Invite in the New! Good news and a ritual for you.
Our Solstice Tree.
Hello beautiful people,
Happy new year! How is it meeting you? How are you meeting it?
In my bones I felt the new year begin at Winter Solstice… the embrace of the long, dark nights meeting the tug of the returning sun, my desire to revel in the spaciousness of lazy evenings meeting my energy to dive deeper into all I’m learning and creating.
In our now-just-ten-resident-community, we spent Solstice afternoon scrawling on empty flour sacks all that we wanted to release from the past year, meditating on the starlight that always shimmers inside of us, honoring the gifts of the past year, and lighting a giant bonfire in the field with torches made out of our Buh-Bye-2020 posters. Oh, and we howled! And sang one of my favorite tunes: We give thanks for the blessings that are already on their way!
On the same day, Jupiter and Saturn made their Grand Conjunction! Happening only once every twenty years, this conjunction was extra special because it’s the closest these planets have been to each other in almost 400 years! Astrologically, it’s extra significant because it’s the first time in 200 years that they have met up in an air sign—the constellation of Aquarius.
And THIS, my loves, is exciting! WHY? Well, the Age of Aquarius has a theme song for a reason! Aquarius is all about social justice and the wellbeing of ALL beings. Aquarius is altruistic. Aquarius wants all people to be well fed, have access to purposeful work and a living-well wage, health care, and plenty of leisure time for enjoying the gift of life. Aquarius knows that Black Lives Matter. Aquarius is quirky. A thinker. Aquarius has perspective. Aquarius does not hesitate to buck the status quo in favor of truth and justice.
In Aquarius, Saturn’s structure-creating capabilities and strong boundaries now get to be employed to create systems of support for all. And Jupiter, planet of abundance, good fortune, and expansiveness, is helping Saturn build the scaffolding we need to widen our circles of empathy and support. This is good news!!!
A ritual can be as simple as juniper berries in an old hat. Magic!
This conjunction marks a major shift in energy that is already underway and will be unfolding for the next couple years. HOW, exactly, it unfolds, is up to us. And if you’re curious about how this conjunction and other planetary themes of the new year may play out in your life, I’d love to do an astrology reading with you. And they’re 20% off until January 9th!
Anyhoo, whether you honor the new year on Winter Solstice or January 31st or January 20th, I encourage you to use it as an excuse to take pause. To review the past year.
What was really hard? What stories about yourself played on repeat in your mind? What relationship(s) needed to be let go of? What losses did you experience? What are you ready to compost? Journal or meditate on these questions, allowing any feelings to arise that want to. If grief comes up, let it. Feel it in your body. Breathe into it. Let it move how it wants. It will wash you clean.
And then, when you’re ready, turn your attention to the bright shimmering lights of the past year. What are some joyful memories of 2020? Sweet moments of connection? Delicious foods? In what ways did you challenge yourself? In what ways have you grown? What did you learn about yourself and others? What are you proud of?
And now that you’ve reviewed the past year, invite in the New! What do you want to welcome into your life, your heart, and your world this coming year? Who do you want to invite in? What do you want to begin? What do you want to end? What do you want to learn? How do you want to be of service? What is the Magical Mystery inviting YOU to do?
The first potions we ever made. Breitenbush Hot Springs, 2018.
In addition to contemplating, conversing, or journaling about these questions, you may want to light a candle or a fire, burn or bury something symbolizing what you are releasing from 2020, make a mandala out of natural treasures to represent the gifts of the past year, and shout your invitations to the starry skies so the Magical Mystery can hear them loud and clear!!
On another note, thank you all so so much for supporting our love+beauty business over the past year! Spreading our love farther and wider than ever has definitely been a highlight of 2020. From a cabin in the Central Cascades of Oregon, Seth and I spent a long winter dreaming of a sunny farm with an earthen home and a life of love and beauty. It’s taken three years of odd living situations and hardscrabble work, but it feels like we’ve finally gotten through the prologue and made it to the Beginning. And we couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s to the next leg of the journey! We are so grateful for your companionship along the way.
In love, beauty, presence, release, and celebration!
xoxox Becca (Seth sends his love, too!)
