A couple of years ago, I came across a beautiful practice called the 12 nights of magic, a ritual I had never heard of before. Ever since practicing it for the first time, I have seen more and more people talk about it online and I wanted to share this wonderful ritual with you as well.
The 12 nights of magic refer to the period between Christmas and the beginning of the year, a moment during which time seems to be standing still. Right after the winter solstice, it is a time of minimal sunlight, a sacred time, belonging neither to the previous year nor the next.
It is also a call towards introspection, being grateful for who we have become over the past year and setting intentions for what is to come. And this is where the ritual of the 12 nights of magic comes in.
All you need is a deck of oracle or tarot cards as well as a pen and paper. I personally like to use several decks of cards to make it even more interesting.
And here’s how it goes:
December 23rd:
On December 23rd, make a list of the 13 wishes you have for the coming year. It doesn’t have to be huge or impressive, it just has to come from your heart and be meaningful to you. Cut and fold each wish individually into a bowl or someplace where you can store them easily.
December 24th - January 4th:
Then every day from the 24th of December to the 4th of January, you are invited to draw one or several cards from your deck(s). The cards you pull on the first day represent your key themes for the month of January. You can then do this every day until you have pulled cards for each month of the coming year.
I usually like to put all the cards for the year into a single document afterwards so that I can easily refer back to it throughout the year.
After that, you are also invited to pick one of your wishes at random and burn it without taking a look at it. You’re letting the universe figure out how to make it come true for you.
January 5th:
By the end of the 12 days, you will have one wish left. This one is yours to look at and work towards. What are some small steps that you can implement to get you closer to that goal already?
This ritual has become something I look forward to every year. It creates a space for me to set intentions for the new year in the most beautiful and magical way. And I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
PS: If you would like to practice this ritual with some additional guidance and beautiful daily rituals, I highly encourage you to check out the account of Nadia Gabrielle (@_nadiagabrielle on Instagram).
Love,
Anne-Sophie
