New Year’s resolutions usually don’t last. Instead, set some simple goals you will be
able to manage. You will find the magical in the everyday and mundane.
Clean out
your junk drawer or closet. By doing this, you are going to come across things
you thought you lost, eliminate things you no longer need, find things someone
else might be able to use, and maybe even recall some good memories. What you
take away from the lesson: learning what no longer serves you or has no purpose
in your life anymore, keeping the good and hanging onto what is meaningful or
useful, and donating what is still good but no longer needed to others. You may
also learn that something you thought was long gone -either lost or stolen, is
actually still there waiting for you to find it and use it. Maybe its time had
not come yet until now. We think what we need and what we are looking for is
hiding, when we realize it was there all along. We also may learn that we have
the very things we need and don’t need to go out and buy a new one. Abundance
is sometimes realizing you already have everything you need and feel fulfilled
by appreciating what you have. Make your
bed in the morning. By doing this, you
are being good to yourself. You are preparing for your day, starting it off
feeling organized and accomplished, as if everything is in order and you are
setting your mind to keep the rest of your day that way. You are also letting
yourself know, deep down, whatever happens to you today, you are going to be OK
and will make it through the day to crawl back into your bed tonight. And you
will sleep better in a bed that is made, rather than in one that is messy. The
energy feels like it is fresh and prepared just for you and that you were
looking out for your own best interests, rather than the energy feeling used,
chaotic, old, and like “Here we go again, going to bed just to get up and do
the same thing over again tomorrow.” So, you are also learning the importance
of self-care, thinking and planning ahead, and how mundane things can affect
your whole day and night and your mood and outlook. These things carry over
into everything you do the rest of the day. Write a
letter and mail it. Letter writing is a
lost art, and it is a shame. We live in the day of modern technology, we send a
quick email, text, or instant message and expect an immediate reply. And we
don’t care if we hit enter after everything we type and blow up the other
person’s phones and they get 7 notifications one right after the next. What we
used to do is sit down and write a letter with actual paper and mail it at the
post office. Start by asking the person
how they are doing. It shows you care and you’re not just writing to rant,
vent, or ask for something. Talk about something you have in common; it lets
them know you are thinking of them on a personal level and are trying to relate
to them. Tell them how you have been doing, what you are up to these days, and
choose to emphasize the positive. Then, talk about the future, and how you hope
they have a good day or week, and let them know you hope to and look forward to
seeing or talking to them again. This also gives them something to look forward
to as well. Use a closing. “With love”, or “Thinking of you”, or “Until later”.
This will be the way they feel you are thinking of them and that idea will last
until the next time they hear from you. I also recommend taking it to the post
office or a mailbox. It is a physical action of sending something out
intentionally and with purpose. Waiting for your mail carrier to pick it up is
OK, but it takes away a certain responsibility from you and involves you less
and has that “someone else will take care of it” feel to it. There is also something
magical to be learned here – clear communication, patience, consideration for
the other person, and respect by using etiquette, grammar, and punctuation. Additionally,
organizing your thoughts and focusing on the positive rather than the negative,
giving hope and leaving a good impression. Also, making your intention clear
and sending it out, just like a spell. Plant a
garden. Even if it is small, plant something – even in a small pot in the
window. What you will learn from this
plant, whether it is a vegetable or herb: Patience - nature has its own timing
and cycles, just like you. Amazement at how the earth really is magical: how
that little seed can have everything it needs in the soil and water to become a
plant! Nurturing: You have to water it,
aerate it, keep it safe and don’t let it get too hot or too cold. And then
finally you eat the vegetables it makes and the plant gives back to you. All
that time, effort, and nurturing the plant has benefitted you. And how you can
be a part of nature and realizing that you are in fact like this plant in many
ways, and part of the earth and the ecosystem. You’re part of a big universe! Talk to
an older person. We often tend to wait
until the other person is finished talking (unless we are being rude) to be
able to reply. Did we really get what they were trying to say, though? Or were
we listening just to reply? Listen to understand and relate. We all have more
in common than we think. I’ve traveled to different countries and met people
from all walks of life, of all ages. We all have some very basic things in
common, even with those who were born in other eras. We tend to think we know
more than our elders because our minds are young and nimble. And that the older
the person, the more outdated their thoughts are, and their ideas and ideals
don’t apply anymore and are no longer valid or significant. The takeaway lesson here is up to you to
figure out. Listen to someone else’s point of view. Even if they don’t know
what they’re talking about, they still have something to say and everyone wants
to be heard. You don’t have to understand, agree with them or believe them, but
just listen with an open mind and heart, and take in what they are trying to
say, how they feel, and what they are wanting you to know. It must be important
to them. And maybe Spirit has something
to teach you through them. Learn to
cook 1 new dish: Don’t say you can’t
cook. Everyone can cook. Maybe not well,
but that’s OK. Anyone and everyone can learn.
I don’t mean becoming an accomplished 5-star chef. This is a basic life
skill. So, pick one recipe that you want
to try. And try it. It doesn’t have to come out perfect. Even if
you start with something simple, like those ready-to-bake meal kits in a box.
Casseroles are easy. So are crock-pot meals – they require very little effort
and attention. But as you expand your menu and try new recipes, you learn: How
ingredients work together to produce a final result – what ingredients work
better with the rest of the ones you’re using. For example, you wouldn’t use
salt in a cake, and you wouldn’t use yeast in spaghetti sauce. What you may
learn: How ingredients and their uses are important, what they do, how they
behave and either complement or conflict with other ingredients, and how to add
your own touches and make it even better and uniquely your own. Now you’ve learned several things, both
mundane and magical: You’re self-sufficient, you did something that produced a
beneficial result for you and for others, and you’re learning about magic. Yes, magic.
Like spells and magical oil formulas. How elements, tools, and
ingredients can be used. They have their basic properties and uses, but you can
also learn to distinguish which ones work well with others, which ones can and
should be used for a specific intent and purpose, and which ones to not mix
well with something else. You’re
learning to focus your intent for a specific purpose, use the proper
ingredients, not confuse and mix 2 different/conflicting intents, and how to
get the best outcome. Experimentation is actually encouraged here. We learn
from our mistakes, and from our experiments more than anything. And what if we
also learn by making our mother’s or grandmother’s recipe that we feel more
connected to them as a result? When we cook, we are putting a piece of our
heart and soul into what we are making, just like when they wrote that recipe
down for whoever would be reading it later. So this is also honoring your
ancestors. So, these all seem pretty easy and you can pick one per
week, or one per day, and continue to add to your list. As you tackle each of
these, you will learn something new (maybe even about yourself), have a sense
of accomplishment and purpose, and become motivated to accomplish more and set
more goals.
Originally published in the January issue of the Witching Hour Magazine 2020
Copyright Sherry Scott 2020
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