Transmuting and Release

The New Year is a great time to release the past. In addition to purging the physical "stuff" that I no longer use (I usually donate it to a Hospice Thrift center since I believe in their mission), I also like to do a ritual release of emotional and ethereal "stuff" that is no longer helpful to me. This can include my own thinking patterns; ideas that didn't come to fruition; emotions like anger, resentment, fear, hurt, sadness, depression; consciousness patterns of thinking like poverty consciousness, vengefulness, unforgiveness, judgment; and even people.  I don't actually do anything to or about the people other than specifically naming them, visualizing them walking out of my life and into a crowded city or a very billowy cloud bank.

One ritual I enjoy using for release is a bowl burning ceremony.  It is such a visceral way of seeing something transmute from one thing (paper) into another (smoke and ash).  Here is how I perform my ritual bowl burning.

I usually like a candle--I only have white candles so that is what gets lit.  I like the symbology of purity that it gives.

I will use my sage stick and smudge myself, my house, my entire surroundings--I have prayers that I say while I do this.

After saying a prayer for clarity, guidance and willingness to let go, I take a stack of 3 x 5 index cards and a pen and sit down to write out what I want to release. Then I take as long as I need to to write out what I am ready to release.  I try to keep one card per idea, main thought, person or situation. I will write as many details as come up on the card.  I keep writing cards until I can't think of anything else that I want or need to release.

I gather a stainless steel bowl, a lighter, and a potholder or trivet.  I take them and my index cards outside to a table or concrete area and place them on the table, with the stainless steel bowl on top of the potholder or trivet.  One by one I light the cards on fire and drop them into the stainless steel bowl, allowing them to burn up completely.

When the burning is complete and all my cards are gone, I will take one or two blank index cards and write down five or ten items that I am intending for my new year.

I do a prayer of thanksgiving and for letting go.  And I'm done.

It is a cathartic way to let go of what we no longer wish to have, be or experience in our lives and by doing this, I believe we open up a void of energy for us to then utilize towards those situations, people, things and attitudes we have intended.

(c) 2021, Spiritual Creator. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of Pixabay public domain images.