Hi! It’s lu.e.g here. Wanting to wish you a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!
For context, I need you to know that I grew up as a closeted white-washed Asian-American, in the land of Escalades and houses that look like fake Italian country homes aka The East Bay. Like so many of my peers, I didn’t really get to properly celebrate this important holiday. How could you in fake Italy??? In my adult life, I’ve discovered that so much of my energy was spent running away from the traditions of my Chinese and Filipino ancestors. The process of excavating these feelings of shame and self-doubt are tiresome and something only a person of color can speak to and identify. I see influencers posting about the violence and attacks on the Asian-American community and it just brings up all of those same questions: Do I belong? Am I enough? Why am I different? What people need to know is that this violence has always existed. I remember from a very early age, hearing stories of attacks on elderly Asians who just wanted to walk home from the grocery store. People just minding their own business, attacked out of no where. Back then no one said anything. Probably because many of us internalized the answer to those previous questions. “No,” we said to ourselves over and over and over until it became true.
Can you tell I just got my 23 and Me results in?
All of this is a long way of saying: I’m fucking celebrating Lunar New Year this year. Why? Because I am looking forward to this year. I have a beautiful business, a new therapist, a gorge fiancé, and a President that isn’t a complete bozo. As I peer into the future and look ahead at the year to come, there’s so much I want to accomplish professionally, so much I’m working on in my personal life + relationships, and so much I want for the universe. That has to be celebrated. I’d love to share this ritual with you as a means of using the energy of this first New Moon ... to fucking celebrate.
I call this ritual: New Moon, Who Dis?
What you’ll need:
- Red objects — can literally be anything but try to find something that has meaning to you.
- Pen and paper
- Fruit — Traditionally citrus or apples
- Incense or a plant/herb to smudge with
1. RED YOU. Find an object (crystal or otherwise) that is the color RED. I chose my trusty Red Jade pyramid. This color represents good fortune and joy — both things that I want to attract in 2021 and beyond! Who doesn’t? We’ll use this to channel that New Moon energy and serve as a reminder of what’s to come.
2. WROTE YOU. For 8 glorious minutes, you’ll write. Why 8? It’s the number associated with success. Use this time to celebrate your past successes, present successes, and future successes. And because you can’t succeed without having failed a few times — write about those too! Past, present, and future. Have the fruit and red object nearby.
3. EAT. SWEET. REPEAT. Once you’re done with the writing portion, begin eating your fruit while visualizing the things that bring you joy and add sweetness to your life. This year is the Year of the Ox, an animal that represents stability and reliability. What people, places, and things do you know you can always turn to? Absolutely more of that.
For the next 15 days (yes, this holiday lasts that long) pay attention to the signs and symbolism in every day life. When you see the number 8, when you taste something sweet, when see the color red. What you'll find is that you can draw meaning, fulfillment, and symbolism from everything in your life.
xxoo Luigi
