Happy New Year! 

We’ve done it, we have stepped into a bright and shiny new year, full of potential and promise. We all know what we make of this year will depend on what we are made of. We also know that this whole notion of a “new” year has no real meaning, just the meaning we bring to it, and so most of all, we have a chance here to look at what we want (and don’t want) for the year ahead. Both of these distinctions are important. 

Our theme this month is: You’re Divine. Our hope is that you will hold this little slogan in your mind all month as you look both inward and outwards for evidence of Divinity. We have chosen an easy read of a book that will help ease you in: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughy to get you thinking about your innate (dare we say god given?) ability to choose how you want 2021 to look. Our oil is Arborvitae (literally, “The tree of life”) which is the oil of Divine Grace, so when you read the notes you’ll see there is a lot about God. Now of course this can be a touchy subject, and we don’t want to preach to you, but we do think this is an opportunity to examine what the word God means to you. You might even end up writing your spiritual Statement of Purpose by the end of this month (!).

Our notes say that arborvitae means “to sacrifice” suggesting to give up or sacrifice our personal will. We find this interesting, as this construct flows through many religious teachings, offering strength through the handing over of our own desire to control outcomes. 

The Arborvitae plant was the first tree from North America to be introduced to Europe by French explorers in 1558 and it is also said to symbolise strength, long life and everlasting friendship. Some properties that will serve us well as we jump into this new year. 

Finally, arbor vitae is the name given to the white matter of the cerebellum (or hindbrain), the part of our brain that co-ordinates our movements and our speech. So if we want to choose where we go and what we speak out about in this funky year ahead, then we will be using our own arbor vitae. So let’s flex our little trees of life, and get moving. 

For now, we want you to read the Arborvitae notes and notice what comes up for you. Do you feel that by sitting in a space where you notice the divine that exists both within you, and in the natural world, that you could feel more connected, more calmer or more at peace? 

We would love you to give it a go (yes, now).