New Take on the New Year

For many of us, we have been taught to celebrate the new year on January 1st, and we should be gung-ho for firing up our resolutions, goals, and making significant changes in our lifestyle and everyday habits. Research shows us that nearly half of us will quit by the end of January, feeling unmotivated and ultimately defeated.

What if I told you that the problem is not you?

You see, we have forgotten our history, and I can understand why - we have trouble remembering 10 years ago, much less 1000 years ago. So, let me help to fill in some of the gaps here. You see, January 1st became the New Year based on ancient Roman traditions honoring Janus, the god of beginnings. This was solidified by Julias Caesar in the Julian Calendar Reform in the year 45 B.C, to align with the inauguration of new consuls. After the Roman Empire fell, the January 1st start of the year was shifted to March 25th, which was the Feast of the Annunciation. Then, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII initiated another calendar reform called the “Gregorian Calendar” (how clever - insert eye-roll here…), and it was once again shifted back to January 1st, which eventually spread across Europe and eventually worldwide.

If you dive deeper into the history books, you’ll find that many earlier traditions across the globe used the March equinox (March 20-21) as the start of the new year. Why? because this is when the dark and light were balanced and from this point forward the days grew longer. This was the time of year for tilling the ground, preparing for the planting season. This is Mother Nature’s new year.

Is it any wonder that silly human beings tried to shift away from these “pagan” (from the Latin paganus, meaning “country dweller”, “villager”, or “rustic/rural”) beliefs to the greater control of the Christian church?

Most nature-based spiritual traditions take their cues from Mother Earth to inspire whether they work hard, go fallow, when to plant seeds (literal or metaphorical), and when to harvest. So, if you are feeling unmotivated to push against the current darkness and cold of winter only just begun, you are not alone - quite frankly, we are wired to follow nature’s rhythms instead of a calendar with a block of dates.

Right now, as of this writing, I am sitting in front of the fire watching a winter storm blow through and I can tell you - I have ZERO motivation for setting goals, pushing myself in a new exercise routine, or being overly productive. I feel more drawn to reflection, dreaming, quiet contemplation. Mother Earth is dreaming of Spring - she is not, right now, “spring-ing”. This is a time of BEING rather than DOING.

Sure, it’s Capricorn season, and the sea-goat is known for being practical, grounded, making plans, and working hard…but Capricorn is in it for the long-haul. You know, one-step-at-a-time kind of progress. The energy is slow and steady, and grounded.

So, my encouragement to you is to let yourself go slow. Dream up your visions and plans, maybe even begin by gathering your resources - but allow yourself to resist the urge to start anything new.

DREAM about the garden you wish to grow this year. DEFINE the seeds/intentions you intend to plant. REFLECT on the resources you already have that you will call upon - when the time comes. And then…

go back to your sacred work of resting, reflection, and restoration.

The New Year will be an inspired nudge from the joyful laughter of the awakening Earth and you will know when it is time to begin.

xo

Anji