Birthdays may no longer contain the whimsical excitement in adulthood that they once did in childhood. For some of us, birthdays may have always been a point of contention. The introverts among us may not like the attention, while others may entertain the existential questions that arise with age. Some of us feel  pressure to “do something", to organize a celebration as part of the birthday status quo, or may feel a ton of emotional charge during this time of year.

And then there are those of us who love our birthday. The day when we get full permission to do whatever we want and bask in the love. The day when we get messages, well wishes, social media blasts, and phone calls from loved ones. Some of us love to receive gifts and relish the moments when people we love – including ourselves – take time to think of us. Some of us feel an energetic surge on and around our birthday, and emotions are elevated and merry. 

Regardless of where you fall on the birthday excitement spectrum, one thing is for sure that your birthday is a powerful day. It is the day that you came into earthly existence. The first moment you took breath into your tiny little lungs. It is a day worthy of your presence.

So, put candles on the cake or not. Go out and celebrate or go to bed early. Talk to all of those that love you extensively or offer a simple “thank you” for their well wishes. Throw yourself a party or make a date with your bestie. However you choose to do it, acknowledging the day that marks the beginning of your lifetime can be an act of self-love, regardless if you do it quietly or loud and proud. The important thing? Make it about what you want.

How do you spend your birthday?

One way to offer reverence to this day is to perform a ritual that brings you into connection with the sacred, empowering self-reflection, perspective-offering contemplation, and personal restoration. Here are seven alternative ways to celebrate your birthday, the day you were first introduced to earth:

1. Write a love letter to yourself. Make this the best birthday card you ever received, and guaranteed it is the one that matters most. Take some time to reflect on everything the past year has brought you. Note everything that has gone well, celebrate even the smallest wins and moments of real growth, and point out the ways in which you are proud of yourself. Celebrate yourself; you might even find that the hard bits of this past year carried many unexpected blessings. Write down all of the silver linings, the gifts, the learnings, the growth. Enter into this next revolution around the sun with the vibration of gratitude and integration.
   
   
   
2. Have a slow indulgent self-love morning. Allow yourself to have your most ideal morning on your own terms and schedule. Wake up when you feel like it, drink your morning beverage with a sense of timelessness, indulge in a lush bath or steamy shower, light a candle with your birthday intentions, move your body to celebrate your health, pause to meditate with the day, and enjoy your favorite meal. You might even dress up and decorate your home with fresh flowers. Make this day simply special and deeply self-loving based on what you most desire.
   
   
   
3. Create your own Intention Candle: This is a beautiful ritual for the magick lovers. Straight from The Moon Deck 'desire' card ritual, this candle comes to life when charged with intention. Find a simple pillar candle (we prefer natural beeswax or a vegetable-based wax), something to carve your inscription into the wax, and your favorite essential oil. Take a moment to meditate on your core intention, breathing into what arises. When clear, carve into the wax the words and/or symbols that represent this intention. Then, massage your essential oil into the pillar candle with clear presence. Light the candle and bask in its glow while feeling the essence of your core intention. Light your candle and sit with it daily until it burns to the bottom. Check out our Intention Candle and ritual video here.
   
   
   
4. Write your own eulogy. This one can bring up a lot and can be immensely powerful. Take some time before writing to get grounded and comfortable. Light a candle if you wish. Imagine that you are at your own funeral. What would you want the eulogy to say about you? How do you want to be remembered? What stands out for the people who love you about the way you lived and the person you were? This is a moment to state the intention of how you want to live your life from this day forward while acknowledging all that has brought you here today. By doing so, you start living this intention the moment you write it.
   
   
   
5. Create your knowing statement. A Knowing Statement is a phrase that you will repeat to yourself every day for the next year. Though it may evolve over time, choose a quality or a vision for yourself that you are stepping into. Make it in the present tense so that it translates to the subconscious as truth. When we repeat a statement over and over, it forms a neural pathway that turns into a belief which then affects our perceptions and our actions. Now is the time to step into a new knowing. Write it down on a piece of paper. You can choose to decorate the paper any way you like. Place your Knowing Statement where you will see it every day. Say it when you wake up, before you go to bed, and any other time you see it. You can draw inspiration for your Knowing Statement from The Moon Deck cards or make up your own. Examples of knowing statements include:
   
   I am standing in my power.
   I am deeply connected to my knowing.
   I honor the beautiful vessel that is my body.
   I am integrated and whole.
   
   
   
6. Honor Mother Earth. We are all alive because of Earth. In many cultures the Earth is known as “mother” because of her unconditional love and her bringing into existence all of life. A birthday is an incredible time to pay homage to this sacred connection. Take yourself to a special spot in nature. If you are in a city, this might be park or a local garden. Offer gratitude in the way of prayer, song, saliva, a plate of food your ancestors would have loved, a nature altar, or a piece of your hair. Offer a gift to the great mother, thanking her for all the gifts you get to receive simply for being alive. Stay as long as you can in this sweet nature spot or explore more of the land, for our bodies respond so well to the healing it offers us.
   
   
   
7. Cleanse, Clear, and Beautify Your Space. Birthdays are a beautiful time for a refreshing and cleansing ritual. It's a perfect time to reset and recommit to our alignment and wellbeing. Declutter, organize your drawers, give away clothes you no longer wear, re-arrange your furniture, clear your kitchen, and refresh any corners that need attention. Open the windows, move the air, and use ethically sourced sage or copal to cleanse the energy in your space. Clean and update your altar and add a small vessel of clean water + a fresh candle + flowers. Sweep out the debris and create more space in your abode. Step into this next year with a clear and organized environment that will allow you the structure and spaciousness needed for creativity, manifestation, health, love, and joy.
   
   

Whether you want to enjoy a solo birthday or a celebration with beloveds this year, having a sacred moment with yourself is one of the best birthday gifts you can receive and will help amplify your intentions for the coming year. 

Know someone who has a birthday coming up? Share this blog post with them to inspire a ritual of self-love and appreciation. xo