I’m not typically one to discuss astrology on my platform, but today’s astrology is pretty darn powerful, and minimally there is some cool stuff to look at in the sky. Saturn and Jupiter have been inching closer to each other in the night sky, and they meet today at around 12 pm EST. Obviously we won’t get to see them at their peak, but you can still look and see them tonight. According to NASA, about an hour after sunset, look towards the southwest part of the sky in a place like a park or somewhere with a less obstructed view, and you’ll see the so called “Christmas Star.” It’s the first time in 800 years that they have passed this closely, and they won’t do it again until around 2080. So it’s a once in a lifetime event!
So what does this all mean? Well, astrologers say this is a shift into a new “age” and a time of great change. Whether or not you believe in the power of stars and planets to influence our lives, this is an excellent time to complete a ritual to help you manifest what you’re looking to attract in the coming year and beyond. Rituals are so important to us as human beings, and we have so little in our society that are left. The fact that this conjunction happens on the winter solstice- the shortest day of the year- is pretty amazing. In Chinese Medicine, instead of the solstice marking the beginning of winter, like it does in the Western world, it is actually seen as the peak of winter. Beyond that, winter is the most yin season, and that makes today the most yin day of the year. For those who are not aware of what “yin” means, it describes an inward focus, and has qualities of the feminine, darkness, depth, and of stillness to name a few. Activities that cultivate yin are those quiet, peaceful ones that bring you an inner calm. It could mean doing some yoga or qi gong, reading a book, meditating, taking a long bath, or any other activity you find deeply relaxing. Therefore, this day naturally calls us to turn inward and be more reflective and still, rather than be busy, bustling, and frenetic.
What does a yin focused ritual today look like? The Great Conjunction specifically is asking us to not only be yin, but to examine our lives, and determine what is truly serving us and what is not. At some point today, preferably around 12 pm, you can complete the following short ritual:
- Get cozy. Since this is the most yin day of the year, honor that by cuddling up hygge style if you’d like, in a warm blanket, and light a couple candles.
- Add some crystals if you have them. Two powerful crystals if you have them on hand are smoky quartz (which help release things you don’t need) and clear quartz (which help clarify what you do want). If you don’t have them on hand, and you have other crystals, meditate for a moment on them and see which ones are appropriate for your ritual today. Stone medicine can truly help amplify your rituals and well being.
- Think about what you want to let go of from the past year or two. Now that you’re settled in, contemplate what is no longer serving you in your life. Is there a relationship that isn’t working, or are you holding a grudge against someone? Are you not releasing the way things used to be to allow space for what is to be moving forward? Whatever it is that you need to let go of, do that now. If you’re finding it challenging to let it go, ask that a power greater than yourself take it from you. To make this part of the ritual more powerful, write down all of the things you are letting go on individual strips of paper, and then burn them one by one. As you burn them, envision them leaving your life and being released to the universe. (Note: please make sure to burn paper safely, using a fire safe bowl or other item.)
- Now that you have released what you no longer want, call in what you DO want in your life. Beyond what we need to release, we need to envision what we want to call into our lives. This can be actual specific goals, or a way you want to feel. Picture this in your mind in as much detail as possible and invite it into your life. If you have specific goals for your next year or two, speak them at this time. If you don’t have specific goals, or even if you do, I want you to now think about how you want to feel in the next year. What emotions are the most resonant? Examples could include: freedom, joy, peace, love, independence, adventurous, bold, powerful, juicy, potent, magnetic, fulfilled, inner calm, ease, and so many more. Does just reading those words make you feel more open and full of possibility? Take 2-3 minutes per emotion to feel what life would be like if you were truly embodying that emotion. My business mentor and coach, Natalie MacNeil does a ritual like this in her amazing online coaching program Ritual, and I have found it so powerful when I have gone through it multiple times over the last year. It’s one thing to say you want to feel “powerful,” but it’s another to actually embody “powerful” for a couple minutes. The same goes with every emotion you want to embody. Choose the five emotions you feel the most called to, and take a couple minutes per emotion to embody them. Now that you can feel what your body, mind, and spirit feels like when you embody those emotions, invite them into your life. Knowing how they feel, you can use that as a guide in the coming year to check in and see if you are on track to align with those energies. (Note: my business mentor Natalie takes the embodiment of emotions to a whole other level in her program, which I highly recommend, whether you have a business or not!)
- Thank the Universe for providing. Whether you believe in what you call God, Allah, Jehovah, collective unconscious or something else, there is a power greater than ourselves at work, and we work in conjunction with it to create our lives. To close out this ritual, thank that power for the gifts and for these embodied emotions. You may add more prayer or meditation as you are called.
May the next year be filled with all you desire and more. This year has been challenging for most of us, and changing for all of us. There is no doubt that 2021 will have much in store for us and be a time of deep healing and growth.
Happy holidays and New Year,
Jen
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