December 27, 2022
A New Year Writing Ritual
This post was shared with Boketto by Kate Belew.
The light begins to grow longer in the days after the Winter Solstice. Though at first almost invisible, there is a shift. However, midwinter and its portals are still very present. The cold knocks on the windows, and the fire burns in the home's hearth. This is a time for wishes, rest, reflection, and renewal amidst the business of the holiday season.
The light begins to grow longer in the days after the Winter Solstice. Though at first almost invisible, there is a shift. However, midwinter and its portals are still very present. The cold knocks on the windows, and the fire burns in the home's hearth. This is a time for wishes, rest, reflection, and renewal amidst the business of the holiday season.
The winter solstice is a decisive moment for magic, but so can be the beginning of 2023. A new year is on the horizon; this week, the calendars will turn, and the global ritual of calling in a new year will happen across communities and in our collective cheering across time zones.
Whether you kiss a loved one, write down your wishes, bang pots, and pans, toast champagne, or sing an old and beloved song, these rituals carry magic when they're practiced together (even when apart).
This week, I’d like to offer one of my favorite writing rituals.
As the year changes, make a list of enchantments. Take a piece of paper and a writing utensil, and remember and reflect on 2022. Write down the magical mundane, the small moments, and the times when you were enchanted with the world around you. Aim for at least 12 enchantments, one each month, but as many as you'd like are welcome.
Writing and magic speak the language of paying attention, so the ritual practice of witnessing and recording that which you see/feel/taste/smell/remember/hear are spells in themselves. And writing down your enchantments, it calls more enchantment in.
After you write a list of 2022’s enchantments, make another list of intentions and dreams for the year ahead: a letter to yourself.
Keep this note safe on the altar, create a spell jar, or tuck it under your mattress to open it a year from now to remember the adventure you embarked on 365 days prior.
You can follow Kate on IG at @k8belew, or have her weekly prompts delivered to your inbox when you sign up for her newsletter at katebelew.com