To start off this year we chose The Rainbow Heart Tarot deck by Rachel Rosenkoetter. The Hermit card leads us into the new year, with its message of slowing down, turning inwards, and self-reflection. As the new year is often a time for setting intentions and making plans The Hermit encourages us to take our time and be mindful with our goals.
Here at Oracle, the retail-side slows down a bit in January (after the holiday rush) and we buckle-down in the workshop. We spend some time planning out our projects for the year and the calendar fills up surprisingly quickly!
Part of our year-transition ritual involves acknowledging what we accomplished throughout the previous year. Looking back over the goals we had set for ourselves in the last year and seeing how it compares to our current plans. Taking this extra time to reflect may seem counter-intuitive to the go-go-go nature of our culture, and especially of small-businesses. But without taking time to contextualize, you may find yourself veering off course or even demoralized thinking you haven’t progressed when, in actuality, you truly have.
Finding ways to let the dust settle and get some clarity is a nice way to direct your energy beginning your year. (What energy you may have remaining after ringing out 2022!)
Spending time settling into the season and reflecting on what has happened while also looking forward to what is to come can be a tricky balancing act. Things which ground us will help bring a sense of stability. And things which inspire us will help spark optimism as we look to the future. Small and simple things can act as anchors and guiding lights. What helps you feel grounded? Breathing exercises? Holding a stone in your pocket and feeling it’s surface and edges? Does a beautiful insect inspire wonder? Or maybe the intricate details in a flower or leaf? Re-centering can happen in humble ways. Don’t feel pressured to make grand gestures.
Pink Amethyst is a stone said to bring emotional balance and overall peace through calm, understanding, and grace.
How to Make Space by Dr. Arlene K. Unger is an inspired guide to a clearer mind and home. A lovely hard-bound book filled with practical exercises to clear your home, calendar, and mind.
Using divination cards is a nice way to bring your mind into focus. The Rainbow Heart Tarot by Kansas City-based artist Rachel Rosenkoetter is a bright and psychedelic twist on a traditional Tarot deck. Uplifting and insightful.
Animals can be a helpful example of how to embed certain qualities. Nothing feels quite as grounded as a strong horse hoof planted firmly on the earth.
January can feel like a sudden “dead stop” after the hectic end-of-year hustle and bustle. The heart of Winter and the turning of the calendar are intense. Whether you feel it as an intense chill or an intense sense of optimism… Take time to settle into your present moment. Acknowledge all you’ve come through from the previous year while allowing yourself to feel hope and look forward to what comes next. May your new year be full of insight. — Laura Pensar for Oracle Natural Science