Soulful Winter Practices ~ What Lights You Up?
Plus: a peek at the completed “Old One” portrait on my drawing board
Dear Ones,
Today brings a New Moon in Sagittarius, reminding us that new life always follows a time of compost and disintegration, in the great cycle of life/death/regeneration. Winter Solstice reminds us of the same teaching but in the solar cycle rather than the lunar one. New Moon, New Sun … it’s good to move through this time quietly, to press “pause” on attending to the outer world, to relax into this liminal “time out of time.”
As an elder, it’s easier for me than for younger ones to set aside quiet, contemplative time during the busy end-of-the-year holiday season. But even when my schedule was packed a lot more heavily than it is these days, I made a practice of deliberately slowing down during December. Here are some of the practices that have lit me up during past holiday seasons. (And no, I never try to do them all every year.)
Winter Themes & Practices
Here are a few ideas for soulful activities you might want to do throughout the Yuletide season. Don't try to do them all; just one or two that speak to your heart.
Light in the darkness. Fill your home with sparkling lights. Create an advent wreath and light candles on the four Sun-Days before Solstice, then light a fifth, central candle on Solstice Day. Keep all electric lights off on the shortest day of the year, to experience in your body the few hours of daylight. Keep only candles lit after dark.
(Last week I shared a detailed practice of the Advent Sunwheel. Tonight at dusk, we’ll be lighting two candles on the Wheel. If you’re participating, remember that Beth Owl shares ideas for ceremony each week here on her blog.)
The earth lies fallow, alive but not actively growing. Take time off work to rest and dream, without an agenda. Go on a Winter Wild Wander, observing what’s going on in the natural world in your neighborhood. Be enchanted, and tell about it, as Mary Oliver might say.
Solitude and community. Honor your need to gather with friends and family, and make sure you have plenty of quiet time to yourself. Don’t necessarily fill your calendar up with social engagements. Only say yes to the gatherings that feed your spirit. Be the one to reach out to others, rather than wait for others to reach out to you.
Birth and rebirth. On Solstice Eve, sit in the darkness after sunset alone or with loved ones, meditating, praying, telling stories, drumming, singing chants and songs. In the morning, rise before dawn and light candles to welcome the Solstice sunrise. Give gifts of time and presence to the children in your life.
Storytelling. Gather with one friend or several, and take turns telling stories by candlelight. Read stories out loud (especially stories of the sun’s return) or share memories of winter celebrations from the past. You might gather in a circle and ask each person to share a cherished Yuletide memory or a favorite winter meal.
Hope. Volunteer and/or make donations to favorite charities or causes. Help the unhoused in your community. Put up bird feeders to help supplement the diets of local birds. Meditate, pray, hold ceremonies for peace and planetary well-being.
— from “Walking the Sacred Wheel” (unpublished) by JPC
What are your favorite Winter Practices?
What are your favorite practices and traditions for the season of Yuletide? What brings true joy to your life, even as you experience challenges or hard times personally and/or collectively? Please leave a comment and let us know. And share photos in Chat, if you like.
