Reflect, Renew, Ritual

I’m a big fan of reflection over resolutions, and of this particular sacred time of year; that began with the Winter Solstice final turning in the cyclical calendar wheel, and concludes with the upcoming new moon in Capricorn. I've been enjoying some beloved rituals this week as a way to reflect on what this year brought and to bow in gratitude for the lessons, invitations and initiations it offered. Here are some of my favorites practices.

Clear The Feed

Burning dried herbs (my favorites are garden grown sage, lavender and rosemary) is an outstanding way to clear an energetic slate for yourself and your home. Disharmony, illness, negativity, energy associated with old patterns/conditioning that no longer serve be gone! You'll want to allow yourself plenty of time to dwell and be present for this practice. Your home is your sanctuary. Your environment is a relationship that holds and supports, nourishes and replenishes you day in, day out. In readiness for this ritual I like to take a day to clear away clutter, clean, (paying attention to the front entry area and hearth), open all the windows, bring in fresh flowers, and light candles.

Match light the end of your dried herb bundle, and gently tamp out the flames so you’re left with the fragrant smoldering smoke. Use a heat resistant bowl to catch any falling embers, and beginning with the front door, mindfully walk through each room in your home (getting into the all the corners) and allow the smoke to clear away any stagnant or disharmonious energy. After the room has reset, I like to take this opportunity to invite in the essence of how I'd like to feel or what I'd like to create in a specific area of the home. For example, I might envision nourishment and wellness in the kitchen, heart connection at the gathering table, memory making in the family room, deep restoration in the bedroom, etc. I will also use this time to cleanse my altar, healing crystals, my decks, sound bowls, and any other sacred tools in preparation for the year ahead.

Tarot

I’m a long-time collaborator with the mystery, magic and intelligence of the unseen, and frequently call upon the wisdom of ancient Archetypes, Dieties, Nature's healing medicine as well as my own intuition to channel messages and affirmations from the Cosmos. Oracle cards have been a mainstay in my morning practice for the past decade and I've been exploring and expanding my love of Tarot in recent years for personal growth and strengthening intuition; and a particular favorite activity at the threshold of the new year is to perform a "Year Ahead" spread that offers me a widening of the lens to take in the overarching themes and allies, and catch a glimpse of what awaits. I'm also excited to dive into a new Tarot Guide and journal prompts authored by the esteemed and personally adored; Rashunda Tramble.

Conspire with Crystals

Not merely pretty rocks; crystals are rather magical vibrating tools that can help to harmonize our imbalances, clear energetic blocks, facilitate healing and promote wellbeing, in addition to being supportive tools for calling in positive change in our lives. As energetic beings, our vibration varies with the ebbs and flows of our physical and emotional bodies, as well as our environments and daily interactions. Crystals however, hold a unique consistently steady vibration, making them highly charged tools for assisting in elevating our mood, directing our focus, creativity, healing and overall harmony. Crystals are tucked into the everyday of my life; be it on my nightstand, slipped into a pocket, tucked under my pillow, adorning an oracle reading, and central to my client work. My go-to Crystals are Rose Quartz (the Universal stone of Love), Moonstone (which supports my beloved moon practice), Smoky Quartz (to enhance positive energy, grounding & healing) and Selenite as an ally for my energetic self care practices. I recently purchased a stunning Star Rose sphere for my healing studio that has been patiently grounding in the garden awaiting this weekends new moon and my 2022 intentions.

Nature Nurture

Comparatively, t's been an unusually cold and rainy time in Southern California during this holiday season and I've welcomed the chance to layer up and don the rain boots for some wet and windy walks in the canyon. Rainfall always feels like nature's way of cleansing the flowers, trees and rooftops and gifting the roots of the earth with a long nourishing drink. And I like to think that wind is like an elemental sweep of all that needs to be cleared away in preparation of transitions and transformations. The ordinarily dry creek beds have been transformed into a temporary running river and I can almost hear nature's sigh of relief and

Luna LOVE

Throughout the lunar calendar, I harness the power of each moon phase for support with releasing, harvesting and setting intentions. There’s just something incredibly magical and sacred about sitting beneath a blanket of stars under the illumination of the moon. My intentions are shout-outs to my future self. Checkins with how I’m evolving, who I’m becoming and how I want to feel, think, speak, and be in the world. If I want to experience more Love, more Kindness, more Joy in my everyday life; this is an opportunity for me to reflect on where I can create that reality for myself.

We begin 2022 with a New Moon in grounding Capricorn on January 2nd that offers an extra boost of support around themes of change, self-care, strategizing/planning/organization, boundaries, discipline and forward momentum. Resolutions and resets can be made anytime we choose to shift and whilst I tend to follow the prompting of my own inner timing, there's also value in the opportunity for a collective turning of the page. New and Full moons that fall on a weekend always feel like a gift that come with some extra time to unwrap, and a new moon that falls in sync with a brand new year feels especially generous and primed for ritual.

Sending so much LOVE to your own practices, how you choose to honor the old/welcome the new, and most of all to your beautiful hearts ...

Jo

xx