What a year 2020 has been for the world. As the Covid vaccine is ever so slowly rolling out, we hope for a return of normalcy but what is the new normal for humanity? For you? For me? What have we each learned with Medusa’s call in March to slow down, stop, seek the within? Now is the moment for gratefulness, for the lessons and the blessings. May we endeavor to dive deeply into the process of healing . . . ourselves, one another, and our sacred planet.
For those seeking a personal ritual to focus and empower yourself in the New Year, I am reposting this Ritual of New Beginnings. Wishing you a blessed 2021 with hope, gratefulness, and compassion for all!
Blessings, Xia
Within the dark winter womb of Mother Earth rest many seeds awaiting the return of the Sun quietly coaxing them into the light. So, too, within each of us are countless Seeds of Potentialities awaiting the warm Sun of our own Self-Love to bring them to the surface of our consciousness, and into the world as the living fruit of our lives. We are each the gardener of our life.
To enact this ritual you need one orange with seeds.
Find a quiet time and place where you will be undisturbed. I like the cleansing of an herbal bath for this enactment. Naked and honest, the bath becomes a rebirth in the womb waters of my consciousness. Light a candle, burn incense, listen to meaningful music, whatever you wish to do to “create your sacred space.”
When your space is prepared and you are ready to begin . . . hold the orange to your heart and take a deep breath. Breathe in and out, slowly and deeply. Feel the amazing magic of your body as the air brings life to you, energizes and supports you.
Continue to hold the orange to your heart and when you are ready, think back about the past year. What was the year like for you? What good things came to you? What lessons did you learn? What did you accomplish? There are no small accomplishments. Reflect on all areas of your life.
Remember all you created, the lives you touched, every mountain you climbed, every stumble on the path, and the strength you harnessed to rise up and journey onward. In your remembering, take this moment to reclaim the holiness of the Divine you embody. Reclaim your authority. Reclaim the power to create your life, to grow your life into the garden of your dreams. Remember And Reclaim.
As you continue to hold the orange, a beautiful symbol of the life-giving sun, imagine the seeds nestled deep in the enriching, delicious fruit surrounded by a bright, tangy covering. Think about the seeds lying dormant within the fruit, held by its protective rind.
Imagine the many dream seeds lying dormant within you, seeking the light in your garden. Envision the seeds inside you that want to come to life in the coming year. What do you want to do . . . create . . . accomplish in 2018?
Where do you want to be a year from now, and what must you do to get there? Think about all aspects of your life, and trust that Spirit will spark and guide your journey.
When you are ready, begin peeling the fruit. While the peelings drop away, imagine them as any, and all obstacles, limitations, and fears holding you back. As you let the pieces of rind fall away, know that they have protected and served you . . . until now. Honor them, thank them, and release them.
While eating the fruit, visualize the sweet juice and pulp as the inner love, strength, and boundless resources you have inside you. As you discover the seeds within the fruit, take a moment to envision, and name, what each Seed of Potentiality represents in your life in the coming year. Set each seed aside until you have finished the entire fruit.
Then take all the seeds into your hands. These embody and symbolize your goals, wishes, and dreams for 2018. Endow these dream seeds with your life essence by breathing into them, singing or sounding into them, dancing with them, or anointing them with your kisses or tears. Let Spirit guide you in this energy exchange.
As the gardener of your life, you are now responsible for the life pulsing within each seed. Honor the hidden potential within yourself, and within each dream seed.
Give thanks to the Divine, your guides, whomever you include as an ally in your life process, for their support in the past year. Then take a deep, heartfelt moment to honor yourself for the Living Light that you are. Finally, set aside a time to offer your dream seeds back to Mother Earth. Put them in a sacred space until you are ready to give them to the nurturing dark of the soil for safe-keeping.
This rite can be simple, profound, and as powerful as your intentions and your willingness to do the work required to tend your life’s garden. Take the time to write about your wishes, dreams, and goals in a journal or notebook. They are your dream seeds, your precious intentions.
When it feels appropriate for you, bury the seeds with thankfulness and a commitment to yourself to do all that is necessary to grow these magnificent seeds into their complete form. Trust that you have all the resources you need to nurture your goals, wishes, and dreams into full manifestation and know that you are the Gardener of your Life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires.
I nurture the source of my dreams.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires
I cultivate the growth of all my hopes.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires
I discard the weeds of fear and limitation
that block my emergence into the light.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires
I water the commitment to my highest aspirations.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires
I glean the lessons of my deepest growth.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I plant the seeds of my desires
I harvest the fruit of my work and dedication.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I am the Gardener of my life.
I nurture and protect the seeds of my heart.
I create my world with care and intention.
I am the Gardener of my life.
NOTE: This ritual was created in 1997 as a New Year Ritual but it can be used for any new beginning and/or transition. I am the Gardener of my Life is a Call and Response Spoken Word Liturgy created for Temple of the Goddess rituals.
I am the Gardener of my Life © 2007, Rev. Xia, Use with permission. Director@templeofthegoddess.org
