Ritual: Five Rituals for More Magic in the New Year!
This year we have endured a global pandemic and the lack of human connection that comes with it. We have witnessed political upheaval in the United States, financial loss and too many personal battles and catastrophes to list here. No-one has been immune to grief and loss in 2020 and we have all been challenged to create change.
In this time of transformation, it is so important for us to start and maintain rituals that will help ground us, nurture us and guide us.
What is Ritual?
We can either float down the river of life hoping for the best or we can use ritual to pick up the oars and steer. Either way, we are never completely in control, but with oars, we can at least sight a direction and perform repetitive actions to get there. When we hit rough water or blocks, we have tools to help us through.
A ritual is simply an action practiced with intention. It’s purpose is to help us cultivate our lives. People have been using ritual for millennia to create joy, peace, focus and purpose. Cultures have used ritual to bring health and prosperity to their people and lands, to commemorate rites of passage and to connect with the Divine and with Mother Nature—her rhythms and cycles.
HOW DOES RITUAL WORK?
Ritual is soul gardening. Your intention is the seed. The fertile ground, the garden, is your subconscious mind—the womb and breeding ground of all manifestation. Ritual is the regular act of watering, weeding and pruning—of cultivating the seed so that it grows to fruition. Whether your ritual is mantra, meditation, movement, art, journaling, chanting or tea, when you practice it repeatedly and with intention, it will bring your dreams to life!
Ritual can seem like magic, but it is backed by science and has to do with neuroplasticity, quantum physics and more (sign up for The Ritual Workshop for the full story!).
Join me in this New Year season (for the Gregorian New Year on January 1st and/ or the Chinese New Year on February 12th) to spark a fire of change with these Five Rituals to Make More Magic in the New Year! They will help till your garden so that you can plant seeds of change in 2021 and beyond!
Five Rituals for More Magic in the New Year!
1. Intention Setting (Journaling Ritual)
A large part of the efficacy of ritual is clear vision. Before you can manifest through ritual, you must create the space to get clear on what you really want. The ancient Indian spiritual texts, the Upanishads, teach us that our desire is our destiny:
“You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire, so is your intention. As is your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny.” —The Upanishads
In a culture where we are often taught to suppress our dreams and desires, it takes some license to allow ourselves to dream, but dreaming is a vital skill to hone! Becoming clear on what we truly desire is the key to aligning on our most high vibrational path.
Start now:
Take some time to write down your deepest desires in all areas of your life. Write from your heart, not from your mind. Do not talk yourself out of anything and dare to dream big!
My desire for my health is…
My desire for my body is…
My desire for my work is…
My desire for my soul is…
My desire for my friendships is…
My desire for my family is…
My desire for my mind is…
My desire for my community is…
What I desire most of all in 2021 is…
Now, hold on to these words. We will use them soon!
2. Cleaning Ritual
I grew up with a weekly house cleaning ritual that I believe had as positive of an effect on our minds and spirits as it did on our house. There is something incredibly cathartic about cleaning house, whether that house is your body, your home or any other space that you inhabit.
Out with the Old! Eight steps to bring freedom, clarity and light to body, mind and spirit!
Gather what you need to thoroughly clean your space (a broom, a rag, a bucket of water, a mop, a vacuum, a candle, a smudge stick)
Find an empty bag or box and put it by your front door. This is where you will put things that you are ready to give away.
To begin, light a candle, and put your favorite music on.
Open the windows and doors (put a jacket on and turn off the heater if needed!)
Deep clean: Dust, sweep, mop, vacuum and wash from top to bottom. Take your time, move to the music and enjoy the process.
As you go, gather what you no longer need or use and place it in the box by your door to donate.
When you are finished, light some incense or a smudge stick. Blow out the flame and walk throughout your space allowing the smoke to cleanse the air throughout. Send wishes and blessings into each corner of the space.
To close, close the windows and doors, draw a bath (or take a shower) and prepare a cup of tea. As you sip, savor this light and free feeling.
3. Release (Burning Ritual)
Just as gaining clarity on what you want to call in will help you to align on your path, getting clear on what did not work so well last year is an integral part of making change.
On a piece of paper, write down all the things that did not work so well last year. Let this be a stream of consciousness and write as much or little as you would like. Then, give thanks for the lessons learned (write them down also if you would like) and in a fireplace or a flameproof bowl or firepit, throw the paper in!
4. Inviting In
Once your space is clean, your vision is clear and you have released that which no longer serves you, it is time to invite your wishes in. Here are a couple of suggestions:
Surround yourself with people who fill you up with love and light. In New Years folklore, the first people that you come into contact with in the New Year will have the greatest impact on your year, so choose, and kiss, wisely when the clock strikes midnight!
Buy yourself something that represents the dreams you are calling in. This can be a ritual tool like a meditation cushion, an incense holder or a tea set. It can be a new piece of clothing or art. Anything that you will use regularly and which will reinforce your vision is ideal!
5. Daily Affirmation Creation
Create a daily affirmation for the New Year and commit to reciting it to ourself for 40 days. It is said that the first 12 days of the New Year are the most potent for setting the course of the year and for creating change. Beyond that, neuroplasticity teaches us that we can rewire our brains with 40 days of practice.
Take 3 of our strongest desires from 1 above (Intention Setting) and turn them into “I Am” statements/affirmations:
For example, if your desire for your body was to be healthy and limber and strong, your affirmation is “I am healthy, limber and strong”. If your desire for your soul is to be calm, centered and connected, your affirmation is, “I am calm, centered and connected”.
Then, write the 3 statements here. If you can commit to repeating them to yourself once a day for 12- 40 days, I promise that you will experience life changing benefits!
1.
2.
3.
In my life, the smallest and most seemingly simple rituals have been the ones with the greatest impact: sitting silently for tea in the mornings, simple daily reminders of who I am, who I want to be and where I am heading. These are the things that bring me back home, bring me peace and keep me on track even when the wheels fall off, as they sometimes do for all of us!
Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a joyful and free 2021~!
Love,
Sarah
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