The beginning of the year is always a special time for me. And while Christmas and Yule are my favorite times, the new year holds significant space in my spiritual life.
So in this blog I want to share some thoughts for the new year as we head into 2024
I’m feeling especially hopeful today personally, though the world seems to be mostly a dumpster fire, we can only help the universe by putting forth the most positive intentions possible.
Whether for yourself or others using the beginning of the year for positive intentions is a great way to honor your spiritual path. In the House of Brekke, we do this with a few of our own traditions developed over the years. We love to cook, so most of them center around the kitchen or dining room.
But taking the day to do things like fill out the new planner, relax with the cats, binge twilight zone, and stay in our pajamas all day are the main priorities. This year we are taking January to focus less on our cocktailing and more on spiritual focus and creating a foundation for the new year. I’ll be getting reiki certified and we plan to use January as a way to try to start the year off with some new routines and intentions.
As our dining table is our kitchen witch altar so to speak, we set it up with offerings, a crystal grid, candles, and flowers. We boil apples, oranges, cinnamon and other aromatics to make the house smell great. Also, on New Year’s Eve we made chicken broth for the upcoming months. Then we drank some champagne and celebrated the passing of 2023 to welcome in 2024.
This year I was in bed by 10pm. But like I said, it's New Year’s Day that truly brings me joy. I tend to feel brand new and ripe for positive changes and forward movement into the new year. So the following are a few things you can do today or this month to set intentions for the upcoming year.
Set up a Prosperity Simmer Pot
Create a ritual of cleansing a pot, consecrating water, and putting on a boil full of aromatics. Use apples, oranges, clove, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and any other aromatics you want to add to your cauldron. Some things you can add to the ritual could be to add moon water to it, or inscribe runes into the apples and fruit, honoring Freya, Frey, and Idun, the goddess with the golden apples of health and immortality. Wunjo for joy, Fehu for abundance, Othala for home protection, and Algiz for connection to spirit. Start the pot in the morning and let it simmer all day, adding water and/or ingredients as needed.
New years intentional altar
Find a table or space where you can set up candles, crystals, food, and other offerings for prosperity in the new year. A dining room table is ideal and in my opinion is truly an altar for any kitchen witchery.
Make plates for food offerings, flowers, statuary, crystals, and other items that you want represented.
Crystal grid
Find a spot in your house to set up a crystal grid. This usually includes a central crystal “engine” and surrounding stones. All of which you connect by touching each stone going from engine to stone and back until the grid is sealed. You can find tips on making crystal grids easily online, but know that for me, there are no hard and fast rules and there are many ways of setting up grids.
Candle ritual
Burn a white candle and inscribe intentional runes on it. Dress it with appropriate herbs and oils based on your intentions. Offer intentions of new beginnings, clean slates, gratitude, and openness.
Start a new journal
I start a personal journal book each year. No matter how far I actually got in the last book. Even if you don’t journal often, starting one at the beginning of the year at least sets the intention.
It’s a good way to take time to reflect and write your goals, inspirations, and challenges. You don’t need to ever worry about going back and reading it or anyone else reading it. Use it to just get the thoughts out of your head.
Consider doing a 30-day rune pull or weekly rune pull.
If you are the kind of person that likes to take January for a little self work, then a 30-day rune pull is a journey worth going through.
Journal this journey in any way you see fit, but write down your experience.
On my site, I have a download of my 30-day rune pull journal you can print out as you go. I'm soon getting it available on amazon in fully printed book format, but whether you use mine or your own journal, you'll want to keep a record of your journey.
Cook a new year's prosperity meal
There are many suggestions and spiritual resources to tap into when looking for tasty intentional recipes. Many include root veggies, beans and the like. You can add ritual to your cooking and make magic just by doing it with intention for prosperity. This is literally magic you can eat.
Create a bindrune for prosperity.
Choose runes you can combine into a single sigil. Make a bindrune that you can carry with you, hang in the home, or at the workplace. You can put the bindrune on a stone, piece of wood, or cloth. I've offered guidance on creating bindrunes in a previous podcast and I’ll add some to the youtube channel as well in the coming weeks.
There are lots of other traditions from many different cultures and spiritual paths for starting the new year. I tend to combine a few as I have a Norse altar, Buddhist altar, faire altar, and our kitchen witch table altar. We also make spiritual intentions, energy exchanges, offerings to the gods and spirit, as well as other small rituals throughout the day.
This year has been a prosperous one for myself spiritually.
I met so many amazing people at the events I participated in and read for. I got my book out and am so appreciative of the positive response. And full disclosure, I am aware of the editorial errors and am dealing with that. But otherwise, I have big plans for this year. I want to offer more content on my youtube channel as well as more podcasts. I plan to offer ticketed clinics on zoom and free live events.
I’ll be making more items for sale as well, like runes, journals, and other downloads you can get at my website. You'll still find me down at the next millennium every third Monday and I plan on attending mystic fest and the Midwest metaphysical expo as well. At this point i'm not sure exactly what other events i'll be doing, but i'll keep my schedule up to date on my website. Also, join that email list if you want the inside scoop on things.
I also have plans for some fun collaborations with some fellow spiritual friends. More on that later. But for now, may your new year be a journey that takes you where you need to go. May your challenges be met with courage, your heartbreaks be met with compassion, and your spirit be inspiring to every human you meet.
Take care of each other runeweavers!
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