Importance of Ceremony

Leading up to the Winter Solstice and the weeks that follow, I have a ceremony that I do to help release the past 12 months and prepare and embrace the coming months.  Near or on the Solstice, I reflect on the past 12 months of my life and identify all the things I experienced and am ready to let go.  These are things that I’m simply “done with.” My list included broader topics like like worry, anxiety, judgement and also specific things like releasing my debt, releasing the extra weight I’m carrying and releasing my tie to people whom I no longer resonate with.  It felt good to write all of those things on one piece of paper. As I looked at each word or groupings of words, I could feel those things welling up inside of me and I didn’t like it.  This confirmed that I was ready to let them go! To let them go and ask that the universe transmute them to things of usefulness and beauty can be very liberating.  So, I plan to set this paper on fire and use the power of that fire to transform them. Of course, the day I plan to do this, it’s a crazy windy day. So I open up the fireplace and place my paper on the grate.  I said goodbye to these things I no longer wanted in my life.  As I lit the paper, I was amazed at how quickly it burned and turned into ash.  Almost like a flash.  Boy, was I ready!  I sat for a moment and felt the light, expansive feeling of no longer being attached to my list.  Ahhh.

Next, I worked on a new list.  This list included things that I want to manifest or give energy to for the coming year. On the list are things like, more happiness, adventure, love, growing my business, finding my place, more time with my animals and some business related ideas.  To get support from all the energies, it is a good idea to plant these “seeds” in the ground. Being in Wisconsin and it’s December – not something that is easy.  My ground is frozen and covered in an a blanket of snow.  As I pondered how to accomplish this, I realized that this is just how life is. Life presents you with a problem and it is up to you to find a good, creative solution.  How dedicated am I to manifesting these “seeds?” Can I find a creative way to accomplish this goal?  How will I feel good about planting my seeds and feeling they are supportive?  I didn’t know the answer to any of these questions.  Many friends that do this ceremony, put their list in a potted plant or find a place near the house that isn’t quite as frozen and bury the list. Neither of those ideas seemed to feel right for me.  I knew the list should be outside and be free to manifest in how it seemed most fit to do it.  So I took my paper, bundled up and headed outside.

At first, I thought I’d put it under a huge pile of snow. Snow is very warm and protective and when it melts, it can cleanse my list and start the germination process.  But, that didn’t seem to feel right.  I have a  brush pile in my back yard.  The birds love to swoop in and out of the pile and have a lovely time back there.  Deep inside of that, I could reach some unfrozen ground and bury my list there.  That didn’t feel right either.  I stood among my pine trees and looked over my property, trying to find the best place for my list to “be planted,” my attention went to one of my trees.  They have mulch around the base and a few little nature items I placed there in the summer.  I sometimes sit with these trees for my morning meditation.  Ah, this is the perfect place.  I got down on my hands and knees (yes, in the snow) and pulled away a big clump of the mulch until I reached the frozen ground.  I safely tucked my list under the mulch and covered it back up with as mulch as I could.  As I stood up and wished my list well, I realized it was a perfect place to put the list. By going through the process of selecting the right place for my manifestation list, I felt involved in my own destiny.  In this location, I knew my list was protected by the tree, but was also part of the natural transformation process while being covered with mulch and fallen pine needles.  I could sit with the process every day and give it good energy and send it love.

So now that I have released my wishes to the universe, I feel supported and that all is well with the world around me.  I’ve learned long ago to trust in the power of the Universe and believe with all my heart that good things are coming my way.

My hope is that you do something similar for yourself to lay the ground work or “plant the seeds” for the most magnificent year ever.