Reflections + Rituals to Start Your New Year

As I'm taking this time to reflect on the year coming to a close and intentionally move into the year before us, I thought I would share with you my process in case you would like join in yourself..

It’s the most magical week..of the year.. well at least to me it is. I love this little ‘no man’s land’ time between Christmas and New Years where work slows down, we’re savoring more time at home with family and if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking about how to intentionally step into the New Year! I know sometimes it can be a daunting task to even DECIDE what kind of ritual, journaling, visioning or goal planning activity to do this time of the year so I thought I’d share what’s resonating with me this year incase it feels good for you too.

First off, I like a little low key smattering of a few different techniques or practices and secondly, I truly believe we can spread it out over a few sittings so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming or like you need to set aside a whole day to properly ground in for the New Year — although by golly if this is your jam — set that whole day aside, my love!

So I enjoy parsing it out into thirds.

1. The closing of 2023

2. The surrendering of the year ahead to God, Angels, My Guides and the highest good for myself and all beings.

3. Welcoming in divine inspiration for the vision, goals and intentions for 2024.

Of course, you can do all these together but for me each takes up a significant amount of energy when I truly dive deep into it so I like to spread it out over three different days.

CLOSING 2023:

Some questions I like to journal on as I reflect on the year in order to consciously wrap up the energy, mine for the golden nuggets of wisdom and tie up any remaining psychic loose ends for myself.

*I’ll include my personal answers to all the reflection questions at the end of this article for all my paid subscribers who are curious to have a peak behind the curtain of my personal learnings from last year as well as the intentions for the year ahead!*

REFLECTION QUESTIONS TO JOURNAL ON:

What were the most important lessons you learned this year? When you look back at all your trials and tribulations, what do you want to remember as you traverse this new year ahead? What nuggets of wisdom have been harvested this year?

What victories did you celebrate this year? What breadcrumbs did these victories leave behind for you to remember moving forward? What are you honoring yourself for as you close out 2023?

What (if anything) remains uneasy in your heart or your life as you step into the New Year? What would your highest self (or God, your Angels or Guides) have to say to you about this situation? What are deciding to believe about this as you step into 2024?

CLOSING 2023 RITUAL:

GIVE THE YEAR OVER TO THE EARTH.

Bury it.

Use leaves or paper to write out what you are leaving in 2023, maybe it’s stress, anxiety, perhaps it’s self-doubt, or even something very specific like hitting snooze five times each morning! Get real, be honest, this is between you and your higher power, dig a small hole with spoon or gardening tool and bury all the leaves with what you are leaving (hehe - pun intended!) behind written on each of them or the folded note of paper with your list. Either way, as you cover your very eco-friendly and bio degradable parcel with fresh earth, allow yourself to feel the weight of everything you are burying leave your physical body and surrender it to the earth, your higher power and divine support squad.

Alright well now that you’ve released the year past and sent it lovingly on it’s way. It’s time for my personal favorite part —- the surrender! As we move into the new year, I’m sure your inbox is just as a full as mine with everyone and their brother’s “Goal-Slaying Action Plan”, haha.

Well as a spiritual student, I think we all know the saying, “you make plans and God laughs..” Which is why in my manifestation course, Divinely Design Your Life, before we dive into all our manifestation tools, we always surrender it to our higher power and divine support squad and ask for clarity around the most authentic essence of the desires in our heart. So before we jump into writing our resolutions, goals or manifestation lists for 2024, let’s take some sacred space to give it up God.

In fact, if you’re over achieving brain feels a little uneasy at this idea (trust me I have one of those too) — let me share with you a recent quote from an interview I listened to with Oprah. Oprah said, “I couldn’t have gotten from Mississippi to Montecito (from her very humble beginnings to her current epic empire) without surrendering my life to God. “

HOW’S THAT FOR A LITTLE MOTIVATION TO NOT SKIP THE SURRENDERING STEP? ;)

Surrendering is not just a single ritual or meditation, it’s a constant, daily, hourly prayer. It’s the fervent humbling of yourself before your higher power and trusting that (as ACIM would state) “God’s plan works, yours doesn’t”.

So in this in between portal of the year, remember to keep surrender in your heart. Keep turning it over to God. Make it a daily prayer before your meditation, “God/Higher Power, I give it all over to you, show me what you would have me do, show me how I can show up for the highest good of myself and all around me, guide me in each moment and open my heart to hear your voice.”

A RITUAL TO SYMBOLIZE THIS SURRENDER:

While I did say that this is more of a way of being than one specific moment, I do love a good ritual to symbolize our commitment to surrendering our lives (and especially the year ahead before we go into visioning) to God or our Higher Power.

Find or purchase a white candle (can be scented or unscented at your preference) that is preferably in a glass container or you can put in a glass container so that you can let it continuously burn without worrying about ruining your surface or starting a fire!

This candle will become the symbol of your turning over your life and the year ahead to God or Your Higher Power. When you want to begin your ritual set it in your altar space or in a spot you will see it daily (a bedside table, your desk or even in your living room can work). Then simply say the prayer above or speak from your own heart about your commitment to your surrender and your willingness to receive intuitive guidance on the best way to step into the New Year and what aligned actions to begin taking.

Light your candle as you are saying your prayer and allow this candle to be a conduit, holding the space for your intention as it burns it’s way down and reminding you with it’s illumination of the purity of your prayer and your intention of surrender.

After you light the candle and finish your prayer, simply sit in silent meditation for 20 minutes (or as long as you can but I challenge you to try for at least 20). If it helps you to put on a healing frequency or some meditative music and just allow yourself to open yourself up and be a blank slate to receive any guidance, images, feelings or thoughts to come through about how your Higher Power and Divine Support Squad want you to step into the New Year.

*I like to do this for a few days in a row to really keep myself open (although it’s a great daily practice all of the year long) before I jump to claiming my vision and stepping into aligned actions for the next year — but you do you boo!*

STEPPING INTO 2024

Well now that you’ve harvested the gold from the year past and allowed yourself to be an open container to receive higher wisdom and guidance on what your being called to for the fresh year in front of you, it’s time to do some visioning questions and another ritual to seal it in! ;)

VISIONING QUESTIONS:

What are you ready to be, do and have in your earthly experience for 2024?

How are you going to need to show up in this new year to be an energetic match for the above?

How is this new version of you going to respond to set backs or challenges?

What aligned actions or daily rituals are you committed to taking in 2024? What will you start right away in January?

Will you have an accountability buddy, coach or mentor to assist you in achieving your goals this year? Any other resources you can put into place to help you stay aligned with your goals? (personal trainer, membership, accountant, co-working space, etc)

What three words (adjectives) would you like to be your guiding lights for how you want to feel and what you want to embody for 2024?

MAGNETIZING RITUAL FOR 2024:

For this ritual you will need:

• a small glass jar with a lid

• a votive sized candles of your choice of color (perhaps something symbolic of the energy of the year for you)

• a small magnet (can be one from the fridge that you’re okay sacrificing) or lode stones which are naturally magnetic rocks (you can order on amazon or get from a crystal shop)

• a small ceramic plate to place your jar on

• either magazine clippings that symbolize what you are calling or what you are embodying or pieces of paper where you have written down what you are calling in and what you are embodying

• honey

For this ritual, begin by either writing down on small pieces of paper words or phrases about what you are manifesting for 2024 and adjectives about how you will be showing up in the new year OR for a more visually creative experience, cut out clippings from magazines that represent these words or phrases —- or do a mix of both!

Place all of these in your jar and claim each one aloud as you place it in, expressing gratitude for it as if it’s already on it’s way to you. Then, drop in your magnets or lode stones, symbolizing the magnetic force you will have in attracting all that you just named. Afterwards, drizzle a little honey in your jar over the magnets and clippings to symbolize not only the sweetness of receiving but the sticking power of your manifestations in your life.

When your jar is all complete, place the cover on it tight and grab your votive candle. Using a butter knife or a pen, carve your three words of the year on to the sides of the candle, anchoring in this energy further.

Place your jar on your ceramic plate and your candle on the lid of the jar. As you hold your vision and frequency for the year ahead in your heart, light the candle and allow the wax dripping down and sealing the jar to anchor in your manifestations. Meditate for 10-20 minutes allowing yourself to simply sit in the vision and vibration of all that you have now called in coming to reality in your life. Place on your altar or a sacred space and let the candle burn fully down and the wax harden over the jar. Keep it on your altar, desk or bedside table as a reminder through out the year of the magnetism that is calling in your manifestations and the aligned actions your committed to taking alongside of it.

ENJOY!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! PLEASE TAG ME @CASSANDRABODZAK IF YOU SHARE YOUR RITUALS OR REFLECTIONS ON INSTA — I LOVE TO SEE IT. And if you’d like to go deeper with me one on one to kick off the New Year, you can schedule it here. FOR ALL MY VIP SUBSCRIBERS.. HERE ARE MY OWN VERY PERSONAL ANSWERS TO THE ABOVE REFLECTION QUESTIONS! MAY THEY HELP GET YOUR OWN JUICES GOING. :)