A Simple New Year’s Eve Ritual – Letting Go And Calling Forth

[Author’s Note: This is an updated version of my New Year’s Eve post from last year. Enjoy.]

For much of my life I didn’t quite “get” New Year’s Eve. I was never much of a stay up late, drink yourself silly, wake up with a hangover type of guy. It probably didn’t help that, when it came to drinking, my friends gave me the nickname “No Mas” because of my tendency to get a bit, how shall we say, obnoxious, after one beer!

So through high school, college, and into my early working years, I didn’t really fit in with most of my friends and acquaintances when it came to New Year’s Eve. I tried to fit in, but I always felt like something was missing or wrong. It seemed to me that there was or should have been more significance to the turning of the year than we were giving it with a few drinks and some casual conversations about resolutions.

So it was with a great sense of relief and even a sense of homecoming, that I learned about other ways to celebrate and honor the turning of the year.

So for those of you that are interested in alternative New Year’s celebrations, I thought I would share the simple ritual that we use to welcome the New Year. This ritual is deceptively simple, but surprisingly powerful. I have done this ritual camping alone in Point Reyes, with my wife in our living room and with about 40 other friends and acquaintances.

Your ritual does not need to be associated with a particular religion or belief system – although it certainly can be. We bring in elements from our Judeo-Christian upbringing as well as elements from the indigenous cultures we have studied. Usually it all flows together. Sometimes it doesn’t. But it always works in some odd way.

The bottom line is that, if your intention is clear, there is no “wrong” way to do a ritual.

Over the past several years, our New Year’s Eve ritual has evolved and changed, but regardless of the specific form it takes, there are really just two key steps:

1. Letting go of what you don’t want to carry into the New Year

2. Acknowledging and welcoming your intentions for the New Year.

It really is that simple: What do you want to let go of? And what do you want to call forth?

For instance, you might want to let go of a non-supporting belief such as “If I focus on getting rich I’m being greedy,” or a self-sabotaging pattern such as promising to do things and not following through.

And, in the New Year, you might want to call into your life a new job or career, a new relationship, more money, a tropical vacation or a child. Be careful with that last one. My wife and I, independently, called a child into our life on New Year’s Eve five years ago. Melissa was pregnant less than 6-weeks later!

The specifics of the ritual are up to you. It can be as simple as first creating a clear image of the things you are releasing and taking some time to “feel” them leaving your body and your life and then creating an equally, or even clearer, image and feeling of the things you are calling into your life in the New Year.

This ritual can also be quite involved. Three years ago we had a crowd of almost 40 people crammed into a friend’s house. As a group, we took the time to create sacred space by calling in the four-directions, the elements, and the Ancestors. Then three of us drummed while the entire group sang. One-by-one each of us went to the fireplace and offered our intentions to the fire.

I can assure you that a group ritual such as this amplifies your intentions dramatically. But you don’t need forty people to create a powerful ritual. When it comes to ritual, the point is not how large the group is or the specific things you do. The most important element of any ritual is your intention and commitment.

So perhaps this year, even if you are at a raucous New Year’s party, you can take some time to slip outside to let go of what you with to leave behind and call in your intentions for 2008.

And however you spend this evening, I wish you a safe and joyous New Year’s Eve and a New Year filled with ever-expanding joy, peace and abundance.

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Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Intentions, Personal Growth, ritual 

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    7 Responses to “A Simple New Year’s Eve Ritual – Letting Go And Calling Forth”

    1. Aaron - Today is that Day on December 31st, 2007 12:05 pm

      Awesome simple method, Ed! Let go of the past, and look towards the future.

      Seems too simple to be effective, but it really CAN be just that simple!

    2. Edward Mills on December 31st, 2007 2:35 pm

      Aaron. I must say that I thought the same thing the first time I tried this. But after several years, I have found it to be incredibly effective.

      Have a great New Year!

    3. Ben on December 31st, 2007 10:47 pm

      Thanks for the reminder.

      Happy New Year!

    4. Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker on January 2nd, 2008 2:32 pm

      Edward, thanks for sharing this. Often, simple is the best. Group participation can create some awesome energy.

    5. Louise Aspden on January 3rd, 2008 5:56 am

      Great post. It is true, without letting go of what has been we cannot make room to let new energy and new manifestations flow into our lives.

      I like you exercise because it is deliberate. It can be done daily - maybe every evening just let go of what you need to and then be thankful for all that is.

      For some people their past is what holds them back the most from a joyful life. Any tools that can help in this process are most welcome.

      With gratitude…Louise

    6. Edward Mills on January 3rd, 2008 9:36 am

      Louise. You’re absolutely right: This could be done on a daily basis. Imagine the power of releasing and letting go of what you don’t want to carry into the next day just before you go to sleep, and deliberately choosing what you want to bring into your life when you first wake up.Very powerful!

    7. Kare Anderson on January 3rd, 2008 3:17 pm

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