New Year!

In our busy lives, we have forgotten many traditions honoured by our ancestors but the ‘New Age’ seeks to bring the past to light so it can be examined and updated and made current, applicable and useful for today’s world. The New Age honours all religions and none, taking the bare-bones of spirituality in order to campaign for more compassion, integrity and justice in our communities. Learning to value our personal experience and the development of our own understanding of people and situations is more important than doing what we are told by others. Growing in maturity and independence and the gaining of skills and abilities is what matters as we try to rediscover the wisdom of ancient times.

As we celebrated the ending of the old, and the beginning of the New Year, we probably sang a traditional song called ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (roughly this translates as ‘old long since’ or ‘long time ago’). In this song the question is posed whether we should forget old acquaintances and never bring them to mind at times of special celebration. However, by posing the question, we naturally remember and give thanks for beloved friends and mourn those who are unable to join in what has become a ritual way to start a new year. 

The Gate of the Year

 I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year “Give me a light that I may tread faithfully into the unknown”, and he replied “Go out into the darkness and put your hands into the hand of God and that shall be to you better than a light, and safer than any known way”. 

May that hand of god guide and uphold you. By Minnie Hoskins 

A card for 2026

Renewal card, 20 from Angel Wisdom Tarot by Radleigh Valentine. Archangel Jeremiah is known for helping us review our situation so we can choose the path we will take next. He is the Archangels of dreams and visions. He is often called upon to re-evaluate the past and envision the future. 

Discuss your thoughts and feelings honestly with those you love. We are invited to question what next? This is a time for review and reflection. Where have you come from? Where are you now? Where do you want to be? This is your time to prepare for a bright future, the best it can be! As with any quest, we need to be able to clearly visualise where we want to go. We can’t just accidentally arrive there. We need a spiritual map of the journey. Envision your happiest and most productive future. Bring the law of attraction to its zenith of power in your life, and when you have it figured out then, and only then, take action. Until that time, peacefully develop the awareness of flashes of inspiration and original creative ideas. These epiphanies are part of our life purpose, and are meant to guide us on our way to joy. Possibilities for 2025. A job or career change. An important milestone. A call to fulfil your destiny. 

New Year Folk Song

Here we bring new waters from the world so clear, for to worship the goddess, with this happy New Year. Sing levy dew, sing levy due, the water and wine, with seven gold wires, the bugles that shine. Sing reign of fair maid, with gems on her too, open the west door and let the old year through. Sing reign of fair maid, let her beauty show, she has great power, let the New Year blow!  Here we bring new waters from the world so clear, for to worship the goddess, with this happy New Year. 

December’s Oracle and Rituals

Celebrate not only what has been brought to fruition during the past year - and also in your life. If there is a clear night arriving, visit a high place with a view of the night sky when the moon is full. This month it will be December 15th. Take a drum, a cup of mead or wine, a warm blanket and a cushion on which to sit and wait. This is the time to write a poem or update your diary or Book of Secrets. When you see the moon, call upon the Moon Goddess, our most extraordinary satelite luminary. It is exactly the same size when seen from the Earth as the Sun. It keeps only one side of its face towards us. On our right, is the Moon card, number 18, the Night Journey. On our left is card number 6, the card of the Lovers, both are images from Amy Zerner and Monte Farber's The Enchanted Tarot. 

Oracle for the New Year 2026

Four cards chosen for 2026 The first is from Influence of the Angels Tarot by Jody Boginski Barbessi and Karen Boginski. Here we have the Magician, number 1 of the Major Arcana. We see Michael whose name means 'to be like God'. He provides his courage, leadership and protection. He points heavenwards, with rays of light entering his body which he directs to the tools and chalk board table upon which he works and produces magic for our world through skills and intentions, focus, solving problems (not creating them), accomplishing goals. The message is: Pay attention to the difference between self confidence and overconfidence.  

The Grail -One

 The dream like story that Chretien presents, is that of a grail, golden and encrusted with gems and radiating a great light, but it is the host that the ailing King requires to keep him alive. Later legends of Joseph of Arimathea report that the Holy Grail is the cup from which Jesus drank from at the last supper, but Jews considered blood unholy and would not have thought it sacred. 

The Papacy, at the time of the story creation, were building massive cathedrals and were requiring relics to attract pilgrims. The church was very wealthy at this time due to relics, such as those brought from the Holy Land, bits of the cross, for instance, of which there was so many it would need an entire forest to supply them. The cup that Jesus drank from at his Last Supper would have been the highest of status symbols as the lips of Jesus had touched it. 

This Year - A Poem

 This year I do not want the dark to leave me.

I need its wrap of silent stillness,

its cloak of long lasting embrace.

Too much light has pulled me away

from the chamber of gestation.

Let the dawns come late,

let the sunsets arrive early,

let the evenings extend themselves

while I lean into the abyss of my being.

weight loss video

We are so often reminded about the need to watch our weight but it is surprising that just one portion too much each day can pile on more than a stone in weight each year – and every year! If we can’t get weight off during the summer, most people find the winter a more difficult time. Weight gain is exponential: the more weight we have, the less active our life, so the more weight we gain. This puts a strain on joints, increases our risk of fatty liver, heart disease and strokes, and is now said to increase our dementia risk also.

Creating a Vision Board

First Step: Get a large board like paper. Poster paper is perfect. You will need glue or two sided tape and scissors. 

Second Step: You will need lots of different types of magazines. You are going to look for pictures that either show how you want to feel, where you want to go or want you want to have. If you don't have many magazines search for pictures on Google and print them out.

Include the ocean or a beautiful house, or find a picture of that house on the ocean. Look for pictures that really light you up inside when you look at them.

If you want to lose weight find a picture of the physique you want to have.

If you want to travel cut out or print out pictures of the places you want to go. Find pictures of someone doing the things you want to do, sailing or skiing, climbing a mountain or hiking.