New Year = resolutions for many people.  Generally, this indicates something we want or plan to do.  But what if we look for a New Year (new) Ritual? 

“Rituals are the spiritual technology of the 21st century,” says Barbara Biziou, a global ritual expert and the author of The Joy of Ritual. “They shift our consciousness from one state to another.”

Barbara defines a ritual as “a series of structured, symbolic acts that give us tools to shift our mindset, break barriers, and open to an expanded vision for our lives.” She agrees with Carl Jung, who said that symbols are the language of the soul, that they bypass the logical mind and communicate with us on a deeper level.

The Letting-Go Ritual

“New Year’s is a time to cleanse, renew, and rewire to bring in new patterns,” Barbara explains. “Almost every spiritual tradition begins the new year with letting-go rituals in order to make room for the new.”

How can you let go of the old? You might clean out your closets and donate clothes that you no longer wear to charity. But an even more intentional ritual is to take an inventory of the past year. Barbara suggests writing down what’s no longer serving you, what you don’t want to bring into the new year. Then rip up the paper, shred it, even burn it. “Rituals talk to our subconscious,” Barbara says. “The releasing ritual gives us the message that that part of our lives is over.”

How about you?  Please plan to discuss or write about something you will “let go of” in 2024.