Let It Burn
2016 has been a difficult year for many of us and in many ways.
The main pattern I have observed (both in my own life and in the lives of other people) is the removal of things that needed to go - whether you wanted to let go of them or not.
Most of the things that were stripped away from my life were things that I knew needed to go, even though letting go of some of them was still difficult.
Others weren't so lucky, and spent a year experiencing shocking loss after shocking loss, not knowing if it's a streak of impossibly bad luck or if it's for the best.
We also lost many of the people we admired this year: mostly (but not limited to) actors and musicians.
A week ago, I half-jokingly said "80% of the artists that shaped me in any way and weren't already dead, died in 2016. I hope no one else dies until 2017."
The universe responded by crushing a plane with the whole Alexandrov ensemble of the Red Army choir (the whole choir, band members and dancers, minus 3 people who weren't on that plane) in the morning and then with the death of George Michael (the man of "Last Christmas" dying on Christmas Day. How ironic is that?) the same night.
Happy to be able to have such a direct conversation with you, Universe! Now can we move on to discussing positive, happy things instead?
This has definitely been a year of endings, and I get the feeling this pattern will continue at least within the first months of 2017 (repeated dreams of Hecate setting piles of my stuff on fire can't be ignored as a sign, can it?).
And while abrupt change and endings are often painful no matter which purpose they serve, it's also true that deliberately letting go of something is better and way more empowering than having it ripped away from you.
So this is your friendly witch reminder to gather everything unwanted and banish it now, before entering the new year.
What is it that you're holding on to even though you know it's bad for you?
What is blocking you?
What is keeping you small?
What is draining your energy?
Which people are still in your life even though they cause nothing but trouble and deep down you know you should have cut ties and moved on a long time ago?
What is adding to your daily stress and can be removed or taken care of, but you keep putting it off?
What pain are you holding on to?
What memories keep haunting you?
What material possessions act as triggers for you, or are anchors to painful events or feelings?
Now is the time to let all of it go, so that you can enter 2017 fresh and clean. Gather all those things, no matter what they are, and banish them from your life. Banish all the heavy feelings of 2016.
Keep the useful lessons and banish the pain associated with them. Let it all burn.
If you aren't sure how to let it all burn, or if you need some extra help, you still have time to join Andrieh Vitimus' and Zac Lui's free Ceremony For Strength And Wisdom, or Briana Saussy's Banish And Burn Ceremony.
And if it all weighs so heavily on you that you can't even find the motivation to get to banishing it all, here are two meditations to help lighten the mood:
