New Moon to New Year Rituals

As 2023 rapidly approaches, there are some incredibly supportive energies around new beginnings*, which makes this the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a cozy blanket and reflect on lessons learned from the previous year and dream about the changes we’d like to make in the year ahead. What do we want to leave behind in 2022? What do we want to initiate in 2023? To accompany your soul journey through the dwindling days of this year, here are a few of my favorite end of the year rituals.

#spread joy

#Spreadjoy is a way to be a light during the long, dark days of December. The idea is to look for simple things that bring you joy admist the hussle and bussle of the holiday season and share it on social media with the hashtag #spreadjoy. Like running around downtown Boise on a “Mission Impossible Scavenger hunt” (post photo) or my dog Jasper pretending to be a parot while sitting on my daughter’s shoulders, or watching old lip sync videos with my bestie, or my step-dads’ most impressive BLT bacon weave, or changing my mom’s “NOEL” magnet to “LEON” (a favorite activity of mine and my brothers!), or croissants as you watch the “Coup du Monde” or skiing with a new friend. You get the idea. Simple joys. Most are free. If the winter blues are bringing you down, search #speadjoy to see some really inspirational, joyful posts from all over the world! This may seem simple or trite, and I’m okay with that; sometimes simplicity is all we need.

2022 Hindsight playlist

Music has always been an integral part of my healing process and last year my oldest son challenged our family to create a 12-song playlist (one for each month). I wrote about his challenge and the songs that became a part of that inaugral year’s playlist (titled Hindsight 2021), on Let Love Rise last year. I just finished creating my playlist for this year, which you can listen to here. Although there is no write up for each song, I’m happy to report that this year’s playlist is much more uplifting that Hindsight 2021! After only two years of creating this musical retrospective, I can already feel the power of this ritual, and I hope that you will give it a try! If so, please share a song (or all 12!) in the comments below.

Journaling prompts

As you may know, I’m an avid journaler. Usually I free-write about whatever is on my mind, but from time to time I like to write about a specific prompt. Here are a few that I have done this year. Much gratitude to Chani Nicholas, author of You Were Born for This and the Chani App, for these prompts:

• What experiences, habits, or patterns from 2022 do you want to let go of?
• What is one thing you learned over the past year for which you are thankful?
• What are you initiating with this week’s New Moon? How would you like these seeds to evolve over the next six months?
• What personal plans, projects, and goals do you feel energized and optimistic to dive into right now? How will you celebrate your progress along the way?

Light a candle, take a few deep breaths to ground yourself, then allow yourself to journal on the above prompts or one of your own. There is no rush. There is no fear of anyone reading your private thoughts. Allow yourself to be brutally honest and see what comes up.

Word of the Year

About 5 years ago, I decided to exchange the idea of writing resolutions for the idea of setting a yearly intention that can be summarized in one word. Well, last year I sort of cheated because I chose three: courage, joy and love and I wrote about it in a post called Courageously Holding On. I love to write in my journal about my previous word (or words) of the year and declare my new inention. For 2023, I have chosen the word SHINE! I’m excited to take the lessons from all that I’ve learned in the past three years and use them to shine a light for anyone who needs encouragement along their path. In her song Shine (my December pick for my Hindsight 2022 playlist) Fia sings these words:

Shine

“I am traveling down the road, quit my job and left my home. I am being pulled by something greater than me. And I intend to walk until my vision’s clear and my mind is still, follwing that subtle voice within. And although I may not see the path ahead, I am confident. I am taking one step at a time. I put my heart out on the line. It will be one hell of a roller coaster ride, but I am ready to shine.”

Do you have a word of the year for 2023? I’d love to hear it!

New Year Offerings and Yoga challenge

Finally, as we set intentions or resolutions for the year ahead, I invite you to join me in one of my favorite ways to kick off the New Year: 30 days of Yoga with Adriene (at home yoga practice). Since 2018 I have been joining Adriene and thousands of others around the world in this challenge to get onto the yoga mat everyday for the month of January. If you’d like to join me in this challenge, contact me and I’ll add you to our community of yogis, where we can support and encourage one another. I also invite you to check out the offerings I have for the winter of 2023 which include a monthly Soul Growth Book Circle, a workshop on creating the life of your dreams called “From the Ashes” and of course, bi-monthly Sisterhood of the Moon circles.

Thank you 2022

As I sign off for this year, I have a heart full of gratitude for you, my faithful reader and soul friend, along with gratitude for the lessons of 2022; it has been a profound year of healing and insight. I look forward to journeying forward with you into 2023. Together, let’s SHINE our lights for all to see!

Namaste

*energies of the final days of 2022: Jupiter moved direct (after 7 months of retrograde) into the “go-get-em!” sign of Aries; The Winter Solstice (ushering in a new season) occured on December 21, the same day the Sun moved into the cardinal sign of Capricorn. The New Moon in Capricorn occured on December 23, creating the perfect moment for setting an intention for the month or year ahead. And of course, on December 31, we bid farewell to 2022 and welcome in a New Year. What new beginnings lie ahead for you?