Letting Go of 2018

It's the end of another year again! 2018 feels like it's gone by quite fast. When it's Christmas I always think, "How is it here again?" lol. I find that once it gets to September, the remaining months of the year seem to go quickly. I started writing this a couple of days ago and it's now New Year's Eve. Last year I wrote a post about letting go of 2017 (doesn't feel that long since I did it!) which you can read here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2017/12/letting-go-of-2017.html

This year I'm going to do a similar post about letting go of 2018 and getting ready for 2019. :)

If you're interested in numerology, 2018 was an 11/2 universal year, so 2019 is a 3 year. It's said to be a year when our desires will take form and we'll expand more. Read more here: https://www.universallifetools.com/2018/12/2019-universal-3-year-numerology-spiritual-meaning/

My personal year number was a 6 this year, so 2019's will be 7. 6 was about harmony in love and family. I don't know if it was that accurate but I did make some new friends and meet new people this year. 7 is about learning and reflection. I use the book 21st Century Goddess for information abut my year number, but you can find your personal year number here: https://karisamuels.com/personal-year-numerology/


It goes in 9 year cycles and then you go back to the beginning, but 11 and 22 are master numbers, so on the website above Karis Samuels says that you don't reduce the number if you add up your birthdate and it comes to 11 or 22.

Ziad Hashhash says that 2019 will be a year for abundance and prosperity. For more on that and some New Year rituals, check out his article: http://ziadenergy.com/?p=121104

I like what he says about focusing on the first 12 days of the year; I'd never heard that before.


Reflection

Back in June I wrote a Mid-2018 Reflections post (6 months ago now!). I mentioned how I tend to find it hard to adjust to a new year after the excitement of Christmas and New Year (although I prefer Christmas to New Year), and how this year it took me till about May to feel like I'd really "eased" into the year. My favourite time is summer and I like those months from June to August, especially since I now celebrate the sabbats (Wiccan/pagan festivals) and one of my favourite sabbats (Lammas) is on 1st August. You can read more about celebrating seasonal festivals on my other blog The Seasonal Life: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/

Things are still unsettled here in the UK due to Brexit and there were more depressing news stories, but also good ones such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May and then the announcement that they're having a baby next spring. As I said last year, I feel like I can relate to Meghan because she's also mixed race and a similar age. She seems like a nice person and an inspiring role model. :)

On a personal level, this year I attended several courses at a local mental health resource centre, including ones on the subjects of  Food and Mood and 5 Ways to Wellbeing. I was also in a couple of groups such as a stress and anxiety one. I feel like it really helped me to talk to others in a similar situation, and to learn new ways of coping. I joined a few Meetup groups as well and have been to several events, so I've expanded my social circle a bit this year. The Action for Happiness group has been good. Things were up and down with the anxiety but I had times of feeling better.

Here on the blog I celebrated Falling Petals' 5th birthday in April with a birthday post! I also continued my Feeling Your Emotions series (which I started last November). This year I looked at anger, sadness and depression and fear and anxiety. I plan to carry on this series in 2019, moving on to the more "positive" emotions such as love and happiness.

I've also been active on my other blog Star Sparkle Blog (entertainment related) and The Seasonal Life (seasonal living). I didn't do as much dance wise, but went to a few belly dance workshops and   other events.


If you'd like to reflect on your year, Kris Carr has some journal questions you can answer: https://kriscarr.com/blog/year-end-journal-ritual/


Here's another post on reflecting and making goals: http://www.thetexmexmom.com/2018/12/17/the-importance-of-reflecting-and-making-goals/


I also linked to a couple of resources in 2017's post. (Click here or see link at the top of the page to read it).


Releasing

As I said last year, just writing down about your year may be enough to feel like you've released things but you may prefer to do a ritual or something else to let it go. You can find a few links in last year's post.

And here are a couple more posts about releasing:

https://theblissfulmind.com/2018/12/12/let-go-before-the-new-year/

https://www.tcmworld.org/letting-go-releasing-baggage-new-year/

Nos. 1 and 10 in  The Blissful Mind post (1st link), are what I struggle with the most, fear of the future and the need to control.


Resolutions, Goals etc.

I wrote about New Year's resolutions, goals and intentions and the difference between them all, and choosing a Word of the Year in 2017's Letting Go post, so won't repeat that here. But you can find more info at these links:

https://twinflameprogram.com/twin-flame-woty-2019/

https://www.selfloverainbow.com/how-to-choose-your-word-of-the-year-100-suggestions (formerly Blessing Manifesting)

  

https://www.selfloverainbow.com/2018/12/word-of-the-year-2019.html (formerly Blessing Manifesting)


Last year my Word was "Love". While I didn't experience romantic love in my life, I did feel love through family and friends, and positive connection. (It was actually "Connection" in 2017 and I did make some connections online then too). I'm thinking 2019's might be "Magic" inspired by Dominee from Blessing Manifesting (see last link).

I set loose goals in February, including learning more about self help for anxiety/mood management techniques, learning about food and nutrition and continuing to study the Law of Attraction (LOA) and magic/Wicca and I have been doing these things. I think it's important not to put pressure on yourself, so you don't feel like you've "failed" if you don't achieve everything you wanted to. Culturally (in the West in particular) New Year is a big thing where you make a "fresh start" but you can start again at any time of the year. I like  what Joy Holland who runs Facets of Joy, says about every breath being a new beginning.

And if you follow a different calendar to the Gregorian one, then your New Year might be at another time anyway.  For example, Chinese New Year can vary from late January to late February. In 2019 it will be 5th Feb. And if you follow the Wheel of the Year  (as I do) with that the New Year is Samhain (around Hallowe'en). Samhain is thought to be both the end of one year, and the beginning of another, although Yule/the Winter Solstice is thought to be the beginning of the new cycle in some beliefs. So in that case New Year began either the end of October or around 21st December.  Anyway, what I'm saying is you don't have to put pressure on yourself to make everything perfect at New Year. :)

Here's a good post from Ashley of Light Love and Spirit on the subject of "New Year, same you, just better", a new take on the phrase, New Year, New You": https://www.lightloveandspirit.com/new-year-new-you-how-about-new-year-same-you-just-better

If you would like to set intentions, you might like this other article from Ashley about them:
https://www.lightloveandspirit.com/why-you-need-to-set-intentions-with-everything-you-do

As I've mentioned in the past, I don't think you absolutely need to do things such as set intentions or have a daily spiritual practice, but if it feels good to you then that's great. If you're into the Law of Attraction then you may want to review your previous intentions and manifesting goals, or make new ones. :)

I'm not making any specific resolutions currently. A general thing I'd like to do is work on my boundaries though. I recently signed up for a free boundary workbook, from The Diary of an Empath.

Note: I'd literally just written about that subject and then came across an article from The Awakened State about setting boundaries! You can read the article here where Ashley shares her 3 steps to create a divinely aligned year, and also sign up for a free workbook: https://theawakenedstate.net/3-steps-to-create-a-divinely-aligned-year-free-workbook/

This is a good post about self care resolutions: https://www.blessingmanifesting.com/2015/01/self-care-new-years-resolutions.html/

And check out an alternative to making resolutions here: https://www.theconfusedmillennial.com/dont-do-new-years-resolutions-do-this-instead/

Update 4/1/19: Adding this post from Tess Whitehurst about making evolutions rather than resolutions: https://tesswhitehurst.com/evolutions-not-resolutions-9-ways-to-evolve-in-2019/


Hope that was helpful. :) To finish up there are a few more links for New Year inspiration:

Ways to prepare for the New Year: https://domesticallyblissful.com/25-ways-to-prepare-for-the-new-year/

Self love affirmations for the year ahead: https://www.blessingmanifesting.com/2014/01/affirmations-for-awesome-year.html/

Facets post on blessing and opening a new year: http://facetsofjoy.com/2015/12/the-energy-and-benefits-of-blessing-an-opening-like-this-new-calendar-year/


New Year manifesting ritual from Leeor Alexandra:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FztL_B0cbn4&feature=youtu.be


Wishing you a wonderful 2019! Thank you for reading the blog during 2018. Happy New Year! :)


Photo: Moonsparkle 2018.