End of Year Closing Ceremony

A simple way to find the gift in 2022

New year’s eve is my birthday. This has given me two gifts over the years: firstly, it has meant that if I want a party to celebrate turning another year older I always know that somewhere one will be happening. Secondly, it’s given me a double-dose of “how was the last year for you”, which has made me pretty good at taking a wider, more objective look at the past year.

There’s something in our culture that makes us very good at celebrating the new but not so good at celebrating the things we’re leaving behind. So before you go making a whole long list of ways your life will change in 2023, I think it’s good to take a little bit of time to appreciate how you’ve grown and what no longer serves you. And that’s what we’re going to do here.

If you don’t already have them with you, go and grab a pen and some paper. I am old-school so think an actual pen and paper is much better for this sort of thing than digital but if you want to make notes on your phone that’s fine. Just turn it to “do not disturb” first so you have some peace and quiet. You will also need a candle and some matches to light it with. I like to create a bit of a witchy atmosphere when I do this; light some candles, put on some gentle music, burn some incense etc etc. If you know this isn’t for you, that’s fine but if you think it all just seems like a bit of a faff then this is your gentle reminder that you and your time are worth some faff.