There was a new moon on the first day of a new year.
We lit a fire.
We set intentions, scrawling them secretly, folding them carefully into small squares of paper in the middle of an elaborate arrangement of flowers and candies and grains and seeds and sugar and wine.
The bundle burned slowly, the temperature low, the wood still faintly damp.
We chatted and waited and watched. Shifted away from the smoke and watched some more.
A log fell suddenly, burnt through by now, and with the moving heat the flame rose fierce around the bundle, encompassing it quickly now, then fluttered small until there was almost nothing but the coals glowing hot still. 
Weekly Photo Challenge – Beginning
Love that, and love how you spent new years day eve!
Thanks Guap! And a happy new year to you 🙂
Beautiful way to start the year. Happy 2014:)
Yes, it was a gorgeous evening, with the soft calls of a screech owl in the distance as the sun set… Very beautiful, if a little cold…
Awesome pictures! Yeah, it’s kind of like burning away the old year, and having the new one, like a phoenix, rise from the ashes…
Thanks Spartacus. There is something about it that helps you clarify your thoughts and direction as you go through the process. The reason rituals exist, I guess…
Ahh, glorious, Kat. Simply glorious.
Thank you Dawn 🙂
And happy new year!
Happy New Year to you as well. WordPress stopped sending me all blog posts over the holidays… thought everyone was taking a break. Until I figured out that this didn’t make sense. Arrgh. Sorry if I missed anything. Hope your holidays were wonderful.
Oh, dear, how annoying.
Don’t think you missed anything from me – I was busy and partly out of town, so I was mostly offline.
Dawn – you’re health? Doing okay?
Yes, thanks Kat. Not 100% yet; sleep is the big issue now, but I’ve definitely turned the corner and I’m getting better every day. So annoying how long it takes to get in shape, and how little time it takes to fall out of it!! Thanks for asking. xo
Love your take, both the writing and the imagery.
Thanks so much! I almost didn’t write anything, but I know I prefer the combo pack… 🙂
[…] Follow Your Nose […]
Lovely way to start the new year.
Yes, a beautiful moment in a beautiful evening.
Happy new year, Slp 🙂
Salut Kat
Tu es un véritable talent d’auteure. As-tu déjà pensé à écrire un livre ou de la poésie?
Tes photos sont excellentes.
Bonne Année mon amie
Maurice xx
Merci bien, Maurice.
Et bonne année!
[…] New Year Beginning | follow your nose […]
Beauty.
xxx
Happy new year, B
Beautiful and a little haunting.
Thank you, Xina Marie!
And welcome 🙂
[…] New Year Beginning | follow your nose […]
Beautiful. Wishes for a creative and wonderful year, Kat.
Thanks Karen. Best wishes to you and yours as well.
Wonderful.
There’s a folklore characater here called Saci (a one-legged, pipe smoking escaped slave boy) who get’s up to all sorts of mischief. It is Saci who plays with fire embers. He juggles them 🙂
Oh my, the mischief-maker and fire….an African-diaspora Hermes, it sounds like? Thanks so much for that connection, John.
And happy new year!
What a beautiful essay in pictures and words. I love the softness of the flames
Thank you, Chris – yes, the flames enchanted me, they looked almost like flowers…
How great! Wish you much success with the intentions but whatever happens you’ll have a lovely memory of the year’s beginning.
Haha! Truth be told, I’ve already forgotten my intentions (they were a little amorphous, I remember that much) but it was a beautiful evening, and I like these wispy flame photos, so yes, all good 🙂
Thanks Tina
Thank you for telling this story the way you do, Kat! Enjoy 2014!
You too, TMS, happy new year!
[…] New Year Beginning | follow your nose […]
[…] New Year Beginning | follow your nose […]
[…] New Year Beginning | follow your nose […]
Fabulous
Thank you, dear friend, and happy new year
Love this, you lit a fire, I lit a blue candle.. 🙂 The fire spirits gave a beautiful dance..
Happy New year to you also.. 🙂 xxx
A great start to the year! I love that first picture by the way ….
Oh, the deep blues and the fire glowing orange? Yes, I like that too… 🙂
Yes that, but also the composition with the figure silhouetted in the flames and the house lights in the distance giving both depth and context. They all add up to a lovely image!