Most of us were taught that January 1st is the day to set goals.
Make lists. Plan the year. Fix what's broken. Start fresh.
But here's what I've learned after years of teaching meditation and working with thousands of people:
The dead of winter is not a natural time to force manifestation.
This is a season of rest. Stillness. Darkness. Going into the unmanifest, the void where all creation begins.
This isn't stagnation. It's fertile soil.
And yet, we've been conditioned to believe that January demands hustle.
What if there was another way?
What is Augury?
Years ago, my best friend Layla Martin introduced me to an ancient practice called Augury.
Augury means beginning the year by embodying the frequency you want to live in, not by planning abstract goals, but by doing one small, true action today that reflects the kind of year you want to have.
It's not about fixing your whole life.
It's about choosing how you want to feel right now.
How Augury Works
If you want a year of physical health, do something today that creates physical health in your body.
Go for a walk. Stretch. Make a nourishing meal. Move in a way that feels alive.
If you want a year of abundance, do something today that makes you feel abundant.
Cook a beautiful breakfast. Give generously. Take yourself somewhere you love. Let yourself receive something small and sweet.
If you want a year of love, do something today that makes you feel in love with your life.
Call someone you adore. Write yourself a kind note. Spend time doing something that lights you up.
You're not planning the future.
You're living it now.
Timeline Collapse
This is what I call timeline collapse.
Instead of waiting for "someday I'll be healthy" or "someday I'll feel abundant," you choose to feel it today.
When you do this, something shifts.
You stop living in the gap between who you are and who you want to become.
You stop waiting for external circumstances to change before you allow yourself to feel good.
You remember that the frequency you want to live in is available right now.
Why Winter Asks Something Different
Here's the part most wellness culture doesn't tell you:
Winter is not the time to force growth.
This is the season of rest. Stillness. Darkness. Going into the unmanifest.
In ancient traditions, winter was understood as the time when nature withdraws. Seeds rest in the earth. Trees pull their energy inward. Animals hibernate.
This isn't failure. This is how life works.
The unmanifest is not empty. It's full of potential.
Augury honors this.
Instead of pushing yourself to become someone new, you simply choose how you want to feel today.
You let that be enough.
Meditation as Augury
For me, one of the most powerful forms of Augury is meditation.
Meditation is how I choose my internal frequency every single day.
It's how I practice regulation, clarity, and grounded presence.
If I want a year of peace, I meditate today.
If I want a year of vitality, I give my body deep rest that fuels my energy. Meditation gives me rest that's five times deeper than sleep.
If I want a year of clarity, I de-excite my nervous system so I can hear my own wisdom without the noise of stress clouding my perception.
Meditation is not about forcing yourself to stop thinking or "clear your mind."
It's about accessing a verifiable fourth state of consciousness where your body heals, your mind becomes more adaptable, and you remember who you are beneath the stress.
It's how you embody the frequency you want to live in. Not someday, but today.
You Don't Have to Wait
If meditation is part of the year you're calling in, you don't have to wait.
You can start today.
We have a preview course that offers a gentle entry point, just a few minutes a day to begin where you are.
Explore the Preview Course
Begin the Year by Living It
You don't need to plan your whole year today.
You don't need to fix everything that feels broken.
You just need to do one small, true thing that reflects the frequency you want to live in.
That's Augury.
That's how you begin.
With presence,
Emily
