Step One
If you have decided to step in a new direction and to begin something new in your life, you have accepted the wonders of self initiation. While it is all well and good to find someone else willing to initiate you into something you have not experienced yet, it will not be entirely new and it will not be yours. Self Initiation is active, and embraces entirely new concepts. It sends us off on entirely new adventures, and on quests to discover our inner self. It prepares us for the journey of discovery and leads us to the Path of Truth. If you have decided to undertake this new beginning, set aside a special day or perhaps a weekend devoted entirely to this new beginning.  Some astrologers believe that your day of birth is an auspicious day to begin new adventures, but it is entirely up to you what day you choose. It can be as symbolic or as unimportant as you like. In fact it can be no other way.

Step Two
When the prescribed time comes, use the beginnings of the day or weekend to review your old life. Where have you been? What have you learned? What failures or pain have you participated in? Honor these parts of your history, for they have brought you to this point. Around noon, or a little later in the weekend, transfer your focus to where you are now. What has prompted this decision to alter your life?  Honor these thoughts and intuitions, for they brought you to this point. Above all, these two parts of your self initiation should be simplifying, cleansing, and releasing. It is a moment of transition, and all transitions require a symbolic and mental release of the old in preparation to receive the new.

Step Three
As the evening hours of your special day approach, or some other significant time of the weekend, prepare to honor your life and new direction with a special ritual you have created.  Rituals speak bounds with the simple use of symbols and provide mental and spiritual transitions. They can be used at any other times as well, times when you need to devote time, thought, and energy toward your self instead of those things, people, and places around you.

Physical Rituals            Sleep for as long as you like, recognizing that this day or weekend is especially and special for you. You do not have to respond to the demands of the social world. Use the sacred powers of sleep to commune with your deeper consciousness, which will use your thoughts and memories from steps one and two to prepare your entire mind for a new and wonderful adventure.           Bathe with a new bar of soap or with a soap that has special meaning to you. Wash all the parts of your body with care and honor all that they have done for you on an individual basis. At the end of this bath put on fresh, clean clothing that are comfortable and luxurious.           Notice your surroundings without worry or urgency. If any cleaning, organizing, or adjusting has to be done, make a mental note and resolve to remember to do it later in the day. When the time does come to do it, relax and allow yourself a moment to envision the completed task, then focus on the moment and give your full attention, moving purposefully and leisurely.  Honor the moment and remain calm.           Sit silently once or twice during the day in a favorite spot, with no distractions from social pressure: television, newspapers, magazines. Allow your thoughts to drift away without trying to figure out what you next need to do, or why you have created this moment. Emotional Rituals           Take a walk to a new or unfamiliar area. Give your attention to the small details of this new place: smells, noises, people, flowers, earth, sun, and trees.  Alternately, find someone you do not know and speak to them. Honor the wisdom that comes from new things and new directions.           Write a letter of forgiveness to someone for something they did in the past that you have had a hard time forgiving or write two or three thank you notes to people you love, explaining how wonderful it is that they are in your life.           Consider someone you would like to know better and resolve to invite that person over for tea or dinner some time next week.           Sit quietly and envision love and your breath as one. With each breath, imagine that your heart is opening wide to give and receive love. Mental Rituals           Choose a moment during the day and write a four line poem about it.  Later on along this particular spirit journey, reread the poem and notice that what you chose to write about is related to your current life direction.           Find a book you own and open it to a random page. Write down what you are feeling or thinking about what is presented on that page.           Notice those things that are attractive or curious to you right now. What is attracting your attention? Write down what you are feeling or thinking when you look at those objects. Financial Rituals           Give away something that you no longer use. Honor this item(s) for it has been part of the long journey that has brought you to this point. Give away an amount of money that you feel is special or sacred to the first person who seems to need it more than you.           Honor those things you have that have been part of the long journey that has brought you this point.  Sit quietly and be thankful for all you possess. Spiritual Rituals           Do nothing for a few hours. Try a walking meditation, perhaps, or lie on the grass and watch the clouds or lie on your bed and listen to the sounds around your room, a favorite uplifting CD, or simply fall asleep. It is okay to fall asleep during this time.           Clear a part of a desk, bureau, or other flat surfaced object and put other objects there that are meaningful to you: a cloth, a candle, keepsakes, photos. These objects are symbols of your spiritual connections, those that reach past time and space.           Participate in a special ritual before going to bed. Take a walk under the stars, star into a fire in the fireplace, sit in your backyard, read an inspirational book, or meditate. As you fall asleep, maintain a clear and peaceful sense that all your needs are being met, and that the Universe is taking care of you exactly as you most need to be cared for.

Step Four
Honor the experience of your initiation at the end of the period you have set aside for yourself. Write down five to ten things you are willing to do to improve yourself and help others. Also write down something you would like the Universe to support you in. Record the experiences of your initiation period and write down what wisdom and changes you believe you have gained. If nothing comes to mind, release this question to the Universe and allow it to manifest at a later time.