A Cooler Full of Magic - A Business Ritual 🔥
🎨 Video: Justine Anweiler, Lunar New Year Fire Ceremony ASMR, 2025.
Last Wednesday, I joyfully attended Abracademy's Curious Magilitators event, where Vanessa Christina Dsouza did a ⚡Lightning Talk⚡ on the Power of Ritual, especially within our work.
Knowing ritual and ceremony are as normal as breathing for me, I was completely taken when in my breakout group, Alexander Pittas was wowed by a ritual I thought nothing of.
The ritual is this:
I have a cooler - you know, the ones you use for picnics or BBQs – it’s nothing seemingly special. It lives in my basement, and for much of its life, it moonlights as an exercise bench.
But you see, it is also a keeper of kindling. A magical chest.
As the seasons change, I gather bits within it to burn…
🌸 Sometimes, they are dried flower pistils (the center bits) from a wild rose forage in the summer.
đź’š Sometimes, they are candle snubs from my altar at Christmas that never fully burned.
✏️ Sometimes, they are work memos that didn’t haunt me enough to remove them immediately but gently symbolised an ending, a task or a conversation completed.
As the fire draws nearer, I begin to collect sticks on my walks, feathers from the garage, and dead wasps from the mailbox.
The cooler holds all of the offerings for the fire.
And the cooler tells me when it’s time to release.
Every fire is different. The true art lies in the fire starters I build, the altars I decorate around the hearth, and the time consumed by the fire.
It’s an evolution from humble beginnings – to bold flames – to boastful coals.
It has a life of its own, and I am witness as she consumes all that is no longer needed.
This is a reel from my Instagram of my most recent fire on the Lunar New Year. Offerings included: Christmas candlestick snubs, ripped journal pages, dried nettle, pistacio shells, and last summer’s feathers.
This ritual is 100% part of my business. It feels very similar to paying my annual taxes. I release what I have saved. It frees me up to start anew, and sometimes, I have a little bonus or carryover.
What rituals do you have?
This one is quite witchy, but it’s the one that got the kids going (on the call).
Enjoy :)
Article FAQs generated by myself & AI:
1. How do rituals like this impact business or personal growth?
Rituals create a structured way to mark transitions, process emotions, and reset energy. In business, they can help with mindset shifts, creative flow, and emotional resilience. For example, a ritual like burning past work notes can signal completion, making space for new ideas. Rituals also reinforce personal agency—when you take intentional action to release or welcome something, you build trust in yourself and your ability to navigate change.
2. Why use a cooler as the container for offerings?
The cooler is practical yet unexpected. It’s sturdy, easily portable, and serves multiple functions (even as an exercise bench). Symbolically, it acts as a liminal space—a storage vessel between the past (what’s being released) and the transformation (fire). The use of an everyday object also reinforces the idea that ritual doesn’t require anything elaborate; magic exists in the ordinary.
3. What other simple rituals can I incorporate into my work or business?
Morning Grounding: Orient yourself by taking in your surroundings with your eyes. Remind yourself that all parts are here with you in this moment. Take a mindful deep breath or smell/sip of your morning coffee – and the portal to your work day (ie. open your laptop or your inbox.)
Object of Focus: Keep a small visual, memo, object or symbol on your desk that represents your larger vision.
Digital Clearing: Delete old files, emails, or social media drafts while setting an intention for renewal.
End-of-Day Clearing & Tomorrow Prep: Remove all files from your desktop and/or paperwork from your workspace. Set yourself up for a clean start tomorrow.
4. Why do fire rituals hold significance across different cultures and spiritual practices?
Fire has long been a symbol of transformation, purification, and renewal across cultures. Fire takes what was and transforms it into something new—just as we do in our own personal and professional journeys. 🔥