Tonight marks the beginning of my new year, and it’s only fitting that the veil between our world and the spirit world would be thinnest at this moment. Today was not the best of days for me. I was exhausted all day, trudged my way through work, then at the end of a long day got an email from my boss that basically asked if I actually do anything. This after working tirelessly last week to make a perfect slideshow for her (including one 15 hour work day where I forgot to even eat, I was so focused), while holding various phone meetings, contacting media and photographers, taking care of our website and social media, researching new ideas, etc. Of course I cried. I cried, then I stopped. It’s new year’s eve, a time to pay our respects to our beloved dead, and spend precious moments making positive affirmations and planning for the year that is to come. I will not spend my night in despair. I will spend my night remembering my loved ones and dedicating myself fully to my path, to the Old Way. Starting tomorrow, I will be putting energy into separating myself from this job that’s had me held down with my face in the mud for so long. I need to breathe again.

I lit a candle and laid out a lovely pistachio muffin and a glass of Hennessy for those who have passed out of our realm – first on my mind are my Granddaddy and my amazing friends Josh Foresi and Lloyd Sensat. I hope they enjoy. I’d leave it outside by the front door, as is tradition, but I’m afraid someone will steal it and then have a very negative year as a result. Instead it’s on my kitchen counter, where they’re all very welcome to come and hang out, just like they were in life. I’ll leave the candle burning all night, along with another that will burn in my window from midnight to sunrise.

I also began my first Book of Light and Shadows today, and am dedicating it to the keeping of positive energy and healing thoughts. It’s purple, and has almost 200 pages to write in. So far I’ve only designed the cover page, and found a beautiful illustration of an owl on a stack of books, which I’m going to affix to the front of the book. I’m also going to write a few thoughts before I go to bed.

In addition, I cleansed and dedicated my new meditation crystal this evening. It’s a beautiful pendant/mini wand by Dream Seeds, made especially for meditation and comprised of clear quartz, smoky quartz and amethyst. I knew it needed to be cleansed of other people’s energies before I tried it out for myself, but amethyst and smoky quartz can lose color if cleansed in sunlight, and I was a little nervous about trying sea salt or salt water, since the jewelry casing might be damaged. Other options included sand or smoke, so since I already smudge, I thought that might be the best option. I smudged myself and encouraged positive energy in myself first, then I smudged the wand, urging the balance of energies and asking it to help me ground, center, and remain a positive and bright influence for those around me. I was a little nervous about programming it, since I read that sometimes crystals don’t ‘like’ you or react well with your energy, and I really wanted this one to work. I held it and asked it to help me, explaining what I was looking for – just the ability to ground, center, remain calm and at peace in times of great stress, and to open my mind to the Universe to serve as a conduit for healing and goodness in service of those I love. I felt a little silly just thinking these things to the crystal, but it began to send out waves almost immediately, drastically increasing in temperature within seconds, and hitting me with a tiny but very evident shot of happy energy. I’m really excited to work with this wand soon, but right now it (she?) is resting from the smudging and programming. Here’s an image of a similar pendant. Mine looks much like this, but is so much prettier in person…

OK, time to light a candle, change the cat’s water bowl, dedicate my Book of Light and Shadows and get ready for bed. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will probably be just as long. I’m going to be in a friend’s short film tomorrow night, and I don’t even know what my lines are going to be yet – goody.