Oh, how I’ve been looking forward to writing this blog.
I’ve been working hard on something you’ll see below, but creating this New Year’s ritual — for you and for myself — is something I never want to miss.
A New Year’s Ritual to Give Your Life Direction and Nourish Your Soul
Our culture has largely forgotten that we need rites of passage to mark and support life’s many transitions. One of the few remaining ones is New Year’s Eve, when people sing, kiss, drink champagne — or, as the Danes do, jump into the new year from a chair.
This ritual is something you can do anytime you feel unsure of your direction or need a fresh beginning.
It has four steps, it takes about half an hour, and it helps you gather the wisdom of the past year, release what you no longer need, and connect with what you long to create next.
You will need:
Paper for drawing and writing, a pen, crayons, or perhaps some fabric, stones, or meaningful symbols from your home or nature.
Step One: Take the Good with You
Write down everything you’re happy to have created or experienced this past year.
You can doodle instead, if you like.
Give yourself time to feel the excitement, gratitude, and pride that come with these accomplishments — big or small.
Step Two: Learn From What Was Hard — and Let Go
Write or draw what has been challenging this year.
For each experience, reflect on what it taught you.
Make room for all your emotions — forget grammar and aesthetics.
Then take a look at everything you’ve written and decide what you no longer want or need.
Now let it go:
Tear the paper, burn it safely, or recycle it.
You’ll likely feel a sense of relief or spaciousness as you do this.
Step Three: Create the New
Write down what you long to create in the coming year.
Be honest and specific. Feel your body. Notice any inner images or words that arise.
Give your dreams space.
Write or draw everything you desire to bring into being — and as you do, imagine it’s already happening.
Enjoy it with all your senses.
Step Four: Plant the New in Time and Space
Imagine your life as a visual timeline on the floor in front of you.
Decide where the past, present, and future are.
Take your writings or drawings from Step Three and place them physically in the “future” on your timeline.
If you’d like, decorate the space with symbols, stones, fabric, or anything meaningful.
Let this feel like a sacred, loving act — one that makes the future you’re calling in feel alive and compelling.
Now stand in the future.
Experience each intention, vision, and creation as if it has already happened.
Let your senses participate — see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what it’s like to live there.
Notice your breath, your posture, your movements.
Notice who you are here.
I hope you enjoyed this ritual
…and discovered a beautiful vision for your year ahead.
I wish you a peaceful and magical holiday season!
With love and creativity,
Karin
P.S. If you’d like many more rituals, creative inspiration, stories, and wisdom from around the world — all illustrated with my paintings — you can now get them in a gift-sized box!
The Art of Self-Healing Cards are here.
They make a wonderful gift for yourself or for someone who would love inspiration and soul nourishment.
Click the link, and I’ll send them to you right away.
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