REFLECTIONS AND REVELATIONS: A NEW YEAR’S RITUAL GUIDE

As the year winds to a close, I find myself in reflection and review of the past year. For me, sitting in the space of review, initially comes with discomfort, a reflection on loss, changes and transitions. I have a part of me that wants to jump to the future, to the gratitude and yet it’s so important to really feel the loss and grief, to experience the wisdom in the shifting as it occurs. Can you relate?

And yes, there is gratitude for so much growth, expansion, exploration and connections. I create the space to savor these emotions too, they fill and refuel me.

Change is happening around us constantly with the transitions from day to night, new moon to full moon, spring to summer, winter solstice to summer solstice, a constant process of transition and change.

We are often too busy to notice though, focused on other tasks and that process of constant change becomes invisible. When the reality of change finally sets in, it may feel overwhelming and shocking to the system.

Rituals For Change

Herein lies the power of ritual; ritual brings structure and meaning to experiences by creating a spoken word and experience. Rituals usually involve a lot of sensory engagement; lots of scent, imagery and sounds bringing us into the moment and experience. By engaging the body in a ritual, you help concretize the experience.

Zapotec Tamezcal Ritual

A new tradition for my New Year is the Zapotec Tamezcal. The Tamezcal is an ancient healing ritual used in parts of Meso America by indigenous people. This practice precedes the Spanish invasion and has continued and grown throughout the region. The Zapotec people have retained this practice and begin Tamezcal as children since this is often a family and social experience. Since I’m currently in Oaxaca, it’s the perfect place to work with a Zapotec Healer.

The Tamezcal De Cuatro Puertas is a specific spiritual Tamezcal for healing the Mind Body and Spirt. A central character is the 4 elements; water, air, earth and fire. A fire is built where the stones are heated, herbs like eucalyptus are bundled and soaked in water and used throughout the process. The adobe walls and dark inner chamber represent the womb of mother earth, the air plays a role in purification through steam and smoke and the water is an ally in cleansing and releasing. Once inside, you become like a child in the womb, reorganizing and allowing the cleansing energy of the elements to support your reformation.

I brought my reflection of the year here, naming the sorrow, grief and pain of the year and working with the shaman to feel and then release. The herbs are used across the body and placed in areas of pain and discomfort, showing me how my emotions had settled in the body. Slices of aloe vera is rubbed all over the body and hair, then a scrub of chocolate, rosemary and honey is spread all over to exfoliate and deepen the purging and detoxification process. It is a journey of sensory immersion, intense heat and sweating, discomfort and deep meditation and relaxation.

After singing, sweating and working with the herbs, I left the Mother Earth’s womb, it’s a disorienting moment. A relaxing massage follows, bringing me back into the body.

New Year Rituals Across The Globe

Rituals for the New Year come in all sorts of varieties. In Ecuador, the ritual Anos Viejos involves the creation of a human sized effigy stuffed with sawdust and it is burned, it represents the releasing of negative events of the last year and creating space for good things to come. Families and neighbors come together to clothe and make the human-sized creation. The burning is the least important part, it’s the family coming together to design the effigy and process the events of the year, that has the most meaning to them.

In China, where fireworks were born (and where they continue to reign supreme in the most epic fireworks displays) fireworks were used to drive away evil or negative spirits and the bright light represented finding light in darkness or finding hope when it otherwise feels hopeless. Some see fireworks as a way to bring in prosperity and good luck.

Create Your Own Ritual

As this New Year approaches, consider a moment of reflection and a ritual for your own transition.

What has changed in your life this last year?

What have you lost? (friendships, colleagues, hopes, fantasies)

What are the experiences, people or behaviors that no longer suit you?

What did you learn about yourself?

What have you learned about your relationship?

What do you want to let go of in your relationship? (bickering, power struggles etc.?)

Consider a ritual which can involve journaling on these thoughts or writing them down and burning the paper or tearing it up and burying it. Consider a process that engages your Mind Body and Spirit. You can create any ritual that meets your needs and current capacity.

Be sure to let me know what ritual you design, I’d love to hear it.

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