Every name has a meaning. Many names are linked to ancient rites and religions and this is the case for the month of January. This month marks the start of a new year and was named after the immortal power couple Jana and Janus, deities that were one honored in Roman history. And to begin this year of a series I am calling "A Deity a Month" there seems no better place to start than with the god of new beginnings and the goddess of the first moon of the year.

Both goddess and god hail from the Roman Pantheon and - as very often is the case - there is much more information about Janus, the male half of this duo, than his lunar consort, Jana. But, maybe this is natural, Janus, besides representing new beginnings is also a solar deity though he is not the same as the Roman sun god, Sol. Rather, he, much like the Greek god Apollo is linked with the sun, the brightness of sunshine and light is in his repertoire of symbology.

It is the same for Jana. She, like a few other goddess, is linked with the moon but is not the moon herself. There isn't much definitive information about Jana online, some say she is linked with the first new moon of the year, others say the first full moon.

It is so very lunar of her to be mysterious like that.

Jana and Janus are very often portrayed as having two faces. One for looking forward and the other for looking back. Online I found plenty of images of Janus in just this fashion and even photos of historic statues from the era when he was worshiped. One of these faces is young, the other old. One face wise and looking at the past, the other young and optimistic about the future, or maybe it is the other way around .... what do you think?

Humanity has a tradition to setting goals for the year and tend to be quite idealistic about said goals. One way I think we can improve in our goal setting is by crafting goals that are one part challenge to one part actually attainable.

This can be done by looking to the past. Reviewing this last year and seeing what goals we accomplished and what goals actually made us feel worse because they seemed so out of reach. Then, finding a happy medium between those two points. Janus is a great deity to work with, or, if you see it this way, a great archetype to embody when balancing the past and future.

As a deity of the sun, Janus is a god of strength, the conscious and mundane day-to-day life. Possibly even more significant than his solar associations is the meaning of the name Janus. Janus signifies "doorway, threshold, or gate" and January is just that! The opening of a new year, the threshold of possibilities, and the doorway to our potential are all so linked with the New Year's resolution.

Although I couldn't find much historical information about the goddess, I did find out some intriguing information.

Jana, they say, means "luminous light".

I love this definition and the lunar implications. But, I find it a little hard to believe that Jana means something so different from Janus. I am no Latin scholar (yet!) and will continue to do my research.

If we are to go with this name meaning, I think it makes most sense to assume that Jana is symbolized by the full moon which grants us enough light to do activities outdoors by night. The full moon, in modern pagan and magical traditions, is a time for giving thanks and being grateful for all that we have earned and been given.

We find ourselves in the waxing moon with the full moon coming soon on the 25th of January. Last night my partner snapped this picture of me, the moon is faint in the evening sky, halfway between new and full.

In the Northern Hemisphere, January is just after the winter solstice. Some areas are currently experiencing rain, frost, and even snow. Here in South America we are living through the hottest days, and in my semi-tropical/semi-temperate climate we are in the middle of the rainy season. No matter where one is on Earth, however, this is seen as the first month of the year. A time for goal setting and contemplation.

And what about Jana's second face that looks backwards?

Mythology says that both gods posses the power of reflection as well as looking forward to things to come. Part of beginning a new year and setting goals for what I want to work on this year includes letting go of goals, dreams, and negative experiences that no longer serve me.

Both Jana and Janus can be our guides to learn from the past, letting go of what we no longer need, and bringing in new growth for the future. This Thursday, under the light of the full moon I will honor Jana, in my own little way, by leaving some bad habits in 2023 and looking forward to the year to come.

Happy almost full moon, happy New Year, and I wish you luck in the fresh start in 2024!