If you’re one of the many seekers that enjoys creating intentions, practicing mindful rituals and contemplating, you’ll enjoy this candle and crystal ritual to start your New Year off with uplifted spirits. Creating intentions helps us to find clarity before taking action, so that our thoughts, behaviors, and endeavors can be more aligned with our purpose.
Our purpose can be joy, fulfillment, success, and wellbeing, for ourselves or others. Without intention, it’s easy to be distracted by projects, relationships, or tasks that don’t serve us. We may act out of responsibility, expectations, or pressure, when we don’t take a moment to tune into our heart’s inner desires.
An intention can guide us for a moment, the duration of a practice, or for an extended period of time, such as an entire year. It can be a focal point that we use to center ourselves, and base decisions on. In this ritual, we will work with the energies of fire and earth, through a candle and a crystal, to cultivate lifeforce around our intention.
Let’s work with just one intention, or one feeling, that you would like to redirect your mind to again and again. When choosing an intention, find a space of stillness where you can introspect. You may want to ask yourself:
For some of you, the answer may appear instantly as you breathe into the center of your heart, and open your mind to clarity. For others, the intention may not come to your awareness for a few days. Since this is an intention that you may work with all year, don’t rush this process of reflecting.
Once you have your intention in mind, you will want to write this down on a piece of paper. You can also decorate an index card, if you feel artistically inclined.
Next, we’ll charge a candle with our intentional energy. You can use a store-bought candle, or pour one yourself. When deciding on a candle, ask yourself if there’s a color that best represents your intention. You may want to seek a candle of that color. You can also decorate your candle with flower petals, herbs, and twigs. Ask for these elements of earth to align you with your chosen intention.
For this ritual, you will also need a minimum of four crystals or stones that are similar in texture, shape, size, and type. You can work with a few varieties if you choose, but for every variety that you incorporate, be sure to have at least four of the same kind.
When choosing crystals and stones, similarly ask yourself, “Is there a color, texture, shape, or type that would best suit my intentions?” Notice what you intuitively are called to!
1. Find a comfortable seat with your spine lengthened, and shoulders relaxed. You may want to close your eyes.
2. To charge your candle, hold the unlit candle between your palms. Offer gratitude to the candle, and elements of earth that are joining you in the ceremony. Breathe and feel the expansiveness in your heart’s center as you lean into the support and graciousness of the candle.
3. Place your candle on the piece of paper with your intention. Begin to create a grid around the candle with your crystals and stones. As a bare minimum, you can place 4 crystals to the North, West, South, and East of the crystal. If you have more crystals, place them as symmetrically as possible to harness the energy evenly. You may create several circles around the candle with differing crystals. You can also grid the candle with flower petals or leaves.
4. Next, we will cleanse the programming of the crystals, and charge them with our new intentions. Hover your hands over the crystals, and begin to breathe into the center of your heart. On the inhale, visualize your lifeforce extending from the heart and nourishing you in your entirety. On the exhale, visualize your lifeforce flowing from your heart, into your arms, out your palms, and into the crystals. Take your time in practicing this until the crystals feel clear, bright, and ready. You may also use a mantra such as “Love and blessings” to echo in your mind.
5. Ask the candle and crystals if they will energetically hold space for your intention. Share the ways in which you would like to bring that intention into various areas of your life. Visualize yourself bringing that quality to your relationships, work opportunities, and everyday life.
6. Light your candle while asking for the flame to illuminate your intention to life. Sit with your grid and intention for a few minutes in silence.
7. Keep the grid in place for at least 7 days, and even up to the end of the year, as you feel called to. You will light the candle for at least a few minutes each day, and practice feeling into the energy of your intention. Notice what that feels like in your body, mind and spirit. Keep returning to your visualization of how you will bring that intention into all that you do. Before getting up from your daily sit, offer gratitude to the crystals, plants, and candles that are holding space for you.
8. You may wish to jot down a few thoughts or feelings in a journal as you tend to your crystal and candle grid each day. Detail any visuals that you see, emotions that are stirred up, or memories that come back into your consciousness.
As you create a ritual of returning to your intentions daily, you may notice that you feel more fulfilled, as you are leading your life from clarity and awareness. You may find that you’re able to acknowledge and celebrate the positive momentum of life and feel connected to the greater presence of energies in crystals and candles. Savor the ceremony and enjoy making it your own!
Create the container for healing to blossom in Align Your Life with Intention, a four-part series with Mallika Chopra, available now in the Chopra App.
Our purpose can be joy, fulfillment, success, and wellbeing, for ourselves or others. Without intention, it’s easy to be distracted by projects, relationships, or tasks that don’t serve us. We may act out of responsibility, expectations, or pressure, when we don’t take a moment to tune into our heart’s inner desires.
Connect with Your Intention
An intention can guide us for a moment, the duration of a practice, or for an extended period of time, such as an entire year. It can be a focal point that we use to center ourselves, and base decisions on. In this ritual, we will work with the energies of fire and earth, through a candle and a crystal, to cultivate lifeforce around our intention.
Let’s work with just one intention, or one feeling, that you would like to redirect your mind to again and again. When choosing an intention, find a space of stillness where you can introspect. You may want to ask yourself:
- What feeling do I want to cultivate deliberately this year?
- What emotion do I want to drive all of my interactions, endeavors, and opportunities?
- How do I want to show up for my health, personal growth, career, relationships, and community?
For some of you, the answer may appear instantly as you breathe into the center of your heart, and open your mind to clarity. For others, the intention may not come to your awareness for a few days. Since this is an intention that you may work with all year, don’t rush this process of reflecting.
Once you have your intention in mind, you will want to write this down on a piece of paper. You can also decorate an index card, if you feel artistically inclined.
Charge Your Intention with Ritual
Next, we’ll charge a candle with our intentional energy. You can use a store-bought candle, or pour one yourself. When deciding on a candle, ask yourself if there’s a color that best represents your intention. You may want to seek a candle of that color. You can also decorate your candle with flower petals, herbs, and twigs. Ask for these elements of earth to align you with your chosen intention.
For this ritual, you will also need a minimum of four crystals or stones that are similar in texture, shape, size, and type. You can work with a few varieties if you choose, but for every variety that you incorporate, be sure to have at least four of the same kind.
When choosing crystals and stones, similarly ask yourself, “Is there a color, texture, shape, or type that would best suit my intentions?” Notice what you intuitively are called to!
1. Find a comfortable seat with your spine lengthened, and shoulders relaxed. You may want to close your eyes.
2. To charge your candle, hold the unlit candle between your palms. Offer gratitude to the candle, and elements of earth that are joining you in the ceremony. Breathe and feel the expansiveness in your heart’s center as you lean into the support and graciousness of the candle.
3. Place your candle on the piece of paper with your intention. Begin to create a grid around the candle with your crystals and stones. As a bare minimum, you can place 4 crystals to the North, West, South, and East of the crystal. If you have more crystals, place them as symmetrically as possible to harness the energy evenly. You may create several circles around the candle with differing crystals. You can also grid the candle with flower petals or leaves.
4. Next, we will cleanse the programming of the crystals, and charge them with our new intentions. Hover your hands over the crystals, and begin to breathe into the center of your heart. On the inhale, visualize your lifeforce extending from the heart and nourishing you in your entirety. On the exhale, visualize your lifeforce flowing from your heart, into your arms, out your palms, and into the crystals. Take your time in practicing this until the crystals feel clear, bright, and ready. You may also use a mantra such as “Love and blessings” to echo in your mind.
5. Ask the candle and crystals if they will energetically hold space for your intention. Share the ways in which you would like to bring that intention into various areas of your life. Visualize yourself bringing that quality to your relationships, work opportunities, and everyday life.
6. Light your candle while asking for the flame to illuminate your intention to life. Sit with your grid and intention for a few minutes in silence.
7. Keep the grid in place for at least 7 days, and even up to the end of the year, as you feel called to. You will light the candle for at least a few minutes each day, and practice feeling into the energy of your intention. Notice what that feels like in your body, mind and spirit. Keep returning to your visualization of how you will bring that intention into all that you do. Before getting up from your daily sit, offer gratitude to the crystals, plants, and candles that are holding space for you.
8. You may wish to jot down a few thoughts or feelings in a journal as you tend to your crystal and candle grid each day. Detail any visuals that you see, emotions that are stirred up, or memories that come back into your consciousness.
As you create a ritual of returning to your intentions daily, you may notice that you feel more fulfilled, as you are leading your life from clarity and awareness. You may find that you’re able to acknowledge and celebrate the positive momentum of life and feel connected to the greater presence of energies in crystals and candles. Savor the ceremony and enjoy making it your own!
Create the container for healing to blossom in Align Your Life with Intention, a four-part series with Mallika Chopra, available now in the Chopra App.