January 2013 Rituals to Celebrate the Waxing Solar YearThe Wheel of Life has turned, releasing the old year and bringing in the new. The days lengthen. Light emerges from the Cosmic Darkness. We emerge from our hermitages, filled with inner knowledge, and eager for change. Ritual for Readying Your HomeCleanse your home with the intention of removing old energies that no longer serve you, and allowing space for beneficial energies to enter you life. Begin outside by cleaning your front door. Then sweep away cobwebs and shine the light fixtures surrounding your front door. Replace dead light bulbs. Next, step inside your home. Beginning at the front door, work your way clockwise through the house. (Be sure to oil squeaky hinges. Repair or replace broken items.) As you clean, envision washing and sweeping away any tension, sickness, anger, dysfunction, or destructive forces that may have entered your house. Dusting, vacuuming, and scrubbing, become a moving meditation. Purge your home of unneeded and broken items. Recycle. Donate. Throw away. Each item you release increases the flow of positive energy through your house. As you shine and polish, note how light reflects off clean, shiny surfaces. What sort of light do you want to welcome into your home? Healing light? Loving light? Prosperous light? See it follow you inside and penetrate every freshly cleaned corner. Create A BesomA besom (BEE-zem) is a broom made from brush or twigs. Besoms contain protective and purifying properties, which can be heightened by the choice of wood used. Ash is chosen for protection and prosperity. Birch is favored for protection and purification. (To learn more about the magical properties of trees and other plants, consult a primer such as Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.) Birch is easily collected after storms because the trees self prune, losing both thick branches (to create the broom "handle") and long, thin twigs which can be tied to the handle to fashion the broom's "bristles." If you cut the branches from the tree, ask the tree's permission first, then thank it and send it healing light and energy when you are done. Besoms can be embellished with crystals and stones, or ribbons chosen for their color properties (Healing: blue, lavender; protection and the Goddess: silver; God: gold; prosperity: green or purple.) If your living situation isn't conducive to having a full-size besom, create a miniature broom the size of a pencil or smaller. Set the intention while you make the mini-broom that it will contain the power and properties of a full-sized besom. When using a besom for purification and the sweeping away of negative or stagnant energies, sweep the air, so that the bottom of the broom remains a few inches off the floor. A besom can also be laid across a threshold or windowsill to repel dark energies. Also, a besom in the bedroom or beside the door will protect you while you sleep. |