resolution

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New Year, New You?

New Year, New You?

It seems like almost every other magazine or online article in January starts with this title, doesn’t it? And just what does it mean? Can there be a new you? What is it that makes the sudden change from the old to the new, when it is only a calendar day apart? What magic is this?

There are many different new year’s traditions from all over the world, celebrated at different times of the year. Here is the western part of the world however, it is the 31st December and the 1st January where the shift happens, where things start afresh, where we have tabla rasa, a clean slate. Or so many would like to think.

Now, I’m not going to poo poo anyone who wants to make a change. Change is great! It means we are developing into our best selves, our truest selves, into forces that make positive change and impact upon our world in whatever way we can. In our secular society we have a whole ritual set up on new year’s eve to achieve this, so why not take advantage of it? When the clock strikes midnight we begin the year anew often with resolutions to better ourselves and in doing so, better the world, for change can only start from within.

It’s wonderful to have this ritual. But can there really be a new you? Or are we working with what is already there, what lies deep within that is buried beneath the weight of years, circumstances, emotional upheavals and general life experience? We often confuse what is new with what is pure, unblemished, something that is perfect in and of itself. But that purity simply does not exist. Nature is compounded, biodiverse imperfect and just plain messy, but it is still wonderful. There is no such thing as purity in nature. We are all made up of different things, originally from star-stuff and beyond. We are all intertwined, and cannot be separated into distinct categories for the sake of purity. If you love and adhere to the cycles of nature, you know that there is no such thing as purity, and that it is a human construct.

Instead of looking for purity, perhaps we should seek out authenticity instead. Our true selves, who we are and who we are meant to be are both one and the same. It’s all there, waiting for us to discover it. When we do this it might feel new, but it really has been something that has lain within us all along.

Many resolutions in the new year relate to happiness and health. These are wonderful goals to strive for and achieve in your daily life. But they have been there all along, in some fashion. It’s not a new you that you are discovering, but rather shifting your perspective and strengthening your resolve to notice and make the changes necessary for that to happen, rather than finding terra incognita.

The magic has always been within, and is not dependent on a calendar date.

That being said, it’s good to have these rituals, for they remind us to do the thing instead of letting our lives roll past without acknowledgement or change. I’m all for rituals, I have many in my life as many of you know from my body of work. And at the beginning of each year, we are given leave by secular society to make new rituals in order to become better people, so who am I to argue this?

This year I’ve committed to two things: to get into better shape and to be more compassionate, especially to those in my inner circle. I’ve let my physical ability slide a bit in the past year, which usually occurs when I’m in a writing year cycle, and spend way too much time at my keyboard typing away. I’ve also noticed that some of this time has been spent on social media when it could have been better spent elsewhere, and so along with getting in better shape and being more compassionate, I’m spending less time on social media too. Over the winter holidays while I spent time with my family in Canada I did not do social media at all for nearly three weeks, which I found amazing and liberating. The constant barrage of other stories, not to mention advertising, was really starting to wear me down, and so I needed to create a space of silence where I could hear myself again.

This year is a “research and experience” year for me. As an author, I need to take time to recharge and try new things so that I have new things to write about. I may even take two years this time to do so, to allow the new experiences to deepen and fully integrate into my soul. Along the way, I will keep to the resolutions that I made at the beginning of the year as best I can, holding myself accountable while still listening to my needs.

Can there be a new me? No, not really. I am made up of my past experiences and the choices that I have made in my life, which have all led me to where I am now. And in all honesty, I wouldn’t want to be a new me, because then I would have to disregard all the past experiences that I have had, for good or bad. Instead, I am returning to a truer and more authentic part of my being, one that listens, pays attention, is compassionate and active. One that sees the magic in the world, and celebrates it with every moment. One that pushes forward, and not getting mired in the past. This will be a change in my current modus operandi, but it will not make me new person.

Magic is change, often in accordance with will. And so let’s make the magic happen.

We Are Our Deeds
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We Are Our Deeds

As we approach the end of the calendar year, my thoughts turn inwards in reflection. It’s a time to take stock of the year that has just gone, and to plan for the coming year ahead. The thought however at the forefront of my mind this moment is the saying: we are our deeds.

Actions really do speak louder than words. How many New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside, words that were not acted upon? What we do says a lot more than what we say. Just look at the politics of the UK right now. It’s all words, and actions that are either missing or which belie those very words. It’s seeking to be in the limelight, to be popular, to further one’s own personal agenda. It’s corruption, lies and squirming to get out of a self-created hole. It’s a real mess, to put it mildly.

Be the change that you want to see in the world. How many times have we heard that phrase? Be the change, it says. It’s up to you to put in the effort: it is your deeds, not your words that will shift the narrative. How we live and what we do will say more than words ever could. We have enough examples in politics and the media of those who words do not accord with their deeds, of lies and deceit, scandal and cover-ups. Let’s not be like them. Let’s live our lives better.

Our lives are totally integrated. With others in our household, with the ecosystem where we live, with the entire planet. As such, we must look towards our own personal integrity, to ensure that the integration is real. If we really want to integrate and be an integral part of the whole, we need to do things differently. We have to have our own personal integrity, first and foremost. Without that, what are we? Where are we?

Words are important, there is no doubt about that. Keeping to your word increases your own integrity, your might and your main: your personal power. Following up your words with actual deeds keeps them honourable. These actions build within us, until we find our lives changing, because we have changed. Intention means nothing without action.

We will all fail at something at various points in our lives, whether it is living up to our words or our own expectations However, it is when we begin again, when we follow up failure with action, when we pick ourselves up an try again that we find integrity. We can learn as much from our failures as from our successes. It’s in the action of doing, of trying, where we learn the lessons, not in the thinking of it. Thinking is an abstraction. If you want true change, our deeds must follow our thoughts and our words.

There are things that need to change in my life, and areas where I can do better, be better. At this time of year, I am clarifying those issues, honing them down to a single statement that I can remember to put into action when a situation calls for it. It’s not enough to have a vague idea of where I’m going or what I’m going to do in a certain situation. An action plan is called for, so that when it arises in any circumstance I am prepared with the tools necessary to take action, to allow my deeds to prove my words.

This year, I urge all those who are making New Year’s resolutions to do the same. Hone and refine what it is that you wish to change, to a single, simple sentence. Write it out, if you can. Pin it up where you can see it every day. Say it to yourself morning and night. Integrate the words into your very being so that when the situation calls for the change, you will remember your words, your oath and your resolve. And you will do the right thing. Your deeds will reflect you. Your deeds will say more than your words ever could.

In this time of winter, when the short days and long nights bear down upon us, think about integrity and integration. Think about words and deeds.

And do the thing.

Blessings of the winter solstice to you all, and happy new year.

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The power of New Year’s Resolutions

P1070010Many people here in the West have made New Year’s resolutions. I for one think that this tradition is a good one, for I’m always seeking to improve myself, to live in better harmony with the world around me. I know that I can’t change others, only myself, and lead by example. And so, a resolution or three can help me to achieve that goal.

Why are resolutions so important? Well, simply put, it’s vocalising an intention. In much of Western Paganism and Heathenry words, especially spoken words, have deep meaning when applied with intention, and most magic (but not all) relates to words, spells, chants, invocations and more. Think of the many sayings that relate how important words are to us. We take people by their word, and our word in our bond. Sadly, this is all too often forgotten in today’s society. We have to take back the sacredness of our words, thereby sanctifying also our intentions.

There is a deep power when we say what we mean, and mean what we say. Not hiding behind pretension or illusion, we will do as we say and we will be truthful and honest in our actions. We will sometimes fail to come through, as we are all fallible, but still the power is not only in the result, but in the attempt to live in this manner. We can ask for help when needed, for we know that everyone needs help every now and again.

When we take the importance of our words to heart, we can also look at how we take the words of others into our lives. How much do we validate our life based upon the words of others? Are these words spoken with an honest intention that is in correlation to your own, or is there a hidden agenda within them? Many people seek to abuse trust, sadly, and feel that only they hold a real reflection of others’ self-worth. Only you know your own value, your own worthiness, and if you are true to your word you then need not seek external validation. Criticism, honest and valid criticism can and should be useful in everyone’s lives. Bitter, angry, mocking criticism, filled with contempt, is not helpful in any way, and is only a reflection of the person who delivers such words, not you. We live in a world where many feel that their own flame burns brighter by blowing out others’, but we know that this is not the case.

By being true to your word, you are also being responsible for your actions. This again is something that I feel is lacking in much of today’s society. All too often we can blame others for our misfortune, or sink into the abyss of apathy rather than taking an active role in our lives. We have to define for ourselves how we wish to live, and take a participatory role in achieving that goal. None other can walk this path for us.

Taking on resolutions can help us to give voice to the sovereign self that we wish to be, that idealised self that we can indeed become, should we have the courage to walk the path towards that end. They can clarify what it is that we wish to achieve, and even ask for help along the way, from the gods, the ancestors, friends and family. We need not seek their validation, but only their help should we need it, for we know our own self-worth. Hold true to your resolution, as much as you can. Use it to remind you of the sovereign self, that self that states that YOU are in control of your own behaviour, that state of integration with the rest of the world where you realise that you are a part of a great weave in the tapestry of life. We may falter, we may even fail, but at least we tried. And next year we can try again, or make new resolutions to help us find and achieve that truth that we seek within our souls through the power of our words.

 

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Happy New Year!

The end of another calendar year, and a time to reflect. What a fabulous year it has been. The ups as well as the downs, all of it has been a great experience. Life certainly is the best teacher.

So, what are the plans for next year? Well, I shall be continuing to write, a much longer book than those of the Pagan Portals series for Moon Books. This new project is called “Hedge Druidry”, and is basically an extension of The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid.

I also plan to start a much bigger vegetable garden next year, and go on a mushrooming course so that I am able to identify more mushrooms than just the parasol ones we munch on here that grow in the beautiful sandy soil.

I also have a wonderful new project that will hopefully start up in the autumn of 2015, but I can’t tell you about that just yet – I will hopefully have news for you very shortly! Hint – it’s about learning Druidry…

Lastly, I aim to simplify even more. This year I already reduced the time spent on social media, cleared the clutter in my house and spent even more time in meditation. I hope to continue on this path, making more time for the people that I love, the places that I love and the things that I really love doing.

In this time of reflection, don’t feel bad about the things you didn’t accomplish. Instead, reaffirm your resolve to try again, and persevere with a good heart and a pure mind. Make resolutions for the New Year, but for yourself and not for anyone else. If you want to lose weight, that’s great – but do it for your own health, with a doctor’s or nutritionist’s advice. Don’t do it to make yourself more beautiful – you already are beautiful. Likewise, quitting bad habits such as smoking or drinking are equally good resolutions to make, as long as you are truly willing to go the distance, for your own health and well-being. If we can do such things for ourselves, then we see that we can serve others as well. We have to take care of ourselves as well as each other.

And so I wish you a very Happy New Year. May you love one another, may peace fill your hearts. Love and peace are there, seeds waiting to be nourished by you and only you, not anyone else. Give them the attention that they need, and watch them bloom. Only you can do this.

With peace and love, and many thanks for following me down the forest path,

Jo. x