A witchy ritual led me to my word for the year

I did this thing over the holidays called 13 Magical Nights.

It’s a reflective practice meant to be done at the end of each year, coinciding with Yule... and this time I did the one that was led by a woman on Instagram known as thatglasgowwitch

If you want to try it, by the way, you can always call in a little of your own magic and do it after the holiday season; no one says you can't create your own rituals ;) Here's a summary of how you do it if you have never heard of it.

So... off I went to write down my 13 statements. It took me well over an hour because I had to reframe anything negative to the positive flip side of it in order to create the intentions and call in what I want for 2026 and beyond.

I almost knew immediately when I started writing one about procrastination and boundaries that it would be the one left standing at the end (of course... why wouldn't it be. lol).

Each night for 12 nights, you burn one of the intentions without looking at it. Then on night 13, the remaining wish or intention you do NOT burn. You open it up, and you have to focus on that for the year. The other intentions have been released to the universe (or whatever you believe in) to make happen for you.

I'm not sure if you're supposed to actually share with others what your remaining intention is/was, but what better way to force me to focus on it than to share it with 10,000+ of you here on my email list 🤣

Boundaries and Time:
I protect my boundaries with ease.
My time is respected by others, and I honour it myself through focused action instead of procrastination.

My ADHD was having a mild internal panic attack when I opened it up to reveal that one... iykyk

The ritual was done. The intention was chosen.
All that was left was the part where I had to decide how I was actually going to honour it.

So on my first workday back after the holidays, I wrote that intention in my planner (not as a wish, but as a line in the sand).

But as I'm writing this intention in, I realize I still haven’t picked my word for the year... this is something I have done every year for as long as I can remember.

And I didn’t want a boring one.
(ADHD brain would like that noted for the record.)

Almost immediately, the word intuition popped into my head.

I’m not even 100% sure why yet, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

If you’ve been on my email list for a while (or we’re friends in real life), you probably know I have a lot of stories about intuition...
including how we found our house and why I call it my magic house. I’ll save that full story for another email… but living here has absolutely heightened my intuition in ways I didn’t expect.

What I have learned the hard way (especially in 2025) is this:

When I don’t listen to my intuition, my body gets loud.

When I ignore what feels right, push through things that are out of alignment, or override my own boundaries… my body eventually steps in. Usually with a migraine. Sometimes with full-on exhaustion.

But when I slow down, take intentional action, breathe, step away when I need to, and take inspired action when creativity sparks... everything changes.

My intuition gets clearer.
Decisions feel easier.
I feel better. Full stop.

So that’s my word for 2026.

Intuition.

I’m letting it guide my decisions. Especially around boundaries, time, and how I work. Because truly… no one knows better than you.

Which brings me to you.

👉 What’s your word for the year?

Hit reply and tell me. I’m collecting them and planning to make a collage to share... a little snapshot of what this community is stepping into this year.

- Brittany