Welcome to 2026!

Before we dive in today, and if you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to first listen to last week’s meditation and read my Substack where I shared what I see to be the missing piece of the puzzle of this new year portal….reflection.

I know there can be an eagerness to leave the past behind and focus on the future, particularly if you, like me, found 2025 challenging. But please do spend some time in reflection first as it’s only by understanding where you’ve been that you can make more intentional decisions about where you’re going.

And then when you feel ready, this meditation practice is here to support you in creating an intention for 2026 and stepping into the new energy of this year. This is a slightly different meditation practice which is designed to be interactive, so make sure to have a journal and pen handy as there will be opportunities throughout to write from your heart in this beautiful meditative state.

The energetics of 2026

While 2025 asked us to shed, transform, let go and close chapters, 2026 asks us to move.

Of course the Year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac will continue until February which means that we will continue to feel this final push to shed over the next 6 or so weeks before we move into the Year of the Fire Horse. But to give you a little glimpse of what to expect, the Fire Horse brings an energy of forward movement, taking action, momentum and freedom.

The Horse brings their incredible energy and unstoppable nature backed by their ability to endure and persevere. It’s associated with enthusiasm, drive, courage, authenticity and a desire for freedom and adventure. And then the fire element brings the energy of passion, dynamism, energy and leadership.

There could be a potential with this energy to say yes to everything, to overextend or to chase momentum and so the invitation here is to let the wisdom gained in the Snake year guide the direction of your movement so that speed doesn’t come at the cost of alignment.

At the same time, numerologically, 2026 is a 1 year, the beginning of a brand new cycle. A 1 year carries the energy of new beginnings, a fresh start, initiation, identity and creation. It’s the seed moment. The point of origin. The blank canvas full of possibility.

And this isn’t about creating something perfect, but more about experimenting. It isn’t about looking around and seeing what other people are painting and blindly copying, but about creating something unique and true to you, no matter what it looks like. This isn’t about conforming but about self-expression, experimentation, innovation and the courage to try. There is also a strong theme here of self-discovery, identity, independence, moving out of your comfort zone and taking a risk on something new.

And it’s funny as I’m writing this I can’t help but be reminded that in many ways the 1 year brings a similar energy to teenagehood. A time which can be laden with the pressure to conform or risky behaviour, but also a time which is deeply focused on self, finding your place in the world, craving independence, experimenting, individuality and self-expression.

Together, the Horse and 1 year combination is a powerful new chapter. And what makes this pairing especially potent is that your experience of 2026 will be deeply informed by the energetics of 2025.

The Horse doesn’t want to carry excess weight.The 1 year doesn’t want to repeat old cycles unconsciously.

So anything that wasn’t released, integrated or acknowledged in 2025 may continue to make itself known this year. And of course not as a punishment, but ultimately for your highest good and evolution.

So now that you know a little more about the energetics of 2026, I wanted to share a few thoughts on this new year portal.

Firstly, there is no pressure to have “completed” 2025 and you haven’t failed if you are still in your process of reflection and working out exactly what your intentions are for the year ahead.

Sometimes it can take time to settle into the new energy of the new year. And remember that the zodiac year doesn’t start until the March Equinox/Aries season and the Chinese New Year doesn’t start until February.

And particularly if you are in Australia, and I know even more so for parents, it often feels like the new year doesn’t really start in full force until school starts back after the summer holidays.

So while it can be lovely to lean into the celebration and symbolism of the new year, if you are feeling rushed or pressured in any way, here is your invitation to take the pressure off. Give yourself time. Allow yourself space to process, reflect, consider, contemplate and sink into the new year.

You don’t have to launch in.

You can ease in gently.

Secondly, at a time of year when there is so much focus on the future and what’s coming next, on setting SMART goals and writing resolutions, on creating a vision board…..it can be all to easy to lose sight of the present moment.

And I’ve come to realise that an antidote to losing yourself in ‘what’s coming next’ is ritual.

Rituals are something that I’ve really leant on heavily this past year and in many ways they have been my anchor and source of stability in a year which has otherwise felt very uncertain. And to give you a little idea as to what I mean by ritual, these are some of the rituals I have leant on throughout this new year portal.

* Meditation

This probably comes as no surprise to you as I obviously create and share my weekly meditations here on Substack which I love. But after listening to a podcast with Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, Gelong Thubten, I’ve been inspired to incorporate a silent meditation practice rather than always opting for guided meditations. And this is already bringing me a huge amount of calm and clarity to start my day.

* New Year Letter

I started this ritual last year where I wrote a letter to myself to open on the 1st of January 2026. And this was actually a really lovely practice….and also very interesting to see how much I’ve changed over this last year and read the things I thought I wanted which I now see were actually not true or authentic. And of course after reading last years letter, I put pen to paper and wrote this years to open on the 1st of January 2027.

* Cacao ceremony

I sat a beautiful New Years cacao ceremony…..while cacao has been something I’ve dabbled in this year, I feel the definite pull to make this a deeper, more regular and intentional practice and so I have signed up to a membership with twice-monthly ceremonies and I am so looking forward to deepening this ritual over the coming year.

* 13 wishes

This is a new ritual which I started this year and have loved! Starting on the summer solstice here in Australia (winter solstice for my Northern hemisphere readers) I wrote 13 wishes and burnt one each night for 12 nights symbolising me releasing them to the universe to take care of….and the final wish remaining is my personal responsibility.

* The Beach

The beach has been, and I think always will be, my most consistent and most loved ritual. The ocean is my ultimate source of wisdom, love, connection and belonging and I don’t think words could ever describe the gravitational pull I feel towards it.

While some of these rituals are more ceremonial and grand, there are so many other little rituals that I incorporate into my day-to-day life to bring pockets of presence and mindfulness. Whether this is lighting a candle and setting an intention before a client session, pulling a card or enjoying a cup of tea in silence. And in fact I often find that it’s the small simple seemingly unimportant moments which can be easily overlooked or rushed through which have the greatest potential to make a difference to your day when come to with presence and intention.

So a gentle invitation for you today to bring a little more ritual into not only this new year portal, but also your daily life.

And perhaps one of these rituals could be to create a cosy space, make a hot drink, listen to this meditation and pull out a journal. And here I’d encourage you firstly to just brain dump and free-write any words, visuals, feelings, thoughts, intentions which came to you during the meditation. And then if you feel called to go deeper you may like to consider the following questions….

* What wisdom are you carrying forward from 2025?

* If you allowed yourself to start without needing certainty, what would you begin?

* What feels like a true, aligned first step….not the whole plan, just the first step?

* Where in your life do you feel a desire for more freedom, movement or expression?

* What simple ritual could support you in staying connected to yourself this year?

I hope this meditation brings you the opportunity to ease in gently to the shifting energetics of 2026, and as always, I’m here if there is anything you’d like to share.

And if there is someone you think will enjoy this meditation, you are welcome to share it with them.

If you enjoyed this free series of meditations and are keen to carry a meditation practice through 2026, I invite you to join me as a paid subscriber where I share weekly guided meditations to bring you a little more calm, connection and presence.

With love and gratitude,

Alice x

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