How is this new cycle around the sun treating you so far?
In most cultures, a new year begins sometime in the depth of the winter or the early spring. Pagan cultures celebrate during the longest night of the year, on the winter solstice. The Lunar New Year in Chinese culture shifts each year, following the moon cycle and this year the 15 days of celebration begin February 10th. The Persian New Year, Nowrouz, is celebrated with the spring equinox. In Nepali culture both a solar and a lunar new year are celebrated.
I’m not sure that there is any particular date that is most correct in acknowledging this period of rest and rebirth during the cold, even frigid, short days, and as we look forward with hope for the bloom that is promised with the coming spring.
These days can go by in a blur of rain, wind, and snow, of soup and tea and down jackets and chunky sweaters, with glimmers of skiing, or witnessing the special sparkle the stars on a particularly dark night.
As the metaphor of the seasons plays out before us, this is a wonderful and sacred period of time to do some deep and slow reflection. I’d love to share with you a few of the prompts, and I invite you to carve out some intentional time in reflection about what is ready to be laid to rest, and what you are welcoming in this new year.
How have you created change in your life over the course of the last year?
What are you ready to heal, release, honor, celebrate?
What emotions do you most want to feel in this cycle around the sun?
What are you doing, and where are you, when you feel most alive? ...when you feel like your most authentic self? What gets you excited - what can you talk about or research for hours on end without getting bored? What kinds of activities are you involved in when you feel light, passionate, at ease, with joy in your heart and spirit?
What do you desire to bring into being this year? Reflect on what this means for your body-mind ecosystem and your practices in your daily life, in your relationships with others, as well as from a purpose-driven, career, or goal-oriented perspective.
What are you not allowing yourself that may open the door to your highest potential? Where do you feel limitless?
How can you take action to begin to set your intentions in motion?