New Year's is an important time of year for reflecting on the year past and for opening up to the energy of the new year ahead. A champagne toast at midnight is one way to celebrate, but you can incorporate a more sacred element into calling in the new year using natural incense resins and essential oils.

To close the year past, take some time to reflect on the big events of the year as well as the subtler realizations and lessons learned. Deepen your meditation by anointing yourself with essential oils or natural perfumes. Sandalwood, Palo Santo and Frankincense essential oils are all oils that have been prized for their ability to assist us in accessing the quieter, wiser aspects of ourselves. The floral oils help open our hearts and guide us in accessing our more subtle aspects. Rose, champa, lotus or jasmine attar or essential oils are wonderful for this purpose. Placing a drop essential oil on the heart, forehead and crown of the head offers us cleansing and enhances our energy in preparation for meditation. You can also anoint your feet, solar plexus and both of your hands. 

Once anointed, take some time to review the year and the lessons learned in quiet contemplation. You can move through each calender month, or review different important areas of your life- love, work, home, family, friends etc and focus on the key events that occurred this year.

Once you feel like you have done the year justice you can move into the next step of ceremony by lighting incense charcoal and placing it in a bowl burner. Click Here for instructional video on how to burn natural incense resins.

Now we want to release any energy that does not need to follow into the new year. Frankincense incense resin is wonderful for this purpose as it offers cleansing and protection properties. Burning natural incense resins can create the space needed to transform anxiety, anger and frustrations into more useful emotions and energy. Let each frankincense-infused breath carry away whatever it is that you are ready to let go of as the year comes to a close.

Once you feel you have cleared the energy that no longer serves you, shift your focus to what you want to bring into the New Year. The resin I naturally gravitate to for this purpose is agarwood. I love to combine agarwood and palo santo wood. I place a small amount of Agarwood with a few pieces of Palo Santo wood shavings on a charcoal. These two woods smell amazing together! Agarwood is know as the wishful filling gem and Palo Santo is know as the wood of the Saints. Together they offer both the wisdom to know your true purpose and the power to bring that purpose into reality.

Now shift your meditation to all that you want to bring into the New Year- for yourself, your friends and family and the world. Dream big in this moment and express all that you wish to create in the coming year. While the incense is still burning take out a special pen and some beautiful paper and write down your ideas and inspiration for the coming year.

This special ceremony offers us closure for the year behind and intention for the year ahead. Keep your page of ideas and intentions accessible so that you can review them throughout the year to be sure you are on task with your highest intentions. This is a lovely practice to do on your own or with friends and family to magnify each others intentions and unite in your purpose.

Happy New Year!