It is the time of the year to introspect, retrospect and make resolutions. I always find this time of the year to be daunting because I get so stuck about the past and what hasn’t gone right. I feel this way the rest of the year too, but a lot more is brought to the surface around the year ending and beginning. I tend to feel overwhelmed with negativity and resentment sometimes.
To release any negative thoughts, feelings of sadness or regrets, resentment, anger and toxic energy in general, here is a simple ritual that always works for me: Write your feelings on paper and burn the paper.
It’s simple and straightforward, but there are a few things you have to keep in mind.
You will need:
- a pencil
- paper
- candle/natural flame
- sage, salt or crystal to cleanse and protect your energy
- a fireproof container to burn the contents and safely dispose (read #6 below)
The goal of this ritual is to release your toxic energy and feel more happiness. You can’t change or influence another’s actions, but you can take responsibility for your own. As you proceed with this ritual, create an intention to feel more freedom, love and joy. Read on for some tips and pointers to experience the most effective release.
1) Invite your guides to help you release
Before you start this ritual, take some time to contemplate what you need to release. Use salt, sage or cleansing crystals to clear your energy. Invite your angels, ascended masters, ancestors and spirit guides to join you – they will help you focus on what needs releasing. Whatever needs to be released will come to you clearly.
2) Focus on one emotion or memory at a time
Before you write the letter to burn, make a list of what you need to purge. Focus on specific emotion that needs to be released, such as rejection, hurt, anger, resentment, jealousy, etc. You can also focus on one memory if you can’t focus on a particular feeling. Focus on all your feelings related to that memory.
It’s good to focus on one memory or emotion at a time because after you complete the ritual, you will have clarity on what you released and what you are still holding on to.
Tip: you can use post it notes and burn those if you don’t want to burn a lot of paper.
3) Write with love
When you express your sentiments on paper, be as loving as possible. You can express any negative emotions you are feeling through love as well.
When you burn the letter, the fire will transport the energy where it needs to go. If you direct your letter to people, then what you say will energetically reach the other person. You don’t want to send any bad or negative energy. Firstly, it’s bad karma and you are better than that. Secondly, sending negativity guarantees receiving negativity. You may experience more hurt from this person for no apparent reason because they are just returning what you sent them.
This is very important and I can’t stress this enough: WRITE ONLY KIND AND LOVING WORDS.
If you find that you have a lot of negative emotions to release, address your letter to God or the Universe. Write about all that you feel. This way, you release what needs to be said without directing it to a particular person. Ask the Divine to bless these feelings and free you of them. The Universe has the power to transmute your hurt into love – ask for this in your letter.
4) Be as detailed as possible
Let’s say you are writing this letter to a past lover who hurt you. Rather than say “You hurt me and I don’t want to see you again”, say all that you feel within you. For example, “I felt hurt by your actions. I feel sad that it didn’t work out between us. I forgive you for the pain you caused me. I forgive myself for not knowing how to set boundaries. I learned my lesson to communicate better and be confident in expressing my needs”
This letter is about you, not the other person. Focus on all your feelings regardless of what the other person’s intentions and actions were. Allow yourself, for one last time, to feel and release what is within you.
The grammar or organization of your letter doesn’t matter. What is important is your feeling and emotion behind the words you are writing.
5) Feel your emotions as you write them
The goal here is to release the energy within you. As this energy moves through you, you will experience the Energy in motion – Emotion. It’s okay to experience any emotion as you’re writing this letter. Tears especially are an excellent sign that this is working.
6) Burning the letter
Use a natural flame like soy candle or firewood. Make sure that the burned contents do not come back into your space. Take precaution to burn it in a container that you can safely carry and dispose. Or burn it outside your house and bury the contents into the earth.
Caution: Please take your surroundings and fire safety into account as you proceed with this ritual. Be careful to while handling fire or hot objects.
Once you burn the letter, it must be disposed of as soon as possible. If you throw it in your trash, make sure to empty your trash. Don’t let the burned letter linger around your space.
7) After burning the letter
After you have completed the ritual, take a minute to contemplate and sit with your self. You will feel significantly freer, lighter and more open. Allow yourself to take time and feel the release.
Don’t do this more than once or twice a day. Definitely not more than three times a week. Give yourself time after the ritual to gain clarity on what emotions you are holding on to and what needs release still. If your ritual involved a memory or emotion with a person, don’t interact with that person for a few days after you have completed the ritual.
You may also find that more memories and feelings come up for release as you start to do this. Take enough breaks between each ritual to understand what you are feeling.
Last but not least, take time to give gratitude to your angels and guides for helping with this release. Thank the universe for the experiences you gained and the lessons you learned. Give thanks for your empowerment and freedom.
You may also use your tarot cards or your preferred divination method to check on your energies. Shown in the picture below is my tarot check in after a ritual.
If this ritual has helped you, I would love to hear about it. If you have similar rituals to release stuck energy, please let me know!
Arcana Shakti 