Happy Winter Solstice!
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, marking the beginning of a new solar cycle when the days start to get longer again for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Yay!
I don’t do new year’s resolutions, which all too often feel like a laundry list of lofty and unattainable to do’s. But I do love a good new year ritual and that’s what I want to share with you today.
Sit somewhere comfortable and cozy with a warm cup of tea or lemon water. Grab your crystals, light some candles, and put on some relaxing background music.
STEP 1: Look back on the past year
Get out a piece of paper, make two columns, and label them GIFTS and CHALLENGES. Go through your calendar and journal from the past year and write down the experiences, commitments, relationships, activities, feelings, moments, etc in the appropriate column. What were the things that really made their mark on you in 2023?
STEP 2: Review
Identify the top experiences, commitments, relationships, activities, etc that rise to the top of both categories. Identify what you want more of and what you do not want to recreate. What did the past year teach you? What are you most grateful for this past year? Can you find gratitude for the part of you that showed up in the difficult times?
STEP 3: Call in your intention for the next year
Take another piece of paper and write freely. What are you calling in for the new year? What kind of experiences do you want to have next year? How do you need to grow as an individual to be able to have those experiences? How do you want to feel?
STEP 4: Select a word or mantra for the upcoming year
Looking over what you wrote down in step #3, pick either one word or a simple mantra that represents the intention emerging. This word or mantra will serve as a reminder for your longer, more detailed intention. Write your word or mantra down on a sticky note and place it on your computer.
Today’s Winter Solstice is a perfect time to set an intention for how we want to enter the next year. Wishing you a blessed new year with deep insights and intentions that help you breathe easier.