How to Work More Deeply with Your Word(s) of the Year
As we move into Spring and I begin to do the work for myself and with others of discerning what dreamseeds you really want to put your energy into, I find that this is also a good time to dive deeper into the "word" or phrase of the year I chose. Because the truth is many of us know more about our visions now than we did in January. Often we go through this process of choosing a word for the year and by March we don't even remember what it is, or maybe haven't looked at it again since we chose it. And often women I meet go through the process of selecting one because it seems "everyone is doing it" but then as the year goes on they don't work with it, or really know why they spent time going through the process begin with. Or maybe now as the year has progressed the word is no longer in resonance. Perhaps you never selected one to start with (which is totally OK too, it is not a life requirement) or like me you have many, one overarching theme and several others for different aspects of my life, energies and essences I want to embody.
Or maybe you are working with it deeply, infusing it into your daily life. Which is awesome. I would love to hear from you if you selected a word, what it is, and if and how you are working with it.
Either way, I invite you to slow down and give yourself permission to choose a word/theme if you haven't, or if you have to spend time with it, see if it is still in resonance and if it's not to CHANGE it. There is no rule written anywhere that A.) you have to have a word...although I will explain why it can be potent for you or B.) It has to be chosen in January and C.) You cannot change it at any time, or continue working with one from the past year (I will discuss that too). You are at complete sovereignty to change your mind.
The reason I choose a word and usually a theme and often several words for the year is to bring what the year is about for me down to its essence, so that I can speak it, feel it, look at it (which is why I do creative practices like the one above) and ultimately embody and integrate it into my being. These are NOT goals of any kind, but in many ways how I want to be present and show up in the world. These words are not only about my work, but about my whole life, AND how I want to show up and be present absolutely impacts my work, my relationships, my prosperity, my spiritual connection, and my creativity. Choosing these essence words creates energy and potency, and sometimes for me serves as an invitation to the Universe to bring more of something into my life (that is why I always say be careful what you wish for, you just might get it). It also serves as a compass point that brings me back home to myself, and as a reminder to check in through the energy of that work to see if something is out of alignment for me or within me. And the Spring (around the Equinox) is the perfect time to look at what may be out of balance or harmony and bring a state of equilibrium back into your life. And I ask the question through the lens of my "word". And today is a lovely day to check in with what is in balance and harmony and what is not. It is the Full Moon in Libra which is ALL about the balance and harmony, as well as, an invitation to reflect, illuminate those things with deep compassion, and release what is taking you out of your equilibrium.
To give you an example of the practice I will be doing with my word(s) on this Full Moon:
1.) I created round cards with the words and the phrases on each one, like you see above, along with a vision board of my overarching theme and symbols. (The primary essences being Grace, Reverence and Awe). I will be sitting with those, speaking each out loud, and feeling their resonance in my body. And asking, is this still in resonance for me, is this still what I want my year to be about? If yes, they will be put in the Full Moon to be charged with energy, and if not they will be released to the fire..or saved for another practice. I also ask if there is anything new, or that has changed and if I am "feeling" into more or different words and phrases. Or perhaps a stringing together of several into one theme for one area of my life.
2.) I will spend time journaling on each one, to bring further information to them, add more meaning, asking the question what is in balance and what is not. For example, I may ask...what I am treating with reverence and awe in my life and what am I not? And then what practices, and aligned actions can I take to treat everything with reverence...and if I am not, why not?
3.) For those words and phrases that have further action and that are a part of my work in the world I may create a list of "dreamseeds" that will require those energies to be integrated. For example, I am developing a course, and I would like to incorporate deeper work with the remembrance of the ancestors, and a component around creating ritual. So those energies and actions will be brought more deeply into my daily life, but also into the curriculum.
4.) From these + my dream seeds I have been visioning since December I will begin the process of creating my Spring Sacred Garden project, which assists me in discerning what I want to put my time, energetic, and financial resources and focus into, create specific actions, and add completion dates based on what cycles I want to bring them into form in. I will be teaching this process virtually on April 11th, see below for details. Not all dreamseeds, and themes need to be completed by December 31st. Some things take longer, some things need time to be nourished, and some themes take longer than a year to integrate and embody.
I love this way of working more deeply with my words and phrases, I enjoy making the process more meaningful than just coming up with a "word of the year", I love woking with language and symbol. The process feeds my love of working with both Flow and Structure, Dreaming and Visioning + Taking Aligned Actions to bring things into reality.
I would love to hear feedback on if you chose a work, what it is, if and how you are working with it, if you have noticed any shifts in your life based on it, AND if this process inspires you to go more deeply with it.
Love and Light,
Dina