Spellwoman

Life is grand

Why I Love New Year’s

January10

I love to celebrate the New Year. Marking the cycle of the earth’s journey around the sun is a way to honor and connect to the cycles of nature and the cosmos. For me, it is a natural time for self-reflection. I think about who I am, what I’ve done and where I’m going. As I follow the modern Gregorian calendar, I celebrate the New Year on January 1st. Since I am also a North American, New Year’s Day falls in the middle of winter, when the days are short, dark and cold. The combined effects of the holiday, the season and the climate compel me to turn inward.

There is a New Year’s Day ritual I have been doing for years, in which I go to the ocean and pay respects to Yemaya, the Orisha/Goddess of the sea and of the New Year. I throw flowers into the water that represent things/ideas/behaviors of the Old Year that I want to let go of. I also light candles that represent my intentions for what I want to see and create in myself and in the world, in the New Year. It is a time to re-evaluate and recommit to my life’s purpose. A time of renewal and rebirth.

As the earth begins its dance around the sun anew, I am grateful to play my part in the beautiful mystery of this life. I give thanks for the complex conditions that make our planet habitable, as well as the diverse communities that make life meaningful. May we all feel more love, experience greater joy and create more peace in 2010.

posted under Musings
One Comment to

“Why I Love New Year’s”

  1. On January 11th, 2010 at 7:26 am Gramma Debbie & Grampa Jim Says:

    What a unique “celebration” of life and the new year…and beautifully written, Sheri. Thanks for sharing. I may now try to “ponder the pond” a bit and try to flush away the old emcumbrances and welcome in a fresh slate of life and living.
    Cheers to a wonderful new year of caring, learning and living!

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