New Year, New Beginnings
I love New Year’s Eve. But not in the way most others do. Closing out the year is definitely something to celebrate, and is worthy of being honored. I love the idea of dressing up, and dancing and letting the night be a celebration.
But there was always such expectation that it always inevitably would be a let down. The night never lived up to the hype. And the idea of setting resolutions that may or may not be accomplished is almost like setting yourself up for failure. So, gone are my days of champagne at midnight (or throughout the night for that matter). No heels that kill my feet(but a fun dress is still always welcome!). No more meaningless resolutions. These days NYE holds different meaning for me.
While still celebratory, I find power in ritual. There is something really lovely about waking up January 1, and not needing to recover. And if you have littles, all the more reason. After the chaos of the holiday season there is something so nourishing about spending a night in, honoring and letting go of the year that has passed and creating intentions around what is to come. So I’m offering up to you some ideas around how to invite in a new, New Years Eve. One that is in deeper alignment with the true fresh start all of us are truly seeking.
Spend time reflecting on the year. Write out a list of gratitude for all the blessings you encountered. Get thorough, go month to month. You might be surprised to see how long the list is, and then celebrate that! I believe it is also equally important to write a separate list to acknowledge the hard stuff. The struggles, and low points. Hear me out- when we do this we can really see where the lessons were. Growth doesn’t happen when we are comfortable, it happens when we have no choice but to keep showing up. So write it all down and look back at how you survived every single tough moment.
If you live somewhere you can get outside, and have access to a fire pit, or grill, then take those lists and burn them! There is a powerful release that happens when we can let it all go.. I like to envision all those hard things being released from me and the good things being sent back out to the universe to be amplified, and I love a fire ritual for just that. Offer up gratitude for all of it as you watch your list burn. If you aren’t in a place where burning things is possible, then with the same intention of release, tear up the lists into small pieces.
I’m not a fan of New Years resolutions. They tend to be fear based and come from a mindset of lack. It’s a list of I needs, or I shoulds and neither of those are powerful enough motivators to encourage real true growth. So, instead I like to set New Years Intentions. Because the truth is, change only happens when we are feeling good and in alignment with our values. So setting an intention to invite in joy, in some way, everyday- is way more attainable than swearing we’re going to hit the gym for an hour 5 times a week. An intention to speak more kindly to ourselves or the ones we love will create a ripple of positivity back out into the world. Mindfully thinking about how we want to show up in the world, or the energy we want to create, or what we want more of in our lives will ultimately have a greater impact on our year ahead.
I also like to do a tarot spread for the year ahead. This can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. But it’s a fun way to connect to the energy present. Even if its three cards-
1. What was my lesson/or what energy should I leave behind?
2. What represents where I am currently?
3. How can I let 2023 be my best year yet?
A quick search of the internet will produce all kinds of other fun options as well!
So whether you stay in to start creating a new kind of New Years Eve, or decide to go out and live it up (and do these rituals on the 1st or 2nd), I want to wish you the most abundant and joyful 2023!
Namaste,
Lauren Barnes
Certified Life Coach & Intuitive Astrologer
Serving Central Florida with in-person sessions offered in: Orlando | Winter Park | Conway | College Park | Maitland | Winter Garden | Oviedo | Dr. Phillips | Altamonte Springs | Hunter’s Creek || Online & virtual sessions available anywhere with WiFi!
