The first Full Moon of 2026 is the Full Moon in Cancer on January 3, 2026 - the “mooniest” Moon you could ever experience! The Zodiac Sign of Cancer is ruled by the Moon, and so whenever the Moon is in its ruling sign, we say that the Moon is exalted in Cancer.

Both the Moon and the Sign of Cancer rule the areas of home and feminine/yin energy. Consider its symbol, the crab: Soft on the inside, but hard and formidable (with pincers!) on the outside. The energy of Cancer, and those born under its Sign, is one of deep vulnerability with tough boundaries – think of Brene Brown‘s work in the field of vulnerability and resilience.

When the Moon is Full in Cancer, this potential is amplified. Yes, emotions are likely to be more mercurial during this time, especially with heightened sensitivity and intuition, ultimately causing people to feel more defensive and protective of their personal boundaries and of their physical spaces (their homes, offices, etc).

However, with a strong sense of self-awareness (and knowledge of the cosmic weather!), you can take this energy and channel it towards building emotional strength, and allow it to guide you towards your deepest desires.

Before we move on, let's take a moment for a short and sweet Full Moon practice...

A Full Moon Energy Practice for the New Year

🌝 Find yourself in a comfortable position. Take three deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

🌝 Continue breathing in and out through the nose. Slowly start to deepen your breathing, slowly inhaling and slowly exhaling...

🌝 Visualize the Full Moon glowing brightly above the crown of your head. Visualize the bright light of the moon beaming down as a tunnel of light, descending into your Crown Chakra.

🌝 As you inhale, see and feel the bright light of the moon entering your Crown Chakra.

🌝 As you exhale, see and feel this light spreading throughout your whole physical body and energy field.

🌝 Continue breathing with this visualization, with each breath infusing your body with more moon energy.

🌝 Set the intention for the energy of the Full Moon to clear away and energetic debris that is no longer needed, and magnetize energy that helps you fulfill your highest intentions.

🌝 Continue to breathe Full Moon energy through your body and energy field. Sit with this meditation for as long as you like.

🌝 When you're ready to close the practice, ground into your body by bringing your awareness into your hands. Rub your palms together then shake them out. Gently open your eyes and take a moment to enjoy your revitalized energy before moving on with your day!

New Year's Energy

While the zeitgeist calls for GO-GO-GO! energy, the Full Moon in Cancer comes in to soothe the energy and remind us that it's okay to chill. Personally, I've always tapped into the community energy of New Year's goals, and have managed to build lots of great habits over the years having initiated them in the new year.

The trick, I find, is to keep it simple: Pick no more than three doable goals, and make sure they align deeply with what you value. And I mean simple! One year, I committed to daily flossing. A few years later, this evolved to include daily water flossing (on top of regular flossing). I used to suffer from severe TMJ and always had cavities, and there was a two-year period during which I got three - yes, THREE! - root canals.

Daily flossing snowballed into stellar dental care, and now it's been years since I've had a cavity. My teeth are also nice and white, my gums are healthy, I have fewer headaches, and overall, I'm SO MUCH happier. This small step resulted in major changes in my physical and mental wellbeing, which positively (albeit indirectly) affected my personal life and my business.

The Full Moon in Cancer is a fantastic time to step back from the grind and draw inwards, because it is from this place that you’ll be able to find the dreams that are truly worth pursuing. All big dreams start with small, doable goals. I know the flossing example may sound boring and pedestrian, but guess what - it's "boring" consistent steps like these that pave the way towards real life change.

Let the Moon Guide Your New Year's Intentions!

If you're not sure where to start, let the astro energy inspire you! The areas in your life that are going to feel energetically highlighted during the Full Moon in Cancer include:

Your House & Home

Everything from buying a home, selling a home, settling into your home, and decorating your home. This is great energy for purging old/unused belongings, and donating pre-loved items to new homes.

Your Family

Whether you’re starting a family, adding to your family, or constantly “running” the family, this whole area of your life is going to be calling for your attention. Your nurturing side will be strong, and you’ll have a strong sense of what everyone needs and wants during this Full Moon.

Your Emotions

Don’t allow yourself to fall for astrological superstition – the Full Moon in Cancer is not an excuse for you to become a complete basket case! Make the choice to tap into the strengths of this energy, and devote your efforts to building emotional strength, and allowing yourself to be more vulnerable while exerting clear boundaries.

Your Feminine & Yin Side

Your sense of empathy, compassion, and intuition will be heightened – the best way to ensure that this works to your advantage is to meditate regularly. If you don’t have a steady meditation practice, start; if you do, consider adding on more time, or another session into your day, at least for the next week or so. Everybody wants to have strong intuition, but few people are willing to do the legwork to hone it. Meditation and inner work is the key.

Your Need to Relax

If there ever was a time to chill on the couch and Netflix the evening away, it’s now. For date nights, consider staying home and ordering in. Don’t force the playdates and/or coffee dates. Give yourself and everyone around you some space. The season for extroverted, outward motion is coming (ahem, Aries), but it hasn’t arrived yet. Enjoy your solitude.

Finally, the Full Moon in Cancer teaches us how necessary it is to retreat and go within. This is not a once-a-year activity! True Moon lovers know that there’s a phase for everything, to listen to their bodies, and to know when it’s time to rest.

I hope you enjoy the Full Moon Energy Practice and that this post inspired your intentions for the New Year! I'd love to hear your feedback - feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at timmie@sacredwellness.co.

Happy 2026, Lightworkers!