While for some, the turning of a calendar year is arbitrary, as many who follow a Pagan way of life celebrate the New Year around the time of Samhain. The month of January is so named after the Roman god Janus. He is the God of new beginnings, endings, and transitions. The turning of the calendar was also a time that the Babylonians would make promises to their gods, return borrowed objects and pay their debts. As such, this can be a convenient time to pause and reflect on the ending of one year, and what one may wish for the upcoming one. While one may want to avoid making “resolutions” during this time (with a whopping 80% of declared resolutions not making it past the turning of the season), it’s a time that one can set intentions for the upcoming calendar year.
An intention is deliberate, and often well thought-out. It’s about knowing where you are in life, and where you want to be. Personally, I would say that an intention is different from a goal. A goal requires planning the steps that one can take in order to achieve what they want. Setting an intention is merely making a declaration of where one hopes to be.
Setting intentions can be a powerful thing. It is the first step that one takes before manifesting the future they desire. Setting intentions can be done at different times of the year: with the turning of the Wheel of the Year, at each esbat, or even before performing a ritual or spell. Doing this at the beginning of the year can be a powerful thing, as often a person may see the turning of the calendar to be a time of new beginnings, a time to manifest the power of change, and a time to create the life that one wants.
The act of setting intentions does not have to be an elaborate or complicated ritual. It does not require any special tools, or materials. It can be as simple as taking 15 -30 minutes and reflecting on the past year, and making a conscious decision of where you would like to be in within the next year. You can write this down in a journal or a diary, and you may choose to share with friends and family. As we close 2019, and turn the calendar over to a new year, take a moment to set your intentions. If you so choose, feel to share them with us in a comment.
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