I’ve been working with the magic of a word of the year since a decade, and it’s never failed to transform my life in small and big ways. This year, though, my word remained elusive. All I had for the longest time was an image.
It wasn’t just any image, either. It was a specific card from a specific tarot deck that stalked me every time I thought about my word of the year.
This one.
While this is a beautiful energy to embody, there’s so much more to this card than meets the eye — on the surface, it serves as a reminder to stop and enjoy the little moments, but beneath that, there is a whole world of mental finagling that is necessary before you can truly embody the spirit of this card.
So while I thought of words like rest and contentment, ease and pleasure, none of them sat right with me. I needed to dig deeper.
I didn’t realize just how literally — believe it or not, I finally found my word while cleaning out some drawers! I came across a print-out of list of words I had downloaded from a now-defunct word of the year website. As I was scanning through that list, one word leapt out at me and settled comfortably in my bones.
WHOLE.
That is my word of the year. To trust myself in all my parts. To stop constantly second-guessing myself. To stop looking outside for validation, for answers, for the “right” way. To sink into my own inner wisdom and lived experience. To acknowledge my successes and be at peace with my decisions. To be holey-whole and wholly-whole.
That’s some of what I am calling in this year.
Before you go, tell me this: do you have a word of the year?
Still to find a word of the year? Download the Visioning workbook – it’s designed to help you reflect on the year gone by, plan for the year to come, and choose a word for the year! Click on the Download now button below, and I’ll pop it right over to you!
What a coincidence, Shinjini! I too came up with my word of the year while cleaning, I mean standing at the sink, washing the dishes. 🙂
I came up with CREATE — a word I needed to discipline the artist/writer in me; a word that would help me declutter my chaotic mind and make space for much-needed positivity.
Create was my word a few years ago and it was an awesome year of creativity and creating new things. Hope you experience similar magic with the word this year, Shilpa!
Love it. May life and you be whole-some always. 🙂
I have my word but just need some more clarity, so will see if I can try out your workbook, if it ain’t too long.
Blessed tidings, Shinjini. 🙂
Hopefully the workbook will give you some clarity. You can do just the bit that’s around the word of the year, 2 pages or so, I think?
Loved your choice of the word for 2024! And also the image you shared. Happy 2024!
Thanks Nibha. Happy New Year to you too!
Your word makes so much sense, Shinjini! I guess we all need to embrace ourselves in our wholeness and yet, for some of us, the struggle is real. I hope 2024 finds you in a better place and gives you more opportunities to find peace and acceptance. I’m still working on my WOTY post…hopefully, will share very soon. Meanwhile, wishing you a very happy, healthy and fulfilling year ahead, Shinjini! Best wishes 🙂
Oh yes, Esha. That struggle has been very real with me for far too long. Fingers crossed that this will be the year it will at least become less of a struggle.
Looking forward to reading your WOTY post. And wish you a wonderful, blessed 2024!
I like the thoughts behind your word as all answers lie within us. Love the card too and quite apt as it also signals self-sufficiency. Happy 2024. I’ll be posting my woty post soon.
Happy New Year, Suzy. I look forward to reading your WOTY post!
Loved your word. It’s so thought-provoking in the way you described it. I don’t do a WOTY but I always see how much clarity you share it brings to your coming year. I hope your year is as whole as you want it to be. Take care of yourself!
Thank you, Parul! I do find that my WOTY brings me a lot of clarity. Maybe because it’s the lens through I which view experiences, which influences how I understand and process them. 🙂
I loved that picture. I had similar feelings when I saw a painting done by an artist. It is not just beautiful but also I felt like it depicted exactly what I wished for. I bought a printout of her artwork and love looking at it. Whole is a beautiful word. I hope you have a wholesome new year.
Sometimes pictures do speak louder than words!
Such a beautiful word! And that image is so stunning.
I chose Consistent as my WOTY as that is something I really need in my life now.
That’s an important goal to strive towards, Soumya! Wishing you more consistency this year.
That picture is beautiful, Shinjini. Whole is a brilliant word. I love how you have interpreted the word and its meaning to fulfill your 2024. It’s going to be an awesome, isn’t it? 😍
I have chosen the word Discipline to guide me this year.
Wish you a wonderful 2024, Shinj!
I sure it will be awesome, Vini! Discipline is an interesting choice for a WOTY! Hope it serves you well 🙂
I don’t have a WOTY but I do agree with your thought. It’s a huge achievement if we learn to trust ourselves in ‘all our parts’ and stop second guessing ourselves. happy new year Shinjini. Hope it’s productive and peaceful for all of us.
True that, Tulika. It feels like the work of a couple of years, but slowly and surely, I am hopeful that I will get there!
Shinjini, I love this post! What tarot deck is that card from, I really love it as well, thats my dream state right there!
It really is the dream, isn’t it? The card is from The Everyday Witch Tarot – it’s a beautiful deck!
Shinjini, I love this post! Not sure my last reply made it through. What tarot deck is that card from–I absolutely love the image. Thank you!
CHERISH. Started off with Diligence but that was proving dreadful even to look at. Cherish is bringing lots of light into my world )
Cherish is a great word!! And I hear ya on diligence! You definitely want a word that brings light into your world, not one that sounds like a humourless taskmaster! 😉
What deck is this 9 of pentacles, pls & thanks
It’s from The Everyday Witch Tarot.