What is Your Intention?

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Many Pagans have been feeling the tidal shift of the year since Samhain, some even since the first of August, or the Equinox. But Samhain, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, is the time that our animal nature begins to really feel it: things are getting dark. It will be cold soon. We start to reassess the year we’ve had, and begin looking toward the year to come.

At a gathering in an urbane San Francisco watering hole last week, a woman whom most of us had never met asked our group what we did on New Year’s Eve. Most of us were saying we did not make resolutions. She had a list of things she worked on weeks in advance of things she wanted to accomplish in the coming year. One friend said her New Year season started at Rosh Hoshannah, cycled through Samhain, and on into the celebration of the Planting of New Trees. That is a long one! I and a couple of others remarked that for us, things started shifting at Samhain. I then said that, while I don’t make resolutions, I do set an intention for the coming year. This intention underpins my action and inaction, my plans, my prayers, and my practice. It reminds me of what is important to me, so I can return to that again and again.

I’ll gather with a small group of friends tonight. Starting around 11pm, we will begin to state our intentions to one another. Today, I would like to know, what is your intention? Have you thought about it? Does the whole concept even resonate with you? What will guide you in the coming months? What will help to steer your course?

Whether you honor the Gregorian New Year or not, I want to leave you with the best spell I’ve ever written. This spell changed my life when I really needed it. It has worked better than I could have imagined. The more this spell gets passed on, between friends, families, and lovers, the stronger it gets and the better it works. I offer it now to you. Raise a glass of whatever you have handy and repeat after me. Say it loudly:

“Love! Health! Prosperity! Knowledge! And Great Sex!

Have a joyous, warm, safe, love-filled Winter.

May your coming year be blessed.

47 Responses to “What is Your Intention?”

  1. Kathleen

    I have been contemplating this todaygoin as I go about my morning, thinking about a theme for 2013.. I know one intention I have is to continue to work on improving my physical altar in a healthy way, and to work on making my own blog actually happen.

  2. Christine Berger

    Your spell is magnificent. This has been a year of great intensity, and internal change. I am slowly integrating all that I have been given. My intent is to operate from Love in as much pure intensity as possible in every aspect of my life, to listen more and speak less, to contemplate the results of my action or inaction before making my moves.

    • Thorn

      That is a good one. Mmmm. It seems as though the first part – operate from Love – underpins the rest.

      • Christine Berger

        Absolutely operating from Love is my intent; everything else proceeds from that and when I am in that flow right action springs from it naturally. I appreciate your blog immensely. Thank you.

  3. Thorn

    Though I may shift it a bit by the time tonight comes, what is arising in me is this: I will listen to the flow of love.

    • Thorn

      It turned out to be:

      “I will follow the flow of love in all its forms.”

      Truly all: in death, in conflict, in objects, in joy, in tasks large and small, in remembering…

  4. Miriam BatAsherah Green

    Raising my mug of tea to you!

    Here is my intention for 2013: Widening communities. Sustainable foundations. Diligent work. (Dykes need coffee.)

  5. Gerry

    I will embrace the work of transformation. I will breath in the change. I will gather and welcome all of myself, allowing the manifestation of that which moves me toward desire.

    I will lustfully laugh, giddy, as I joyously dance in the eye of the storm.

  6. Tana

    *raises cup of coffee: Love! Health! Prosperity! Knowledge! And Great Sex!*

    These already sound pretty good. ;)

    2012 has been – erm – interesting, in the ‘run as fast as you can, to keep up with what’s changing within and without you’ sense.

    I set my intention to put the changes on a solid base and work from there. To go on with what I started and to become more and more myself.

    Happy 2013, Thorn!

  7. CJ Grabuski

    To reignite the fire within me and to connect more deeply, care more fully, help more willingly with those around me.

  8. Kim McDonald

    My intentions for 2013 are to actively pursue Love and Happiness; To lot go of resentment; and, as Damien Echols eloqently said, Live Ferociously.

  9. Áine

    My Intention for this year is to align my life with Love and embrace the changes that it brings – even when they’re scary.

  10. Leanne

    My intention for 2013 is patience and confidence. Patience with the time that it takes to manifest what I have set in motion, and confidence that my actions will indeed manifest result.

  11. Ellen

    To follow life force. That is the clearest intention I can divine right now. The terrain under my feet is shifting, and so am I.

  14. Nick

    My intention for 2013 is to grow in the Mystery, to live it and manifest it, and to do all I can to help others on their way to it. Also, to make more money. :)

  16. Jill

    My intentions: Listen more. React less. Forgive often. Gratitude always.

    Can’t wait to recite the spell later tonight! Thank you.

  17. Anita

    Seeking to improve my energy level and restore lost passion. The banked fires have burned low, and the Wild Hunt has become the afternoon nap. I need some spiritual vitamin B12, and that is what I will set my intention toward tonight.

    • Thorn

      I am for this project!

      My spell/toast is a good one to help with this. Wishing you well.

  18. Cath

    My intention is to continue moving forward. Every year I move closer to the life I wish to live, to the person I wish to be. May I continue to move forward!

    This is not as much a given as it sounds; I live with multiple disabilities and have been amazed all of 2012 that I am still functioning. So for 2013, I wish to continue functioning and continue moving forward.

    Oh. AND I wish to get my garden to actually produce food, too, not for the bugs this coming year but for the people!

      • Cath

        Okay. Now I wish I had asked for money! That was the fastest manifestation I have EVER had. *wry smile* I stated my intention here to continue moving forward, and WHAM, five people are permanently gone from my life.

        …although come to think of it, that DOES equal more money, since I won’t be subsidizing them anymore. *still wry in the smiling*

        Anyhow, Thorn, thank you both for the opportunity to set an intention–something I hadn’t considered before–and for the energy boost. It combined with the goodwill that has come flooding my way with holiday cards and with the work Gryph (my partner) and I have been doing towards getting me healthier. I suspect the Dark Mother was just waiting for a combination of circumstances like this to hand me the gift, one of those painful gifts that ultimately grants freedom. *k, it’s wry, but it IS a genuine smile* Thank you very much for the part you played in granting me my freedom.

  21. Jeyn Jaffe

    Today, and for the rest of 2013, I set my intention to continue my journey to discovering and embracing my authentic self, and to share my gifts and talents with my community and the world at large.

    And to make use of your shared spell at the earliest opportunity…!!! ;)

    May it be well with you, Thorn – thank you for all that you do and the space that you hold. I hope our paths cross at P-con this year…:)

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