My New Year’s Eve involved bubbles…but not of the alcoholic kind. They were part of an evening of ritual that began last year with Becky and a few of our dearest friends.
To begin with, we each wanted to let go of those things that no longer served us. I thought of how often I beat myself with my own “stick”. You know, when you tell yourself those self-deprecating things you would never say to a friend? Somehow those old tapes still run through your head. All of those “I’m not good enough” tapes. We decided to get rid of the sticks…for good.
Becky had chopped up some cedar kindling strips…about 12 inches long and a couple of inches wide. Using Sharpie pens, we each wrote on the “stick” all the messages we use to beat ourselves up with and anything else that no longer served us. I had to get my writing pretty small to fit it all on. Fortunately I could use both sides. Once we finished, one by one, we threw our sticks into the wood stove watching them turn into ash. The ashes will be scattered onto Mother Earth so that the energy of those thoughts can be transmuted.
Now that we had released what no longer served us, we wanted to open up to our visions for 2011. As fate would have it, my dear friend Bev Crane, had just that morning given me a copy of her guided meditation CD for entering the energy dimension and connecting with your soul. How perfect, I thought. So we all listened to her amazing meditation and journeyed to our soul…and many places beyond. While each of us had a unique experience, we were all transformed.
Now was time to set the intention for the following year. This was not about “resolutions”. This was about envisioning the grandest life possible, letting go of limiting beliefs and then writing it all down, as if it had already happened. We each wrote on several aspects of our lives; personal, professional, financial and spiritual. It was a reflection of what 2011 had been for us, expressing gratitude for all the wonder.
Finally, in our New Year’s Eve ritual we went onto the front porch with bottles of bubbles; the kind where you dip the wand in the soapy liquid and blow. We each had our own bottle and we blew our wishes off to the heavens. It was truly magical. The bubbles swirled around us in circles, as if they were dancing for us before taking off up into the night sky. They carried our hopes for ourselves, those we loved and for all those in need.
We all realized how much these rituals feed us. How taking the time to connect with our soul and the energy dimension brings us back to who we really are. We decided we would not wait another year but would begin meeting every month to venture into the mystery.
I encourage you to find a group of like-minded loving souls who you can gather with to explore who you really are. As we all open our hearts to ourselves and to each other, we create love and peace in the world. My wish for you in 2011 is that you each know the beauty of who you are and truly feel it in your heart.