Today is the full moon, the first one of 2022. If you haven't already let go of 2021, now is a great time.
Get your essential oils ready and notebook, pen and water ready.
The ritual
1. Clear / cleanse your space (see below for some essential oil suggestions) or try the purifying mist
2. Sit quietly or meditate for as long as you like and come to a quiet reflective place where you can make a list or brainstorm what you would like to let go of from 2021. This might consist of goals you had for 2021 which didn't come to fruition and you now know are not your focus. it might be your behaviours or habits, your mindset or negative thought patterns. It might also be work that you do, rules or practises you have that no longer serve you. It might even include people who you want to cut ties with for whatever reason. Think of anything at all that is blocking you from being your best self or from living your best life or in some way feels heavy or makes you contracted when you think about it. Go deep looking for what you can let go of.
3. When the list of things or people to let go of is complete, move onto the people you would like to forgive (but first of all forgive yourself). These may be people that may have done something to hurt you or just hinder you in some way. Or it could be anyone that still features in your mind from any time in your past (doesn't have to be in 2021). Remember, forgiving is not condoning their behaviour or even forgetting the event. Rather, it is releasing the hold that their actions/words (and your own actions & words) have on you so that your energy and vibration is not weighed down anymore by the heavy vibration of anger & resentment. It lightens you up in order to move on. With each person you can simply say "I forgive you (your name or the other person's name). I release all anger and negativity".
4. Take the lists and burn them and allow the ashes to scatter wherever you like. Feel yourself becoming lighter and more spacious as the pieces of ash scatter.
5. Take time to ground (don't move into your normal daily activities without doing this essential part of the ritual). This may be done by walking with your bare feet on the ground, visualising roots extending from your feet deep into the earth, you can see yourself like a big sturdy tree. You can also diffuse some grounding oils. Cedarwood and sage are both useful for grounding.
The oils
Sage: is a great energetic cleanser. Start off with sage in the diffuser to cleanse the space before starting the ritual. It is also great for giving strength and courage before starting such rituals and helps to let go of unhelpful thoughts & emotional states. Sage also reduces anxiety.
Juniper berry: is also an oil of choice when it comes to cleansing space and your energy field as well as your negative thought patterns which helps in the process of letting go. It is also strengthening and helps to disperse stagnation.
Cedarwood: is another useful oil to clear negativity before embarking on any rituals. It also helps with forgiveness.
Rosemary: as well as being protective, helps to clear negative energy before embarking on any ritual. Rosemary also facilitates the release of emotion and beliefs that no longer serve your higher good and promotes clarity.
Lemongrass: is a beautiful energetic cleanser as it clears the mind and space. It is useful for contemplative work & meditation and brings about clarity and helps with forgiveness.
Thyme: is also useful for removing negativity from your energy field and for removing emotional blocks. Thyme also helps you to stand in your power and helps with forgiveness.
Frankincense: is a higher vibrating oil and great for deep thinking and finding the truth. It is a wonderful oil to connect with yourself for this practise.
Cypress: is a great oil for flow, to let go of the past and move through issues holding you back. It is an excellent oil for grief of any kind (all transitions bring about grief) and instills courage to move into your next chapter but also provides protection.
Fragonia: is also great for any difficult emotional work as it helps to release emotional blocks.
Myrrh: helps to let go of our past wounds and move forward.
Rose: helps to open the heart and encourages forgiveness.
If you feel you need a bit more support when doing this work use some rose, neroli or lavender essential oil, choose whichever resonates with you most. Rose can help if love relationships feature in what you are letting go of, neroli if any of those things cause you great anxiety, and lavender can be supportive for everything.
At the end if you feel any heaviness, it might be time to diffuse some more sage. Cedarwood and sage are both useful for grounding which needs to be done before you return to your normal daily activities.
If you haven't already done your new year ritual, here is a link to the blog to help you with that.