It's almost Spring. The weather is getting warmer, well, for some of us anyway. Along with that come new energies and thoughts of growth and change. This is a time of death and rebirth. As we release what is fading, there is a feeling of upliftment and hope.

Many people celebrate the Spring Equinox. Whether this is in your belief system or not, there is a lot to be said for the power of ceremony in our lives. In ancient times every season, birth, death or change was marked with a ceremony. We have mostly lost that focus as we've become more rational. But have we lost something important to our health and well being in the process?

This month marks an anniversary of what was a very traumatic time for my husband and me. I wrote about it last year in one of the newsletters The Stars the Universe and What Happened? aka Daily Miracles We've been through a lot of changes since then and I haven't always weathered it all as gracefully as I'd hoped. I was talking to a very wise friend who suggested that we acknowledge this anniversary by some small ceremony in which we let go of the past and all its fear, pain and anger and celebrate a new beginning. This got me thinking more about the power of small rituals to help us in our lives.

We're constantly going through changes and shifts in our lives, old things falling away and new coming to be. In order to make room for the new, we need to let go of the old. But sometimes we're so busy just putting one foot in front of the other we fail to fully acknowledge ourselves and the changes that are happening.

Stop, get quiet and let the images or words come into your mind. What in your life is it time to let go of? What pattern, role or relationship is dying? If necessary, allow yourself a time to grieve, cry and express the feelings that were stored for the winter (or longer). It may be helpful to talk to a therapist, express your feelings through sounds, movement or other expressive therapies.

Find a safe place to cry and be in the emotion. Consider getting a massage or bodywork to help soften your body and let your feelings be released. Think about creating a ritual to acknowledge the change and let go of anything you're still holding onto. Ritual doesn't have to be big and dramatic, just something that is symbolic to you of what is changing or dying and what is being brought to life.  Let in as much light and gratitude as possible for yourself and your past and allow the feelings and the ritual to evolve naturally.

Next ask yourself, what are the possibilities on the other side of this change? Are there new opportunities and joys ready to come into your life?

Here's to celebrating the change of the seasons, and the changes within ourselves in ways that are meaningful and supportive.

Carolyn