Where did all the noise and glitter of the Christmas rush go?
It happened, it shifted and now we feel the quieter ripples…..we have shared, shopped and schlepped, celebrated, given and received. The ups and downs of loved ones, families and friends re-uniting, or not. Another cycle completed and a new one beginning. As though a great sigh has breathed itself out across the land, the leftover bits and pieces of festive tables and gift wrapping are swept away and time has slowed. Its quieter on the roads, the malls are less crowded, people seem friendlier and wanting to chat. Can you feel the shift? It is quite significant.
According to sources across Wikipedia, the BBC and elsewhere, many ancient religions had marked the (northern winter) solstice in December as a very special time, over many thousands of years. The choice of December 25th for annual celebration of the birth of Christ combined this sacred reverence for the Solar Sun with celebration of the Spirit Son of God, bearer of the light. As human beings we can connect with the energy of these ancient images through our collective unconscious, no matter what our faith may be.
It is not surprising then that deep down, we feel the urge to give thanks, to connect with others, to celebrate and share the Spirit of Christmas. To do our best.
The Renewal Cycle
All these ancient rites speak of bringing light to the darkness, new hope, renewal and blessings to the earth. A few days ago, Earth passed into a new orbit, something clicked over as the New Year rolled in, and once again we can – if we wish to – sense a deeper significance to this time of year.
A Solar cycle is ending and a new one beginning, whereby a new alignment is possible for each of us, individually and collectively.
5 Spiritual Practices
With gratitude for this time of new beginnings – I would love to share with you 5 spiritual practices that can help you connect with that deeper significance, of a new beginning, embrace your inner child, your loved ones and all children, and make this Holiday Season an especially beautiful one.
- Review and Reflect – how did your 2016 unfold? What were the blessing, challenges, surprises and learnings?
- Receive with gratitude and give back with abundance – the many gifts that this past year’s cycle has delivered
- Renew connections with Others, with Nature, with Spirit and with Self – begin to feel into what kind of connections you now want to attract
- Rest and replenish, inviting the peace that comes with letting go. Enjoy new rhythms of sleeping, waking, moving and nourishing yourself
- Rejoice in the sacred gift of this one, precious life – celebrating all the potential it offers, for your true Spirit, your inner light to shine through!
Don’t Rush – Indulge a little longer and fire up your muse!
At this time of year you may seeing messages insisting that NOW is the time to plan your 2017 and urging you to ‘stay focused’.
Given the 5 R’s above, I offer the following 3 alternative guidelines for a better start to 2017:
- Don’t get dreaming confused with planning. If you do, you will end up very disappointed that you didn’t follow your New Years Resolutions. What a waste of a great dream!
- Begin detailed planning with an open and relaxed attitude. If you rush into planning too soon, particularly if you do it from a mindset of lack, you will likely be operating from a narrower perspective than what could be possible. First you need to step away from tunnel-vision-day-to-day survival mode and replenish your energy.
- Do allow yourself plenty of dreaming time while enjoying your 5 R’s – even capture your dreams and ideas in a beautiful journal or by taking photos that mean something to you -so that you eventually design a plan for what really matters, doing it at the right time, with a full and excited heart. Then you won’t ‘lose heart’ half way through!
Let’s Chat When You’re Back
Once you’re back from your holiday or quiet time, truly ready to engage with the 2017, I have something special waiting for you!
On the weekend of 4th and 5th February, I am holding a 2-day workshop, Courageously Creating, designed specially to help you transform your dreams and vision into an aligned and coherent plan, so that you can generate the outcomes that you truly desire. Details and early registration options are here or you can email me here to register your interest for later.
