Before beginning again, we must properly honor endings. The passings. The completion of a full cycle.
December is always a strange month – jam packed with posadas and holiday prep and Spotify wrapped and somehow, within it all, the looming closure of the past year sits behind the holiday cheer.
Between holiday hectic-ness and NYE, there’s really only a few days of space to process and reflect on the year passed. This year, I’m extending that space by beginning my reflections earlier in the month. I invite you to do the same.
Reflection helps us to process the past and move forward with clarity. To honor transition points and shift with intention. To really take that time for healing, for regeneration, for stillness before springing forward ahead (although we all know the new year actually starts with the beginning of the astrological year during Aries season, but I digress. I will take any opportunity to honor the passing of time. It’s beautiful to tap into the collective energy of shift and change that washes over as all as the year comes to a close, with a new year on the horizon).
Before wrapping up the year, I want to unwrap the year. Get my hands dirty again with all the experiences and learnings of this past year. Make the space to sit, at the end of 2022, seeing the fruit and effort of the twelve months behind me. Honoring that which has come to be.
I invite you to sit in reflection with me. To create a space for this reflection. To sit with a juicy chunk of time carved out, free from inner distractions and outer interruptions. Brew a cup of tea. Light a sacred flame. Bring yourself to that space of inner knowing, of inner dreaming, as you approach these questions with the curiosity of a child and the wisdom of an elder.
These questions are just meant as a jumping off point <3 No need to answer them all. Pick the ones you feel most called to answer. And, as I always said in my moon circles, pick the ones you feel the most resistance towards – there could be some juice in there.
OUTER WORLD
What were some highlights from this past year? Memorable moments? Major life transitions?
What were some activities that I truly cherished doing? Write about a few specific moments you spent indulging in these.
Any moments where I felt myself hit the “flow state” (where you forget what you’re doing due to true immersion in your present moment)? Write about a few specific moments you spent indulging in this.
Where was the majority of my time and energy spent? Did it leave me feeling drained? What were some ways that helped me rebuild my energy after feeling drained?
What 2-3 things are you proud of doing this year? (Examples: leaving a relationship/job that no longer fit, making a new connection or starting a new hobby, taking more risks, taking better care of your needs, deepening your relationship to yourself/spirituality, the way you handled a certain challenge, etc.) I listed many examples here because it can sometimes be hard to decipher where and when we are proud of ourselves. That’s okay <3
RELATIONSHIPS
What were some of my favorite moments I spent with others? Write about both one on one experiences and community/group experiences.
Which relationships and friendships did I nurture this year? Did I feel supported and loved? Did I reciprocate the support and love?
Where did I grow in regards to friendships? Relationships? Partners?
What challenges came up in my relationships? How did I move through those?
INNER WORLD
What were some of my high moments? (Examples of high moments: accomplishments, major realizations in therapy, moments of unbridled joy and fun)
What did these high moments teach me about myself? My capabilities? My values? The world around me?
What were some of my low moments? (Examples: perceived failures, challenging outer circumstances, major loss)
How did I move through these low moments? What did it teach me about myself? About my capacity? About the world around me?
What did I learn about my inner, emotional world? Were there any new tools or practices that really worked well for me?
What was an impactful decision I made for myself this year? How did I feel making it?
Were there any people, patterns, or things I chose to let go of this year? Have I fully finished processing the grief of this release? If yes, what helped me to process the grief? What did that process look like? If not, how can I make more space to process this grief? What tools do I need to assist me in this release?
FINAL FEW
Did I meet a new part of myself this year? Did I surprise myself in any way?
How are you different from a year ago?
If I were to distill this past year into a seed to plant for the upcoming year, what would that look like? (Take your time with this question. Parse through the flowerings and fallings of this year. Maybe this looks like a mantra, an intention, a paragraph that summarizes your major learnings from this year that you wish to bring with you into 2023. Allow the answer to this questions to take shape as you write.)
May we allow ourselves the time and space to unfold.
May we allow ourselves the compassion to tend to our past,
the grace to arrive at our present,
and the clarity to invoke our future.
May we reap the seeds of this past year to plant for the future ahead.
Aho.
Besos & blessings,
victoria renee <3
My good friend (who also happens to be an excellent and introspective writer)Alexa Banchetti posted her reflections on 2022 – what she’s learned, lost, and loved. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get into the reflective writing groove, or if you’re just looking to read someone else’s thoughts on the year behind us, I highly recommend checking out her post.
PS: I’d love to hear which question was your fave – if you feel so inspired to leave a comment.