I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat less, that kind of thing. All noble, all worthy endeavours for sure, but the resolutions I want to see are the kind where we swear to smite our enemies (okay, I can settle for boundary setting instead) or to disappear into the woods to emerge years later with crows heralding our arrival,wolves by our sides and the power of an owl footed demoness at our fingertips (ah, to dream). That’s the kind of ‘new year new me’ I want to see in the world!
In all seriousness though, this time of year is the time for planning, for dreaming big, of deciding where we want the new year to take us. But we are also into winter proper, at least where I live. January and February bring the coldest weather, deep frosts and snow. If we take our cues from the land, then this is traditionally the time of slowing down. It’s the time of doing that shadow work now the busyness of the festive season is over. This is the time of self care, perhaps this is where all those resolutions stem from. But to do this, we must reflect on our experiences. Not in the nostalgic way inspired by the chiming of the bells at the moment the New Year arrives, but in a balanced way, where we consider the lessons learnt in the previous year, where we begin to plan how we can use them to ultimately enrich our lives going forward.
And so I thought I would muse aloud and share my own thoughts and lessons from last year. Who knows, perhaps some will chime with you and remind you of your own experiences. Or maybe they won’t. It’s all good. But I do hope that in sharing, that in doing the shadow work, the work on self, that we can continue to create the communities we want to be in.
Enjoy things for what they are…
This applies to everything. Just enjoy things for what they are. I recently saw someone bemoan a book title, saying it was misleading, and my initial thought was ‘did you enjoy it though?’ Was the content good? Yes? Then great! And the same is true of everything else. We humans are imperfect creatures, perhaps this is why we seek perfection, even within ourselves, even when perfection is a myth.And when things turn out less than perfect, well, we all know how that feels, but the point is, we needn’t put that kind of pressure on ourselves. It isn’t healthy for us and can be downright dangerous. So if you like something, then simply enjoy the thing for the simple pleasure it gives. We all have those guilty pleasures we are a little ashamed of for whatever reason such as reality tv or Mills & Boon books but we accept them simply for the pleasure they bring.
Not everyone in your circle is a supporter…
This is a lesson hard learnt to be sure! But it’s also a good lesson. It hurts when the people closest to you don’t share your success, or are indifferent to it or even downright hostile. It happens, often with people you consider good friends. It is absolute shit when it does happen and can inspire a range of spirallin thoughts. Is it me? Am I imagining it? Have I done something to deserve it? Eventually those questioning feelings give way to something more akin to anger, but the real loss is the energy you expend trying to figure it all out! Energy better spent on more productive endeavours.
Friendships are dynamic…
They change, slow down, speed up and even sometimes end. It’s always sad when this happens, especially when said friend is also a sister of the arte. We often feel like wanting to save the friendship, we want to hold on and we try. We make the effort, reaching out when it isn’t reciprocated or when it isn’t healthy to do so, it’s hard to let go when you care for a person. But in the end, we need to. It’s okay that relationships change, it’s natural. And if that relationship ends,as sad as the ending may be, we must gather ourselves, cherish memories and keep on moving, no matter how slowly.
There’s more. I could go on, a year is a long time after all, at least it feels like it sometimes, but you get the point. Our experiences, magickal and mundane, are our teachers, and now as the land quiets into the deep midwinter, let us too reflect on the year past so that we can grow into the year ahead.
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I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat […] -
I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat […] -
I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat […] -
I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat […] -
I’ve waited a while to write this, not wanting it to get lost among the plethora of new year new you posts, because let’s face it, there’s loads. I’ve nothing against new year’s resolutions, save the complete predictability of them, you know of what I speak; pledges to stop drinking or smoking, gym more, eat […]
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