February: KOI NO YOKAN

Hello, journaling friends! In 2025, our monthly Cafe Analog’s friendly journaling challenge #caprojectme25 will take its prompts from beautiful words/phrases from various languages around the world! We think it will be a fun way to start the year while also allowing you to design a spread based on the essence of a word/phrase, making it very personal to you! We will also have three journaling prompts for you to choose from as a way for you to connect more with the month’s word/phrase selection!

The phrase for February is a Japanese phrase: “Koi No Yokan”.

It’s a phrase to capture the premonition of love—an intuitive feeling that one will fall in love with someone upon meeting them. This concept embodies the idea that love can be perceived before it fully blossoms, representing hope and recognizing the potential for deeper connections. February, often associated with Valentine’s Day and a celebration of love in various forms, is an ideal time for introspection and exploration of this sentiment. As we journal about the word, let us reflect not only on romantic love but also on the love we feel for life, our experiences, and the world around us.

This can include journaling about the love we feel as we remember the people we meet, the places we visit, and even the moments of joy in our daily routines. By acknowledging the potential for love in many different aspects of life, we can cultivate an awareness of the connections that enrich our lives and provide a sense of belonging. Journaling prompts can encourage this exploration, such as writing about a person who inspires warmth in your heart, the small joys that spark your gratitude, or the dreams and passions that ignite your spirit.

This month, create a spread with your stationery supplies or other materials to capture the essence of the phrase KOI NO YOKAN for you. If the word is a journal spread, what would it look like?

Here are some creative journaling prompts for you to choose from:

1.

Connection and Intuition

When was the last time you interacted with someone that sparked a sense of joy, gratitude, or hope? Who is this person, and what happened? Why and which part of this interaction feels so promising, hopeful, and loving to you?

2.

Vision of Love

How did you feel ‘loved’—what kind of actions or words or experiences make you feel so loved and accepted? What kind of person are you when you love someone/something? How would you see “loving life” in your own life?

3.

Personal Growth and Vulnerability

Think about a time when you fully opened your heart to someone, leading to a deep connection or a life lesson. What aspects of that experience can you remember clearly, and how did it help you grow? What feels “loving” from this experience—despite its outcome?

Feel free to share your pages and spreads with the hashtag #caprojectme25 if you’d like others who join the project to find yours—and you can also see how others translate KOI NO YOKAN into their journal pages!

Have fun, and may your February be filled with the inevitable joy of falling in love with who you are, who you were, and who you will become! 🙂