Here we are sisters, the year is coming to an end and this is the perfect time for us to spend some of our time looking back at the last year so that we can really tune into what it is we can celebrate and also what it is we might need to release so that we can move into next year, and of course, the next decade (which is pretty huge!) intentionally and powerfully.
I’m going to be taking you through a process and ritual where you’ll be able to look back at 2019 and shine the spotlight upon all that you want to celebrate, as well as shining the light upon the shadows – all those things which do not truly serve us.
This will be a three step process where we CELEBRATE, RELEASE AND THEN INTEGRATE.
>>> DOWNLOAD THE END OF YEAR PLAYSHEET HERE <<<
>>> DOWNLOAD THE FULL MOON PLAYSHEET HERE <<<
Whilst I am sharing this ritual to mark the end of a year, it can also be used at the time of the full moon.
The next full moon, the last full moon of 2019 is approaching (it’s in two days from now). Let’s take a moment to tune into the energy of the full moon, what that actually means and how the full moon can actually support us, especially when it comes to celebrating and releasing.
Take a moment to imagine the full moon. Perhaps you want to close your eyes and imagine yourself standing outside at nighttime. See yourself surrounded by nature and as you look up into the sky you see the moon. She is right there in all her light and fullness.
When the moon is full she is representing each of us in our prime and our fullness. The light that she shines so brightly and brilliantly symbolizes who we are in our full light and brilliance.
This is the perfect time for us to shine light upon ourselves and our lives and to celebrate all that is great and brilliant. It’s a great time for us to tap into gratitude and appreciation and to really take the time to acknowledge and celebrate all the goodness in ourselves and our lives.
So I’m going to lead you through a ritual now.
Step 1 – CELEBRATION
For this first part, you’ll need the playsheet above.
Celebration Circle
This circle is going to represent the full moon and also you in your fullness.
We will now divide the circle into twelve. To do that put a line through the centre of the circle horizontally, and also vertically so you are making a cross within the circle. This should give you four sections.
Now, I’m going to ask you to cast your mind back to 2019 and see if you can tune into each month, going through the year, month by month, to recall what was happening for you.
You may want to look in your diary or calendar from 2019 to help you remember what was happening.
So tune into each month to reflect and identify one thing that you want to celebrate about that month.
Rather than just celebrating the actual event that happened (maybe you got married, maybe you launched a new business, maybe you had a baby, maybe you recovered from an illness, maybe you just simply were able to get out of bed in the mornings or maybe you started to feel more connected to your truth and power etc). Whatever it is, rather than writing ‘I’m celebrating my new job’ I want you to also celebrate something about YOU.
What is a quality that you can celebrate about yourself? So, whatever the event is that you are celebrating, ask yourself what does it say and reflect about you? What quality did you embody? So, if you got a new job, perhaps you want to celebrate your confidence. Or if you were able to make some positive changes to your well-being, maybe you want to celebrate the quality of resilience.
Historically and collectively, us women are not very good at really shining light upon and celebrating ourselves. It can often feel so much easier and more comfortable for us to do this to and for others. But when it comes to ourselves we might find ourselves shrinking back and attempting to deflect or block the light that wants to come towards us.
However, here at Sistership Circle, we are really shifting this paradigm. We are creating opportunities and possibilities for women and sisters all around the world to open to celebrating themselves. It is through acknowledgement and appreciation that we get to shine brighter – and we know that this is a crucial time in history where women are being called to rise up.
That is why sister, it is imperative that you begin to make friends with celebrating yourself and taking the time to acknowledge all the light and gifts you bring to the world.
For a long, long time it has not been safe or easy for women to celebrate and step fully into our light. But we are changing this, and by you taking the time to celebrate yourself, you are playing a part in creating the change not only for yourself, but for other women. For when you celebrate yourself, you give other women permission to do this same.
So let’s do this together sister and really take the time to embrace the celebration of ourselves and all that we are.
Now, it may be that throughout the year, there’s been less than amazing things which happened. Likely there has been struggle and hardship and times where you’ve felt really challenged and tested.
I’d like you to see if you are able to find the light within these darkest times and to pick out a quality that you had to embody to get you through it. So perhaps there was one month where you lost your job. In which case, perhaps the quality you had to embody and want to celebrate about yourself was determination. Maybe you overcame and illness and in order to do that you needed to access trust – so can you celebrate yourself for being trusting?
So let’s take some time now, to go month by month and write down the a couple of words for the event and then quality that you want to celebrate about yourself.
Now you should have your circle with 12 events and 12 qualities that you want to celebrate about yourself.
Step 2 – Let go & Release
The full moon is such a wonderful representation of the feminine as she reflects us in our fullness. But the full moon is also wonderful at showing us our ability to descend and go into the dark too.
Why? Because the full moon has reached her peak and fullness, she is half-way through the moon cycle and the next part of her cycle is to enter into a waning phase. As we attune to this energy of descent and heading towards darkness, it’s a great time for us to have a look at what it is we may want to release and let go of ourselves. It’s a beautiful opportunity for us to access our own shadows and to really bring light to that which no longer serves us.
For part two of this ritual – let go and release, we will now take some time to get in touch with all that has not served us in the last year. This process will help us to shine light upon it and bring it into our awareness, and it is by doing this, by bringing it into the forefront of our conscious awareness can we then begin to shift and work with it.
Let go & Release Circle
On the play-sheet, you’ll see the leg go and release circle (page 2).
This time, we are going to focus on that which you want to release and let go of. Tune in, month by month, and see if you can access one thing that really didn’t serve you that month. What is it that you wish to let go of?
Again, we want to do the same thing where we connect to the event and then distill it down to one word that reflects the quality that you want to let go of.
For example, for me, I’ve spent the last year feeling utterly exhausted. I have a 17 month old who has not slept well since birth and it’s really taken it’s toll. It’s left me feeling really depleted, tired and frustrated at not being able to make progress with my vision and business as quickly as I would like. So I might choose the months of January, February and March and then the qualities of depletion, frustration and hopelessness – so I’ll write those in.
Perhaps you had a relationship that broke down, or your financial situation became really challenging, maybe you found yourself coming face to fear with some deep rooted fears.
You may want to take some time to really drop into your heart and ask what is it you most want to let go of right now?
Step 3 – Integration
OK, so once you’ve tuned into what it is that you want to release and let go of, we are going to move into part three of this process which is INTEGRATION.
Integration Circle
For part two, we brought into our awareness some of the things that we want to let go of and release – things that no longer SERVES us.
If we pay attention to our use of language here, we can begin to acknowledge that whatever it is that we might want to let go of and release, it has served us in some way. It has served a purpose for us.
So, in this final part, if we are to truly integrate our shadows with our light we need to get clear on how whatever it is that we want to let go of and release has served us until now. And I saw until now because we are choosing to let go of them so that we can step into and co-create something new right?
So, take a look back at your release and let go circle.
Go through each month/event and quality and see if you can identify how that has served you.
For example, I shared that I struggled with exhaustion this past year. It left me feeling really depleted and frustrated. If I tune into how it has served me, I start to realize that it’s given me the opportunity to slow down, and in that slowing down it’s allowed me to get really clear on my vision and what I’m really here to do in terms of my own sacred purpose work. So, if I was going to distill this down into a quality, I’d have to say it’s given me reflection. So, I’ll write Reflection into the corresponding month on the integration circle
Or if I tune into the frustration I felt, that frustration has served me by allowing me to connect to CLARITY.
So I want you now to go through each of your different events and the qualities and see if you can connect to how that has served you and what it has given to you.
So now, if you complete this part, you should have twelve words that represent how you were served by those things that you now want to let go of and release.
Can you take a moment to really acknowledge and honor them? To give thanks for all the ways in which these things have really served and given to you?
Let’s just take a moment to tune into the vibration of gratitude and to truly integrate, let us now look at all of these qualities.
Looking at your circle of celebration – all those qualities about yourself to celebrate.
Looking at your circle of let go and release – all those qualities about yourself you want to let go and release
And looking at your circle of integration – acknowledging all the ways in which you have been served.
Giving thanks for all your shadows and all your light.
And now, you get to CHOOSE. You get to decide how you want to show up in 2020.
So now, we will create one last circle. This time, it is blank. It represents a blank slate and you as you step into your wholeness.
But here, I would like to invite you, as you reflect back on 2019 and all the words and qualities you have in front of you, which ones speak to you? What are the qualities you want to take forward with you? And if you look at your integration circle – what are some new qualities that you might want to replace those things with?
So in my integration circle I have safety and so I might want to embody the quality of CONFIDENCE.
Now sister, it’s over to you as you step into your own fullness, your own full moon.
I invite you now, to write in your 2020 circle, all the qualities you want to embody. Perhaps you have only one or maybe you have twelve or twenty – you choose!
And now you get to take these circles, as potent reminders, of celebration, release and integration for 2019 and a new vision for 2020.
You have the opportunity to tune into your own light and put yourself under your own spotlight when-ever you need or desire sister. You don’t need to wait for the full moon or the end of the year to do so, and I hope this beautiful ritual is something you might use and come back to in any moment over the coming year where you want to be reminded of your greatness and light.
This is a process you may want to use at the end of each month as well which could be really useful and powerful. It’s also a super powerful record that you can keep and look back on at the end of next year to see what’s really transformed, transmuted and transpired for you over the last year.
Each time you do it, you allow yourself to tune into your light and gifts and by doing so you strengthen them. And you create the possibility for you to acknowledge and shine light upon your shadows too – creating even more light, brilliance and radiance for yourself and our world.
Before I leave you with a parting quote, I want to invite you to come along and join us in our special Facebook group for Feminine Leaders (if you aren’t already there) or sign up to one of our amazing Sistership Circle day circles happening this week at https://sistershipcircle.com/events
“To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.”
― Roy T. Bennett
