Often, people ask me, “Shuwany, what should I do on my birthday to step into my personal new year properly?”

This question is one of many similar ones that arise before key turning points in life. Rites of birth and burial, wedding ceremonies, religious holidays, seasonal changes, and the celebrations of the Wheel of the Year—all these significant milestones carry the question: “How can I do everything right?” This is an absolutely normal reaction—we sense the importance of a certain event or date and feel that by doing things the “right” way, we can improve our lives.

A birthday is like New Year, but on a personal level. It’s a time to wrap up what’s behind us and prepare to begin something new in our upcoming year. It’s a moment to celebrate in a way that sets a positive tone for the year ahead. Let’s approach this personal milestone with awareness. I divide what we can do into three key parts.

1. Reflection: Looking Back

Reflecting on the past is a natural step for any closing chapter, whether it’s wrapping up a work project, marking the end of the calendar year, or celebrating a personal year.

Use this opportunity as a psychological practice: evaluate your progress over the past year (or note any setbacks—it’s valuable too!). Reflect on what you’ve achieved, postponed, or let slip. Assess your results across different areas of life.

This step is essential for becoming conscious of your life and actively shaping changes within it.

For spiritual, magical, or deeply personal reflections, you can use Tarot spreads, runes, or oracles to gain an external perspective.

Besides tangible achievements or internal shifts, consider how much anger, resentment, or pain you’ve experienced this year, how many people you’ve gained or lost, whom you’ve forgiven, and whom you may have hurt. Being aware of pivotal moments in our lives means not turning a blind eye to negative events either. This awareness will help us in the next step.

2. The Present Moment: Here and Now

After reflecting on the past, turn your focus to the present. Where do you stand now? What events, people, feelings, and thoughts are currently in your life?

Before creating your future, it’s crucial to cleanse your present. This is where your reflections from the previous step come in handy.

Leading up to a transition, cleansing rituals are incredibly effective. Whether physical, emotional, psychological, or energetic, cleansing allows you to enter a new phase refreshed and open to new possibilities.

This is also a great time for forgiveness rituals. Why carry resentment and anger into the next chapter of your life? Forgive those who have wronged you, release your grudges, and seek forgiveness from those you’ve hurt. At the very least, this will free space within yourself and your life. At best, it will invite joy and lightness into your life. Remember that holding onto anger and bitterness can lead to physical illness and blockages in your energy flow. Don’t drag this burden with you. Use psychological or magical practices, whichever resonate with you.

3. Looking Ahead: The Future

Each of these steps is equally important—they complement and complete one another.

Once you’ve reflected on your past and cleansed your present, you’re ready to take on the critical task of looking ahead. Remember, we are the creators of our lives, choosing our paths and how we fulfill our goals.

The start of any period, especially a personal year, is the perfect time for planning. Think about your tasks, projects, trips, and aspirations for the year ahead.

You might use tools like a yearly Tarot reading to get a glimpse of what lies ahead. Keep in mind, this isn’t a prophecy—it’s a guide to help you plan effectively.

For those celebrating their birthday, I recommend the “Birthday Spread” on Tarot—a delightful and insightful way to begin your year, as sweet as cake!

Additionally, wish-fulfillment rituals, intention-setting practices, and goal-oriented ceremonies align perfectly with the start of your personal year. From the simple act of blowing out candles on a cake to elaborate ceremonial rituals, set the tone for what you wish to manifest.

By planning and setting intentions, you establish a roadmap for the year ahead. Some goals will come true, others will transform into something unexpected, and some may lose importance. But all your efforts at the start of your personal year will pay off. The world will respond to your conscious approach to this life cycle and will help bring your goals and dreams to life.

It’s often said, “No one starts a new life on Monday or at the start of a new year.” This is true—it’s not about deciding, “I’ll start tomorrow,” but about when you genuinely begin to make changes. Your birthday is a significant moment. At that time, the stars and planets aligned to bring you into this world. It marked the beginning of your unique journey, and perhaps even gave new meaning to someone else’s life.

I’m not urging you to radically change your life and declare a “new you” on your birthday. No, I encourage you to listen to yourself, to create your own map to guide you. While you can’t foresee or plan for everything, you can outline the key milestones and take immediate steps toward them.

Yes, when you perform a ritual for something like pursuing new education in your personal year, don’t forget to open Google afterward and check where and how to enroll!

Magic and conscious living require not just intention but also active effort.

Wishing you meaningful reflections, a fulfilling present, and harmonious goal-setting!

© Elena Shuwany