Before we rush into goals and vision boards, what if we gave ourselves a moment to pause? A moment to reflect not just on what we hope to become, but on what we’ve carried and what we’re finally ready to set down.
The end of the year holds a strange energy. It’s both soft and sharp. It invites us to dream, yes, but it also surfaces the echoes of what didn’t quite go to plan. Missed chances. Necessary endings. Private griefs we may not have spoken aloud.
This time of the season is a poignant shift, and it’s often a time when many of us reflect for better or for worse. This is all to say that December marks a transition where we often pine or yearn for what could have been or what once was. So, how can you move with that energy intentionally but also make it work in your favor?
“This season, instead of skipping straight to reinvention, I’m inviting you into a quieter ritual that is one of release.”
This season, instead of skipping straight to reinvention, I’m inviting you into a quieter ritual that is one of release. A gentle letting go. A way to mourn what was, honor what mattered, and create spaciousness before we move forward. Isn’t that kind of beautiful and sacred in its own right?
Astrologically, this time of year is ripe for reflection. “The Sun’s transit through Capricorn,” explains astrologer Letao Wang, “creates a sober, reflective atmosphere ideal for reviewing life’s structures.” He adds that 2025 carries extra weight, closing with a rare Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries — a cosmic signature for dissolving what no longer serves, and preparing for a true new beginning.
What follows are rituals, prompts, and reframes to help you clear space. Think: emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. So before the calendar turns, consider this your permission to feel, release, and begin again. 🕯️
Why reflection and release matter at year’s end
Think of the final weeks of the year as a portal for release. After all, December carries a subtle but unmistakable invitation: to slow down, look inward, and reckon with what has been. Even if you don’t follow astrology closely, you’ve probably felt the quiet pull to reflect, to rest, and to tie up loose emotional threads before stepping into what’s next.
“Think of the final weeks of the year as a portal for release.”
According to Letao, this feeling is both emotional and cosmic. “The end of every year is a potent time for release, marked by the Sun’s transit through Capricorn,” he explains. “Ruled by Saturn, planet of time and karma, this period creates a sober, reflective atmosphere ideal for reviewing life’s structures.”
This reflective energy culminates at the Winter Solstice, the darkest point in the year. It’s a time symbolizing deep rest and necessary closure. It’s not just the end of a calendar cycle; it’s a turning point between endings and new beginnings, both externally and within us.
“It’s not just the end of a calendar cycle; it’s a turning point between endings and new beginnings, both externally and within us.”
But 2025, Letao notes, brings an even deeper layer to this work. “We are approaching a rare Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries — an event not seen since 1703.” This planetary pairing forces a reckoning: Saturn, the planet of structure and accountability, meets Neptune, the planet of dreams and dissolution. “It compels us to release outdated systems and ambitions to make way for a true new beginning,” Letao says.
This is the energetic undercurrent of release for the purpose of clearing space for what’s more aligned. And as Letao points out, even the numerology of 2025 supports this theme: “2025 reduces to a 9, the number of completion. This vibration encourages us to conclude karmic cycles, forgive, and clear space, ready for the pioneering rebirth that Aries promises in 2026.”
So if you’ve felt unusually emotional, nostalgic, or compelled to declutter your life in these final days of the year, you’re not alone. This is the work of release. And it’s right on time.
Two year-end rituals to support letting go
Rituals don’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful. The simple act of naming what we’re ready to release — and allowing ourselves to feel it — can shift something inside. When paired with intention and a physical action, ritual becomes a kind of emotional alchemy: turning sorrow into softness and endings into a form of power.
“The simple act of naming what we’re ready to release — and allowing ourselves to feel it — can shift something inside.”
Here are two deeply grounding rituals from Letao Wang to help you close out the year with clarity and grace.
1. The Candlelit Letter & Bowl of Release
Best for: Emotional clarity, closure, and honoring both loss and growth
Do this ritual on New Year’s Eve, or whenever you feel the need to emotionally reset.
Begin by lighting a candle in any size or color that speaks to you. Let this be your source of clarity and warmth.
Write two letters to the universe on separate pieces of paper:
- The first is a letter of release. Pour out everything you’re letting go of: specific losses, regrets, or disappointments. Be honest. This is just for you.
- The second is a note of gratitude, a thank-you letter to the year itself. Even if it was hard. Even if all you can offer is, Thank you for the lessons.
Fold the first letter and burn it (safely!) in a fireproof bowl or dish. As the paper turns to ash, imagine the emotional weight dissolving with it.
“As the paper turns to ash, imagine the emotional weight dissolving with it.”
Fold the second letter and seal it in an envelope. Tuck it under your pillow for one night, then store it somewhere special to revisit later.
Letao says: “Burning is an act of alchemy, turning pain into ash. The thank-you note practices radical acceptance, a key to release while signaling to the universe what you’re ready to welcome next.”
2. The Water Ritual for Letting Go
Best for: Grief, emotional weight, and symbolically clearing space
This ritual helps transform emotional release into a full sensory, symbolic act. It can be done indoors with simple elements or outdoors near running water, if that feels resonant.
- Fill a large bowl with warm water and sea salt, this is your symbolic Ocean of Acceptance.
- Beside it, place a smaller, empty bowl for your Vessel of Held Burdens.
- Into the smaller bowl, place small natural objects (stones, leaves, herbs). Let each represent a sorrow, memory, or regret. Say them aloud if you’re able.
- Next, write your feelings or memories on small slips of paper. Place them on the surface of the salted water and watch the ink begin to dissolve.
- Gently add the stones or objects to the water. Swirl the bowl. When you’re ready, pour everything down a drain or into a natural stream.
- Rinse your hands and face with fresh water, and drink a full glass to complete the ritual.
Letao says: “This ritual turns letting go into a real, cleansing act. Water dissolves, salt purifies, and your body is renewed by the final sip.”
Journal prompts for release and renewal
If you’re seeking more after the ritual, here are two journaling prompts to guide you inward:
- Prompt #1: What am I still holding onto that no longer reflects who I am becoming?
Let your thoughts wander here — the answer may come as a memory, a belief, or even a version of yourself that you’re ready to gently release. - Prompt #2: What did this year teach me about my capacity to change?
Write without judgment. Even if the growth came through difficulty, there is wisdom worth honoring.
Take your time. Let your pen move slowly. You’re not here to fix anything. You are simply here just to listen, acknowledge, and begin the process of letting go.
A closing affirmation for the year’s end
To close your ritual, read this affirmation aloud or copy it somewhere you’ll see it in the days to come:
I honor the endings that brought me here. I release what no longer serves my heart. I trust the space I’ve made will welcome what’s meant for me.
Let this be your soft exhale. Your ritual of release. Your invitation to begin again.
Stephanie Valente is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a copywriter and editor covering wellness, commerce, lifestyle — and more — for publications like Brooklyn Magazine. Based in Brooklyn, she’s often writing poetry, getting lost in a book, or hanging out with her dog.
The post A Year-End Ritual For Releasing And Letting Things Go appeared first on The Good Trade.
