Celebrating 40 Is Sacred: 40-Day Rituals on Time, Lineage, & Arrival
Aug 27, 2026
"The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary." — Carl Jung
The latter years of my 30s have been a spiritual, artistic, and relational overhaul. Earlier in my 30s, I imagined the end of my 30s would look a lot more conventional than it does. Not necessarily because I'd found myself to be conventional; but because I hadn't found who else I was beneath that.
When I was a youth, turning 40 came with a playbook of adulthood that I have systematically dismantled paradigm by paradigm. I'm an outlier; a woman who exists outside of the demands of traditional womanhood, but still identifies with reengineering what womanhood can be.
Traditional milestones come with traditional celebrations and acknowledgments, and as a culture, we lack the rituals, recognition, and guidance on how to enter a new era that feels significant to you.
Living to turn 40 is not a passive milestone—it is a rare, radical privilege. Existing is special; reaching this vantage point deserves a sacred pause rather than standard commercial tropes.
I wanted to create rituals that marked the things that I've released as much as what I'm entering with. After decades of being part of others' ceremonies and rituals, I created my own.
The Daily Rhythms I've Been Practicing
Years ago, my long-term therapist recommended the Legend planner as a way of tracking my new goals and ambitions. After feeling stuck in my career, relationships, and with my sense of self, I was ready to start identifying what I wanted out of life and what made me feel alive.
Every week, I'd sit down to identify weekly intentions for each day, a goal for each area of life, and practices that would help get me there. At the end of each month, the journal provided guidance for month-end ratings on each life area plus short reflections.
I enjoyed the architecture but found it exhausting. I also found that capitalism had shifted my relationship with the days of the week. Some days, I just didn't like. No matter what happened.
Setting new intentions each day was a way of shifting that, and instead of creating them from scratch, I started deepening into my chakra knowledge. Each day, started with an affirmation:
- Root Chakra => I am safe and secure
- Sacral Chakra => I experience joy every day
- Solar Plexus Chakra => I am strong and powerful
- Heart Chakra => I forgive others and myself
- Throat Chakra => I speak truth and kindness
- Third Eye Chakra => I trust my intuition
- Crown Chakra => I am love, light, and joy
The Legend planner was pretty intense for me, and I didn't enjoy tracking my time hourly (mainly because I was saddened by how little of it I had sovereignty over). Combined with the desire to do less as a way of achieving, I experimented with planners that tracked my care, too.
Eventually, I landed on the Magic of I planners, which I've used for 2025 and 2026. Learning about my cycle and the symbolism of the planets and zodiacs became my next frontier.
For two years, each day has become an honoring of both the chakra and the cosmic body that corresponds with it. This practice has shifted into how I track myself over time.
In my morning pages, each day is written with a pen color matching each chakra. The same thing with the activities I write down on my erasable calendar; each day is written in its matching color.
So it was that when I brainstormed my rituals for my 40th, this structure naturally arose.The depth of my work considering mind / body / heart / spirit also makes this ritual series holistic. I'm combining my two favorite creative forms: writing and photography. I also designed a calendar that will send me daily reminders to activate each ritual, while allowing space for rest, too.
Rituals: The Sacred Number 4 + The Sacred Number 40
Last year, I became obsessed with this meditation on InsightTimer on the number 4. Spoken by a somber but mesmerizing man, the meditation invited the meditator to observe the number four, its significance in nature, and its significance to self. For months, I listened to it daily, something I typically don't do in meditations. It was like Four was a Siren and I was being drawn in.
Turns out, four is the stage where things stabilize in material reality. From a seed, to the duality that allows all possibilities to exist, to the creation, and to its manifestation, it's deeply connected to change. It's why we have four seasons, four cardinal directions, four phases of the moon.
If you think about four corners of a crossroad, or a medicine wheel. It’s where paths meet.
At 40, I have definitively taken my own path from the crossroad. It might be the Road Less Traveled, but it is the path most-suited to who I am.
Poetically enough, my cavapoo Ralphie also turns four two weeks after me; the only time in our companionship where we will share a derivative of age.
I became a Sovereign woman in my 39th year, and that's exactly the kind of transformation that calls for a ritualized time and celebration. Without further ado, I introduce you to my 40 days of rituals.
| Day / Date | Chakra & Celestial Focus | Phase & Focus | Morning Pages Prompt | 📸 Photography (Mind) | 🧘🏽♀️ Body | 💖 Heart & Spirit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Thu, Aug 27 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What am I no longer willing to carry into 40?" | Light entering a space or doorway. | Hand on third eye, 3 deep exhales. | "I trust my vision. I choose the life that chooses me." |
| Day 2 Fri, Aug 28 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What does receiving pleasure look like without paying for it with productivity?" | Something soft or beautiful you didn't create, but get to enjoy. | Open palms facing upward at your sides for 1 minute. | "I am magnetic to beauty. I let myself be held by Venus." |
| Day 3 Sat, Aug 29 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What structures in my life are now built on rock, not sand?" *Colombia Arrival: Sovereign Container |
Architecture, mountains, or a solid boundary in Colombia. | Feel your feet firmly planted on Colombian soil. | "Saturn anchors my boundaries. I am safe in my own vessel." |
| Day 4 Sun, Aug 30 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What do I choose today simply because my soul desires it?" | Sunlight, golden hour, or a vibrant color that commands space. | Stand tall in the sun for 3 minutes, feeling heat in your solar plexus. | "I am the sun of my own system. My agency is absolute." |
| Day 5 Mon, Aug 31 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What emotions am I allowing to flow without needing to analyze them?" | Water, movement, or reflection. | Gentle hip circles or fluid movement for 2 minutes. | "My feelings are valid guidance. I flow like the tide." |
| Day 6 Tue, Sept 1 |
Root & Mars ♂️ Grounding & Vitality |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"Where in my body do I feel the absolute right to exist?" | Earth, roots, rocks, or your feet on the ground. | 10 strong, intentional footsteps, feeling Mars's vitality. | "I am rooted, safe, and defended by my own presence." |
| Day 7 Wed, Sept 2 |
Throat & Mercury ☿ Truth & Narrative |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What truth wants to be spoken in my native tongue today?" | Words, signs, open skies, or a microphone/journal. | Humming or vocalizing a resonant tone for 1 minute. | "My voice is decolonial medicine. I speak without shrinking." |
| Day 8 Thurs, Sept 3 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What legacy am I expanding simply by taking up space?" | A horizon, wide perspective, or art piece. | Place a finger on your third eye; look up toward the sky. | "Jupiter expands my horizon. I am part of a larger order." |
| Day 9 Fri, Sept 4 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 1 Travel & Threshold Pilgrimage |
"What does 40 get to experience that 30 couldn't?" | A horizon, wide perspective, or art piece. | Place a finger on your third eye; look up toward the sky. | "I am loved by my past, present, and future self." |
| Day 10 Sat, Sept 5 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What broken pieces of my history am I assembling into art?" | Sunlight, golden hour, or a vibrant color that commands space. | Trace the edge of a puzzle piece with your thumb. | "Saturn gives form to chaos. Every piece of me belongs." |
| Day 11 Sun, Sept 6 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"How do my brand colors reflect the spectrum of my lived truth?" | Peacock shades (teals, purples, golds) found in nature or your home. | Wear a color that makes your skin glow. | "I do not hide my brilliance. My fire is sacred." |
| Day 12 Mon, Sept 7 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"Can I hold grief for what was lost alongside joy for what exists?" | Contrast—shadow and light together. | Place one hand on stomach (sacral) and one on heart. | "My belly holds all tides. Joy and grief can dance together." |
| Day 13 Tue, Sept 8 |
Root & Mars ♂️ Grounding & Vitality |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"How am I protecting the child who had to navigate borders alone?" | A protective boundary, a threshold, or a cozy corner. | Hug yourself tightly for 30 seconds. | "I am the guardian I always needed. I am secure." |
| Day 14 Wed, Sept 9 |
Throat & Mercury ☿ Truth & Narrative |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What does Spanish unlock in my psyche that English cannot touch?" | Written words in Spanish, cursive handwriting, or a book. | Speak a poem or sentence in Spanish out loud. | "My mother tongue is my sanctuary. Words are my magic." |
| Day 15 Thurs, Sept 10 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What wisdom am I inheriting from the complex story of my family?" | An old photograph, a family artifact, or a generational tree. | Close your eyes and visualize your ancestors standing behind you. | "I see with clarity. I keep the wisdom and release the trauma." |
| Day 16 Fri, Sept 11 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"Who makes my nervous system feel completely at home?" | Something that reminds you of deep, effortless friendship. | Smile softly into a mirror for 1 full minute. | "I am easy to love. My community is my mirror." |
| Day 17 Sat, Sept 12 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"How is the peacock puzzle revealing my own integration?" | Mid-way progress photo of the Peacock Puzzle. | Sit in noble, upright posture for 3 minutes. | "Patience is my power. I am assembling my sovereignty." |
| Day 18 Sun, Sept 13 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"Where am I ready to be witnessed in my full capacity?" | Your shadow cast long and bold on the ground. | Power pose (hands on hips) for 2 minutes in the sun. | "I take up space. I am the author of my public life." |
| Day 19 Mon, Sept 14 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What did 5-year-old CarolLaine love doing just for the fun of it?" | Something silly, bright, or playful. | Dance unprompted to one song in your living room. | "My inner child is free to play. Life is a gift." |
| Day 20 Tue, Sept 15 |
Root & Mars ♂️ Grounding & Vitality |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"How does my home in Dallas honor the woman I’ve become?" | A sacred nook or piece of art inside your home. | Touch the floor or wall of your home; feel its stability. | "I built this sanctuary. No one can displace me." |
| Day 21 Wed, Sept 16 |
Throat & Mercury ☿ Truth & Narrative |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What story am I telling through my hands on the piano keys?" | Sheet music, piano keys, or your fingers resting on wood. | Play one scale or chord slowly, feeling the vibration in your chest. | "My sound is my truth. I do not need perfection to be heard." |
| Day 22 Thurs, Sept 17 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"What is 40 asking me to envision for the next decade?" | An open expanse or a candle flame. | Soften your eyes, gaze into the distance. | "I step into my decade of power with open vision." |
| Day 23 Fri, Sept 18 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 2 Ancestral & Peacock Reweaving |
"Can I make music tomorrow purely for the joy of creation?" | Your hands resting gently in your lap. | Gentle chest rub over the heart space with warm oil or hands. | "I am already complete. Performance is just play." |
| Day 24 Sat, Sept 19 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"I don't have to prove that I deserve to be here. I get to make sound." | The piano before or after you play. | Touch the piano wood before playing; feel its grounding Saturn structure. | "I played. I made sound. I am the artist of my life." |
| Day 25 Sun, Sept 20 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"How does it feel to create without judging the output?" | Sunlight filtering through a window. | Rest completely. Stretch out horizontally on the floor/bed. | "My worth is inherent, not evaluated." |
| Day 26 Mon, Sept 21 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"What emotional baggage am I dissolving in these final days of my 30s?" | A tea cup, steam, or liquid. | Drink a glass of water mindfully, feeling it nourish your cells. | "I cleanse my vessel. I am ready for arrival." |
| Day 27 Tue, Sept 22 |
Root & Mars ♂️ Grounding & Vitality |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"How do all the disjointed years of my life connect now?" | The completed (or near-complete) Peacock Puzzle. | Stand firm, hands over your lower belly/root. | "I am whole. Every piece had a purpose." |
| Day 28 Wed, Sept 23 |
Throat & Mercury ☿ Truth & Narrative |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"What am I ready to teach the world about entering 40?" | Your laptop, pen, or draft of your birthday ritual post. | Expressive throat stretch and deep exhale. | "My scholarship inspires others to author their lives." |
| Day 29 Thurs, Sept 24 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"Which versions of me sit on my internal council as I enter 40?" | Four objects representing Mother, Father/Ancestors, Ralphie, and Self. | Sit in quiet meditation for 4 minutes. | "I am supported by lineage, love, and my own wisdom." |
| Day 30 Fri, Sept 25 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"What does receiving pleasure look like without paying for it with productivity?" | Flowers, a gift, or a warm smile. | Open arms wide to the sides, breathing into the chest. | "I am worthy of celebration. I receive love fully." |
| Day 31 Sat, Sept 26 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"I arrived. I left. I became. I returned." | A self-portrait in soft lighting on the eve of 40. | Place your hands gently on top of your head (Crown). | "I belong to myself. I am ready." |
| Day 32 Sun, Sept 27 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 3 Piano Recital & 40th Birthday |
"I am here. I am loved. I get to fucking enjoy my life." | Birthday cake, family/friends, or your birthday outfit. | Laugh, eat, dance, and hug your loved ones. | "I survived the journey. I am crowned in my 40th year." |
| Day 33 Mon, Sept 28 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"What did my heart feel yesterday when it stopped fighting love?" | Leftover party elements, ribbons, or quiet morning tea | Gentle somatic shake-out of the arms and legs. | "I hold all the sweetness in my body." |
| Day 34 Tue, Sept 29 |
Root & Mars ♂️ Grounding & Vitality |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"What exists in my life today that 20-year-old me couldn't dream of?" | Your keys, your writing, your face. | Trace the edge of a puzzle piece with your thumb. | "Saturn gives form to chaos. Every piece of me belongs." |
| Day 35 Wed, Sept 30 |
Throat & Mercury ☿ Truth & Narrative |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"If my 40s had a title, what would it be?" | A blank journal page with your new decade title written in cursive | Speak your new decade title out loud 3 times. | "I name my reality. My word is law to myself." |
| Day 36 Thurs, Oct 1 |
Third Eye & Jupiter ♃ Vision & Expansion |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"How does it feel to exist without needing to prove anything to the world?" | The sky at dusk or dawn. | Relax your jaw, eyelids, and forehead completely. | "I rest in big vision. Jupiter guides my expansion." |
| Day 37 Fri, Oct 2 |
Heart & Venus ♀️ Love & Receptive Pleasure |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"What is delicious about a simple, unscheduled Friday?" | A simple daily ritual—coffee, warm light, or Ralphie resting. | Stroke your own arm gently; practice self-touch. | "Ordinary life is extraordinary when I am present." |
| Day 38 Sat, Oct 3 |
Crown & Saturn ♄ Structure & Lineage |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"Look at the 38 photos taken so far. What story do they tell?" | A grid/collage photo of your puzzle or past photos. | Sit in quiet gratitude for 5 minutes. | "Saturn seals my wisdom. I am a leader of my path." |
| Day 39 Sun, Oct 4 |
Solar Plexus & Sun ☀️ Willpower & Sovereignty |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"How bright am I willing to shine in this new chapter?" | Direct sunlight or a golden object. | Stand in the sun, hands over solar plexus, absorbing warmth. | "My light is unquenchable. I am sovereign." |
| Day 40 Mon, Oct 5 |
Sacral & Moon 🌙 Emotional Flow & Intuition |
Phase 4 Integration & Continuation |
"40 days, 40 years. I have arrived at myself." | A final, triumphant, peaceful self-portrait holding camera or looking at the camera lens. | Hand on heart, hand on belly. Take 4 deep, slow breaths (one for each decade). | "The wilderness is within me. I am home in my own life." |
Authoring Your Own Celebration
When I was in my 20s, getting into my 40s and 50s felt ancient. Like I was supposed to have solidified exactly who I was by then. And the funny thing is, my 30s allowed me to discover some immutable aspects of who I was. My desire to live a sovereign life remains true in every epoch of my life. But everything else has been fluid. I didn't realize I could be a different person at this age.
Whereas society has women fearing aging—shoving anti-aging creams in our faces as early as our 20s, while telling us how to lose weight - fix our damaged hair - whiten our teeth - cook better - dress better - don't age—I have embraced it. Aging is a privilege that several of my friends will not get to do. I am reaching 40, now older than friends that once were older than me.
It is a gift to be alive. And no matter what the media depicts, we are allowed to evolve at every age. As long as there's breath and consciousness, more conscious breath can follow.
Reader, I hope you're inspired to create your own rituals of time. Every moment that exist on this planet is truly a gift from the Universe. Whatever you have survived, whatever you have shifted out of and into, take the time to celebrate yourself. There is no manual for this thing called life.
An Invitation to the Reader & The Reminder
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How do you treat the passage of your own time? What cultural scripts are you ready to unlearn about your milestones? Which ones are you wanting to author in their place?
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Reminder: Living this long is a privilege, surviving your past is an achievement, and existing right now is inherently sacred.
By the way, if you feel inclined to gift me anything from my Amazon Wishlist, I welcome your generosity. There will be lots of books to select from, and cute gifts for Ralphie.
