I said: what about my eyes?
He said: Keep them on the road.
I said: What about my passion?
He said: Keep it burning.
I said: What about my heart?
He said: Tell me what you hold inside it?
I said: Pain and sorrow.
He said: Stay with it.
The wound is the place where the Light enters you.- Rumi
VETERAN RITES 2024 - We cross with intention into 2025 with Deep Awe and Gratitude for an entire community writing a new story of what it means to come home to True Identity, Purpose, and Belonging.
Keep it Burning with Intention
(A New Year’s Prayer for Release and Renewal) - Nina Ojeda
As the year turns, I step into a time of new beginnings,
Honoring the balance between release and renewal.
I let go of what no longer serves me,
Making space for growth, love, and light.
I release the weight of past wounds,
For they are teachers, not chains.
I step forward with an open heart,
Soft and unafraid, grounded in love,
Ready to embrace all the beauty and truth this life offers.
I call upon health—vibrant and steady—
To nourish my body, mind, and soul.
May my roots sink deep into the earth,
Anchoring me in rituals that uplift and connect—
With myself, with the Divine Creator, with love.
May our union be a garden of light,
Where love blooms wild and free.
May it shine brightly enough to illuminate all corners of our lives,
Creating warmth, laughter, and joy.
I hold space for new beginnings—
For peace and creation,
For family, commitment, and devotion that is steadfast and true.
I call to the soul of a child, born of pure love,
And welcome the possibility with quiet reverence.
I remain playful, adventurous, curious, and full of wonder,
Never abandoning the wildness within me.
I honor balance: grounding my power with humility,
Honoring my strength by seeking rest and sanctuary.
May my career thrive, a reflection of my brilliance and creativity.
May abundance flow, allowing me to live a life of joy and generosity.
May I find new ways to grow, to learn, and to alchemize all I have endured.
Above all, may my heart remain open—
Open to love, to forgiveness, to the infinite possibilities of life.
May I never close myself to the one I hold dearest,
And may the hurts of the past never dim the light of the present.
This year, I honor the dance of duality:
The practical and the spiritual, the playful and the devoted,
The seeker and the nurturer, the lover and the learner. In all things, may I walk a path of peace, love, and understanding.
I surrender these intentions to the flow of the universe,
Trusting that all is unfolding as it should.
As I move forward, I carry light within me—steadfast and true.
This light will guide me to growth, to love, and to truth.
I am not seeking wholeness. I am whole.
I am not chasing illumination. I am illuminated.
Illuminated
On Love and Union
i saw the reflection
of a thousand suns
weaving light
into the shadows i thought
i would carry forever
On Growth
i am the seed
planted deep in the earth
stretching upward
through shadows
toward the light
On Spirituality
rituals root me
in the earth
yet my spirit soars
where no branches
can reach
On Healing
i am not broken
the cracks were made
to let the light in
to teach me
that beauty grows
from pain
On Parenthood
if love had a form
it would be a child
birthed from the union
of truth
and devotion
On Ambition
my brilliance
is a flame
that will not dim
to make others
more comfortable
i was born to shine
On Home
a sanctuary is not a place
but a feeling
of peace
that whispers
“you belong here”
On Letting Go
the past is a teacher
not a prison
its lessons are etched
on my heart
but i will not
carry its chains
On Playfulness
wild and curious
i dance through life
with the freedom of someone
who knows the strength
of soft laughter
On an Open Heart
i have promised myself
to keep the door open
even when the cold bites
because love does not thrive
in locked rooms
Nina Ojeda is a writer, ceremonialist, mother, boss lady, and purveyor of communal spaces of wholeness and revelry. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
