My last post of the 2014 happened to be a Witchy Wednesday one about our New Years traditions. In a magical bit of symmetry, my last post of 2015 is a Witchy Wednesday about New Years magic, but with a little Mercury Retrograde spin at the end.

Bread Magic

This year, I’m hoping to combine our usual December 31st traditions with at least one additional magical one. For the most part our celebration is usually quiet. Chinese food, maybe a family movie night in the living room, then the gathering of the clan around the television to watch the ball drop. We also have our “bread magic” ritual that hubby and I have done ever since our first NYE together back in ’87 – we put a loaf of bread on the kitchen table at some point during the 31st, then leave it there until the morning of the 2nd. Hubby’s Irish grandmother swore it would bring prosperity into the home. I finally got around to doing a web search to see if this is a traditional custom, and found it might be a mishmash of two.

Irish Christmas Custom

There’s this bit about Irish Christmas superstitions (from Irish Culture and Customs) –

“After evening meal, the kitchen table was again set and on it were placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could come in. It’s also said that leaving a loaf of bread on the table will ensure bread for the coming year. And, you should also leave a bowl of water out to be blessed by the travellers – this water would be used for cures.”

Irish New Year Bread Banging

There’s also this (from Travelers Today) –

“Another Irish tradition is to bang bread loudly against the wall in order to keep all the bad luck and bad spirits far from any Irish home.”

I think we’ll stick with our current (and less crumby) tradition for now.

New Years Magic

My Facebook newsfeed this week has been chock-a-block full of New Years rituals and spells (much like it is around Samhain). My favorite one so far has to be this (found thanks to a post in one of my favorite communities) from Patheos

“Light the candle at about a quarter to midnight on December 31. Make the space sacred in whatever way you prefer.

Imbue the chosen food item with the energy of the past year, using the candle as a focus. Consider what you learned, what you gained, and what you have to be thankful for. Eat the food with the intention of accepting the gifts given in an “attitude of gratitude.” Consciously thank the Old Year for its gifts and lessons. If you like, you may also thank your household gods and spirits for protecting you through the year and make offering to them at this time.”

That’s only a snippet of it – be sure to check out the rest of the article, Seekers and Guides: A Short Ritual for the New Year, written by Sable Aradia for the rest.

12 Days of New Years Rituals

There was also this – 12 Rituals To Do In 12 Days To Guarantee 12 Months Of Love & Prosperity by Barbara Biziou over at Mind Body Green. I think I might merge this little bit with the ritual above –

“For good luck and prosperity, you can throw money into your home the first time you enter it in the new year. If you are staying home on New Year’s Eve, go to your front door at 12:01am and throw coins or paper money into the front door. Bless it with your “inspirations” for the new year.”

Time to take Mercury out for a spin

Oh, and since Mercury starts spinning this coming Tuesday, I figured I’d share this graphic now.
 

So, dear readers – what are some of your favorite rituals, superstitions, and customs for New Years Eve? Please be sure to shout out in the comment section below. However you mark the occasion, I hope your New Year is magical, and Mercury Retrograde is kind.

New Years Magic Mercury Retrograde. January 5th to January 25th, 2016. Begins in Aquarius and ends in Capricorn. Mercury Retrograde is a good time to look backwards to fix what might be broken, before moving forward again. Some helpful stones to work with during this time are: Obsidian (grounding), Hematite (deflects negativity), Fluorite (balance),Sodalite (calming), and Labradorite (communication). New Years Magic