooms from within.”

Let these Magical January correspondences guide you into a new cycle of purpose and peace, in ways that are grounded, clear, and ready for the emerging light.

Blessed be.