Last week, I held my quarterly meditation class in honor of the Winter Solstice. We gathered around my symbolic campfire (a candle), sitting in mindful reflection and embodied intention setting; it was a version of the seasonal intention-setting ritual that I do around the four solar holidays (spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox, and winter solstice). I like using the candle as a catalyst for setting intentions; it feels especially empowering to invite the transformational energy of fire into a space in which I’m letting go of what no longer serves me so that I may turn my attention to new adventures.
Here’s a sort of rough outline of the ritual we held:
- Light a candle; as you focus on the flickering flame, invite your spirit guides, ancestors, and any other supportive beings into the space.
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, ideally free of distractions; if it feels helpful, you might put on soothing music (this playlist is my favorite).
- Take a few deep breaths, allowing your body’s energy to settle into this space; close your eyes or settle your eyes on a single focal point.
- Reflect on the past few months (or up to a year), remembering both high points and low ones; think about previous goals, what you’ve accomplished, and what didn’t go as planned.
- If there is anything you would like to let go of (intentions, emotions, or thoughts that are no longer serving you), gather up their energy in your mind’s eye or imagine packing it up into a ball or box in front of you; ask yourself which element you would like to release this energy to, whether that’s letting it wash away in a body of water, blowing away in the wind, burying it in the earth, or letting it burn away by a fire.
- Now turn your attention to the coming season; open to curiosity and let yourself imagine how you would like to focus your energy over the next few months; you can be very specific about certain goals, or you can let it be more vague, like imagining how you would like to feel as you move into this next year.
- As you breathe, let each inhale gather up each intention so that the energy of it embodies your entire being, and let each exhale send that intention out into the world and to your future self. Keep breathing like this until you feel content.
- When you’re ready, gently bring your awareness back to your physical body and the present moment; look around the room to remind your consciousness where and when you are.
- Thank the supportive beings you invited into this space for helping you with this practice and release them; when you’re ready, blow out the candle to close the ritual.
Of course, this is just my version of a practice that has an infinite number of variations. As with all my suggestions, feel free to take what works for you and leave the rest.
My own personal practice changes a little each time I do it. Sometimes I burn incense or dried herbs to help clear my energy, invoke my ancestors, or enhance my spiritual connection. Sometimes the ritual calls to me at unexpected times when I have no candle, music, or anything but my own mind; I’ve been known to do some variation of this practice from places such as my car in a parking lot or in my bed in the middle of the night.
Whatever it looks like, all you need is for it to feel right for you in the moment.
