I generally start having this thought around Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year.

What do we need to release, shed, let go of, or let die with the old year?

I no longer make “New Year Resolutions” especially not as something I can run with starting on January 1st, it’s been over a decade since I last made one - I remember seeing this meme in 2012 - “Stop making resolutions, just get out there and start eating cheese.” Haha, it cracked me up, and set me free.

New years resolutions have never worked for me, I need slower more intentional transitions toward whatever it is I want to accomplish, what I learned is that January 1st is the wrong time for me to implement change.

My body and my mind prefer to work with the seasons, I feel more in tune with - connected to and invested with seasonal changes. For example I do a “Love your Liver Cleanse” body reset in the spring and fall - I give my liver a break from processing and detoxing my body from the nonstop way I live.

Once upon a time humans lived with the cycles and rhythms of nature, rise with the sun, sleep with the moon. Plant in spring, enjoy in summer, harvest in fall, plant for spring, rest and use up stores in winter and so on and so forth.

Then we became more industrialized, more “productive”, more “technologically advanced”. We got stuck in schedules, and timetables placed on us by those we “learn” from and “work” for.

We lost our connection to nature and the rhythm of the seasons.

I’m not saying I don’t appreciate modern conveniences- I certainly do.

I am saying I wish we were more in tune with our bodies and the understanding of how everything in nature is designed to interconnect with us and our optimal functioning.

Ancient cultures had a much greater understanding of this and moved in stride with the goings on of the universe.

I strive for balance - in basically everything - the way I look at the world and society and people is through a lens of - “if there is this, there must also be that”.

I call myself a bridge - a person able to connect that over there to this over here, to see this perspective and that perspective.

I have spent decades fine tuning my natural ability to see beyond the thing that is right in front, yelling the loudest. I acknowledge that my natural tendency is to quickly judge something - however I have a deep understanding that ones perspective, where and how we were raised, the environments, cultures, religions, education and communities that formed us play a strong part in how we see the same ‘object’ or circumstance differently. I take into account those perspectives as my bridge arms spread out to bring the land masses closer together.

I say this today in the context of ancient cultures and modern cultures. In the early 2000’s I took “Touch for Health” courses these are based on the acupressure points along the energy meridians found in the Health system if Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In 2014 while studying Integrative Nutrition health coaching I learned about Seasonal practices such as certain body movements as well as warming and cooling foods of TCM and Ayurveda the ancient Health system of the yogis of India.

And because of my neuro-spicy brain I dug deeper and learned a bit more about other ancient indigenous cultures and how they moved with the seasons. I am fascinated by their understanding and deeply rooted connection with Mother Nature.

Having been raised in the Christian religious tradition I was taught that all creation was lovingly made by the spoken word of Creator God and we were stewards of the land, water and animals, care takers of the world designed to live in harmony with it. As an artist I love the idea of a Creator Artist - but I digress…

Back to my original thought

I don’t subscribe to one particular way of thinking, except that - in a vast universe that is mostly unknown to us - even our own planet is quite undiscovered - what I know is very little - but I love learning more and seeing things from various points of view because it makes my understanding broader, makes things more interesting and makes my awe of the spiritual more profound.

The last month or so I have been seeing reels about 2025 being the “Year of the Snake” which after a little googling - began January 29, 2025 and ends Feb 16th 2026. The symbolism of the snake is in regard to transformation - shedding the old skin and growing a new one- so personal growth - letting go of negative things and growing into better and wiser things.

Those reels also said that in numerology 2025 is considered a 9 year - which basically means it is the end of a cycle. The 9 year is meant for reflection and releasing what no longer serves us.

I don’t actually follow zodiacs, horoscopes, religions or whatever other thought philosophies, psychological personality traits and such - though I do find all these things interesting and helpful in gaining a broader understanding, and seeing a fuller picture of people, the world and the societal structures we live in.

I am not saying we have to do things because a TikTok video or reel told us about it - I do believe that anytime we want to change we can do the work - but I also believe that sometimes there is more energy for movement away from something and toward something else. That is why doing things seasonally with the rhythms of nature makes sense to me.

So I ask the question again with a little more space - In light of a year ending and a new one beginning - Will we take some time to prepare, think through what it is we need to release, let go of, shed, and let die with this year / winter season? Where do we need a renewing of our minds and hearts?

It is still winter, (in the Northern Hemisphere) it is still the time of rest, hibernation, stillness, death.

Take this time to reflect, release and rest - the next season will come, and by taking some time to let go, we will be rested enough to rise up and boldly move into the next season. Which they say is the year of the Fire Horse

Remember after darkness and death there is light and life.

After the seed dies in the cold soil of winter, it sprouts and blooms in the warmth of spring. After the caterpillar becomes a pile of goo in its chrysalis it emerges with wings to fly.

So let’s allow the rest, the darkness, the stillness, lets shed the old skin, loosen our grip and let go of the things that no longer serve us, no longer make sense for who we are growing into. Germinate little seeds, the big bloom is coming.

End of year reflection 2025