Like life, each journey that you take is a unique experience. And the Holy Nights of the Soul is a journey to your Inner Self. The only right way for you to do it is YOUR WAY!
The following general guidelines are just to give you some ideas. When you integrate these ideas with your personal preferences, and the needs of your body, mind, and soul, you will have a rich and nurturing experience unique to you, and that is the intent of this Soulwork – to celebrate the uniqueness of YOU!
SACRED SPACE: Create a Sanctuary for your Soulwork
Before beginning your Soulwork, you may wish to create an intentional Sacred Space – a safe container in which to do your Inner work. You can simply call on the four directions – great pillars of light, Mother Earth, and the Great Spirit. You can open Sacred Space on December 24th and close it on January 6.
You may wish to offer a prayer to your Higher Self and Spirit Guides with a request for power, guidance, and protection. Also, tune into the group energy to synchronize your intents and prayers – when we establish a conscious connection with the Spirit world and each other, our Inner work is much more powerful and insightful.
Dedicate a quiet space at home where you will not be disturbed by other people or loud noises, and make sure your place is comfortable, cozy, and warm. You may wish to create a small altar, where you will keep your journal, your Tarot Cards, other meaningful objects, and possibly photos of yourself, your Spirit Guides, your ancestors, or your descendants.
Decorate it according to your sense of beauty: you may want to use fruits, grain, and nuts; mistletoe, holly & ivy; pine boughs and cones; crystals, bells, and chimes, and small cakes with various symbols of the cycle of life. Incense may include rosemary, pine, cedar, and anything else you like. Decide ahead of time if you’re going to use music or do your Soulwork in silence.
SACRED TIME: Discover your Soulwork rhythm
Rhythm is one of the basic pleasures of life, and our mind and body respond with delight to it. Please discover your rhythm: if you are an early bird, you may want to read the message for the day first thing in the morning, contemplate it through the day, and then create a ritual in the evening where you read the message again, work with your altar, use your journal to write or make art, work with your Tarot cards, and then simply relax your body for the shamanic work. If you’re a night owl, try to do everything in reverse. In a few days, the rhythm will feel “natural” to you.
Make sure you have your journal and a pen with you during the day to keep records of your visions, feelings, synchronicities, dreams, and discoveries. If you’re artistically inclined, draw, paint or collage your visions.
BODY TEMPLE: Nurture the temple of your Soul by engaging 4 elements of earth, water, fire, and air
EARTH: this Soulwork will make you high – in a good way – so it’s important to stay grounded. The simplest way to do so is to stand on the Earth barefoot, but during this time of the year, it could be quite uncomfortable, unless you’re a Polar Bear ;).
What works for me is to simply carry my favorite crystal with me throughout the day. You may also try visualizing that you have roots coming out of your feet and going deep into the Earth, or use any other method of grounding or earthing yourself.
WATER: your body will need water to take in this Soulwork more deeply. Make sure you drink a glass of water before you start, and have a glass of water next to you to sip during the process.
FIRE: during this darkest time of the year we need warmth and light; I suggest you work with the living light of pure beeswax candles. (Please be mindful around the fire and extinguish all open flames before shamanic clearing).
AIR: it’s great to walk, dance, sing, or do breathing exercises right before Soulwork – it will help you oxygenate your body and keep your mind awake and alert. Deep breathing will help you center yourself and bring your attention to the present moment.
DAILY SOULWORK FORMAT
In order to uncover our Personal Magick we first need to clean the house, and that is what we are going to do during these Holy Nights with the help of ceremony and divination.
MORNING INSPIRATIONS AND REFLECTIONS: In your daily morning email you will be inspired to focus on the theme of one of the Zodiac houses, which represents one of the 12 aspects of your life, and reflect on how well you lived its theme in 2022.
During the day tune into your Inner Wisdom and examine the year from the perspective of the House you’re working with. How well did you do? What things are you proud of? What things are you ashamed of?
Also, as soon as you wake up, record your dreams, insights, feelings, or impressions – dreams are an ancient form of divination, of accessing the Divine Will and receiving advice and guidance. One ancient belief is that dreams during the Holy Nights predict the events in one’s life for the coming year.
EVENING RITUAL: Light one pure beeswax candle each night, placing it on your Zodiac wheel on your altar, starting with the 12th house and going in a clockwise direction, so on the morning of Epiphany you will have a full circle of 12 candles with one in the middle.
THE WHEEL OF LIFE REVIEW: Now it’s time to record your daily reflections on how well you lived the theme of the Zodiac house you’re focusing on. This practice will allow you to explore your activities, feelings, and thoughts during the year and reveal to you hidden patterns in your life. Then you can lovingly release the habits and behaviors that do not serve you any longer. If you have to grade yourself from 0 to 10, how well did you do? Is there something not aligned with who you truly are that needs to be cleared from your life?
DIVINATION: You will be working consciously with Tarot cards to bring in guidance from your Higher Self: start by taking a few grounding breaths while shuffling the cards. Ask your Higher Self what energy will be informing you in that house of the Zodiac. When you feel prompted, draw the card with your left hand. Examine the card and notice what “jumped” at you right away – a color, a shape, an angle…
Record your impressions in your Journal and if you can, please refrain from looking in the book or online for the meaning of the card. Let it inform you through the use of your Personal Magick. Place the card behind the candle.
Remember, there are no “bad” cards in the Tarot – each card is a teacher! This practice will help you develop sensitivity to Divine guidance. It would be fun to refer to your records as the year unfolds to see how much attuned you are to the guidance of your Personal Magick.
SHAMANIC ENERGY CLEARING: Each night I will be doing a remote group shamanic energy clearing between 7 pm and 10 pm MT to dissolve the blocks to your Personal Magick.
Ideally, you should be relaxed, hydrated, and warm. However, I understand that you could be celebrating, traveling, or otherwise engaged; don’t worry, you will still receive the full benefits of the clearing.
You may wish to write your prayers for the energy clearing on small pieces of paper and add them to your altar. When we are done, you may wish to have a small fire ceremony and surrender all the prayers to the fire.
DURING THE HOLY NIGHTS: Be an explorer – stay open and receptive, and allow your Soulwork to simply unfold without editing or figuring things out. The time to make sense of it will come later. Right now, just gather insights and experiences. Know that EVERYTHING you perceive during the Soulwork is a part of the message. Don’t discard anything just because it doesn’t make any sense to you now. Record all that you experienced – insights, thoughts, feelings, symbols, and messages.
EDIT
PERSONAL MAGICK: On the morning of Epiphany take a picture of your Tarot wheel and gather all Major Arcana cards – there are 22 of them. In my last email, you will see a link where you will be able to unveil the mystery of your Personal Magick!
Congratulations! You have discovered your Personal Magick and also have a Tarot Wheel of the Year for 2023. You may explore it yourself, or with the help of experienced Tarot teacher – Arthur Danu, my beloved husband and partner.
CELEBRATE YOUR BEING!
Without your loving attention and your child-like curiosity, none of the beauty and richness of Self can be experienced. I congratulate your courageous choice to make a commitment to your Spiritual development during the Holy Nights of the Soul! YOU ARE WORTH the time, the focus, and the dedication.
Have a magickal experience!
In the Spirit of Love and Freedom,
