The Twin Lantern Rite

Some nights hold a quieter weight than others. You feel it in the way the house settles, in how memory and possibility seem to sit at the same table. The Twin Lantern Rite is a small practice for those evenings, when you feel pulled between what you carry from the past and what you wish to light for the days ahead.

🌙 Step One: Prepare the Two Lights

Set two small candles or tea lights on a table. Place a warm drink beside them, coffee or tea that feels comforting. Name the first light “What Has Walked With Me.” Name the second light “What Is Still Becoming.” You may speak this aloud or in your mind.

🔥 Step Two: Light the Past

Light the first candle. As the flame rises, bring to mind one memory, lesson, or presence that shaped you. You do not have to relive it, only acknowledge it. Take a slow sip and whisper, “Thank you for what you have taught me.” Let the warmth in your chest be the way you honor what has already walked your path.

💭 Step Three: Light the Becoming

Light the second candle. Think of one quality, hope, or path you wish to grow toward. It can be simple: steadiness, ease, courage, rest. Take another sip and say, “I make room for this.” Imagine the light of the second candle reaching gently toward tomorrow.

☕ Step Four: Drink Between the Two Lights

Sit with both flames in view. With each sip, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, slowly. On each exhale, imagine a soft bridge forming between the candles. The past does not vanish, it simply stands beside what is coming, without pulling you backward.

🪶 Step Five: Close the Circle

When the cup is nearly empty, touch the surface once with your fingertip. Say, “What serves me may stay, what does not may rest.” Finish the last sip. Extinguish the first candle with gratitude. Extinguish the second with trust. Let the room return to its ordinary light.