1. The act of affirming or the state of being affirmed; assertion
res•o•lu•tion
1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
2. A resolving to do something.
3. A course of action determined or decided on.
Dictionary.com
How do the two words above grab you?
Typically this is the time of year when people start to compile those lists, you know the ones that they then regret having made as a kind of guilt trip seizes them in February and they have failed! 
Years ago I made a few New Years resolutions and managed all but one of them – kind of life changing resolutions they were at the time, but I whipped myself into achieving them.
Do I make them now? No not really. Why? Well for me affirmation is a more positive way of deciding on a course of action. That’s a personal take as the act of being resolute still applies but many years ago I learnt the power of affirmation.
I read a wee book that was a self help tool and long before I got into paganism for real, and even more so craftwork, I had learnt to define my own affirmations and to reinforce them with mental power. Is this making any sense I ask you?
How do I do it?
Well I usually go into a state of meditation using my candles, smells and music and achieve a relaxed state as I begin to think more specifically. I sometimes write down what I wish to affirm, this may be a goal or a self affirmation about a course of action I was taking or intended to pursue. I then dedicate this with the elements and burn it in a fire proof dish allowing the paper to burn out! Now some may see this as similar to the act of banishing/ getting rid of negativity but the “letting the flame burn out” for me represents sending the affirmation into the magickal ether and affirming it. It’s a kind of magickal pat on the back or dedication of intent.Does anyone else this or am I raving? Making sense or anyone else have any techniques they use? Made any resolutions this year?
