 | Our European ancestors considered the holiday on October 31 to be the marker of the New Year, among other things. I love the notion that there is a beginning time when absolutely nothing is going on….except going deeper. The darkness and cold are increasing. For our farming ancestors there was nothing to do on the land, and repairing tools is a very meditative job. Everything in nature is pretty quiet. |
This is a ritual of going into the absolute stillness within. It can be done alone or in a group. The purpose of the ritual is to luxuriate in the time before time, the place from which all ideas come before the ideas are formed. The outcome of this ritual is to achieve a full stop in our busy lives and, perhaps to receive some input from a deep place within. This is more of a shamanic journey with some ritual elements. I hope you enjoy it.
Materials: cozy blankets
All participants sit comfortably in a circle. The environment should be free from all distractions. Nighttime is a good time for this ritual. Blankets are offered to anyone who wants to curl up in one. If you are doing this alone, simply read through the leader parts and go within.
Leader: I bid you a beautiful New Year. As a farmer allows his fields to rest at this time of year, let us also cease from creating, just for this precious time. Let your body become comfortable, heavy, and warm – no need to move at all. Let your eyes gently close. We are going to that place within, from which all new beginnings arise. However, I admonish you, this is not the time for new beginnings; that time will surely come, but it is not now. Now is the time to pause in the field of all potential. Repeat after me:
“I go to the place where the flowers are … before the buds appear.” (All repeat in the indicated phrasing and continue repeating the prompts by the leader.)
“I go to the place where the ideas are given … before they are ready to be formed.”
“I go to the place of new beginnings … before anything is begun.”
Leader continues: We are in the place of unformed substance. All around us, above and below, is a benign bubbling field with unimaginable potential energy. It is as if one of these bubbles or bursts of energy, at any moment, could form itself into the prototype of a new idea, but because it is not the time for new ideas it is all held in the powerful place of potential. (Pause)
Let me describe to you what is happening now. (Pause between each statement.) Surprisingly, a small boat is bobbing up to you. In it are the four elementals of our earthly existence. At least one has a message for you. Elementals are beings in another dimension from earthly existence, although they contribute to earthly existence by inhabiting the four ancient elements. They are purely themselves with no mixture. The water elemental, for example, is only watery, flowing, touching, relating – nothing else but the properties of water – no steady form, no fire, no linear logic.
So, in the boat is an ondine, a mermaid, the elemental of water who is the expert on emotions and relating. There is an orange salamander, the elemental of fire, who is an expert on passion and life force. There is a sylph, a being is so airy that she hardly can be seen; as the elemental of air, the sylph is an expert of logic, ideas, and speech. Finally, there is a troll with his pick ax, the elemental of earth, who is an expert on form and stability.
The elementals approach you. As I said, at least one has a message for you. It might be a message about balance in your life, since humans are a combination of all the qualities represented by the elementals. It could be a message of praise or a message of suggestion or healing. I will be silent while you have your time with the elementals. (Longer pause)
Thank your elementals at this time and let them drift away. In a moment I will ask you to return to your normal awareness. Just now, reflect on the wisdom that was given to you and in your imagination tuck it in a place within yourself that holds the space for new beginnings, when it is time for new beginnings.
Let yourself drift in the semi-darkness of pure potential. Feel how safe you are and how timely all new beginnings will be. Feel yourself loved and held in this place of no action and no responsibility. Know that when something is required of you, there will be all the inspiration and time that you need. You are unique in all the realms of time and space. Your gifts will be drawn from you in the perfect way and the perfect time. Now….just be. (Pause)
Feeling refreshed and calm, I invite you back into the earthly realm that is most familiar to you. Welcome back, and once again, Happy New Year.
Materials: cozy blankets
All participants sit comfortably in a circle. The environment should be free from all distractions. Nighttime is a good time for this ritual. Blankets are offered to anyone who wants to curl up in one. If you are doing this alone, simply read through the leader parts and go within.
Leader: I bid you a beautiful New Year. As a farmer allows his fields to rest at this time of year, let us also cease from creating, just for this precious time. Let your body become comfortable, heavy, and warm – no need to move at all. Let your eyes gently close. We are going to that place within, from which all new beginnings arise. However, I admonish you, this is not the time for new beginnings; that time will surely come, but it is not now. Now is the time to pause in the field of all potential. Repeat after me:
“I go to the place where the flowers are … before the buds appear.” (All repeat in the indicated phrasing and continue repeating the prompts by the leader.)
“I go to the place where the ideas are given … before they are ready to be formed.”
“I go to the place of new beginnings … before anything is begun.”
Leader continues: We are in the place of unformed substance. All around us, above and below, is a benign bubbling field with unimaginable potential energy. It is as if one of these bubbles or bursts of energy, at any moment, could form itself into the prototype of a new idea, but because it is not the time for new ideas it is all held in the powerful place of potential. (Pause)
Let me describe to you what is happening now. (Pause between each statement.) Surprisingly, a small boat is bobbing up to you. In it are the four elementals of our earthly existence. At least one has a message for you. Elementals are beings in another dimension from earthly existence, although they contribute to earthly existence by inhabiting the four ancient elements. They are purely themselves with no mixture. The water elemental, for example, is only watery, flowing, touching, relating – nothing else but the properties of water – no steady form, no fire, no linear logic.
So, in the boat is an ondine, a mermaid, the elemental of water who is the expert on emotions and relating. There is an orange salamander, the elemental of fire, who is an expert on passion and life force. There is a sylph, a being is so airy that she hardly can be seen; as the elemental of air, the sylph is an expert of logic, ideas, and speech. Finally, there is a troll with his pick ax, the elemental of earth, who is an expert on form and stability.
The elementals approach you. As I said, at least one has a message for you. It might be a message about balance in your life, since humans are a combination of all the qualities represented by the elementals. It could be a message of praise or a message of suggestion or healing. I will be silent while you have your time with the elementals. (Longer pause)
Thank your elementals at this time and let them drift away. In a moment I will ask you to return to your normal awareness. Just now, reflect on the wisdom that was given to you and in your imagination tuck it in a place within yourself that holds the space for new beginnings, when it is time for new beginnings.
Let yourself drift in the semi-darkness of pure potential. Feel how safe you are and how timely all new beginnings will be. Feel yourself loved and held in this place of no action and no responsibility. Know that when something is required of you, there will be all the inspiration and time that you need. You are unique in all the realms of time and space. Your gifts will be drawn from you in the perfect way and the perfect time. Now….just be. (Pause)
Feeling refreshed and calm, I invite you back into the earthly realm that is most familiar to you. Welcome back, and once again, Happy New Year.
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