Welcome 2017! What to Do on New Year’s Eve

“For a warrior, the world is weird because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious, unfathomable. A warrior must assume responsibility for being here, in this marvelous world, in this marvelous time.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

This is a marvelous time. You have the opportunity to act from intent and create your dreams.

The following ritual is one that Castaneda gave to us many years ago, and it is something that we do at the end of each year without fail. We share it with you now to help you unfold a magical year ahead. It is a ceremony that starts during the last days of December, and finishes when the clock strikes midnight on January 1^st. Why not give it a try and see what happens?

We hope that the benefits ripple out through your life, your relationships, your community and the world.

The steps are these:

1. Clear out the old before the New Year.  On December 29 and 30, and even throughout the day on December 31, clear up some space in your home. Remove clutter, donate clothing that you aren’t using anymore, clean out and organize cabinets and drawers, and vacuum your floors; clean your windows and water your plants—all with a feeling of openness and readiness. The aim is to clean your home physically and energetically. There are four essential ways to do this:
   1. Throw things away that are not needed or that are not bringing you joy
   2. Give things away, letting those things bring something to someone while freeing you of any associated history with the objects
   3. Dust off, wipe and wash your home, or at least a selected part of it, such as your bedroom or desk area
   4. Rearrange things; change the placement of furniture, artwork and/or other objects to revitalize the energy flow of your space(s)
2. On December 31, before midnight, attend to your desk or writing space. Organize bills and papers, and clear space so that you can comfortably sit to write a list of dreams and projects for the New Year.
3. Next, take a pen or pencil and piece of paper, and get ready to make a list.
   1. Mentally review what dreams and projects you were able to accomplish in 2016. What things stood out? What new relationships have you established? What came to a close? What new things have you learned, or insights have you gained with respect to your:
      1. Health
      2. Emotions
      3. Thoughts
      4. Family and community
      5. Larger global community of planet Earth
   2. Now list all of these on a piece of paper labeled 2016. The idea is to review and distill what 2016 brought to you, and write it down so that you can be consciously aware of these experiences going into the New Year. Notice as you write if new insights or ideas come to you.
4. Take a second piece of paper to start a new list. Name the list 2017, and write down what you want to accomplish or see unfold in this New Year. It might help to think of the categories of:
   1. Personal development: What new things do I want to learn, what do I want to accept about myself, what do I want to heal in myself?
   2. Family and friends: What relationships do I want to commit to, what relationships do I need to let go of, what relationships do I need to heal?
   3. Work: Am I loving what I do? What can I change in 2017 to thrive?
   4. Health: How do I plann to take better care of myself in 2017, what specific actions will I take to restore my energy?
   5. My legacy and contribution to the larger world: What ONE action can I do to help others in need?
5. Take a pause. You’ve cleared space, reviewed the year that’s passing and set forth dreams and goals for the year ahead. Now that you have your lists, take a little break to attend to any responsibilities or other commitments.
6. At around 11:30 p.m., return to your writing space (it’s almost midnight!) Sit in silence for a moment and put your attention on the things on your 2017 list—those things that you want to see unfold in the New Year. You may even want to write an outline of what you would like to do, or draw a picture of yourself getting the job of your dreams, etc. Sit with it as long as you like, making sure you feel connected with it all, with your personal life path, and with the Universe by the time the clock strikes midnight.
7. At midnight, on this first moment of the New Year, let the wave of your dreams wash over you.

Carlos Castaneda would tell us that, at midnight, the light of the Spirit or Universe comes and “watches us”—a force descends upon us, and this is a very powerful moment to be present and aware—to feel it and become acquainted with it.

May our light and love radiate out to our friends, families, communities, and to the whole world.