Out with the Old, In with the New - Gearing Up For The New Year

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December often turns out to be a bit of a strange month. Everybody goes into end-of-year panic mode, and there is so much pressure to get everything done before the year ends. On top of that, we find ourselves reviewing the year, and perhaps feeling disappointed that not all our plans worked out the way we had hoped. And of course the pressure to SPEND SPEND SPEND over the holidays - for many, spending power has become a measure of achievement and self-worth - a very sad state of affairs!

As far as Nature goes, 1 January is just another day, but it is well worth remembering that with so many people being focused on the importance of the date for so many years, it has indeed gained significance on an energetic level. Thus it is not really a surprise that many of us feel the December-madness and the January-confusion. As the new year begins, we are faced with a blank canvas. Humans are by nature goal-oriented, so it quickly becomes quite depressing to enter a new year which turns out to be just the same as the year before. Many people go back to routines and jobs which are pretty repetitive, and one can quickly begin to feel trapped in the hamster wheel of mundane predictability. 

One good trick is to get into the habit of focusing more on your spiritual goals and lessons, and less on the man-made ideas of success. Moonshadow's Year Forecast email consultation is a helpful tool for those who like to plan ahead, but want to remain in touch with the spiritual and energetic aspects of their lives. The Year Forecast gives a month by month overview of the energies and lessons present in your life over a 12-month period, thus empowering clients to work consciously with these energies. 

The Birthday Mandala Tarot (available as Email or Video-DVD consultation) is another great spiritual mapping tool, and takes an in-depth look at the trends, lessons and energies present from one birthday to the next. 

Whichever tools you choose to use, finding ways to remind your unconscious of moving forward spiritually, is sure to bring you peace of mind and a lot more happiness than simply being stuck in the rat-race which never really goes anywhere at all! 

Of course the subconscious mind pays most attention to ritual and symbolism, so we have put together some ideas for consciously kick-start the new year with a positive attitude.

OUT WITH THE OLD! IN WITH THE NEW!

We often start accumulating new goals (more pressure!) before we have properly dealt with our past goals, achievements and disappointments. Of course, all the old stuff lingers in our unconscious if we do not find a way to express and process them. Here's a simple but potent little ritual to kick-start the new year. Feel free to adapt however you see fit. 

You will need:

• Writing pad
• Pen
• Journal
• Black candle (black all the way through is best!)
• White candle, or any colour which you associate with positive new beginnings.
• Fire-proof bowl or container (or a fire place)
• Music of your choice (optional)

Part 1 - Out With The Old….

• Light your black candle with the intension to release and banish all things negative.

• If you've chosen to work with music, choose something which will inspire you to get rid of negative emotions. Don't be afraid to go with loud "angry" music - it often works best for this part of the ritual!

• On the writing pad, write down everything you can think of which you are ready to release and banish from your thoughts and routine. These can include regrets, disappointments, bad habits, people who drain you, whatever you can think of!

• Spend a few minutes meditating on what you have written down. Make peace with your decision to let these negative and outdated aspects of your life go.

• When you feel ready, put your writing in the flame of the black candle, and let the paper burn out in your fire-proof container (or fireplace). When your negative thoughts and feelings have turned to ashes, blow out the black candle with the intention of extinguishing the last of your old year's baggage.  

Part 2 - In With The New…

• Light your white (or colored) candle with the intention to call in new, fresh energy.

• If you've chosen to work with music, put on something which uplifts and inspires you.

• In your journal, make a list of all the positive emotions you'd like to attract and experience in the New Year. Try not to get side-tracked by specific events or things - leave that to the universe! If you are specific about the emotions you'd like to experience, the events and situations to trigger those emotions will come. Consider things like gratitude, happiness, achievement, compassion, good health, spending time with loved ones, and whatever else you can think of.

• Now make a list of all the things you already have in your life which help you experience these emotions. Being grateful for what you have is a far more powerful energy than being desperate for what you want!

• Spend some time pondering and meditating on all these wonderful positive things you have, and strive to find more of. When you feel ready, snuff the candle with the intension of gratitude for all the good that is yet to come.

And there you have it! You are now all set to enter your new year free of the old baggage, and full of inspiration! Remember to read through your journal entry once in a while to remind yourself of your emotional/spiritual goals, because ultimately these are the goals that really mean something.

Happy holidays!

Staying Connected

This blog has moved!! Visit moonshadow-art-and-healing.com and www.moonshadow.co.za for our new Blogs. See you there : )

Wow, how the time flies these days! It’s been forever since our last post, but it’s not just the Moonshadow bunch experiencing this phenomenon - many of our clients have been complaining that time seems to be flying by faster than usual. But that’s not so much of a surprise... These days, with all the fancy technology and instant communication methods, everybody is expected to fit far more into a day. Many of us are glued to mobile phones that can do everything short of making the coffee, and before we know it, it has become virtually impossible to escape from “work mode” and truly unwind and relax.

Western society hasn’t done much to help the situation either. To a large extent, we have been conditioned to measure growth and progress in mundane terms (money, the fancy car, that super-duper phone!), and the importance of personal and spiritual growth been somewhat neglected. Many people have no idea how to relax constructively, because it is simply not part of our culture anymore. Believe it or not, collapsing in front of the television doesn’t really count as relaxation. To truly de-clutter the mind and recharge the spirit, we need to make a bit of effort, but the rewards are well worth it!

Of course, one has to approach this matter realistically. Sure, spending two hours daily in deep meditation will change your life, but who has two hours to spare? Every day? With some effort, we could no doubt find the time somehow, but in the meantime, we thought we’d share some of our favourite quick-and-easy ideas on how to stay connected to your spiritual life, and get some serious relaxation while you’re at it!

1.    BREATHE

The importance of breathing might seem a little obvious, but in actual fact very few people breathe properly these days! We’re all too busy tensing up our shoulders and pulling in our bellies! Breathing properly, you can add a number of visualizations or intentions, and turn it into a meditation that needn’t take you longer than 5 minutes at a time. That means you can do it often! Here’s how: 

• Sit or lie with your spine straight. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed;
• Forget about your lungs – imagine that you are breathing right down into your stomach,   just below your belly button (that’s the Sacral Chakra area); 
  
• As you breathe in, allow the air to sink down into your stomach, and feel your stomach gently expand and contract as you breathe. Your shoulders should not tense or rise at all!

2.    PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION EXERCISE

Following step 1’s guidelines, you can add some visualization which will go a long way to helping your mind and body relax. You can do this whenever you have a few minutes free, or just before you fall asleep (it doesn’t matter if you fall asleep halfway!):

• Breathing correctly (see step 1 above), imagine that you are breathing in relaxation, and exhaling tension.
• Focus on the muscles in your face and scalp, and allow them to relax;
• Move your attention down to your neck, your shoulders, your arms, relaxing as you go along;
• Now consciously relax the muscles in your back, your ribs, and your stomach;
• Breathe that relaxed feeling all the way down into your pelvis, down your legs and all the way down to your ankles and toes.
•  (If you can’t remember the sequence, contact us for details of our meditation CD’s!)

3.    RE-CONNECT WITH MOTHER NATURE 

We all know that time outdoors is good for the body and soul, yet it’s often something we neglect to do. When was the last time you had a picnic? Went for a hike? Swam in a river? Even if you don’t have access to a nature reserve or a beach, you can still maintain this important connection with Nature. Watch a sunset or a moonrise, and remind yourself that you are part of Nature. Stand barefoot on the lawn and breathe in the starlight. Nature is always there, wherever we go! We just tend to forget that sometimes. 

4.    DUST OFF YOUR SPIRITUAL TOOL-KIT

When do you feel most connected to the spiritual aspect of your life? Have you made enough time to maintain and honour that connection? There really isn’t any “right” or “wrong” way to achieve that connection – it’s just a matter of finding what works for you, and then remembering to use those tools!

So whether you connect through painting, dancing, meditation, crystals, colour, tarot, music, or howling at the moon, make the time to work with your tools often! It needn’t take hours – ten minutes every day is often better than an hour every few months!

5.    MULTI-TASK

Like you don’t have enough on your plate already? Don’t worry, this one is actually very easy! Assuming that our readers bath or shower daily (we certainly hope so!), this is an excellent time to multi-task. Water is soothing and therapeutic, and with a bit of effort you can turn your daily bath or shower into a powerful re-charging experience:

• Be conscious of the water cleansing not only your physical body, but also your mind. Imagine the water washing away all your stress and worries, and cleansing all the tension from your body.
• Don’t allow yourself to think of anything stressful while in the bath or shower. Make this a ritual where you banish all stress and worries.
• If you’re bathing, add some candles and bubbles, or even some Aromatherapy oil (consult a trained Aroma-therapists – not all oils are suitable for all people!). If you’re into crystals, there are a number of stones that are fine to use in water, or even just place them around the bath if you’re unsure of what to use.
• In the shower, put a few drops of your favourite Aromatherapy oil (check what’s safe to use!) on a facecloth and stand on that while you shower. As the water falls on you, feel it cleansing your whole body and mind.

That’s it for now, but we’ll add some more tips in the near future! Of course we’d also love to stay connected with all of you, so remember you can find us here:

Website: www.moonshadow-art-and-healing.com and www.moonshadow.co.za
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Twitter: @Moonshadow_heal
Skype (Call or IM): moonshadow_healing_studio
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Or Email if you have questions or comments.