Year Goals Progress Report

 Oy! I probably should have done a mid-year recap, but life be lifing. Instead, here's an almost-over recap of 2026's year goals. Honestly I forgot all about them until I started looking into January's theme for teaching materials. It's going to be on goal setting, duh. 

Anyway, lets look at these stats and discuss. Per usual, we will start at the top point and work our way clockwise. 

Spiritual Goals: 83%

More Spell Work

I did add more crafting to my practices, but not quite in the way I intended. I hoped to add more spell work, creating and sharing spells, or trying spells. That wasn't quite the case. However, I did find myself actively participating in the witchy community. As I've mentioned before, I help run a community facebook group, and I have devoted a lot of time in creating lesson plans for the group this year. I have also initiated regular Community Digital Altars for the group, and contribute there as well. So I'm including this work and dedication here. It may not be crafting the way I intended, but it's meaningful and has a place.

Continue Growing the Blogs

This happened naturally with the work I've been doing for the group. I've been including that work on my blog as well, not just here on this blog, but over on Samhain the Kink Witch as well. And recently, an AO3 outage has sparked the creation of yet another blog (hush), which I'm linking on my other writing page. You can find it to the right. 

Deepen Divine Feminine

Well, I completed this one without realizing it. I completely forgot I had this goal, and I ended up doing a deep dive study on the Divine Energies in a multipart series, which can be found here: Divine Masculine, Divine Feminine, Divine Energies + Gender Identities. Yes this was again for the group. I saw a need there for the deep dive, and I took advantage of it. I only realized it fulfilled this goal when I was making this update.

Career & Work Goals: 55%

More Writing

Yeah yeah yeah, I keep going back to the group. But it helped me achieve so much! I have written over 200 posts for the group in the last 30 days. I made a little progress on Remnant, and I created a better concept idea for 47: The Patient Journal. And I have almost filled my journal! Let me have my wins even though they're a hyper focus LOL.

More Art

Yup, again. The group. All those posts I made included graphics of some sort with them. Plus I've been creating character concept sheets like there's no tomorrow. Most of which can be found over on this little side project I have going with a co-creator. I also did some non digital creating, though not as much - it is mostly home related, so we will get into that more later. 

Rewriting Manual

And here is probably my biggest flop of my goals. This didn't really get much attention. I did maintain and update as needed, but I didn't get to any new parts of it. However some thing I did manage to do was rework the format to make it more generally accessible for other coworkers. One day I'll get back to this...

Home & Hearth Goals: 72%

Bookshelf Tops 

Yup. Got that done. And then I filled them! And then I bought a spinner for more books, and filled that. And then I moved books around to make room for more, and filled it again. And now I have a new bookshelf project I'm preparing to start....the ledge. I think that's going to be a goal for the coming year.

Office Space Cleanup

Ok, I did this because I have been temporarily working from home full time. Building maintenance, and we are estimated to go back to the building mid December, but we will see. I had to make room for 3 computer monitors at home! So the office got a cleanup. Though it could stand to have another...

Conscious Purchasing

Ehhhhh.....don't judge. It's been a damn year. I did try to be a bit more conscious here recently. But emotional support book purchases are a thing. DO NOT JUDGE ME.

Relationship Goals: 53%

Maintain Boundaries

This has been a tricky one, but I think I'm managing ok. And I'll give myself at least partial credit for the work I've done so far. Boy has it not been easy this year, but I'm figuring it out. 

Friend Time

This was actually a rough year for time with friends...I didn't get to see one of my friends this Samhain, because neither of us had our kids that weekend, and life has just been helluva busy. I did go to a game night at another friend's house, and that was super fun! I'm hoping for more game nights with that group in the future. I did also extend my chosen family of friends this year (thanks to the group). The admin team are all becoming deeply close and dear to me, so I'm excited for the blossoming new friendships!

Family Time

This goal has been bitter sweet, and another one where it didn't go the way I planned. I hoped to do more game nights at home, have more quality time with my kids, and maybe a few more family trips. None of that went to plan. But my teen and I did get some more one on one time as we have been working through medical tests, anxiety disorder diagnosis, school struggles, and therapy together. Simultaneously, the deaths of my cousin and my grandmother this year brought my family together through a very tense time, and reconnected with extended family in ways I didn't foresee. Meanwhile, I had 2 other cousins decide to completely dip out of the family, and 2 of my second cousins also dipped out. It was a whole thing.... But ya know what? My chosen family grew. The polycule is becoming much more of a sprawling web of family. I'm super happy to welcome KW and ZW into the fold!

Health & Fitness Goals: 38%

More Water

I did better on this. I could stand to do even better though...the forgetfulness I have about water intake is so difficult! Health stuff has just been difficult this year. This year has mostly been about just surviving the year. I made progress in other health ways, and new issues also popped up. It's been a year.

3rd Degree Black Belt

Look, life be lifing. This didn't happen and although I made tiny steps in terms of getting there, I'm also recognizing that I'm getting real close to my physical limit of what I can manage with this, which is a painful recognition I keep trying to put off. 

Balance & Flexibility

I definitely got some of that back. Again, I could stand to work on this more, but I'm slowly figuring it out. I think its a goal I'm going to continue to see next year. 

Central Goal: 60%

A Balanced Life with Less Stress & Anxiety

Technically I somehow hit 60% on this, although I do want to acknowledge that stress and anxiety was added in fields outside this list of goals, and that has taken a great toll on this central goal. Honestly I'm ready for this year to be over. I need a clean slate, a restart, a do-over. 2026 can kiss my ass. I'm going back to bed. 

Samhain + Witch’s New Year

Samhain comes from the old Irish “summer’s end.” It was an ancient Gaelic festival that dates back roughly 2,000 years ago and was celebrated from sundown on October 31st to sunrise on November 1st. This festival marked the end of the harvest season and the transition to the dark half of the year. Celebrations included sacred fires, burning crops and sacrifices, and then families taking a flame from the sacred fires back to relight their home hearths. Ancient Celtic culture believed the boundary between the physical world and the spirit realm was at its thinnest at this time of the year.

This festival is also the direct historical root of modern Halloween.

Christian Adaptation

Christians have adapted these deemed “pagan” customs to absorb and replace them as Christian holy days. Rather than eliminating the customs all together, the church redirected them to focus on its own commemorations and help ease the conversion process.

All Saint’s Day – celebrated on November 1st, and then on November 2nd as “All Souls Day” to honor saints and the deceased

All Hallow’s Eve – celebrated on October 31st as a way to blend Celtic customs with Christian observances

A Modern New Year

Through the 19th and 20th century romanticized folklore of Samhain, blending with the ancient agricultural concepts of the ancient Gaelic festival, Samhain became known as the “witch’s new year.” The ancient Celtic culture viewed the calendar as two sides: light vs dark (life vs decay). Celtic days began at sunset, and the calendar year began with the dark half of the year – winter. Celtic culture viewed darkness as the incubation period from which life grows – just as seeds rest in the darkness of soil before blooming, the new year begins in the quiet depths of winter.

In the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought Samhain traditions to North America, which evolved into modern trick or treating, pumpkin carving, costume wearing, and other modern Halloween customs. James George Frazer’s 1890 book “the Golden Bough” is what really popularized the concept of the Celtic New Year. His idea of November 1st being a strict “new year day” caught the attention of early occultists of the time, despite heavy debate from historians.

In the 20th century, neopagans and Wiccans revived Samhain as a season festival to honor ancestors, reflect on life and death, and celebrate nature’s changes. Gerald Gardner, founder of Gardnerian Wicca, was heavily influenced by Frazer’s work. His early Wiccan followers mapped out the Wheel of the Year as we currently know – a calendar with 8 festivals, known as Sabbats, that celebrated solar cycles and agricultural traditions. Samhain was adopted as the final of 3 harvest festivals on the wheel, and was related to the Wiccan God’s death (he is reborn at Yule). This cemented Samhain as the “Witch’s New Year.”

For many witches today, Samhain as the “Witch’s New Year” holds a psychological and spiritual usefulness. Existing as a time “between years” makes Samhain a powerful time for different practices, such as divination, scrying, and tarot. Often these practices are used to foreshadow the upcoming year. Instead of loud celebrations like the Gregorian New Year (January 1st), many witches choose to focus on introspection and quiet transformation instead. This is a great time for confronting grief, honoring ancestors, and releasing old habits so that new intentions can quietly incubate during winter.

Divination 101

Divination – the practice of trying to predict the future or find hidden knowledge using supernatural, spiritual, or occult methods.

Many early societies used divination to communicate with deities, understand bad luck, or make big community decisions. Some faiths strictly forbid divination because they view it as relying on unauthorized spiritual forces. Science views divination as superstition, but many people still use it for personal reflection or decision making.

Some Popular Methods

Tarot Cards – a set of 78 illustrated cards traditionally used for games, self-reflection, and intuitive guidance.

Tarot originated in the 15th century as an Italian card game called “Tarocchi.” It wasn’t until 18th century French occultists introduced esoteric meanings to the cards that they were used for fortune telling and mystical insight. Now, tarot is commonly used as a psychological mirror or creative tool for decision making.

The deck consists of two distinct sections. The Major Arcana includes 22 cards that represent big life milestones, spiritual lessons, and overarching human archetypes. The Minor Arcana includes the remaining 56 cards that focus on the day-to-day events, choices, and emotional states of everyday life. The four suits of tarot generally include: Cups (representing emotions and relationships), Pentacles (representing work, money, and the physical world), Swords (representing thoughts, communication, and conflict), and Wands (representing creativity, passion, and action.)

Basic 3 Card Spread:

Card 1: Past – explores the background of your situation, and represents the events, mindsets, or foundation that brought you to where you are today.

Card 2: Present – highlights what is happening right now, and often shows the core energy of the moment, a current challenge, or something you need to pay attention to.

Card 3: Future – shows the likely outcome if you stay on your current path; this is not necessarily set in stone, but rather a reflection of where your current momentum is taking you.

Oracle Cards – a type of divination card tool used for introspection, daily inspiration, and spiritual guidance. These cards do not follow a strict traditional system like tarot. Rather, they are free-formed, so every deck is entirely unique and operates with its own set of rules.

Scrying – an ancient practice of gazing into a reflective, translucent, or dark surface to receive visions, hidden knowledge, or intuitive guidance.

Modern psychologists suggest that scrying works by self-hypnosis, sensory deprivation, or hypnagogic states where the brain interprets low-level visual fluctuations as meaningful imagery.

• Crystal Balls – spheres usually made of clear quartz, obsidian, or glass used to catch light and induce focus.
• Black Mirrors – usually polished obsidian or black-painted glass that creates deep, shadowy reflection pools.
• Water Bowls – dark vessels filled with water or ink
• Fire + Smoke – watching the movement of a flame or curling incense smoke for symbolic shapes, commonly referred to as Pyromancy

 

Basic Scrying:

• Choose your scrying medium.
• Prepare your space – dim the lights, position your medium, and get comfortable.
• Begin your scrying – center yourself, soften your gaze, remember to blink naturally, and observe any changes you see.
• Interpret your scrying – reflect on any mental impressions, note any shadows or shapes, and be mindful of any aesthetic movement of your medium. 

Remember, don’t analyze while you’re scrying. Just let images and thoughts pass by to be interpreted later. When done, write down everything you saw, felt, or thought for ease when interpreting.

Pendulums – a simple dowsing tool used primarily for divination, accessing subconscious wisdom, and balancing bodily energy. Structurally pendulums are simply a weighted object – such as a crystal, wood, metal charm, or even a wedding band – that is suspended from a string or chain.

• Yes/No Divination – holding the top of the chain steady, and asking closed-ended questions, and then reading the direction of the swing for answers.
• Spirits + Higher Self Communication – using the pendulum as a bridge to talk to spirit guides, ancestors, or your own higher intuition.
• Energy + Chakras – holding a pendulum over a person’s chakras and interpreting the movement to locate imbalances or energy blocks.
• Dowsing – using pendulums over maps or layout grids to locate lost objects or loved ones.

 

Tuning a Pendulum – each practitioner and pendulum moves differently, requiring some tuning before use.

• Hold the chain completely still between your thumb and index finger.
• Ask aloud “show me a ‘yes’ answer” and watch the pendulum movement to determine what movement is a ‘yes.’
• Repeat the process for “show me a ‘no’ answer.”

Cleromancy – casting objects onto a surface, or generating random data and then interpreting the patterns, positions, and outcomes

• Runecasting – throwing stones or wood pieces etched with runes to interpret their meaning.
• I Ching – an ancient Chinese system of tossing coins or yarrow sticks and matching results to philosophical hexagrams.
• Bone Throwing (Osteomancy) – a practice used across various cultures utilizing animal bones, shells, or sticks and interpreting their positions.
• Magpie Divination – using charms to cast and interpret them based on how and where they land.

Cleromancy even includes rolling dice, or childhood games like MASH and paper fortune tellers.

Other Types of Divination

Astrology – interpreting the movements, alignments, and positions of celestial bodies to predict events and map human destiny.

Ceromancy – reading the shapes in melted wax to interpret a message.

Dowsing Rods – using a pair of L-shaped rods, or a Y-shaped tree branch, and interpreting the movement of the rods.

Palmistry – studying the lines, mounts, and shape of a person’s hand to gain insight into their personality or future.

Talking Boards – using a planchette on a lettered board (Ouija) to allow supernatural forces or collective mindsets to spell out a message.

Tasseography – the practice of drinking a cup of loose leaf tea or coffee and reading the symbolic shapes left by the remaining sediment.

Lesser Known Divinations

Alectormancy – drawing out letters on the ground and placing grain at each letter, then letting a chicken spell out a message based on the order it eats the grain.

Augury – observing the flight patterns, spacing, and songs of birds to determine divine messages.

Bibliomancy – holding a question in your mind and randomly flipping open a book to read the first passage your eyes land on to find your answer.

Capnomancy – dropping oil or ink into a bowl of water and interpreting how the colors separate, swirl, or clump together.

Critomancy – examining patterns, shapes, and positions of barley cakes or grain paste after baking.

Floromancy – using flowers, tracking which bloom first, how long they live, and even the childhood “he loves me, he loves me not” plucking of petals.

Libanomancy – analyzing specific paths, shapes, thickness, and speed of rising smoke.

Myomancy – tracking the sudden movements, paths, or population changes of mice or rats to predict upcoming events.

Onychomancy – painting one’s fingernails in oil and then holding them to the light to read the patterns or reflections in their shiny surface.

Pegomancy – studying natural springs and fountains to interpret their rhythm, bubbling, or sounds.

Phyllomancy – interpreting the rustling sound of leaves in the wind.

Physiognomy – reading facial features, bone structures, and expressions to determine a person’s character and destiny.

Reflection:

• How do I react to “bad or challenging results? When I am shown an obstacle or given a “no” response, do I feel anxious and powerless? Or do I view it as an empowering heads-up to change my strategy?

• What does a “successful” reading look like to me? Is a reading successful only if it accurately predicts a future event, or is it successful if it gives me a fresh, healing perspective on a current problem?

• How do I handle readings involving other people? When doing a relationship reading, am I respecting that person’s privacy and autonomy, or am I trying to control the narrative?