New Moon/New Year Ritual

Most people are familiar with this concept as it applies to New Years. Resolutions, plans, ceremonies and other activities are common at this time of year.

No matter your religious persuasion, winter is a time of slowing down, resting and reflection. If you wish to flow more in tune with the planet and the energies of the cosmos, this is the perfect time to look over your past year with an eye to what was successful and what you'd like to change.

A New Year (and New Moon!) Ritual

My suggestion (certainly not original, but one I've enjoyed each January for many years now!) is to get out three sheets of paper.

On the first sheet, write “What I Love About 2013”

On this page, list every single thing you can think of that happened, that you felt, that you really enjoyed about last year. Did you meet a new friend? Get a raise or promotion? Take a long awaited vacation?

Don't forget the so-called “little things.” Did you take a walk and notice the scent of spring flowers? Did you spend a day doing absolutely nothing (and not feel guilty about it)? Did you do something nice for someone just because you could?

Spend some real quality time with yourself on this one – and milk the year for every single positive or uplifting item you can find!

Then, on the second sheet, title it “Things I Would Have Changed.”

Again, make a list of everything you can think of that you wish had turned out differently, would have preferred not happened, or in general you simply did not love or enjoy.

On the last sheet of paper, put the title “My New Ideas!”

On the third sheet, one by one, write down what you would have preferred instead. Do this for every single item. If you are at a loss, simply write down the exact opposite of what you wrote on that “change” list.

Now here's where it gets fun!

I want you to take that list of things you'd like to change, and re-read it. Get into it – feel the emotions you felt when the event or circumstance happened, and get all those things out into the open (at least open to you.)

Take that baby outside or to a sink or ashtray, and set it on fire. Watch it burn. Feel all those emotions being released and transmuted as the paper burns.

It is over. Done. You are finished with them!

Next, take the sheet with what you absolutely loved.

First, just as with the icky one, you want to re-read every entry – and feel the feelings these good things brought to you as they happened. Really soak up the joy, beauty and love!

Next, you will do one of two things:

Either

You can now burn this sheet also, with a prayer for more of these good things to come to you (still feeling the feelings, mind you – that's where the power is!) -

or

You can put this sheet into a binder to refer to any time in the future you need a boost or you need to remember that there are things in your life for which you truly are grateful.

Note: I have done both. Being a pack-rat I prefer to keep mine, and do a separate ritual regarding what I wish to bring in. However – either method works, and it is completely up to you!

And Finally...

Finally – the last sheet.

Study this one carefully, because from this sheet, you will craft your intentions for the coming year.

You are likely to feel a bit ambivalent over your list here – but what you are going to do with this is to re-read it and see just what items are most important to you.

Not everything on the list is something that will recur in your life, so those can be dropped. Some things might have been painful when they happened, but actually turned out to be blessings in disguise.

What you want to do is to choose those things that you really want to work on in the coming year, and create a list of intentions – not goals – intentions for 2014.

Once you have your list things you'd like to bring in in the coming year, burn the third paper as well. Simply feel the release, and let it go.

It Is Done

Spend the next week looking over your new sheet with the intentions for 2014, and I'll be back to help you set those intentions to working in your life on January 8 at the First Quarter Moon.

Because of the powerful New Moon and New Year energies running now – be sure to give yourself some time to do this before the weekend!!!

HOWEVER – the Moon will be Void of Course from about 7 – 1 on Thursday. Do this after lunch if you must do it on January 2.

All My Love and Blessings,

Selene