New Year’s Altar: The celebration of the calendar’s New Year is a continuation of the Midwinter Celebration. The intention of the altar is to celebrate the flowering of the New Year and to honor the birth of the unconquered sun – bringing the promise of good fortune and renewed fertility. Set upon your altar images and objects that remind you of all you are grateful for. Honor your teachers, the learning, the opportunities, etc. Reflect and acknowledge all the help you received, both seen and unseen, over the past year. With these people and experiences as your witnesses, acknowledge what did not work out so well, and where you are still learning and growing. Forgive yourself, if you are not where you think you should be. Recommit to trusting that you are just where you are supposed to be. Then ask, what is the one thing you can promise that will re-open you to receiving & allowing this year? Using fire, write down what you are ready to let go of from 2010 on paper and burn it. Fire calls forth the power of the sun, the ability to act, grow, change, stretch and ultimately transform. This fire honors the return of the sun at Midwinter and honors our ability to face challenges, embrace endings and be transformed. Then write down what you are ready to receive this year. Place this list on your altar and work with it throughout the year.
New Year Intentions
New Years ReSolutions Many of us can’t help but get excited about an opportunity for a Fresh Start by creating our New Year’s Resolutions. However, it’s wintertime – a time for dreaming and composting, so keep it loose. There will most likely be some adjusting and course-correction needed by the time winter is through. One of the synonyms for resolution in the dictionary is Courage, cor meaning heart. I encourage you to lead with your Heart when you create your intentions. PART 1: Create a New Year’s collage filled with images of what you would like to experience in the upcoming year. Through the process, connect to both where you are now and what is important to you in the present tense. It’s like an X Marks the Spot. A theme/focus usually makes itself known, while at the same time there is room for magic and mystery to appear and play. Stay open. Think in terms of general themes rather than specific goals or to-dos. PART 2: When spring arrives and the New Moon is in Aries, “amend” your New Years collage by making a second collage. The second one is usually much simpler, focused and direct. It clearly puts forward what your intention is after the dreaming of winter is over.
2011: Rest (New Moon Aries)
2010: Taking Care of Myself (New moon in Capricorn, amended New Moon in Aries)
