Can you remember what you were doing one year ago, who was in your life, what made you happy, or even what you struggled with? Another full circle around the sun has happened, it’s all a part of the big beautiful cycle of life. The circle is a sacred geometric shape and is seen and represented in many parts of nature and life. When we think of the circle, we think of a cycle, completeness but limitless. Eternity is an ongoing process of transformation and evolution, like a circle with no beginning and no end. In many customs and spiritual beliefs, a circle represents the Divine life force or spirit that keeps our reality in motion.
The circle is a cycle or phase represented in each minute, day, month, year, season, experience, and life cycle. How beautiful is it that a full circle represents wholeness and an infinite opportunity to start over in each moment? We complete something and get to start anew.
From the beginning, people and animals have gathered in circles to support and take care of each other. There is unity when we bring balance and symmetry to the herd, pack, or family. The entire universe and all that is alive within demonstrate over and over again the sacred infinity of the circle.
Each month, once the moon has reached its full state, the waning moon begins to recede and reduce, shifting toward a new moon. At this ending phase of the moon, each month, we have an opportunity for a time of surrender and reflection.
As we complete a monthly cycle, we are supported energetically into a time for introspection and preparation for a fresh start. Once again, as a new moon is reached, working its way back toward the full moon, the opposite is true. When the new moon shows itself as the waxing crescent, it can be a time to focus our energies outward, bringing light to new ideas and restarts. Isn’t it amazing that each month energetically, we (our planet and all its inhabitants) are supported in a renewal process?
Let’s take this concept of full circle and renewal one step further by looking even broader at the seasonal cycles. The summer and winter solstice represents the longest and shortest days of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21st, marking the shortest day with the most darkness. The next day, we begin anew, shifting toward more daylight with the sun rising more each day until we reach the Spring Equinox on March 21st. Essentially these cycles signify how life on Earth changes in connection to the Sun and how our seasons also shape the world. It all is very representative of a full circle and the cycles of life. Many cultures, religions, and traditions have honored the winter solstice as a time of great darkness that encourages humanity to gather amongst each other to celebrate rebirth and a return to the light in the spring.
Winter's annual quiet, slower, sleepier time can be ideal for embracing our inner selves and reflecting on who we are and where we would like to go. With the holidays wrapped and the new year upon us, there isn’t a better time to snuggle in and reflect introspectively. Honor the stillness and throw out resolutions, and be with yourself. When you're ready and feel the shift, embrace the sun's rising as it moves toward anew. Ask yourself, based on your reflection, what is it that I want for myself this year? Giving yourself a little grace, place that intention into a sentence. Next, state that sentence beautifully on paper because you want to put it front and center daily so you're reminded of your intention. Post your mantra statement on the fridge, bathroom mirror, or car dashboard. You get the idea you want to see it daily. More importantly, put your words to work as your guide each day by connecting with what it would feel like as you realize your words.
Remember that everything is cyclical; each day, we go to bed and wake up with opportunities for reset. And each month, as the moon wanes, you have that time for reflection and adjustment once again, and as the moon cycle works toward a new moon, you can shift accordingly, all within each new season. Working toward wholeness is an ongoing cycle of reflection and shifting. Take advantage energetically of the full circles provided in the life force of nature and spirit that keeps our reality in motion.
Happy New Year,
All the very best to you and yours in 2023!
