4 Rituals To Try On New Year's Eve That Will Help You Feel Refreshed Going Into 2019

Can I make a confession? I kinda hate New Year's Eve. I always end up putting all this pressure on myself to make sure my mood and my outfit and the people I'm with and the overall vibe is JUST RIGHT — because I have this weird superstition that whatever I'm doing/wearing/feeling come midnight will somehow shape the entire year to come? Despite all the intense, possible destiny-designing pressure, I've often ended up having very messy, boring, or straight-up terrible NYEs anyway. Go figure! This year, my witchy self might just do some rituals for New Year's Eve 2018 at home and make a magickal, cleansing night in of the whole shebang. I don't know about you, but I'm trying to have a super cosmically-aligned, blissed out, and zen AF 2019, so maybe casting spells from my couch is the best NYE plan.

Even if you do have some rowdy and wild NYE plans out on the town, you can still take some time to honor the Earth's next journey 'round the sun by doing a New Year's Eve ritual as a pre-game to the rest of your night. The last day of the year is a perfect time to connect with your spirituality, reflect on the wild past year of your life and all the lessons learned, and start manifesting and focusing on what you'd like to attract and accomplish in the brand new year ahead. Out with old, in with the new, right? Let's welcome in the fresh, new energy like the magical beings that we are.

So, moon sisters, have I convinced you to stay in and work some witchy magic on NYE (OK, or just do a ritual before you head out for the night, at least)? These rituals for New Year's Eve 2018 are perf options for anyone who wants to cleanse out their 2018 baggage, make room for new things, and pave the way for a radically magical 2019. Let's prepare for a shiny new year ahead!

Aura Cleansing Bath To Wash Away 2018's Drama

"2018 was a chill year," said no person who ever lived through 2018. The past year on the whole may have been a mess, but that doesn't mean New Year's Eve has to be. Kick off your night with a super soothing aura cleansing bath to wash away all the drama and weirdness of 2018.

What you'll need: Himalayan or Epsom salt; essential oils of your choosing (optional).

What to do: Firstly, shower before this bath and tidy up your bathroom so you feel good in there. Seems weird to shower pre-bathing, but this is a spiritually cleansing bath, not a physical one, so you'll want to feel clean going into it! Fill your bath with warm water, adding up to a cup of salt in as the bath fills. "Salt works powerfully to bring balance to your body and clings to the surface of your body, thus ensuring a constant cleansing of your aura even after you get out of the bath," explained Pyschics4Today. Surround your bathtub with any talismans or spiritually-enhancing items, like crystals or candles.

Once the bath is drawn, get into the water, and add in the essential oils of your choosing. As you soak in the cleansing salt water and enjoy the aroma-therapeutic benefits of the oils, reflect on the past year as a whole for you, focusing on the lessons and growth and positive things you've taken from your experiences. Soak for 20-30 minutes and continue your meditation. As you exit the bath, imagine every lesson, growth experience, and positive memory coming out with you, making you the strongest, most realized version of yourself to date. In the water, you're leaving behind any fears, baggage, or negative feelings that have built up in the past year.

After getting out the bath, it's recommended to drip-dry rather than toweling off. As you dry, stand or sit next to the bath and watch the water drain out completely. As you do, imagine all the negativity of the past year draining out of your life, leaving only the best parts of you as you enter the new year.

Negativity Banishing Ritual To Protect Your Space In 2019

Blessings, broomsticks, and boundaries — bring it on. There is zero negative energy invited my 2019 party, and a great way to set that boundary in magical stone is by doing a space cleansing ritual in your home, like this one described on Magical Recipes Online, which inspired the following.

What you'll need: A broom and/or vacuum, a bowl of salted water or ocean water, a protective crystal like black tourmaline or jet.

What to do: Begin at the further corner of your home (or bedroom, if you share a space and are only working within one room) and with your broomstick or vacuum, begin cleansing the floor space, whisking away all the literal dust. As advised by Magical Recipes Online, chant the phrase "Negativity begone, out of my way once and for all!" as you move through the house, cleaning. Envision all the negativity built up over the past year being cleanse from your space. When you've covered the entirety of your floor space and reach the front door, open it and say your chant aloud one more time to any outside energies.

Now, take your protective crystal and carry it in your pocket. Take the bowl of saltwater and move from the front door to the further corner of the house, sprinkling the water over the freshly-cleaned space, blessing it and infusing positivity in every corner. As instructed, use a new chant this time: "Negativity is gone, a barrier of light is built to protect me and the ones I love!"

Once you've traveled whole house sprinkling the blessed water and carrying your crystal on your person, repeat the chant while holding the crystal in your hand, infusing it with the intention. This is your new protection amulet! If it's in jewelry form, you can wear it anytime you need an extra spiritual shield. If not, place in somewhere near your front door to symbolize the protection of your safe space, and leave it there for the duration of 2019.

Path-Clearing Ritual To Make Room For New Magic

It's time to spiritually de-clutter so that you'll be ready to hit the open road baggage-free come 2019. Magical Recipes Online has a fabulous road opener spell on its site, and that's what the following ritual is based on.

What you'll need: Orange essential oil, lemon blossom and citronella essential oils (optional), an oil incense burner, one orange or white taper candle, paper and pen.

What to do: Begin by creating a DIY road clearing oil blend (if you'd like, you can buy one pre-made from an occult store). Orange essential oil is perfect for clearing roadblocks to your goals and can be used alone, but it can also be blended with lemon blossom oil and/or citronella oil for even more positive and potent results. Mix the oils to your liking — there's no single perfect recipe.

Now, visualize the year ahead, what you hope to accomplish, and what roadblocks you feel are in your way, spiritually, emotionally, or otherwise. Focus on your goals. Once you've boiled down your main intentions for the new year, write them down succinctly on one side of the paper. On the other side, choose a sigil to represent path clearing (like this one) and draw it. Anoint your paper with a bit of oil on either side.

Now it's time to anoint your candle and start your incense. Put some of your oil blend into an oil incense burning to infuse your space with the path-clearing energy. Orange candles symbolize energy, strength, and swift change, which is why it's the color used in this ritual — but you can also substitute this with a white candle for purity, if needed. Starting in the middle of the candle, rub it with your oil blend toward you, up to the top. Repeat the process starting and the top and rubbing back to the middle, again pulling the oil toward you. Set up your candle and light it, focusing on your intention. Follow the chant instructions on Magical Recipes Online, or simply read your intentions aloud nine times, all the while imagining yourself happily living those accomplishments. Repeat the incantation once more, and again visualize your intentions coming to fruition.

Once you've finished this, Magical Recipes Online instructs you to close by saying aloud: "With trust to the Divine Grace, I now know and declare, that my road has already opened and I am walking towards my happiness and success. And so it is!" Allow your candle to burn out safely, and repeat the ritual for the following seven days (the whole first week of 2019!) if you can. Fold up your paper toward you, with the sigil side up, and either save your paper on your altar or carry it with you in your wallet. Once you accomplish your goals, hopefully by the end of 2019, you can ceremoniously re-anoint and burn the paper in thanks. Use your path-clearing oil blend whenever you need a boost.

Cast A Zodiac Destiny Spell To Create Your Best 2019 Reality

Think of this ritual as your New Year's resolutions, but on cosmic overdrive. Based on a New Year's Eve spell from Sacred Wicca, this Wiccan-based ritual is super powerful. It involves candle magic, connects you with astrology, and uses the power of manifestation.

What you'll need: Twelve small taper or tealight candles, a printed copy of the zodiac wheel (or a hand-drawn version), a clear pane of glass (optional), a paper and pen.

What to do: Firstly, you'll need to either hand-draw or print out a copy of the standard zodiac wheel, which includes all twelve signs. The image should be large enough that you are able to place a candle on or just outside of each sign's section, forming a candle circle. Before you begin the ritual, you'll want to research the major correspondences and areas of life ruled by each each of the twelve zodiac signs (if you aren't already familiar). You'll use this to inspire your intentions.

To begin the ritual, arrange the zodiac wheel flat on your altar or whichever space you've designated for this ritual. If you have a clear pane of glass, place it over the zodiac wheel image so you can place your candles directly atop the wheel without risking fire safety. If not, simply cut out the zodiac wheel and place the candles outside the circle rather than atop the paper. Arrange your twelve small taper candles or tealights so that each is on or just outside of each of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Now, start thinking about the areas of life ruled by each of the twelve signs and all of the correspondences associated with them. How does each area look in your life? How do you want it to look? On your paper, write down a succinct version of your intention or wish for each area, sort of like a New Year's resolution.

Now, use the evocation chant listed on Sacred Wicca. Beginning with Aries (which is the first sign of the zodiac), read the following chant and insert the wish or intention that you wrote down for that area of the chart: "Lady and Lord / I ask of thee: Bring [your intention here] to me / With Harm to None / So Mote it Be!" Now, light your candle for Aries. Moving on counter clockwise to Taurus, repeat the same mantra using your Taurus intention or wish, and so on, until you've lit all twelve candles.

"Place both hands with palms extended over the Circle of Lights and move them in a clockwise direction," explained Sacred Wicca of the next step. "Seal the spell by chanting: On this night / I bless the year to come / My prayer was heard, / With harm to none, it is done!" With that, you're closing your spell, and you can allow your small candles to burn down safely.