Rituals for the arrival of the New Year
Not always the first day of January was the New Year’s Day; the New Year’s celebration itself dates from 2,000 BC, celebrated by people from Mesopotamia since around four thousand years ago. Usually, the year’s passage was determined by moon phases or seasons change by then.
New Year’s passage rituals vary in each country it’s celebrated: In Brazil, dressing white became standard for symbolizing light and goodness. The Danish rise in chairs to jump at midnight as a preparation for upcoming challenges. Peruvians pack their bags and take a stride around the block, to achieve the dream of traveling. Italians throw dishes through their windows, while Cubans throw buckets of water, both to ward off evil.
To ancient worries about having a good harvest year, modern day anxieties followed. Journalist Cláudia Ramos consulted skeptics, esotericists and spiritualists for Nova magazine, about rituals to prepare for the New Year’s arrival.
It’s a time to look inside yourself, define goals and go ahead, review what you’ve accomplished so far and get rid of what is not working.
Cláudia compares the first day of the year with a big monday, when we start a new diet, exercize, or quit smoking. The last day of the year is your one more chance to transform your life, follow a new destiny, turn the tables, change, invest in your ideals, etc.
You must search for balance to manage your own life better. For the wizards of the new era, the right posture for facing any situation in life is; if you're in harmony, you'll be able to face any situation with a thorough conscience examination and a positive attitude.
Feng Shui
For Feng Shui, the start of a new year is time to review concepts and change attitudes and thoughts in yourself, first internalizing to find yourself, to later dialogue, try reconciliations or decide for ruptures.
Pier Campadello, parapsychology scholar and Feng Shui expert, says that the end of a cycle and beginning of a new age asks for balance between emotional and mental, therefore you must watch yourself carefully not to allow negative thoughts to take up much of your mind space.
For the year's passage, he warns to avoid wearing reddish tones and black clothes, that catalyze all types of energy, avoiding also borrowed clothes, for clothes are a big energy repository and, when using something from someone them, you absorb that.
Choose to wear light colors and white for new year’s arrival, because they absorb positivity, especially if your goal is finding love and success.
Astrology
Holistic astrologer and professor of astrophylosophy Izabel Cristina says that, during the new year’s evening, we must fix our thoughts on this year’s passage, attracting the energies of this new ruler for it to bring harmony and balance.
It’s stated that all change tends to provoke fear, because it presupposes that the old must be destroyed, thus causing anxiety. Nonetheless, it’s time to look ahead and reconcile instinct with reason for achieving objectivity and walking on the right path.
Regardless of each year’s regency, the first days of the year are a good time for reflection and for sowing the seeds that will blossom throughout the year. Serious decisions can be postponed until after the first week of January, period of reflection, and big projects until the end of March, when the executive year really starts. For astrology, it’s important to have clear goals to achieve, as without a direction and an ideal, the ruler’s energy dissipates.
Dr. Gaudencio
For psychoanalyst Paulo Gaudencio, the anguish for each new year is the same as for all other ends of the year of his life as a therapist.
He reveals that Christmas is already difficult because people relive a period from their childhood, which is usually complicated. When new year comes, it's time for a review and many people get into despair because they only remember to count their losses.
He tells that each December has an overload of first time queries, and, in January, almost no one comes back. He says this because anxiety is the fear felt for an event and it ends we see the real size of the problem.
As a result of his work experience, he always organizes a yearly review before going on vacations. He reports what usually happens on those groups; one person tells what one thinks that has done during the twelve months, while the others in the group tell this person what really happened.
It’s common that one only counts what’s left behind, what couldn’t achieve, hence the depression or the urgency feeling, the anxiety. And who is watching it from outside can add reality data and tell this person what one has achieved but can't notice it.
He also does this session with his own team of professionals, so they all, including himself, don't lose their track.
Witchcraft
Master in occultism Roberto Carvalho says that for the new age, one of the many traditions of witchcraft and which he's been dedicating the last year's study, the great challenge is facing the coming year with the conscience of a warrior, establishing goals, choosing and studying the waepons to use, with the concern of fighting well with equilibrium.
With this conscience, we have the strength to face good and bad times. A witchcraft for reinforcing good intentions of beginners is carefully empty a bunch of nuts and on December 31st, give the shell parts to people you like.
They must write their requests for the next year in small pieces of paper, also including what they don't want anymore. Once they have done that, put the paper notes inside the shells, tie each nut with red ribbon and bury them until January 6th, for the universe forces to help them achieve their goals.
Tarot
Master tarologist Valderson de Souza advises relaxation exercises, like tai chi chua, yoga, or other relaxing body activity to control anxiety and impatience.
He warns against excessive jealousy and feelings of possession, and brusque attitudes, recommending flexibility during crisis and trusting your own intuition.
The wizard recommends wearing orange, pink and peach colors to warm up the heart and suggest a sympathy for improving financial life for the evening of December 31st:
Put on the table five oranges, five plums and five peaches, tasty and colorful, close to an object, such as a cup or an ashtray, made from a material that’s element of the new year’s ruler.
Zen-Budismo
For zen-buddhism, there are no mysteries or anxiety for the new year’s arrival. Monja Koen, from Busshinji temple, in São Paulo says that people are impressed and mobilized with a buzz about change, getting lost in ramblings, susceptible to anything they hear, forgetting the importance of the minute we live in, what we are doing now and nothing them.
The here and now is where you plant what you wish to have in the future, which means that, for the zen, the future is a creation of the present; f you want to have harmony later, start now, thinking about this moment, exorcising your demons today. If you're afflicted, dive into this, instead of throwing away your problem, knowing everything is transitory.
Experiencing the problem is not the same as letting yourself go down or falling into depression, but feel what’s happening and allow the pain to follow its curse and pass (away), because denying or avoiding sadness would only make it worse.
Through the practice of meditation, called zazen, you can achieve harmony and get rid of bad feelings like anxiety and fears. Monja Koen teaches sitting in lotus pose, or in any other you feel comfortable, as long as you keep your back straight and without leaning.
Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing rhythm, releasing the air through your mouth. Your thoughts must flow until going away. You can burn a sandal incense during your session, if you like it.
After all those reflections, sympathies, energy work and faith proofs, you may have a lucky new year!
Sources:
Super Interessante Magazine. Year 27 Edition N°.12 December 1999, Ed. Abril super.abril.com.br
Nova Magazine. Year 25 Edition 300 January 2012, Ed. Abril abril.com.br
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