Intentional Endings & Beginnings...Tending our Thresholds ;)

My rituals for closing the year

Photo by Alex Padurariu on Unsplash

The end of our calendar year is approaching, and even though I’m perfectly aware that 2025 has run its course, I still feel endlessly surprised by how quickly the end of the year seems to arrive.

The end of any year is a big threshold, and somehow this one feels especially significant.

Perhaps because the end of 2025 closes the first quarter of our century. Perhaps because we are now five years out from the pandemic.

Either way, I think a lot of people have sensed that 2026 would bring some sort of turning point in our collective evolution — not a good or bad one per say, but one with a noticeable shift in the zeitgeist.

I’m noticing more Aquarian values taking hold of the collective consciousness.

For years, many of us sensitive folks have been quietly rebelling against a wellness movement that focuses on individual hacks vs the interconnected wellness of all beings — including the planet herself. We’ve been calling for smaller scale agriculture and awareness of the watersheds we live within.

Now everywhere I look I see people talking about systems thinking and local ecosystems. A leadership training I attended literally asked us if we knew our watersheds. The scales are tipping away from the Piscean meditations of the emotional individual and into the systemic evolution of the Aquarian’s higher mind.

Part of my own year-end rituals involve channeling insights on the energies of our collective (see last year’s here). I’ve always been a wee bit obsessed with pattern tracking and navigating these energetics by looking to where they began, how they’ve moved, and their most likely trajectory based on this knowledge. I’ll let you all know what this year brings up ;)

To support these year-end rituals, I have a few helpful tools and practices:

First, I close up shop and give myself a staycation-style retreat. I don’t really stop working, but I create space for deep work. The cocoon of retreat is where I can focus on creative practices and visioning for the new year. And I cook. A lot.

In preparation for this deep work retreat, I’ll be closing my apothecary and perfumery for the season on December 15th. Get your orders in before then, as many prices will go up to reflect my rising costs in the new year.

Second, I take time to honor the 13 holy nights. This is a beautiful way to enter into a truly quiet and intentional space in preparation for the new year.

Third, I create space for multi-sensory rituals. I love rituals as a way of life. My end of year rituals usually involve some sort of fire ceremony, along with oracle card readings and creating a work of art that holds the intentions of my new year. Sometimes a painting, sometimes a perfume, sometimes both.

I’ve also started offering oracle reading + custom aromatic spirit sprays as a way to share these practices. There are only 13 spots available, so hop on the waitlist if you’re interested.

Fourth, I journal. Like a crazy person. I write so much it’s ridiculous.

I reflect on the year behind me, what I’ve learned, what I can celebrate, and what I want to do differently in the future. Then I set intentions for the new year in partnership with spirit and my own highest wisdom.

And I take a lot of time to reflect on those collective energetics I mentioned, along with how they will impact me and how I want to impact that collective: My journaling is never just about me — it’s always exploring the larger webs of life that I live within.

Over the years, I’ve compiled my process into a guidebook for this year-end transition — one that I love to share so that you can create rituals and intentions around big thresholds, too. And so that you can go beyond typical self reflective exercises and step into systems awareness.

​You can find this process in Reflect, Integrate, Envision: A Workbook for the Soul — an immediately downloadable PDF guide.

And this week, it’s on sale :)

Along with all my other digital courses and ebooks. Because. Black Friday.

I’ve packaged up some of my favorite digital resources into thematic bundles, which you can explore here. Want the journal? It’s in the Intentional Living Bundle, which is only $37.

Regardless of the journal, I hope this little note inspires you to set aside a bit of time to close 2025 in a good way, to reflect on what’s to come, and to take little moments for yourself as we cross the threshold of our year.

Also, if you’d like to connect in community around this, I’ll be offering one last live workshop for the year in December. (This will be free for any paid Substack subscribers.) Keep an eye out for more info soon :)

Juniper Stokes is a botanical perfumer, soul alchemist, and rewilding guide through mythic landscapes of the nature, spirit, and the cosmos. For over 25 years, she has been guiding soulful humans back to the heart of who they are and why they’re here.

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P.S. You can save up to 40% off my online courses with bundles this week — now through Sunday at midnight PT.

P.P.S. The 13 spots for oracle readings and plant allies open on December 1. Waitlisters get early access. ;)

P.P.P.S. Here’s a Thanksgiving read for you :)

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