New Year Rituals + A time to Rise

Morning beauties!

A couple of lovelies have asked me about my new year rituals, so I thought I'd share here. :)

And I want to preface by sharing what I've learned from other teachers: 
That while it might be tempting to push forward powerfully into the new year --- because there's a general assumption that the new year is meant to be a 'jumping off' point, a time of LAUNCH --- it actually, because it's winter and a "quieting" time in our natural cycles, is meant as a time for you to come inside.

To reflect. To release. To harness. To intend.

So everything I've practiced around this transition has been internal, and a bit quiet; a bit like the inhale one takes before pushing out with focused breath again.

First, I made it a point to start the conversation around me. 
I asked my loved ones, as we shared dimly-lit meals, what they were intending for the transition; helping them to come inside to reflect, release, harness and intend:
What they loved about their year previous.
What they didn't want to bring into the new one.
And what they want to create or bring in for themselves this coming year.

But deeper than that, I just followed my own Soul's calling to 'initiate' my own entry into 2016.

By that I mean, I followed my own intuition into rituals and exploration that felt right for me.

So yesterday afternoon --- after I had that vision I shared with you last night, and after a brisk, cold walk to get some fresh green juice --- I felt called to do the following:

I picked up my brand new clear quartz pyramid crystal and meditated with it in a few ways I had heard were powerful: holding it on each chakra; and then writing down a desire or intention on paper, and placing the paper under the pyramid.

I actually fell asleep with the pyramid on my sacral chakra, and when I woke up and finished meditating, briefly, through the other two chakras, I felt DEEP vibration through my body; I felt completely enlivened and connected and felt inspired to write that post I shared with you yesterday. smile emoticon

But before I did all of that, I asked my Soul for my word for 2016...

This isn't something I've done before --- claimed a "word for the year" --- but I felt called to do it this year.

I had thought maybe I'd get something that has been coming up for me a lot in my writing or thoughts ---- expand, abundance, etc. ---- but what I heard when I listened into Her surprised me.

"Rise."

And yet, it didn't surprise me at all when I put it together with the vision I had from Her earlier this morning, of standing next to my higher self and drawing an arc in the earth...

It feels so clear to me, the connection in those two messages:

That my mission is to help you transform, to activate you --- thereby activating and transforming myself. 
That I'm to step into my role as Love Catalyst --- to help you become the Catalysts of Love in this world that I have been envisioning.

That I'm here to help you RISE --- just as I am meant to RISE, myself.

What quiet, internal rituals are you doing to initiate your new year?