From Anxiety to Alignment: Sacred Rituals for Bold New Beginnings

In this episode of Happy Hour for the Spiritually Curious, Dr. Sandra Marie and Reiki Master Nikki Ackerman explore rituals for new beginnings—from decluttering your space to fire ceremonies, visioning practices, and daily gratitude. Learn how to trust the universe, set powerful intentions, and create space for transformation.

Topics Covered:
✔️ Why perspective shapes your experience of new beginnings
✔️ The difference between visioning and visualization
✔️ Simple rituals to clear energy and invite new opportunities
✔️ How fire ceremonies and gratitude amplify manifestation
✔️ Trusting the universe’s plan for you

Links

Nikki Ackerman

Dr. Sandra Marie

Chapters

• 0:00 Rituals for New Beginnings
• 7:09:00 Trusting the Universe
• 10:01:00 Creating Space for Peace
• 15:20:00 Integrating Daily Rituals

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00.078)
Welcome to the happy hour for the spiritually curious podcast where curiosity meets consciousness. I'm your host, Dr. Sanda Marie, and I'm joined by my co-host, Nikki Ackerman, for another episode of our special series, Unlocking Your Universe. Grab your favorite drink, open your heart, and let's dive into today's conversation.

So today's, this will be an interesting conversation, Nikki. We're gonna talk about rituals for new beginnings. It's early in the year, a lot happening out there, I think personally and certainly globally. So rituals for new beginning, creating space for what's next. I would say in other shows when I've asked that question, I feel like there's a lot of angst out there about what's next, but

I don't know what's happened with me and I've shifted and I really just don't have any angst about it. So it's almost even hard for me to say those words, but I do want to acknowledge that there are a lot of folks, because I do have folks in my life that do have, you know, some concerns for that. Your thoughts on rituals for new beginnings. We could go down a lot of different paths for that, for what's next. I guess let's define what's next.

Great question. I feel very like I may be in a similar space as you. And when people start thinking ahead to the year of what's up to come, that's exactly what they're doing. They're moving their perspective, if you will, from this now moment to looking ahead. And then their mind, from what they have experienced in the past with their ego, it starts to project into the future, whether they've had a preferable or maybe not a preferable experience.

the recent past or maybe even the distance past and start anticipating or start becoming nervous, if you will, or maybe even eager as to what's going to take place or what's going to happen within 2025. However, I love the idea when the more centered I am and the more that I actually practice self-awareness and just being in this now moment, that the idea of what's next is really.

Speaker 2 (02:19.564)
like a childlike experience of what's unfolding. What do I get to see? It's almost like a child being ready to open up a present. If you all, there's almost like an excitement. In the past, it would be so easy to make these ideas of what's to come and having these ideas, whether we are thinking it's gonna be a great year or maybe a not so great year. I really don't even fathom that kind of thinking at this point.

Even though I know a lot of people do. Saying that, I think if we can look at creating some space for what's next, it doesn't necessarily have to be at the beginning of the year. It could be in any moment at any time to start with. But why not since, you know, the new year and people have this fresh beginning, if you will. In going into rituals, there's so many things people can do outwardly as well as inwardly. And I think for me,

one of the things that has really been beneficial for me is, and this could go into another talk as well too, is I have this altar, if you will. So I have an altar that I always go to to really remind me that there's always a sacred space we can go into. And so there's a space where we literally get to spend time to go within and to just be with whatever it is that you believe is something much.

bigger than yourselves, whether it's the universe, your soul, self, God, whatever you want to call it, nature, life, love. There is this inner space that is all loving that is always for us, you know, that is not dualistic, that is always guiding and wanting the best for us. And so just being able to tap into that space, you know, so first there's part of me that says from a ritualistic point is like, can we have a clean space? Can we

beautify a space around us, get rid of the clutter, just open up that space so that energy can flow. And so it does something, it makes us feel comfortable, right? And then so when we can tap into that space, then it's like, okay, I'm showing the universe that I'm opening, I'm releasing, and I'm allowing in the new. And so then when we can center, we can go into and we can just center ourselves.

Speaker 2 (04:41.834)
And without judgment, and she's going to a practice of awareness. Can we review the things in our past that maybe we found to be beneficial that we'd like to continue and maybe jot those things down in a journal? Can we review the things that we found that were not so beneficial, the things that we're really trying to release or no longer want in our lives? Can we acknowledge those things? Then can we give bread?

for all of it, the preferable and the not so preferable, because it's all gotten us to where we are right here in this now moment. And then can we just hold that just in a personal ceremony, if you will, and then we could do that. We could have a ceremony. We can light a candle. We can go into consciousness and then we can sit and then what I like to do, whether it's for my holistic practice, whether it's for my personal life, whether it's supporting

Another friend in her holistic practice is literally doing a visioning session. And now this is a little bit different than saying visualization. We're allowing something much greater than ourselves to show us what is to come. What is to show us what our next steps are and whether we get responses right away or not, it really doesn't matter because it's already out there. Whatever we can imagine, whatever we are desiring.

kind goes along with the manifestation episode. When we put that into that space, so if we can imagine we are all interconnected beings and not only are we all interconnected beings, there is this alive intelligence that surrounds, encompasses and unfolds us. If we can think it, if we can visualize it and we can feel it, it's done. It's already there. Can we then move out of our way of doubt? Can we move out of our way of fear and just hold that

feeling tone and hold that sense. You know, just picture that, give thanks for it. And that can be a ritual for new beginnings. And we don't necessarily, we're not necessarily put out there exactly who we want because if we can remember that we are limited beings, we, our minds are limited, right? And that the universe wants to give us probably a thousand times more than what we can imagine. That's what's going to show up. For new beginnings, if we're desiring new beginnings,

Speaker 2 (07:09.422)
beginnings, we can go through those processes. The other thing I would also hold on to is really with the gratitude, just knowing that you're supported and embrace the quality of clarity and courage. Because the last thing is when we get clarity, we get inspired to take steps, to take action, if you will, for those, for whatever is to unveil, unveil itself and unfold.

next to our lives. However, we could be scared. I have to do what? Or I need to do what? You know, it reminds me of my teacher, Reverend Michael Beckwith. What he says is the universe doesn't call the qualified. The universe qualifies the called. As we have that courage, those things are going to come up and move into our lives, if you will, or what's going to show up next.

show up with a little bit more using grace.

Wow, that was a lot. That was a lot. And it's important. goes back to the universe is unlimited and can offer us so much more than we could expect. It goes back to that picker thing. Like I may be picking that I need a new car, but the universe may be out there ready to give me something so much more that would be so much more useful because

I don't know the cause and effect of what I'm picking down the road. It's trusting, trust the universe. know, are you able to trust the universe? Which isn't always so easy, but I do think that you evolve into that point as you're doing the work and you're staying in the practice. You do start to trust it, because we talk about that, right? It's sort of like me.

Speaker 1 (09:06.254)
quitting my job and moving out into the middle of nowhere on this farm because I feel like this is what the universe wants me to do and it doesn't seem to make sense to anyone. I mean, some days it doesn't make sense to me either, but what I do know is I have a sense of peace like I've never had at any time in my life. You know, I want to say existence, but we've lived a lot of lives. I'm here.

I'm trusting the universe and it all seems to be working out grandly like who would have thought. 10 years ago, I might have wanted to do it, but I wouldn't have trusted the universe to do it because it was illogical in my human-ness and I had to give up control. you know, I don't like that or I didn't like that. Now it doesn't honestly seem important to me at all.

That's the thing is it's just fascinating how we transition and it's fun to talk to someone like you who's known me for a very long time, know, has seen some of that or, you know, now that I recognize it myself, it makes so much sense. The rituals are a big thing. Like I set intentions when I go to bed for my sleep space. What is my intention while I'm asleep? Like what am I working on? And when you were talking about the clearing,

I do a lot of work with the colors. The colors are coded with a lot of different programs. Each of these colors have a lot of different templates, and I'm sure that's a whole different conversation that we can have for someone who's like, what the hell are they even talking about? What do mean the colors have templates? We can get into that, but there's a lot of tools that you can use. But one of the big ones that I've always used, whether living in the city or the farm, is I had a clay pot where

I would throw sayings or something I wanted to get rid of and I burn it with the full moon. I have my fire ceremonies. I'll have fire ceremonies in the city. I'm sure it was perhaps not within code, but it was never an issue. But I have a lot of fire ceremonies out here. Process of burning is like a letting go. It's for me, it's symbolizes letting go and dissipating. The physicalness is now created into

Speaker 1 (11:31.114)
a different medium when you burn it, right? So it's just shifting the energy. To me, the rituals can just be so simple. I've talked about, I dress myself in words, but you brought up the gratitude. think, you know, like a gratitude practice is really, really significant. And for those of us who have follow through issues or attention span issues, you know, a gratitude partner is great and it's a lot of fun.

It really is a lot of fun to do that.

One other thing that's coming to me too is about creating space for what's new is we could actually, if someone wants to get into kind of intense, I guess, but a real daily ritual of it. As we end our day, one can do a ritual as one is as they're getting ready to get ready for bed. Like they shower, they can cleanse, they can release all of the day.

And then before one gets into bed, don't carry in the bed with you and in your mind the day. What can we do that would support going to bed and allow a little bit of peace and allow and letting go of putting aside all that had happened during the day. We can shower, we can light a candle, we can go into a brief meditation. And meditation doesn't have to be a huge big thing. Some people.

shy away from meditation. If you can literally just even do a progressive muscle relaxation and just feel the sensations from head to toe and just holding different body muscles and allowing them when you breathe in, just hold and tighten body muscles and then slowly as you exhale, let them release on their own. Allow your body to release the sensations of the day because we're holding on to things with our physical body as well too.

Speaker 2 (13:25.774)
So as we release and work our way from head to toe, we allow that energy to release into the earth. And then if we feel like we need to journal something to release it even more, and I'm hesitant with that sometimes, we just want to, maybe we don't want to get into a whole story before going to the bed. So maybe if we're going to journal anything before going to bed, what am I grateful for? And just write down things and there doesn't have to be a specific amount. It's just, are we grateful for?

And then as we put in our gratitude, can we take ourselves with a grateful heart and just embrace that and just remind ourselves of spiritual principle? We're all one. The only power is the universe, God, Spirit, whatever you want to look at, and that anything else, there is no circumstance, there's no condition that has power, it's pseudo power. So God is the only power and that God is loving. And so when we can embrace that and know that we are fully supported,

And we can rest knowing that universe has our back that clears the space. then for those who astral travel, for those who journey in the evening and the night while they're asleep and they go to different places, if you will. Or if you just get a peaceful sleep and you wake up and you renew and afresh, you're starting a whole new day. You're starting a whole new experience. So that's another way of bringing out something new.

It doesn't have to be something new and different than you're adding into your routine. Just when you talk about when you take the shower and thinking about it, showering in a different way, the cleansing. When you were talking about clearing yourself from sleep, what I realized is I do this all the time, but I didn't connect that that is how I settle out my day.

I love the night sky, I the stars, the moon, even if it's cloudy, like there's just different configurations. And I would say pretty consistently in the evening as I'm getting ready to go to bed and sometimes I'll even get up in the middle of the night if I'm not sleeping well, and I'll just go outside and immerse myself in the night sky.

Speaker 1 (15:44.556)
And it just settles me down. I don't have anything I say or I do. I just am present with the sky, if that makes any sense. It releases for me so that I'm more settled when I do go to bed or like, or go back to bed. And I never even thought of it. So I'm thinking that there's listeners out there that there's things that you're already doing that you can just set more intention with it.

Salute.

Speaker 2 (16:15.47)
We're not talking about redefining a whole new way of being. Take what works for you, integrate what you already do and remind yourself the attention of those things that we're doing.

Nice, it's nice and simple and it has such a huge positive effect of connection and it really does unlock your universe in so many different ways that either you'll recognize in the moment or you'll recognize down the road. For everyone out there, thank you for joining us. We do appreciate you. Remember.

The universe expands with your curiosity, so stay open, stay curious, keep unlocking your universe. We're excited to be part of your journey. Thanks, Nikki.

You're welcome. And if anyone has any experience they would like to share, we would love to hear what your experiences are as well.

absolutely, absolutely. You can go to WildSoulsGathering.com and we'll have a link up there and a page to these episodes and anything else that you want to talk about. It's wide open. Thank you. Until next time.

Speaker 1 (17:33.048)
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Wild Soul Gathering's Happy Hour for the Spiritually Curious. To learn more about our guests, please go to our website, WildSoulsGathering.com. We're very eager to hear from our listeners what you thought of the episode, topics you might like us to cover in the future, your thoughts on spirituality, questions you may have. Please feel free to send us an email at WildSoulsGathering.gmail.com.

This is your host, Dr. Sandra Marie, sending each of you peace and love. Until we meet again, embrace your wild soul.