Starting with intention

I have never been a person to stay up till midnight on New Year’s Eve. This year won’t be any different in that aspect. I’m just not a late night person. But I did make intentful actions today.

My goal this week was to work 15 minutes a day after work on my bedroom. That didn’t happen, to be honest. Not surprising either. However, I think that is how it was supposed to be. Yesterday, I decided that along with cleaning my bedroom, I would put an altar up where my old tv has been for over a year now. It has been unused space that really needed a purpose. Previously, the altar had been behind my bed, hidden and quite truthfully, neglected for many years.

I had bought candles to do a New Year’s intention setting meditation, but decided to take it one step further today.

I did get a portion of my room cleaned and did set up my new altar. I don’t have much for one, but I do have some of the essentials.

I used silk I had on hand, but I think the color is a good one for new beginnings and finding new purpose. The fishbowl looking jar on the left is filled with my “moon juice”; a blend of lemon and lavender essential oils, along with sea salt, rose and clear quartz as well as amethyst that has been in the light of the full moon for two nights. The scrying bowl holds lavendar, cinnamon and rosemary stirred with the theme. I also added a glass glencairn with a small dram of whisky for the house spirits, should they also want to celebrate. The goddesses on the top are Quan Yin, for compassion and inner strength, and Tara, for spiritual and intuitive wisdom.

It is a start. The altar will grow and change through the year, but for now, it is perfect.

This evening, I relaxed and reflected on the year. Then, I lit two candles at the top and placed a bowl of sea salt between them. On parchment paper, I wrote out the things I wished to let go of and release in the coming year. As I pulled each piece of paper with the words, I meditated on the feelings and sensations of them leaving and dissipating, lighting them with the candles and putting them in the salt to burn up. Once I had released all the things I wanted to, I took a cleansing shower to wash away the old year. I will take the salt and ashed and bury them in the earth so that they can be positively charged and returned as energy.

Now, I am drinking a hand crafted gin from Lussa Gin, and watching Kiki’s Delivery Service, which is about new beginnings and finding new paths in life.

I wish everyone the new year they hope to have.