I enjoy beginnings. And I like to put endings to rest. With ceremony. With ritual. With intention. This year I am sharing our tried-and-true end-of-year ritual my husband and I use. It’s simple, effective and we enjoy it so much that I want to share it so you can benefit too.

We have a simple three-step process that I gleaned over the years. Do it in your morning mediation, your evening prayer. Take as little as fifteen minutes or as long as it takes. Add to it, take away what doesn’t work. Make it yours. I usually begin the last week of the year and I’ve also done it on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

I love atmosphere so let’s start with creating atmosphere and a sacred space.

Candles, One or many. Or perhaps you have a fireplace. Perfect! Fire illuminates, it softens, it warms. Fire can heal and purify. Gazing into a fire mesmerizes and calms me. It creates a soothing space and a beautiful atmosphere for intention.

Now, create an altar or intentional space. Coffee table, counter, bookshelf. Add sand, rocks, gemstones. Whatever is meaningful to you such as meditative books or prayers. Include religious icons – Buddha, Mary, Crucifix, Prayer Flags, etc.

Grab a journal, notebook or paper and your favorite pen. It’s all about ritual and setting up the space.

Ready to begin?

After getting comfortable, always start with the breath. In, out, center yourself. Calm. Breathe in clarity, breathe out chaos. Breathe in God/Higher Power, Breathe out anything that no longer serves you. Monkey mind? Come back to center. Back to the breath.

Next, we’re going to make three lists so put each of these headings on a separate piece of paper:

1. What I’m grateful for in 2022.

2. What I want to let go of in 2022.

3. What I want to manifest in 2023.

Each list is important. Gratitude reminds me of how 2022 served me. It keeps the focus on the blessings. Let your mind wander to things large and small that you have to be grateful for from the past year.

Letting go allows me to start the new year off fresh, sloughing off the past. This is a fun list because we can actively say, “Goodbye! Farewell, you pain in the neck!” Let go of the burden, the hurts, the things that didn’t go well or as we would have liked.

“What I Want to Manifest” is by far my favorite! Let your imagination go wild. List EVERYTHING you dream of, desire, hope for, pray for. Do not hold back! I can show you lists from years back that I though were pipe dreams, but came to be – like owning a new home in 2021. This is not the same thing as a goal list or a new year resolution. We will not be beating ourselves up or giving up the end of January. This is where all your dreams are put on paper.

So what do you want to accomplish? What relationships do you want to improve? Are you looking for love? To publish that book you’ve been writing (my 2022 goal!) To travel more. Be kinder. Have a better marriage. Be more selfless. Health, prosperity. Write it all down.

Identifying what we want is the first step in getting it. We can’t recognize it if we don’t identify it. And identifying it means we can takes steps toward it.

Studies prove that writing it down helps solidify it in our brain. (That’s why you had to write your spelling words 10x each!)

Your manifest list may overflow into the new year. Continue to add to it. There’s no rush. You can also continue to add to any of the lists. Letting go is a process and more things may make themselves known. Sometimes, burning the letting go list is helpful. You can decide.

After that, just put the lists away. I tuck them in my morning reading and forget about them. Months later, when I pull them out, I am surprised what manifested! Then I get to check it off the list!

After this ritual, I usually feel so good. Cleansed. And ready to begin a new year with endless possibilities!

And that’s it! I can’t wait to start mine!

Let me know what worked for you. Send me pictures of your sacred space!

Blessings and Happy New Year!

Angela DiCicco

Author of Better Than Before: One Couple’s Journey After a Tragic Accident, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

theitaliangrandmama.com

Contact me with questions or comments.