Letting Go Ritual for the New Year

"Let go of all thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong. Let go of feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do. Let go of the fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself." - 20 Things to Let Go of Before the New Year, by Shannon Kaiser in MindBodyGreen

During these days that conclude our year, give yourself a few hygge moments each day to make yourself ready to embrace all the possibilities each day of the next year holds for you. To do so with abandon, you'll have to fully let go of the year you are leaving. 

So imagine a circle of light around you, light a yummy-smelling candle, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate or your favorite tea, grab your journal and let's begin.

​What Have You Got to Lose?

​Goodbyes can be painful, but they are even more so when we aren't quite finished with what we are losing. Do you have any unfinished business with this year? This is the time to wrap it up as quickly as you can.

Any grieving you want to return to, or bring into the foreground, to make as much peace with it as you can? Some losses never end and you can only make peace and keep going. 

But some must come to an end or they hold too much of your energy -your life force, even- for ransom. And the price to pay to get it back just gets higher as time goes on.

Thinking about the past year, what do you need to look at squarely, and acknowledge the pain of as you try to let it go? Hug it again and acknowledge the way it changed you, acknowledge the time or peace or happiness it took from you, and find a way to say a final goodbye if you can, so it doesn't get in your way for even one moment next year.

Ritual Idea

​Write sentences on slips of paper about each loss or difficulty you faced. Then, hold them in your hand for a moment as you decide to let them go, move on, or just keep going while taking back the dullness of who you are. Once you are complete with that moment, toss those slips of paper into the fireplace, or into any safe, contained fire. No fire? Imagine doing so, and then, rip them up into tiny pieces.
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For more powerful thoughts about what to let go of before the new year, check out the article by Shannon Kaiser that I mentioned above. 20 Things to Let Go of Before the New Year. It's a powerhouse! Here's another good one and it sums up the motivation for my post today...

"Let go of cheating on your future with your past. It's time to move on and tell a new story."

Ritual Idea

Take a few moments to stare at the candle flame or fire you have going. Let your gaze go soft, and if you want to, close your eyes after a minute or two, when you know you have relaxed fully.

Give yourself a meditation moment to dream up your next year. Imagine each month of the year on the calendar, or see its name in your mind and in the space that follows, ask for guidance on what wants to come to life for you next year.

Once you are finished, write down any ideas that come that you want to make come true. And then, if you want, create a vision board or altar for your dreams.

To conclude the ritual, blow out your candle.

Love to you, and may your next year be the best one yet!!

Jeanine