Looking Ahead to 2022

Here I sit, January 1, 2022, realizing that I don’t have a new planner! I personally find something cozy and soothing about taking a moment at the beginning of the year, the month, the week, to sort my mind by way of paper and pen. Until I get that covered, I thought I’d hop on my blog and share my goals here! Some of them are very obviously religious in nature, but others are more creative or related to self-care. I share them here, in no particular order, as a form of accountability.

• Deepen my understanding of Ogham through further study and introspection. This will involve completing my set of oak fews I’ve been working on.
  
• Do more with my grove! The last two years have been so hard, and 2021 found me positively burnt out, especially with digital anything. However, I want to revisit options for the winter. I want to schedule a nature walk with everyone! We keep talking about it–let’s do it! I need to prioritize maintaining and strengthening my circle as I’m so blessed to have it.
  
• On a similar note, I want to focus more on the Pagan community physically around me – both in Northern NY and Upstate in general. The pandemic made me turn online more. While I’ve made some valuable connections and friendships there (here?), I’ve withdrawn from the people around me. I’m not sure what this will entail…but I want to communicate more with friends in other group in my area. I’d like to strengthen our fellowship. I don’t say this to diminish the bonds I and others have formed online. Those are very special and real (and definitely worth maintaining due to safety and accessibility concerns), yet I crave the workshops and festivals I used to know. I crave in-person fellowship once more. This will largely depend on everything else, but reaching out is a start.
  
• For writing, I want to “finish” and tidy up my manuscript, “Plant Lady,” so it’s presentable for my editors. This will require a few personal rounds of revisions and editing, then some beta readers, then more tweaking. Ideally, I’d have something to submit by the end of the year, but it may be an early 2023 goal. That’s okay.
  
• Write another short story. Not sure about what. Maybe it will feature characters from Rituals of Rock Bay. Maybe not. More than likely “Witch Lit.”
  
• Read a writing craft book. I have two on my shelf, and I should dedicate some time to at least one.
  
• Read more for joy! I have a TBR pile a mile long! At the very least, I want to read the books my mother and sister gave me for Winter Solstice last year. I also want to read and review more Witch Lit! And, of course, at least three books pertaining to my religious practice.
  
• On the arts and crafts front, I intend to sew more fabric art dolls. I’ve been feeling the pull recently, and a friend who runs a gallery has been urging me to get back into it. Taking it as a sign!
  
• I’m going to be modest with garden plans this year, but I intend to add more to the shrine garden and continually improve existing beds.
  
• Do more hiking! I want to make this the year we climb Cascade, one of the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. Let’s do it!!!

If you read this far, thanks for your time and support. Best wishes to you and yours this 2022! I hope to share some of my progress here and on my various social media haunts.