My Seven Sacred Self-Care Rituals
Welcome to the Self-Care Lair
We recently had the pleasure of experiencing the lovely Full Moon in Aries on October 1, 2020, and it feels auspicious to be here, NGL. I feel like October as a month was long awaited by many of us… It’s one of my favourite months, and it makes me think of apples and autumn, Halloween, pumpkins and potions, scary movies, witches and what-not. Secondly, a Full Moon on the first day of the month, that’s ceremonious to me.
Full Moons are significant to me for whimsical and wonderful reasons aplenty, and the time coaxed me to share what my current Self-Care Practice looks like. These are a mix of things I’ve inculcated into my practice between 2019 and now, and they’ve been working for me in sacred, sound ways.
I didn’t always have a practice in place, but ever since I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery and self-healing, these rituals have carried me forward and uplifted me on the regular, whether the times are good, and ah, mind-boggling.
1. Sacred Intention-Setting
This is one I’ve been doing religiously for the past few months. The way it works: You set an intention related to a bigger goal of yours, decide how you’re going to feed it (small ways count), over time. It’s like building an altar, and going there daily to make your sacred ‘offerings.’ Luna Luna has an infographic that explains this better. I came upon it in February of this year, and while I noted it down in my journal and had a grand intention of following it through, it wasn’t until late May that Sacred Intention-Setting came into play for me. An example of what that means for and to me in my own life: I write and illustrate for a living, and I work independently. I am both the queen bee and the worker bee. Each day: I give thanks for what is; list out my to-dos for the day (including a drawing and writing exercise as they fit into my schedule); choose a daily affirmation; and get to my desk to begin work. I work on a few assignments at a time, and I can currently manage to work on something personal for myself as well. Basically: I draw and write, every day, irrespective if I’m doing it for a client or myself. I’ve also begun to think less about the future… Nothing is promised, I believe. Sacred Intention-Setting is gentle in the way that it has me focusing on the present moment, and it’s taught me to enjoy creating with what I have and now know. Thinking of my intentions as seeds, and myself as a gardener, tending to my saplings carefully and tenderly, whilst being cognisant that I have other babies (in my garden) to take care of too keeps me in check and keeps me going.
2. Memory-Keeping
Journalling is something I enjoyed indulging in as a child, and honestly, it wasn’t a thing in my family or something that I’d learnt to do or seen around. I’m not sure how I picked it up, but I did. In the beginning, it was a way to express myself (I was a quiet, shy child), creatively and unabashedly. It helped me channel, and get my feelings out there. My school-days weren’t the most memorable, and this essay isn’t about that. I’m reflecting, as I write this, on my initiation into journalling. Journalling is a sacred art, and it’s been a friend of mine for as long as I can remember. It saw me through my college and hostel days-and-years, when I was living in a city far, far away from my family and home, and it got me through heart-breaking and most, recently — I discovered that it gets me through heart-opening moments too. When I began journalling, I never did it in an especially aware and thoughtful way. It was just something I liked doing. In my twenties, I did less of it, and mostly, my troubles with men and romantic love found their way into my books. I started journalling in a fresh AF way, last year, in July. (I haven’t looked back since.) It’s, now, been a year and three months of journalling and it is a journey. Not only have I been able to unearth past trauma but treasures too. I also wanna give a shout-out to The FIVE-MINUTE JOURNAL technique which I recently inculcated into my journalling routine, it’s the best! My day feels incomplete and misguided if/when I don’t do it. (Aileen Xu of LAVENDAIRE has been monumental when it comes to innovating my journalling techniques. She has awesome resources to share on the matter in the form of exercises + prompts.)
3. Monthly Reviews and Rituals
Reading and reviewing your goals is something new I’ve been doing. Call me funny, but it took years for me to absorb and understand its value. To-do lists are my favourite thing, and I’ve been making them for ages. The only difference, in hindsight, is that my lists now contain things I truly intend to do and want to put in the work when it comes to achieving them or ticking them off. I’m someone who’s very interested in sticking her hands into a bajillion honey-pots at a time and sampling them all. I don’t think that’s wrong, but Imma be honest. I wasn’t being realistic. When I go through my yesteryear lists, I find things on there that were vague or weak in intention (and instruction). They were ‘cool’ things to do, and while they were things I believed I wanted to do — I never set about taking the steps to actually do those things, many of which would have also been personal ‘milestones’ of sorts. My monthly rituals, these past few months, include going over the month before on the first day of a new month (e.g. I read my September 2020 journals on October 1); choosing themes for the new astrological season (Libra SZN’s themes for me are JOURNEY and roots.) Going over the previous month’s happenings has me taking stock of what I’ve done, what I’ve neglected, and note my areas of concentration for the next month. Read and review. Aileen has an exercise for this called Plan With Me, which is from her artist of life workbook series. If you’re new to setting and reviewing goals and intentions like me, her exercise will help you a great deal.
4. Meditating
This one is particularly new. I was led to Ediya Daulet’s beautiful, mesmerising meditation sessions on YouTube, thanks to her ASMRist cousin, Semide Coco. Ediya’s guided meditations are what made me fall in love with this calming, hypnotic and deeply serene art. Back in the day, I had the notion that meditation was not for me… I’m an over-thinker or used to be, anyway. All of this changed, one troublesome night and many moons ago, when I felt called to turn to meditation. (I haven’t been sweeter in the head since, and… Meditating gives me life!) Something else amazing I discovered was how I slowly-and-surely progressed from choosing to partake in 5-minute sessions to participating in longer ones of over 20 minutes, also because of all the things I saw in my mind’s eye. A whole new world of visualisation, too, which is something I haven’t consciously tucked into — yet. TL; DR — (if I’m being honest, this whole essay is, iykwim) — meditating stirs something within me that helps me be, even more authentically and energetically.
5. Decluttering: Emotionally, Energetically, Materially, Spiritually
This is something I am working on inculcating in a profound way so it seeps deep down into my bones but yes, I am bidding farewell to my hoarding ways! Being a collector is what used to appeal to me, and it still does in the way of my being a curator maybe, but that’s a story for another time. The past few months and years have been encouraging me to discard with discernment and grace, and oh, it feels empowering to let go of what I need, no longer. In collecting things, or keeping them to myself for longer than need be, they grew powerful in their weird, sometimes toxic hold on me much as I felt a thread connecting me too. They began to wear and weigh me down. I got tired, and longed to be free of them. Decluttering teaches me to let go, and focus on the now. What we have. I only need a little to go on. The rest were misguided desires. Especially when I consider frivolous purchases from years ago, some that brought me joy, but some were ‘just’ bought things. Maybe my habits of the past meant to inconspicuously lead me to this opening. Decluttering helps me process emotional wounds to an extent, I feel much more comfortable allowing what comes up to the surface to pass through. Taking lessons that I need for my path, and setting excess luggage from my knapsack gently down at every step. Not locking them in a box in my brain and throwing away the key! No, no, no. (No, no, no.)
6. Using Astrology & Tarot as Guiding Tools
Astrology and tarot have been significant in helming my journey of self-discovery, self-empowerment, and self-healing. I’ve been interested in these subjects from the time I learned of them, back in the day. I never delved too deep because I didn’t know how to and for the most part, I didn’t know enough. 2019 was the year when I tapped into it more, eventually trusting enough to dive deep. (I bought my first tarot deck, this year, on my 33rd birthday!) I look to astrology and tarot as guiding tools that are both empowering + illuminating. Occasionally, I pull out 3 cards during significant seasons (birthdays, the start of an astrological season, the beginning of a new quarter in the year) to go over lessons from the past, what’s happening in the present, and intentions to renew and/or set for the future.
7. Setting up an Altar & Going There Daily
Building an altar for your work is sacred, and blessing it with intention is so potent. (An extension of the Sacred Intention-Setting step.) We all have intentions, and it’s important to note how we are going to build on them, nurture them, and review and rewrite them as we see fit. Our work, whatever it is that is precious to us, is the blessed creation of our hands + heart. I believe we must go daily to the field, to tend to it, understand what it needs and why. For, for many of us, it’s purpose that drives us — without it, we are directionless and can feel lost. Understanding the significance of creating an altar for my work and coming here regularly to make ‘offerings’ — calms and strengthens me. It fills me up to see my trees bloom, blossom and bear fruit. I also see what withers away and why it must be so; it teaches me to say goodbye, gracefully + gratefully.
Thank you for reading.
A note: Let it be known that much as it’d be sweet, that you feel welcome here, experiences and views expressed on Rosewater. are deeply, truly, madly personal. (Unless stated otherwise.) Should they strike a chord with your own musings and reflections, that’s lovely, and if not, that’s cool too. This collection contains no facts, solo personal musings and truths.
