The Slow Comfort of Winter
One of my favorite solstice rituals is adorning my door with a wreath made from the garden. This year, I crafted my wreath from 100% California native plants (big thanks to my friend Christine who let me harvest some beauties from her garden!) I entered my ‘Toyon Glam’ wreath into the 2021 CNPS Wreath Masters competition AND my wreath won the ‘Avant Garden’ category!
Happy solstice! The days have been getting shorter, darker, and colder, and now we have arrived - it is winter. The time when the natural world slows and puts themselves to rest, awaiting the spring. Does your animal body feel the pull to relax? To slow down? Can you give it space, even if for a moment, to enter into that cozy dreamy wintery state of hibernation?
I know our busy overculture tells us to go go go this time of year, and it can be difficult not to feel the pressure to tie up loose ends as the gregorian calendar comes to a close. But consider that the calendar is just a story that was invented not too long ago, and it is possible to unhook from a narrative that no longer serves our deep desire to follow natural seasonal shifts, even if only in subtle ways. Can you consciously slow down and appreciate this cold, dark, dreamy time?
How can your physical space support your deep desire for slowness and comfort?
I’ve crafted a tarot spread (that, if you don’t use tarot, can also be used as journaling prompts) for you to use as a tool to connect more deeply to this wintertime magic.
Winter Solstice Tarot Spread
What do you need to shed as we enter into wintertime?
What wants to rise to the surface of your dreams these next cold months?
How can you best nurture yourself in this slow season?
What might want to emerge out of this hibernation?
What can you look forward to as the days get longer?
Happy happy solstice all, happy winter, happy yule. There’s a reason this time has been celebrated with festivals of light across the northern hemisphere for centuries. Light some candles, string up some twinkle lights, grab a cozy blanket and a warm beverage, and enjoy some deep rest. Your animal body will thank you for it.