The arrival of a new year can be a meaningful rite of passage – the sparks of fireworks being wished upon as stars for transformation – and wishes ranging from new romance to world peace, new purpose to social caring, good health to healing the wounds of nature.
What seeks to emerge in and through you?
Across time, cultures, and spiritual traditions, the way to encounter the truths within the soul has been to distance oneself from culture – with its norms, expectations, and limitations – and visit the world in its raw, unspoiled, and most authentic form – the wilderness.
The good news is that you don’t have to travel to distant lands to access the wild. Just being with nature (a local park, a backyard, or a dandelion) whether solo or with others who are open to journeys of discoveries – is all that’s needed for a beautiful ritual.
Dipping into silence, awakening the senses, and softening the heart are essential. A campfire, gentle drum or flute, sharing circle, and plant medicine can allow for a deeper dive.
What must die for the new to be born?
Just like a seed self-destructs in the soil so that the plant can emerge, it is important to acknowledge the sorrow and grief that might arise from hard-to-die habits, patterns, and beliefs. Like a death doula, hold those challenges with love and tenderness.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
- What am I passionate about?
- What in the world breaks my heart?
- Am I true to myself and my deepest callings?
- What is my vision for the world?
- How can I best be of service?
- What yearns to birth through me?
One of the rituals I’ve been doing with friends and/or spiritual communities for years is to write down on a sheet the patterns or beliefs we’re each ready to let go of. The page is torn into pieces and everyone takes turns offering them to the fire. After the fire ceremony is over, each of us writes or draws the patterns, beliefs, and visions we seek to invite into our lives.
Vision boards, created with magazine cuttings, and drawings, can also be a powerful way to anchor new aspirations and visions – by hanging them in a visible place, one can revisit that “picture” and etch its realness in one’s mind and heart – for the new year and beyond.
Wishing you a year filled with soul, joy, wisdom, compassion, and alchemy to the manifestation of your deepest soul callings.
Related Resources
- A Guided Meditation to Set Your Intentions for the New Year, by Mark Bertin (mindful.org)
- Soulcraft, book by Bill Plotkin
