Banish is a pretty strong word, but banishing isn’t meant to be an act of revenge or malice: it’s a necessary exercise (exorcise!) for shedding what no longer serves us so we can move forward without repeating the same mistakes.
We can probably all agree that a LOT of stuff came to a boil in 2020, and everything that earned a hashtag this year was a looong time coming: climate change, capitalism, white supremacy, and colonialism created the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020 (well okay, the murder hornets may have actually been a scourge sent by the Old Gods, but that’s the least of our problems tbh).
Anyways, as a society we have a lot to banish. It seems like a daunting task, especially while we’re feeling so drained on a personal level after the events of 2020 forced us into some sticky situations. But what’s the phrase? “Many witches make light work”? All of those things that plague our communities have weaseled their way into our individual brains too, and if we probe our fatigue even just a little we can start to uncover exactly which societal ills are lurking in the corners of our homes. So this banishing spell, which we’ve very cleverly titled “Hindsight is 2020”, is about reflecting on the year, ourselves, what we’re bringing with us to 2021, and what we can leave in the rearview mirror (it writes itself, you guys).
Materials:
-A mirror
-A journal or voice recorder
Optional materials:
-Stickers, photos, or magazines to cut up for collaging
-Clear glue, Mod Podge, tape, or other adhesive
Ground yourself in whatever way feels best.
Position your mirror (or yourself, if you’re using a wall mirror) so that you can see yourself and some of the room behind you. Fix your gaze on the mirror and let your eyes slide just a little out of focus, resting comfortably. Don’t worry about blinking. Don’t worry about “clearing your mind”: in fact, engage your mind, let your thoughts flow. Consider these prompts:
-Where is your gaze drawn to? Why?
-What habits have you picked up this year? Why?
-How have you comforted yourself this year? Have you thanked yourself for that?
-How have you comforted someone else this year?
-Where have you spent the majority of your time this year? Why? How have you invested in making that space bearable?
-What were your Top 5 Most Felt Feelings this year?
-What’s something you learned you were incorrect about this year? How did you react to that?
-What’s something you had to correct someone else about this year? How did you do it? Did it work?
-What could have been worse this year? Who was it worse for?
-What could have been better this year? Who was it better for?
-If your reflection said something right now, what would they say?
Sit with these or other questions for as long as you need to, write down or voice record anything you want to remember about this session.
When you feel good and reflected, take a moment to inhale all the good things you’re bringing forward to 2021. Cleanse the mirror however you like: pour salt over it, run it through water or incense smoke. Then cleanse yourself too, letting any lingering ickiness drift off to be recycled by the universe.
You can totally stop there, reflected and cleansed and ready to take on 2021. But if you want to get a little witchcrafty, you can turn your mirror into an altar adornment by collaging or drawing over the glass with images of what you’re bringing into the next 12 months. When the ghosts of 2020 try to sneak back up, you can gaze into your magic mirror and be all “get outta here ghosts, you’re so last year!”
