The Practice of Burning an Old Story

A ritual for closing a cycle on the dark Moon. Do it tonight!

Almost every tradition had periods when a person was advised not to create something new but to finish the old.

It is no accident that the deepest transformations begin not with the birth of something new but with the death of what can no longer exist.

For this practice you will need:

— a sheet of paper;
— a pen;
— a fireproof container;
— a candle.

Sit in silence.

For a few minutes, simply watch your breath.

Then divide the sheet into two parts.

In the first part, write:

"I am no longer…"

And then list everything that has to end.

For example:

— I am no longer a person who keeps putting their life off until later.
— I no longer live in the past.
— I no longer rescue those who do not want to be rescued.
— I am no longer responsible for other people's choices.
— I no longer hold on to relationships that ended long ago.

Write honestly.

No pretty wording.

No attempt to look like a spiritual person.

In the second part, write:

"I release…"

And list:

— people;
— roles;
— expectations;
— promises;
— old dreams;
— old versions of yourself;
— fears;
— resentments;
— guilt.

Then reread what you wrote.

Do not analyze.

Do not correct.

Do not argue with the text.

When you feel ready, burn the sheet.

Watch the words turn to ash.

At this moment, do not ask for anything new.

Do not make wishes.

Do not think about the future.

Focus on one thing only:

What is finished is finished.

What has died has died.

What must go is going.

When the ritual is complete, throw away the ash and do not go back to what you wrote.

The point of the practice is not magic.

The point of the practice is to stop feeding your energy to a story that has already ended.

Anna Inskaya
House of Wanderers