Sacred Clearing

Preparing for the Next Cycle

Author

Blair McLendon
September 10, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Peace and Abundance, Ankhora family!

Welcome to Ankhora's biweekly nurturing of the sacred trinity - mind, body, and soul. In each newsletter we intend to bring you a dose of inspiration, wisdom, and practices to enhance your well-being within those three major layers of life.

There are certain seasons of life that are meant for building, planting, and expanding. Others are when the most important thing we can do is clear our field. And right now feels like one of those times.

Yesterday marked 9/9, a date that carries a powerful symbolism when viewed through numerology. Nine is the final single digit before the numerical sequence begins again, which is why it has long been associated with completion, endings, wisdom, integration and release. With September being the ninth month, 9/9 creates an interesting symbolic reminder that before another cycle begins, something often has to end.

Whether you personally observe portal dates or simply use them as opportunities for reflection, the message is still valuable. What has run its course?

We've talked quite a bit in recent editions about change, surrender, discernment and recognizing when something no longer fits. Sacred clearing takes that conversation one step further. Once you recognize that something has completed its purpose, you have to decide whether you're actually willing to release it, which is often the difficult part.

Human beings become attached to familiarity, even when what is familiar isn't necessarily good for us. We hold onto relationships because of history and habits because they've become comfortable. We hold onto possessions because of memories, as well as beliefs because admitting we've changed can feel like admitting the person we used to be was wrong.

Sometimes we even hold onto pain because we've carried it for so long that we no longer know who we would be without it. But there comes a point when carrying yesterday begins taking up the space meant for tomorrow and what the future holds.

Think about how naturally we understand this principle in the physical world. We clean our homes and we throw away spoiled food. Trees shed their leaves and our bodies constantly remove and replace cells. We exhale carbon dioxide before taking another breath. Everything in life operates through cycles of receiving and releasing.

Yet emotionally, mentally and spiritually, we sometimes expect ourselves to accumulate indefinitely. This includes all of our experiences, expectations, disappointments, responsibilities, and relationships. Our identity and every version of ourself eventually becomes a weight that is heavy to carry without releasing something.

Sacred clearing isn't about randomly removing people or things from your life because a calendar says a cycle is ending. It is about becoming conscious enough to recognize what has already ended internally, even if you haven't acknowledged it externally yet.

Maybe you've outgrown a particular environment or something you once dreamed about doesn't excite you anymore. Or maybe you've been maintaining a relationship primarily because of who you and that person used to be. An old version of success could no longer represents what you actually want. It’s possible you've spent years trying to prove something that you suddenly realize doesn't need to be proven.

Or perhaps nothing dramatic needs to leave at all. Maybe you simply need less noise. Less scrolling, explaining, comparison, access, clutter, and obligation could be on the table for evaluation now. There is a tendency, especially within manifestation and self-development spaces, to constantly focus on what we're trying to attract next.

What do you want? What are you calling in? What are you manifesting? What is your next goal? Those are all important questions, but there is another question that deserves just as much attention: Do you actually have room for it?

We can't continuously ask for expansion while refusing to release anything occupying the space we're attempting to expand into. And clearing doesn't always mean losing something. Sometimes we're clearing an outdated belief so confidence can occupy that space. Other times we're clearing an unhealthy routine so vitality has somewhere to grow.

Sometimes we're clearing unnecessary expenses so resources can be redirected, while other times we're clearing resentment so peace isn't constantly competing for room in our heart. Ultimately, we could be clearing an identity built around survival because you're finally entering a chapter where survival doesn't need to be your primary operating mode.

The most important thing is not to confuse the lesson with the weight of the experience that taught it. We can keep the wisdom without carrying the wound and remember what happened without allowing it to dictate everything that happens next.

You can appreciate who you were without feeling obligated to remain that person forever. You can love someone deeply while also recognizing that the relationship has changed, and you can be grateful for an opportunity while knowing that your time with it has come to an end. Completion doesn't automatically mean something failed. Sometimes completion means it worked. It served its purpose, gave you an experience you needed, taught you something valuable, or carried you through a particular season of your life. The lesson then becomes knowing when to honor what it gave you and move forward.

This is also why clearing should not be rushed. There is a difference between consciously releasing something and reacting emotionally to temporary discomfort. Discernment is still necessary because not every difficult season means it's time to leave, and not every challenge represents misalignment. Growth itself can be uncomfortable. However, when the same inner message continues returning, especially after you've given yourself time to sit with it, it deserves your attention.

As we move deeper into September and toward the final quarter of the year, this is a beautiful opportunity to examine what you're carrying. Look at your physical environment, routines, relationships, calendar, digital life, thoughts, and the promises you've made to yourself. Even consider the version of yourself you've been presenting to the world. What still belongs in your life as it currently exists? What needs refinement or forgiveness? What has reached completion? What have you known for some time simply needs to be released?

You don't have to know exactly what the next cycle will bring before you begin preparing for it. Sometimes preparation simply means creating enough space to recognize the new when it arrives. Carry the wisdom and leave the unnecessary weight behind. An empty space isn't always evidence that something is missing; sometimes it is evidence that something new finally has somewhere to land.

Mindful Alignment:

  • Mental Gem: Not every empty space needs to be filled immediately. Sometimes clarity can only enter after the noise has left.

  • Mindful Moment: Take a piece of paper and create four sections: Mind, Heart, Space, and Life.

    Under Mind, write one thought, belief, worry or story you're tired of repeatedly carrying. For Heart, identify an emotion, resentment, expectation or attachment that you are ready to begin releasing. Under Space, choose one area of your physical or digital environment that needs clearing. And under Life, identify one habit, commitment, role or relationship dynamic that deserves an honest reevaluation.

    You don't need to overhaul your entire life this week. Choose one thing from each category and determine one small action you can take toward clearing it.

    Delete it. Donate it. Finish it. Discuss it. Forgive it. Archive it. Change it.

    Or simply stop giving it your energy. The purpose isn't to create emptiness for the sake of emptiness. The purpose is to create capacity.

Physical Alignment:

  • Herbal Spotlight — Lion’s Mane Mushroom

    Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom that has been used traditionally in East Asian food and wellness practices and has become increasingly popular for its potential relationship with brain and nervous-system health.

    Its distinctive cascading white spines resemble a lion's mane, giving the mushroom its common name. Lion's Mane contains naturally occurring compounds including hericenones and erinacines that researchers have investigated for their potential effects on nerve growth and neurological function.

    That makes Lion's Mane particularly fitting for a season centered around clearing the mental landscape. Human research into Lion's Mane is still developing, so it should not be treated as a proven cognitive enhancer or cure for neurological conditions. However, early studies have explored its potential relationship with cognition, mood, stress and attention.

    Lion's Mane can be eaten as a culinary mushroom and is also commonly available as powders, capsules, teas and extracts. Supplement quality and concentration can vary significantly, so pay attention to sourcing and product formulation when choosing concentrated preparations.

    Some people may experience digestive discomfort or allergic reactions, particularly those with mushroom sensitivities. As always, speak with a qualified healthcare professional before adding concentrated supplements to your routine if you take medications, have an existing medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have known mushroom allergies.

  • Top Tier Nourishment: 

  • Tuning into the Body: Clearing doesn't have to stop with your mind or your environment. Our bodies often communicate when we've been carrying too much. Give yourself at least 15 minutes this week to intentionally remove stimulation. No phone, no TV, no music, no podcast, and no conversation.

    Take a walk outside, sit somewhere peaceful, stretch, breathe or simply be still. Instead of immediately asking your body to do something, notice what it has been trying to tell you.

    Where are you holding tension? Are you actually tired? Are you hungry or simply stimulated? Have you been breathing deeply or spending most of the day taking shallow breaths? Does your body want movement, rest, sunlight, water or solitude?

    Sometimes the first step toward clearing is simply becoming quiet enough to hear yourself again. As always, listen to your body for what you need personally. There are seasons for movement and seasons for stillness. The goal is learning how to recognize which one you're actually in.

Soulful Alignment:

  • Soulful Insights: There is a difference between carrying wisdom forward and carrying the wound that created it. Wisdom says, Now I know. The wound says, Because this happened before, it will always happen again. Wisdom creates discernment.

  • Affirming the Best: I honor everything that has brought me to this moment while releasing what has completed its purpose. I carry the wisdom forward and leave unnecessary weight behind. I create sacred space within my mind, body, environment and spirit for the next cycle of my life to unfold.

Self Operating System™ — A Note on Clearing the Old Programming

One of the most difficult things to clear is something we can't physically see, which is our programming. Many of the beliefs directing our lives weren't consciously chosen by us.

Ideas about success, productivity, relationships, money, identity, masculinity, femininity, spirituality, family and even what a "good life" is supposed to look like can be inherited long before we're old enough to question them.

Eventually, self-awareness requires an audit. Is this actually mine?

The Self Operating System™ was created around that process of understanding how you genuinely operate beneath expectations, conditioning and outdated versions of yourself.

Because preparing for a new cycle isn't only about deciding where you're going. Sometimes it requires identifying which internal operating instructions were written for a version of you that no longer exists.

The goal isn't to erase your past. It's to understand yourself well enough to consciously decide what deserves to accompany you forward.

You can explore The Self Operating System™ at universoulpub.com 

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Thank you for being part of the 3LW | UPub community. We look forward to accompanying you on this transformative path to holistic wellness.

Gratitude,

Blair McLendon - Founder, Universoul Publishing | 3 Layers of Wellness

Disclaimer:
The information provided by 3 Layers of Wellness | Universoul Publishing is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. The content shared is based on holistic wellness practices and personal experience, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.