• .~·ca
Featuring
Elizabeth Barrette, Kir Beaux, Blake Octavian Blair, Chic and S. Tabatha Cicero, Monica Crosson, Majorie Gatson, Raechel Henderson, James Kambos, Emma Kathryn, Opal Luna, Lupa, Wendy Mata, Sara Mellas, Mickie Mueller, Diana Rajchel, Donald Tyson, Jamie Waggoner, Charlynn Walls, Nicole Wells, Brandon Weston, Angela A. Wix, Charlie Rainbow Wolf, and Natalie Zaman
Llewellyn’s 2026 Magical Almanac Copyright © 2025 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher, except for quotations used in critical reviews. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.
ISBN: 978-0-7387-7521-0
Editing and design by Lauryn Heineman
Cover illustration and illustrations on pages iii, vi, 12, 37, 42, 44, 54, 88, 176, 187, 208, 218, 236, 244, and 277 © Camelia Pham
Interior illustrations: © R. Brasington: pages 59, 61, 62, 64, and 66; © Melani Huggins: pages 78, 83, 201, 204, 227, 233, 239, and 242; © Wen Hsu: pages 68, 86, 91, 92, 102, 107, 191, 195, 196, 247, 249, and 252; © Tara Schueller: pages 10, 15, 38, and 40; © Sue Todd: pages 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 53, 56, 210, 213, 215, 216, 256, 258, 260, 261, and 262; © Angela A. Wix: pages 267, 271, and 275; © Amber Zoellner: pages 2, 4, 7, 9, 46, 49, 51, 170, 173, 175, 179, 220, 223, and 224
All other art by the Llewellyn Art Department
Special thanks to Amber Wolfe for the use of daily color and incense correspondences. For more detailed information, please see Personal Alchemy by Amber Wolfe. You can order Llewellyn annuals and books from New Worlds, Llewellyn’s catalog. To request a free copy of the catalog, call 1-877-NEW-WRLD toll-free or visit www.llewellyn.com.
Astrological data compiled and programmed by Rique Pottenger, based on the earlier work of Neil F. Michelsen.
The publisher and the author assume no liability for any injuries caused to the reader that may result from the reader’s use of content contained in this publication and recommend common sense when contemplating the practices described in the work.
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2026 Almanac
EEarth Magic
The Kitchen Witchery of Sourdough
MICKIE MUELLER
Baking sourdough bread became a trend during the pandemic, but I got a much later start. As a Witch, I find the idea of the living culture known as a sourdough starter fascinating. When I started baking sourdough bread in 2023 for its health benefits, I learned that sourdough starter is made from captured wild yeast and beneficial bacteria that is in the air all around us. We have documented evidence of humans using wild yeast for baking going back to at least 3000 BCE. No matter your family history, it’s extremely likely, if not definite, that your ancestors used this method at some point to make bread. Baking sourdough feels like home, and I feel a sense that my deep ancestors are smiling every time I do it.
Living Spirits
These microorganisms are different depending on where you live, so I began to think of these “wee yeasties” as spirits of the land. It seemed like pure magic even knowing the science behind it: mix equal parts flour and water and let it sit. Each day discard some and add more flour and water, and it will eventually become starter for making delicious bread. Being a Witch, I lit a candle and talked to the yeasts around me, coaxing them into my jar and asking them to join me in baking adventures. I confess, I decided to try making my first starter in March and it was a bit cold. I was a bit impatient, but I nursed my starter and I waited. And waited. I talked to it. I told it what a beautiful starter it would become. I named it, which is a common practice among sourdough bakers. Naming it helps the baker make a connection with this living culture, and I also think that it allows us to fill it with a more loving energy. I named mine Breaderick Fermentstein, a bready pun referring to the title character in Young Frankenstein. I kept imagining Gene Wilder shouting, “It’s allliveee!” And eventually, it was alive.
Once it had begun regularly doubling after feeding, I tried my hand at some bread. My mind was filled with visions of those half-a-beachball loaves that I had seen in all the YouTube sourdough content I had watched. My first loaf was far from that. But through all my experiments, I learned that even an imperfect loaf of homemade bread is still pretty good for the most part. Breaderick and I made many loaves, English muffins, and soft pretzels, all with varying degrees of success. The household happily gobbled it all up, perfect or not.
Each starter is different, however, and eventually I caved and purchased a starter online, packed with a little ice pack, that came in a little jar with its history and instructions for feeding. I dubbed her Elizabread Fermentstein, Elsa for short, inspired by the famed Bride of Frankenstein actor Elsa Lanchester, of course. That starter was very old and was traced to at least the 1800s, having found its way to a bakery in San Francisco, where the seller’s mother acquired it in the 1950s. I fed her, she doubled quickly, and that was my best loaf so far! I share this story because I want you to know that if you prefer to buy a starter, there’s
nothing wrong with that. It still ends up collecting local yeasts as well because it’s in your environment. Even a purchased starter will become uniquely yours.
It’s still amazing to me, and it is so magical that sourdough starter along with water, flour, and salt can make such a joyful loaf of bread.
Water Charged in Moonlight
Your choice of water is very important in sourdough baking. I knew chlorinated water was bad for sourdough. Since most tap water is treated with chlorine to disinfect it, I tried bottled drinking water, and I thought I was doing a good thing. Distilled water or water purified using reverse osmosis has no mineral content, but yeast needs minerals to thrive. No wonder my loaves were sad and flat. Ideally, water for sourdough should have a mineral level of 100 to 150 PPM and pH of just below 7. Do I measure this? No, I do not. Everyone’s water is different, but I learned that leaving tap water out overnight helps it dechlorinate a bit so that it’s suitable for sourdough. When I was having a hard time getting my first starter going, I made a giant batch of Full Moon water in an open container using tap water. I charged it by the Full Moon in the open air all night, collecting wild yeasts and letting the chlorine dissipate. That was a game changer for my starter, and it began to thrive. A little science and a little magic saved the day. I still occasionally feed my starter Moon water and have even baked bread with it.
Wheat for Abundance
Wheat and other grains have long represented fruitfulness and bounty as well as the cycle of life. In early agriculture, spiritual rituals often accompanied harvesting sheaves of wheat or other grains. The grain in general was often anthropomorphized as a sacred spirit that fed the people. I like to consider this as I weigh my flour, thanking the field it grew in for nurturing the seed into a plant and then thanking the grain for inviting the spirit of abundance into my bread.
As someone with gluten sensitivity, I have had a changing relationship with wheat, which ranged from a helpful plant to a baneful plant at different times in my life. Not
everyone with gluten sensitivity can ingest properly fermented sourdough, but some can, due to the way the process breaks down the gluten. If you have gluten sensitivity, you should check with your doctor before trying sourdough.
Some of the yeast comes from the flour that you use. I started out using white bleached all-purpose flour, yet another reason I was not finding early success in my baking. Some people have used all-purpose flour and made beautiful loaves, but it must be unbleached because bleach is the scourge of sourdough. Flour that is closest to natural is the most beneficial for sourdough baking, so I look for unbleached bread flour for my loaves and unbleached all-purpose flour for feeding my starter. The biggest difference is the protein; bread flour is a higher protein flour and therefore makes stronger gluten strands, adding to the structure for a loaf that rises beautifully.
Blessing with Salt
Salt is very commonly used in Witchcraft, and it gives bread dough extra flavor. There are different schools of thought about salt in sourdough baking. Some assert that you need to add the salt after initially mixing the dough and giving the yeast a head start, while others mix it right in at the beginning. I’ve done both and personally have not noticed a difference. I like to use non-iodized sea salt as I like the flavor better. When I add salt to my dough, I do it with intention. Salt reminds us to keep flavor in our lives, and historically, it has been regarded as a symbol of wealth and purification. Many Witches use salt for protection from baneful energy. Here’s a simple blessing you can use while adding your salt, but your own words can be very powerful too.
Blessed salt, bring your powers of wealth, purification, and protection into my bread. Multiply your blessings as it rises and bakes, and may all who eat it be touched by your gifts.
Cauldron of Bread
Baking a round or boule loaf is best achieved in a six- or seven-quart cast-iron Dutch oven with a lid. We Witches love a cauldron, and so
does a baker! I use an enameled one I inherited from my grandmother, but I’ve seen some at secondhand stores at a bargain that should do nicely. A cauldron is a magical tool that’s often associated with transformation, and never was that so true as it is in sourdough baking. The bread dough is scored first; this lets the baker choose where it will expand instead of randomly splitting. The closed Dutch oven traps the steam inside during the first twenty to twenty-five minutes of baking, giving the bread its best chance to expand as much as possible. This is called “oven spring.” Then the lid is removed for the second half of the bake, in which the steamy crust will become golden brown and crispy. I blessed my cauldron by rubbing the inside with salt and saying this incantation:
With this cauldron, I bless each bake, and every loaf that I may make. Let dough spring up and crumb be light, each loaf beautiful in scent, taste, and sight.
Can you bake sourdough in a bread pan without a Dutch oven? Yes, but your bread cauldron transforms the dough into an artisan loaf with complexity of texture, flavor, and presentation.
The Secret Ingredient
Yes, the secret ingredient is love. I know it may sound cheesy (sourdough makes great grilled cheese), but I treat my sourdough with kindness and care throughout the process, feeding it with affirmations like “Look at you, you’re doing great.” When I add the ingredients for bread, I do it thoughtfully and usually proclaim, “You are such lovely dough!” During each round of stretching the dough, I marvel at how it improves with each step, and I tell it so. When I shape the loaf, I sprinkle on the flour and pat it gently, tucking it in the bowl or basket to rise with “Sweet dreams, rise well!” I try my best to treat the whole process with respect—after all, this is bread made by hand that I nurtured along. It will feed myself, my family, and friends.
Yes, the yeast does die as part of the baking process, but these aren’t complex organisms, and I have felt intuitively that they are deeply
connected to the process of life, death, and rebirth. This is why I treat my starter, dough, and bread with gratitude, because those wee yeasties will eventually cross the veil to bring us glorious nourishment, and that is worthy of respect. Bread is the very model of the circle of life.
Another thing I started doing is to offer a slice to the spirits. I pick a nice slice and bring it outside, where I do a brief devotional. This can fit into any practice. You can offer it to your ancestors, spirits of the land, deities, or any spiritual beings that are part of your practice. After a day and I know the spirits have taken their fill of the essence of the bread, I take anything left and put it near my bird feeder, where birds or squirrels enjoy it. You can say something like this:
I break bread with you, honored spirits. As this loaf made by my own hand and heart nourishes me and mine, may this slice take the form most desired by you.
Mickie’s No-Fuss Sourdough Recipe
If you want to try your hand at witching up a loaf of sourdough, I’ll share my recipe. There isn’t enough room here to share instructions on
making a starter as well, but you can find basic instructions online. If you choose to use a premade starter, you can find them online too, and it’s perfectly fine. I built this recipe after trial and error with about ten other recipes. With this recipe, you can refrigerate it for a while to help you fit the bake into your schedule.
Equipment:
Kitchen scale: This is the best way to get accurate measurements.
Container for mixing: I use a 16-cup square plastic container from the dollar store. The clear straight sides help me know when it has doubled.
Cast-iron Dutch oven with a lid
Sharp blade for scoring, ideally a razor blade
Clean cotton tea towel
Breadbasket, a.k.a. banneton: A deep bowl about 2-quart size to rest the dough in may be substituted instead. My favorite is a Nordic Ware microwave popcorn popper.
There are many other fancy tools, but if you’re just getting started, these will give you a good start. To double-check some of the techniques like stretching, shaping, and scoring dough, I recommend that you review a few online videos.
Ingredients:
30 grams active starter puffed up to double after feeding
355 grams water about 85 degrees F, non-chlorinated
400 grams unbleached white bread flour
100 grams unbleached whole wheat flour
10 grams sea salt
Rice flour for dusting (optional)
In the mixing container, add sourdough starter to water and whisk. Add both bread flour and whole wheat flour and top with salt. Mix until a sticky, rough dough forms. Mark the container so that you know the volume and set it aside covered for 25 minutes. With clean hands, do a
“stretch and fold” by lifting the dough from one edge and folding it over the top. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this 4 to 6 times, then cover the dough and let it rest for 25 minutes. Do a total of 3 to 4 rounds of stretch and folds until the dough is less sticky and becomes elastic. Leave it on the counter for about 2 to 3 hours, and then put it in the refrigerator, where it can stay for 12 to 72 hours until you’re ready for the next step. If it hasn’t doubled in volume, bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours until it’s puffed up.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and form it into a rough ball. Let it rest under a tea towel for 10 minutes. Take the towel off the dough and use it to line the round bowl where your bread will rise, and coat the towel with bread flour or rice flour. Shape the loaf by hand by pulling the ball of dough toward you creating a tight surface with a rough seam at the bottom. Put the loaf seam-side up into your prepared rising bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean shower cap, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until it’s very puffed up.
Preheat your Dutch oven in your oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes while your dough rests in the fridge. This makes scoring easier. Flip the dough gently over onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the bread about ½ inch deep with a sharp knife or very thin razor blade. An X is perfect if you’re a beginner.
Remove the Dutch oven with potholders. Keeping the shaped loaf on the parchment paper, transfer the dough to the Dutch oven and bake 25 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake about 20 minutes more until golden brown.
Allow the bread to cool completely for ease of cutting and the best texture. Give it at least 30 minutes if you can’t wait.
The Date
The date is used in numerological calculations that govern magical rites. Below is a calendar for 2026.
JANUARY 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MAY 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
FEBRUARY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
12 13 14 15 16 17
19 20 21 22 23 24
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
16 17 18 19 20 21
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
The Day
Each day is ruled by a planet that possesses specific magical influences:
Sunday (Sun): Healing, spirituality, success, strength, and protection.
Monday (Moon): Peace, sleep, healing, compassion, friends, psychic awareness, purification, and fertility.
Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.
Wednesday (Mercury): The conscious mind, study, travel, divination, and wisdom.
Thursday ( Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity, and generosity.
Friday (Venus): Love, friendship, reconciliation, and beauty.
Saturday (Saturn): Longevity, exorcism, endings, homes, and houses.
The Lunar Phase
The lunar phase is important in determining the best times for magic.
The Waxing Moon (from the New Moon to the Full) is the ideal time for magic to draw things toward you.
The Full Moon is the time of greatest power.
The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New) is a time for study, meditation, and little magical work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).
The Moon’s Sign
The Moon continuously “moves” through the zodiac, from Aries to Pisces. Each sign possesses its own significance.
Aries: Good for starting things, but lacks staying power. Things occur rapidly, but quickly pass. People tend to be argumentative and assertive.
Taurus: Things begun now last the longest, tend to increase in value, and become hard to alter. Brings out appreciation for beauty and sensory experience.
Gemini: Things begun now are easily changed by outside influence. Time for shortcuts, communication, games, and fun.
Cancer: Stimulates emotional rapport between people. Pinpoints need, supports growth and nurturance. Tends to domestic concerns.
Leo: Draws emphasis to the self, central ideas, or institutions, away from connections with others and other emotional needs. People tend to be melodramatic.
Virgo: Favors accomplishment of details and commands from higher up. Focuses on health, hygiene, and daily schedules.
Libra: Favors cooperation, social activities, beautification of surroundings, balance, and partnership.
Scorpio: Increases awareness of psychic power. Precipitates psychic crises and ends connections thoroughly. People tend to brood and become secretive.
Sagittarius: Encourages flights of imagination and confidence. This is an adventurous, philosophical, and athletic Moon sign. Favors expansion and growth.
Capricorn: Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.
Aquarius: Rebellious energy. Time to break habits and make abrupt changes. Personal freedom and individuality is the focus.
Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition, and psychic impressions. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.
Color and Incense of the Day
The color and incense for the day are based on information from Personal Alchemy by Amber Wolfe and relate to the planet that rules each day. This information can be taken into consideration along with other factors when planning works of magic or when blending magic into mundane life. See page 264 for a list of color correspondences. Please note that the incense selections listed are not hard and fast. If you cannot find or do not like the incense listed for the day, choose a similar scent that appeals to you.
Holidays and Festivals
Holidays and festivals of many cultures, nations, and spiritual practices are listed throughout the year. The exact dates of many ancient festivals are difficult to determine; prevailing data has been used.
Time Zones
The times and dates of all astrological phenomena in this almanac are based on Eastern Standard Time (EST). If you live outside of the Eastern time zone, you will need to make the following adjustments:
Pacific Standard Time: Subtract 3 hours.
Mountain Standard Time: Subtract 2 hours.
Central Standard Time: Subtract 1 hour.
Alaska: Subtract 4 hours.
Hawaii: Subtract 5 hours.
Daylight Saving Time (All Zones): Add 1 hour.
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 am on March 8, 2026, and ends at 2 am on November 1, 2026.
Please refer to a world time zone resource for time adjustments for locations outside the United States.
January 3
2026 Sabbats and Full Moons
Cancer Full Moon 5:03 am
February 1 Leo Full Moon 5:09 pm
February 2 Imbolc
March 3
Virgo Full Moon 6:38 am
March 20 Ostara (Spring Equinox)
April 1
May 1
Libra Full Moon 10:12 pm
Scorpio Full Moon 1:23 pm
May 1 Beltane
May 31 Sagittarius Blue Moon 4:45 am
June 21 Midsummer (Summer Solstice)
June 29
Capricorn Full Moon 7:57 pm
July 29 Aquarius Full Moon 10:36 am
August 1 Lammas
August 28
Pisces Full Moon 12:18 am
September 22 Mabon (Fall Equinox)
September 26 Aries Full Moon 12:49 pm
October 26
Taurus Full Moon 12:12 am
October 31 Samhain
November 24 Gemini Full Moon 9:53 am
December 21 Yule (Winter Solstice)
December 23 Cancer Full Moon 8:28 pm
All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST) or Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
2026 Sabbats in the Southern Hemisphere
Because Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience opposite seasons at any given time, the season-based sabbats listed on the previous page and in this almanac section are not correct for those residing south of the equator. Listed here are the Southern Hemisphere sabbat dates for 2026:
February 2 Lammas
March 20 Mabon (Fall Equinox)
May 1 Samhain
June 20 Yule (Winter Solstice)
August 1 Imbolc
September 22 Ostara (Spring Equinox)
November 1 Beltane
December 21 Midsummer (Summer Solstice)
2026 Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Solar eclipse February 17 28° k 50'
Lunar eclipse March 3 12° f 54'
Solar eclipse August 12 20° e 02'
Lunar eclipse August 18 4° l 54'
Two- and three-dimensional maps of the visibility range of an eclipse can often be found online leading up to the event. Even if it’s not visible in your area, you can still draw on the energy of this astrological phenomenon.
1
THURSDAY
New Year’s Day • Kwanzaa ends
Moon Sign: Gemini
Waxing Moon Incense: Myrrh
Moon Phase: Second Quarter
Color: Green
2
FRIDAY
Hanukkah ends
S
Moon Sign: Gemini
Waxing Moon Moon enters Cancer 8:09 am
Moon Phase: Second Quarter Incense: Mint
Color: Rose
SATURDAY
St. Genevieve’s Day
Moon Sign: Cancer
Waxing Moon Incense: Sage
Full Moon 5:03 am
Color: Blue
4 SUNDAY
Kamakura Workers’ Festival ( Japanese)
Moon Sign: Cancer
Waning Moon Moon enters Leo 8:44 am
Moon Phase: Third Quarter Incense: Juniper
Color: Yellow
5
MONDAY
Bird Day Moon Sign: Leo
Waning Moon Incense: Hyssop
Moon Phase: Third Quarter
Color: Gray
6 TUESDAY
Epiphany
Moon Sign: Leo
Waning Moon Moon enters Virgo 11:57 am
Moon Phase: Third Quarter Incense: Ylang-ylang
Color: White
7
WEDNESDAY
Tricolor Day (Italian)
Moon Sign: Virgo
Waning Moon Incense: Honeysuckle
Moon Phase: Third Quarter
Color: Brown
8
THURSDAY
Midwives’ Day (Bulgarian)
v January
Moon Sign: Virgo
Waning Moon Moon enters Libra 7:06 pm
Moon Phase: Third Quarter Incense: Nutmeg
Color: Purple
9
FRIDAY
Feast of the Black Nazarene (Filipino)
C
Moon Sign: Libra
Waning Moon Incense: Yarrow
Moon Phase: Third Quarter
Color: Pink
SATURDAY
Feast of St. Leonie Aviat
Moon Sign: Libra
Waning Moon Incense: Patchouli
Fourth Quarter 10:48 am
Color: Black
11
SUNDAY
Carmentalia (Roman)
Moon Sign: Libra
Waning Moon Moon enters Scorpio 5:55 am
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter Incense: Almond
Color: Gold
12
MONDAY
Revolution Day (Tanzanian)
Moon Sign: Scorpio
Waning Moon Incense: Rosemary
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Color: White
13
TUESDAY
Vogel Gryff (Swiss)
Moon Sign: Scorpio
Waning Moon Moon enters Sagittarius 6:34 pm
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter Incense: Ginger
Color: Red
14
WEDNESDAY
Feast of the Ass (French)
Moon Sign: Sagittarius
Waning Moon Incense: Lilac
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Color: White
Packed with spells, rituals, and new ideas for enhancing your practice, this almanac has been a favorite resource for more than thirty-five years. You’ll find two dozen articles, grouped by element, on many topics, including Hekate (James Kambos), setting boundaries (Lupa), Lenormand cards (Majorie Gatson), candle magic (Nicole Wells), and flower essences (Monica Crosson).
This almanac features an energetic forecast, which analyzes major astrological movements, numerology, the zodiac, and tarot. You’ll also find a coloring magic section with accompanying spells and a convenient calendar section with world festivals, holidays, and the 2026 sabbats.
• Vodou Folklore and the Sabbats with Emma Kathryn
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• Crochet Projects for Yule and Imbolc with Opal Luna
• Ozark Retribution Work with Brandon Weston
• Deprogramming Negative Self-Beliefs with Wendy Mata
• Magical Inks Made from Fruits with Natalie Zaman
• Healing Ancestral Trauma with Charlynn Walls $15.99
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