The period of darkness that extends from December 21 to March 21 is a perfect time for you to let go of the old and bring in the new. Any time during the cold winter months is the right time for your psyche to respond to a releasing and reclaiming ceremony. Rituals can enact this time of release. They help you feel the experience and lock the tangible event into memory. Rituals also help you focus your intention, and with focused intention, miracles happen. One of my favorite rituals is creating a talisman.

A talisman is an object that holds an aspect of an individual. You might want to rid yourself of beliefs, attitudes, characteristics, behaviors, feelings about other people that have burdened you, or whatever else makes your life less than perfect. From a shamanic perspective, making a talisman is a powerful procedure to perpetuate the release process. In fact, the talisman becomes the object of release, which is its incredible power. It isn’t just a symbol of an attitude or a belief; it becomes the attitude or belief. This comes about through your focused intention and imbuing power into the object.

I highly recommend that you intensify the power of your talisman by designing and constructing it with great care and intent.