So, we’ve all made it to the last day of the year.  This changeover is one of my favorite points in the year — not because of the partying.  I mean, come on folks, I haven’t had a beer, wine or anything alcoholic in almost three years now – diabetes does that for you, ya know?  😉  No – I like this time of year, because there’s a magickal moment that occurs – where people shed their pessimistic perspectives concerning the previous years – and (for the most part) look forward into a new year of hope and determination.

Its that hope and determination that I love to hear/read about it.  Where people stop focusing on whether President Obama should be kicked out of office, or if Ron Paul is a racist, or if Rick Perry is totally clueless.  Instead people start to focus on what changes they can make in their lives that can help make the coming year better.  And the stuff comes in all sorts of forms – weight-loss goals, dedications towards improving one’s particular status through education, better eating habits — whatever.  The tendency is to focus on making things better — a focus on hope, if you will.

Most of you know – I’m not heavy into the Magick side of Paganism.  While I sincerely believe in it, I do not work with it much.  Its just not something that I get into.  However, looking at the secular aspect of making New Year’s wishes – there’s a side of Magick that comes into play here:  the conscious (or sometimes even unconscious) bending of the individual Will.  When these “resolutions” get made – there’s an attempt to bending or altering one’s Will – an attempt at making a change in current reality – a working of Magick if you will indulge the perspective.  But there’s also the frequent failures that everyone knows about concerning these resolutions as well.

These frequent failures tend to have people shrug off resolutions as “hastily made” or “complete pieces of personal fantasy” and contributes to the lack of many folks not taking these resolutions as seriously as they could.  You’ll hear a lot of laughter from folks when you make mention of the magick of New Year’s resolutions because of that.  But you can make these resolutions into magickal workings.

The keys are simple.  When you make the resolution, write it down on a strip of paper.  Put that piece of paper somewhere that you will see it often, such as taping it to your bathroom mirror.  Read it again and again, every so often.  Remind yourself that the resolution was made to effect changes that you are wanting and that those changes will provide positive effects in your life.  When you stumble on the path to getting there – don’t throw up your hands and give up.  Its just a setback — put yourself back on the path to completing your resolution.  Take a “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going” attitude.  Celebrate your milestones (if you have made any).  Resolutions, magickal workings, whatever you want to call it — it takes hard work and effort.  You *will* have setbacks.  Some setbacks may occur one after another and be detrimental to your steadfast resolution.  If something happens that blocks the way forward, find a way around that particular block and move forward.  Remember, no battle-plan survives intact after the first contact with the enemy.  The same is true for any resolution that you are wanting to complete, so be prepared to make changes and alterations on the fly.  But if you put the hard work and determination into something – you can and will succeed.  The only place failure will come from is when you give up.  Believe in yourself and the ability to finish the task at hand – and you will get there.