Endings and Beginnings

By Rev. Amari Magdalena

We again arrive at the Gregorian calendar closing of one year and the opening of another.  Though time and space may be illusions, in the material world we live by them.  Perhaps there is a purpose to have this structure of endings and beginnings.  Sometimes we find ourselves in untoward energy or outcomes when nothing seems to be going our way.  A definitive ending date coupled with a specific beginning date can give us hope of the cycle ending.

In the Northern Hemisphere, we also may mourn the compression of daylight as we approach the Winter Solstice.  Thus, we love to celebrate the opening up of light the next day, even by seconds.  These cycles of the sun are also part of our endings and beginnings.  Lyrics from an old song remind us that time is, indeed, slipping into the future.  And, with that future, may come renewed hope.

Though the holy/holidays can be stressful due to extra demands on our energy and time, they also ultimately give us a little spark of new possibilities.  That small ray of hope can often restart the course we are on and provide a sense of upliftment. Somewhere in the sparkling lights, that are all about, our imaginations are energized. We can be restored to a mental space wherein the earth darkness, and our own darkness, gets revved up with brightness. The increasing light after Solstice helps us get out of our cocoons of hibernation.

The New Year often finds us assessing the past and affirming for a different future.  That small spigot of hope, along with the returning light, inspires us to examine our lives and to perhaps be more definitive in recognizing new aspirations.  Resolutions may be written down.  Attention to purpose can become more compelling. We get a little Cosmic nudge.

I feel that to move with grace into the new, it is important to release the old.  Oh, not just the stuff we may label as ‘bad’ or ‘unfortunate,’ rather the contents of the old year.  Writing down the ups and downs helps us gain perspective.  One ceremony, that many new thought and other more progressive churches do, is a Burning Bowl Ceremony on New Year’s Eve.  Attendees write down the things they’d like to release and then consign them to flame.

Another tradition that I’ve done many years is the New Year’s Eve early morning world-wide meditation originated by John Randolph Price. This meditation happens world-wide at the same time.  Unfortunately for those of us on PDT, that is 4am in the morning, YIKES!  That said, the mediation is quite beautiful, powerful, and renewing.  It is a magical way to enter the New Year.  Instead of staying up until midnight 12/31, one gets up at 4:am on 12/31 and meditates for an hour or less. I’ve personally found this to be so renewing, that I choose to sacrifice sleep for inspiration and guidance.

May I suggest that you too choose some tradition, ritual, meditation as the New Year arrives to acknowledge and celebrate the inevitable endings and beginnings that we all experience in our lives. May your journey be so very blessed this year that you truly appreciate the wondrous experience of having a body on a small planet spinning in space.

 I share with you a couple of quotations that are inspiration for all of our endings and beginnings:

"No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! Tha first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun!  Look, it is the first page!  And, it is a beautiful one!"  C. JoyBell C.

And, another quote that also speaks to appreciating not only endings or beginnings but appreciation of the middle moment:

"Beginnings are scary; Endings are usually sad; but it's the middle that counts.  You need to remember that when you find yourself at the Beginning, just give Hope a chance to Float Up; and it Will!"  From the Movie, Hope Floats.

Pick up that Kaleidoscope, point it towards something bright, turn it and let the refraction of light take you into Magic! Then, just put one solid foot in front of the other, and step into your New Beginnings!  Happy New Year!  May you prosper and grow in amazing ways and experience Life with Love and Joy!