By Imzadi
My grandmother held the superstition that if you woke up on New Year’s Day and your house was dirty (dusty, cluttered, or otherwise messy in any way), it would remain so for the rest of the year. That day, that one day determined her domestic outlook. So from the time the last gift was given on Christmas Eve, till minutes before the ball dropped signaling the new year, the family would be in my grandmother’s employ. Each of us would take to an area of the house and tackle a massive chore list to ensure that the house would sparkle. Over the years, I’ve reshaped it into a ritual of change and renewal.
The goal of this ritual, this time of new beginnings, is to give you a clean slate for the new year. Think of this as a cleaning (on all levels) of your primary environment. You are physically and energetically clearing the place you spend most of your time. The place where you live, eat, and recuperate. This cleaning can be incredibly simplistic (I’m someone who loves to keep it simple), or fully expanded upon using your own knowledge of tools and correspondences.
To begin, set your intent by visualizing the result. How do you want things to look, feel, and function. Once the vision was firmly in place, focus on each room, writing down what needs to be changed to bring your vision to reality. If your closet is overflowing, then organization and sorting through clothes is in need. If your bookshelf was more book than shelf, then consider donating some of them to the library, or finding a friend who shares your taste in literature. If you come across things that do not fit your vision (such as cookbooks you have never and would never use), please consider giving them a new home with someone who will use them.
Once the vision was set, and the lists were made, I gathered my supplies of trash bags and boxes (for donated items) and get to work. As I clean out a dresser drawer or bathroom shelf, I ask each item two things: Does it fit within my vision for the room? And does this item authentically represent me? If it does, it stays. If it does not, it needs to be moved to the appropriate place (such as moving bath products to the bathroom, or oversized clothes going in the donation bin). By making sure everything has a positive attachment, and is something that fits within the vision of my home, I am in effect, clearing out the old view of my environment that is no longer serving me. The result is a functioning, harmonious environment to live and work in.
This can be elaborated upon, clearing the space with sage or setting your intent with candle magic (I meditate by candle, and continue to burn that same one until I’m done cleaning). The more of yourself that you put into it, the more personal this ritual becomes to you and your family.
Bio
Imzadi is a laid-back poet and author from Central California. She is completing her masters degree in Metaphysics and Spiritual Counseling, and can be found blogging at Miss Mystic Musings .
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