Today marks the first day of spring!
Did you know that in some Eastern European cultures they celebrate this day with good luck charms tied with a red and white silk cord? Traditionally, charms are symbolic, but they have evolved to be anything - as long as they have the red and white mark representative of "Martisor" or "Martenitsa". They continue to be a sign of love, friendship and respect for those they are gifted to.
The charms would be worn for 12 days, for a prosperous and healthy year.
I found this useful article if you want to learn more about this tradition dating back thousands of years.
What We Practice, We Become:
The Power of Rituals to Create the Life You Desire
This year, the first day of spring is followed by a New Moon! So much renewal energy!
So why not jumpstart your life with a little self care ritual and smell good, feel good vibes?
In his book "The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices" Casper ter Kuile, Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, talks about how our meaningful practices can be ritualized. Our habits can feel like a ritual; for example, the way you put your kids to bed, or an evening walk with your partner.
He talks about three things needed to make a habit into a ritual:
- Be intentional about it. Try, for example, to feel gratitude during the practice
- Be present during the practice. Multisensory things can help: finding a way to make it smell nice, or listen to something that helps you pay attention during the ritual.
- Repeat and be consistent about it
"With intention, attention, and repetition you can take an everyday habit and deepen it so that it becomes a meaningful ritual in your life" - Casper ter Kuile
Scentuples - Mood Alchemy offers an experience that encompasses all three of Casper ter Kuile's recommendations!
Learn more about our approach here.
