It’s the last day of 2025 and I’m in the liminal space between the old year and the new…
This year, that boundary is demarcated by the two part ritual that I shared with the Inner Circle. The ritual stated with part one on December 18th, the last day of the last lunar cycle. And it wraps with part two on January 7th, just after 3 Kings Day on the day for opening locks. I’ve never done this kind of magic before, and I won’t have a full report until after the second part is complete, but so far I’m really loving the feel of having a span of a couple of weeks between the old year and the new. It feels better and more natural than a hard break between today and tomorrow.
And what I find is that during this window of time, I’m focusing more organically on the year past and the upcoming year. This is giving me more of a sense of planning time, which feels more organic and less rushed. My thinking is naturally falling into these five categories: Start, Stop, More, Less, Continue
Start: What things do I want to start — add to / include in my life this coming year?
When we envision our future, we often picture ourselves doing things that we know or suspect will give us additional happiness, contentment, achievement, prosperity, etc. The trick is to find a way to add those things to your life NOW so that you can take action in the present moment (where all action happens) to draw that future toward you. So for example, if you see yourself spending more time in nature, maybe add outdoor walks in the park now. If you see yourself as being a successful entrepreneur, launch your mini business today.
Last year, my start list included having a real social media presence for Circle Thrice – something I worked on throughout the year before finding the best way to add it. For me this year, my start list is primarily about things I want to add for my health (mostly to support improved digestion, since that’s an area where I’ve needed remediation) and some creative activities I haven’t done in a long time but that I want to make room for.
Practically speaking, in order to add things you will need to create the resources, space, and time for those things. This is the planning part of the enchantment. My example is that I asked for supplies for the creative thing for holiday gifts. And I am in the midst of making a practical space for that activity in my life. This is a very Jupitarian activity, as it’s an expansion of your life and sphere.
Stop: What do I want to stop and leave behind in the past?
That year boundary rite included a list of items to leave behind us as we step through to the new year. While stopping a habit can be a long process (as I outlined in my Resolutions post) the idea of leaving some things firmly behind you has a lot of magical power. A real ‘line in the sand’ moment of things you don’t allow or tolerate in your sphere.
My leave behind list is quite personal this year, involving the results of my ongoing shadow work. One example I can share is that I have some unhelpful attitudes around appreciation for value. This is less about never dealing with that attitude or feeling again (yeah, right – it’s a process not a moment), but about giving myself permission to let them go and creating the narrative I need to do so.
In this case, the best thing to do is give yourself whatever boundaries you can to help you. For example, if your stop list includes some sort of unhelpful doom scrolling activity on the socials, you can remove the app from your phone. If you want to eat healthier, your grocery list (created in your safe, temptation-free home environment) becomes a magical circle against the demons of Cool Ranch Doritos and Oreos that attack you at the store. This is a Saturnian activity, setting limits on yourself, yours space, and your time. But it’s also about realizing that leaving things behind can take effort over time. So give yourself some grace here. Saturn can be harsh and cold and you want to keep your inner light shining.
More: What do I want more of in the coming year?
There’s something really delicious about making the commitment to lean hard into the stuff in your life that gives you the most bang for the buck. Sometimes we are really stingy with ourselves (and with others, and this is linked, as we see in A Christmas Carol). We don’t let ourselves have the really good stuff. This isn’t just spa weekends and beach vacations, it’s also meaningful work makes us feel accomplished, connections with positive persons in your life, and focus on stuff that makes us better, as well as makes us feel better.
Last year, I wanted to add more large scale enchantment and ritual (hence the monthly Inner Circle Rites). This year, I want to includes more frequent smaller enchantments again (while still publishing and performing the large rites). Other things I want more of include vegetables, art, yoga, deep sleep, and focus time with close friends. Those are things I have in my life, I just want MORE. Of course, announcing this is different than making it happen, which is why these things come with goals, tasks, and processes.
Part of the process here is making room for those things. This is an opening activity, opening the doors (of your life, your heart, your house) to the things you want to grow…. but it’s also about balancing those things with the other parts of your life. In this way, I think this activity is quite Venusian, both in the having sense as well as the balancing and connecting sense. More practically, you need to make the logistics work so that more of this stuff can happen.
Less: What things do I want less of?
There’s something really powerful about allowing yourself to specify things you want less of without needing to banish them entirely from your life. For example, I want less politics and conspiracy… not because I want NONE or to be completely unaware of politics, I just want less of it. I want less focus on the people who stress me out (see, less politics). I also need less distraction of certain types, less sugar (don’t we all?) and less stress.
This isn’t about moderation so much as it’s about acknowledging that we can’t control everything, but that we have some control and can decide how much is too much. This is about picking your battles and guarding your time, energy, heart, and mind. This is also much more challenging than just banishing something entirely. Like, let’s say your job is stressful, but also required to pay the bills. You may not be able to stop your job entirely, but you can decide to have less work stress and less work drama just through shifting your attitude (behold the field in which I grow my fucks…).
In this regard, it’s a very Martial activity. Defending the gates and choosing your battles. It’s also about owning what you can change and taking responsibility for your own defenses. This is tricky because Mars can be aggressive and competitive and that side of Mars isn’t helpful here. But if we can rely on Mars to shore up our energy for difficult situations and defense, while still nurturing ourselves and others, we can learn to apply the breaks in areas of our life that aren’t serving us while still being in the world.
Continue: What do I want to keep doing – what’s just fine?
Finally, it’s useful to give appreciation for the good stuff. The things that are exactly where they need to be. The stuff that’s worked well, that’s going fine, and that’s at the right level for you right now.
We are in a high change environment, so these items that we’ve managed to balance just right are worth celebrating and sticking with for as long as it makes sense. Notice I’m not talking about statis here. Nothing stays the same for very long and we need to roll with the changes (in the world and in ourselves). But in the meantime, we should enjoy what’s going good, and allow ourselves to have appreciation and gratitude for the things that are groovy, that we are happy to continue with. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in change for change’s sake that we don’t respect that change happens anyway: whatever planning we do.
This is, interestingly, a very Mercurial mindset. You have to role with the changes and understand that only through acknowledging change can we appreciate stability. Don’t try to fix what’s not problem, but keeping doing what works as long as it works (and be willing to change when it doesn’t any more).
I want to remind all of you that the Inner Circle is more than just a daily magic planner. It’s a member community that gives you access to the knowledge, tools, and engagement you need to organize your life and do more, and more effective, magic. Check out the member levels and choose the one that’s right for you. And if you are already a member, thank you! Check you recent email for member bonuses and treats as well as our new referral program.
Happy New Year everyone!
