What seeds are you planting for yourself this year?
What I’ve planted, both real and metaphorical
In my raised garden planter, I have planted carrots and beets for now. They will keep company with the thyme that has overwintered. I plan on getting some green bean plants for a bit later.
I also planted intentions of better health and well-being, stronger relationships with my husband and daughters, and growth of my coaching and arts businesses.
Most of those intentions are the same as I’ve been planting for a while now, but there’s no rule that says you can’t keep planting the same seeds, right? When it comes to the relationships, I have good relationships with my husband and daughters, but still . . . Isn’t it important to continue to renew and nurture those relationships, rather than taking them for granted?
It’s spring, which is a time of renewal and growth, so it’s the perfect time to plant intentions for what you most want. I planted mine at the last new moon, which was on April 1st (coincidentally, my birthday, which made intention-setting that much more meaningful).
Here are some ways you can plant your own intentions for the year:
Brainstorm the areas of life in which you would like to see growth or change.
Write down what new things you would like to start, or what sort of growth or change you would like to experience.
Find a quiet space and time for yourself.
Light a candle, if you’d like, to activate your intentions.
Write down your intentions again, this time writing them as simply as possible in present tense. E.g., “I find myself feeling healthier each day.” Or “I am in perfect health.”
Spring is the perfect time to plant new intentions, goals, and dreams. One of the best times to plant new intentions is traditionally on or shortly after the new moon. The next new moon is on April 30th at 4:28 p.m. EDT.
The next day, May 1st, is not only still close to the new moon, but is also the traditional holiday of Beltane, when the May Queen arrives (symbolizing the six months of growing season that have started). The tremendous growth energy of the day, which is amplified this year by a solar eclipse in Taurus the day before, is going to be tremendous.
One of the ways in which I help people to plant intentions—to uncover and nurture their own dreams and desires—is through my Dream It, Do It workshops. Guided visualization, guided journaling, and an energized dream board are used to help you uncover your inner dreams and create new goals for yourself.
I will be holding the next Dream It, Do It workshop on May 1st from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT via Zoom.
During a Dream It, Do It session, I lead participants on a guided visualization where you visit your future self. It is essentially a form of time travel to a future version of yourself who exists in a plane where you’ve taken action on your dreams and desires. The power in it is that when you return from your visualization, you will feel more capable of achieving your goals, knowing that some future version of yourself has already done it.
Beautiful souls who have joined me in the past have found tremendous benefit in the sessions. One of the participants in the first session I held changed her work trajectory, signed up for a master’s program, and is on her way to the career of her dreams in counseling. Another opened her own art studio. A third pictured herself leading retreats in Portugal, and began researching how to make it happen.
After capturing as much of the guided visualization as possible via guided journaling prompts, you will be able to return to your future vision whenever you like. It is possible that when you do, you will find additional information waiting there for you—or at least, that has happened for some workshop participants. Others find the peacefulness of their future self to be inspiring, and are able to tap into that sense of ease when they revisit.
Long-term readers know that I am equal parts spirituality and practicality, which is why the workshop includes the setting of specific, measurable, actionable goals. At the very least, you will leave with a roadmap that points you toward the achievement of your dream, even if the entire path is not yet clear.
Participants also get started on an energized vision board, which uses principles of feng shui as well as a layering process to amp up the energy of the vision board. This method works whether you do it on a physical board or using a tool such as Canva, though I demonstrate using foam board and magazine cut-outs.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”
