This is the season when we traditionally review the ending year, and make plans for a "clean start" as the clock strikes midnight on January 1st. While there are a few new year rituals that I usually observe, and will share here, I am making a few changes this year. With all the memes and jokes about saying goodbye to 2020, I find myself wanting to carry some of 2020 with me into the new year. 

Let's start with some beautiful year end rituals. These are some of my favorites. 

The clean sweep: Get those brooms out!

In many cultures and traditions, including the wise woman traditions I keep, using a besom or broom to sweep is a way to rid yourself of old energy (and dust bunnies!) I was very excited to see this practice also recommended by our friend and feng shui expert extraordinaire, Amanda Gibby Peters, in her interview with us this month. So, clean your house, apartment, living space and finish by grabbing your broom and sweeping toward and out your door. 

Call in reinforcements: Call in the energy of the 7 directions. 

• The East for the winds of change, and breathing positive energy into the new year.
• The South for fire to cleanse what no longer serves you.
• The West for water and the flow we need to "go with" but to also carve through rocks with persistence (and resistance!) and to forge new paths.
• The North for the energy of those who have travelled here before us, their strength and their wisdom.
• The above space for the moon, sun, and stars and the light and energy they provide.
• The below space for the foundation we stand on, the balance and grounding to step into the new year.
• Our heart space - individually and collectively - honoring our connectivity with each other and all the beings around us.  

Cleansing breath: Our plant allies.

I like to smudge the rooms of my home, and depending on the occasion, use sage, palo santo, pine, mugwort, and sweetgrass. Knowing that many people may not be able to use smoke, I recommend simmering herbs on the stovetop to cleanse your space and infuse it with aromatic goodness! For New Year's, my favorites are pine needles for cleansing, rosemary sprigs for protection, cinnamon sticks for stability and soothing warmth, and orange peels for happiness, wealth, and fertility. Incorporating orange peels is another practice we have in common with our 2021 collaborator, Simple Shui!

Burn baby burn! Leave it behind.

Leave behind what no longer serves you. Write it down on a piece of paper. It could be a habit, negative self-talk, or anything you want to shed. Light it on fire and place in a fireproof container, bowl, fireplace or any other safe option. Watch it burn. Throw the ashes outside. If the ground is soft enough you can bury the ashes or even place in water to wash away. 

Turn the page: Write it down!

Take a few minutes to think about the new year. I like to write down a few goals. Yes, I said the G word! My good friend, Julie Sowash, always says what doesn't get written down or measured, doesn't get done. She's brilliant and usually right, so I listen to her! 

So, what am I bringing into 2021?

What could I possibly want from this strange, challenging, and surprising year?

• I wish to bring the clarity that was gained of what truly is important into the new year.
• I wish to bring the stillness and quiet that isolation forced me to increase in my life this year.
• I wish to bring the renewed faith in my intuition that I found this year, and
• I wish to continue our collective journey back to self-reliance, community, and local resources.

May you bring what was good in your life this year into 2021. May you continue to hold what is truly important close to you, and leave what isn't in the past. May you believe in yourself and your value to this world, and may we meet, hug each other tightly and say "I missed you, from my heart to your heart."