New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
| Today is Hina Matsuri, a Japanese ritual during which dolls are burned or released into moving bodies of water after absorbing the misfortune and removing the bad spirits from a household. Although modern celebrations are elaborate and specific, their origins were simpler and involved dolls made from basic materials such as straw.
Draw upon these old practices by creating a straw or paper doll to represent you and any members of your household who would like to participate. (They can make their own or you can make them, provided they give their consent.) Place the doll(s) on your altar or in a central location, and request that they symbolically absorb all negativity and ill fortune from you and your household. At the full moon (in two days), feel and sense all negativity/stagnation departing as you safely burn the dolls and then release their ashes into a moving body of water. |
