The days between the winter solstice and the new year invite a different pace. The light is returning slowly. Nothing is asking to be rushed. This in-between space reminds us that growth doesn’t begin with certainty… it begins with attention.

The 13 Intentions Ritual is a way to meet the new year with both honesty and hope. It weaves together wishes you’re curious about, goals you’re ready to work toward, and resolutions that feel grounded rather than punishing.

The Practice

On the winter solstice, set aside a few quiet moments to write 13 intentions for the year ahead. These can be a mix of:

wishes you’re holding tenderly
goals you feel motivated to move toward
resolutions that feel supportive rather than strict

Some may be specific. Others may be open-ended.

You might write things like:

“Move my body with more consistency and kindness”
“Be braver in conversations that matter”
“Create more financial ease”
“Protect time for rest”
“Trust my instincts”

Write each intention on its own slip of paper. Fold them. Place them somewhere you’ll return to daily.

One Intention at a Time

Beginning on the solstice, each day you’ll burn one folded paper—without opening it.

Releasing Control, One Day at a Time

Beginning on the solstice, each day you’ll burn one folded paper, without opening it.

As it burns, take a breath and let yourself remember: effort matters, and so does trust. You are responsible for showing up but you don’t have to carry everything by yourself.

This is where the ritual softens. You’re offering the intention to the larger field around you—the timing you can’t control, the support you can’t always see, the unfolding that happens when you stay receptive.

You may notice doors opening unexpectedly. Or resistance showing up where something needs your attention. Both are information. Both are part of the support.

The Intention That Stays

On New Year’s Eve, one folded paper remains.

This is the intention you keep and the one that asks for your conscious participation. It may be a goal that requires steady effort, or a resolution that calls for honesty and follow-through.

Open it slowly. Sit with it.

Let it become a conversation between you and the year ahead. One where you do your part, and allow the universe to meet you halfway.