Today, it is the Waning Quarter Moon. A week after a Full Moon, it is appropriate to try to let go of what no longer serves me. But it is not an easy project to deal with. Attachments from the past are hard to bid farewell. It feels too safe, too comfortable, and too risky to let go of whatever we humans cling to.
But nonetheless, it is necessary to let go from time to time. I know by personal experience through fifty years of trial and error that it is unhealthy to cling to what no longer serves me. Therefore, I make a virtue of working with my shadows and especially to let go of the past.
The past is a constant. The future is unknown territory. Only the present moment matters. This is the only moment we truly can grasp and do something with. I call it an art to let go. And so it is because it takes a toll on me every time I do it.
It is worth the efforts, though. To forgive and let go is not the same as forgetting forever. It brings me more time to more life-affirming activities. It enables me to feel inner peace. And it heals me in a subtle way that is difficult to describe.
This is me, aka the Northern Witch. Today, I let go of those parts of my past that contain negativity of any kind. I prefer to try to be happy in life, I don´t need looking back at anything but positive experiences.
I try to transform negative experiences into something positive and useful. So, to let go is not the same as to forget and move on without ever remembering the past. The art is to try to make positive memories from whatever happens in life.
Typically, when I work with the art of letting go, I write down the specific things that need to be released and burn the paper. But I believe I can also do it by writing about it and releasing it into the Universe when pressing either delete or publish.
Often, it takes more than one patient session before I truly feel that I have let go of past attachments. But each time I try it helps clarify what I do and don´t need in my life. I may not be able to control change but at least I can control my attitude toward it.
The art of letting go is a recurrent ritual in my life. But it is only with my daily practice of witchcraft that I have fully understood the value of doing it on a regular basis. I include it in many of my witchcraft rituals because it feels appropriate to do it here.
I always use grounding as a way of cleansing my sacred spaces for any stale energy at the end of every ritual, and this to me is another way of grounding unnecessary worries. Past attachments are often build-up psychic energy that is better used on more positive matters.
There is no need to worry about the past since we cannot change it. We can, however, try our best to live our lives in the present moment and to embrace change for better or for worse. That I do by letting go of what no longer serves me.
What no longer serves me is yet another matter. It depends on many different aspects, e.g. my mood of the day, the discovery of an unhealthy pattern through shadow work, or how close I keep my attachments.
Past issues can be of a sensitive nature, so I only do this kind of work when I feel fit for it. It can be mentally demanding to deal with issues in the past, so I don´t do it when I´m anxious or feeling depressed.
Being bipolar means a close relationship with mood swings. Today, most of it is regulated through prescription medicine, but my own responsibility is to try to control the rest by staying positive no matter what life throws at me.
So, I always try to create a warm and positive atmosphere when I work with the art of letting go. Tonight, I have enjoyed lit candles, sage incense, and a cup of my favorite chai tea while writing this blog post.
I don´t run from darkness and negativity, but I try to remain as positive as possible. I know that life is not black or white, it is a rainbow of colors and opportunities. Everything comes at a price, what comes up, must come down. Every choice has a consequence. And we always leave something behind.
Rather than letting it haunt me, I face my inner fears and dare to let go of any attachment to the past that doesn´t serve me in my present life. That doesn´t mean that I leave my memories behind, I only adjust what I want to spend my energy and resources on.
It frees a lot of creative energy that I need to reach my goals of writing my first novel and creating a daily witchcraft routine. It has changed my outlook on life in general. And it has enabled me to move on with my life and get the best out of everything.
If in doubt, I always consult with my bathroom mirror. There are truth and brutal honesty in the look there and it is my ultimate guide if everything else has been tried without luck. For there I´ll find what I seek, and it is a pretty strict judge to look into the eyes.
Next week I´ll write about what it is like to plan a novel in a month. But for now, I´ll let go of this week´s challenges and wish you, dear readers, a pleasant week. The art of letting go is also to know when it is time to stop doing it and move on. This time is now, as I will it, it is.
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