Honoring Winter’s Midpoint
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Hello sunshine, we made it! We have reached winter’s midpoint and the light is visibly returning for us in the Northern Hemisphere. This midpoint is acknowledged in many ways: Groundhog Day, Imbolc, Candelmas, Brigid’s Day and the Feast of the Waxing Light just to name a few. There is a familiar thread in these traditions that celebrates the return of the sun. While the Winter Solstice marks the first day of winter and our definitive turn of the seasonal wheel towards the growing light, we really begin to notice the difference in early February.
Winter can be a challenging time for many especially for those in colder climates. It can be a season where our “stuff” or those pieces we keep in the shadows, arises with more insistence. The cold and dark can make the shadows feel deeper and harder to tend. Winter is an opportunity to stretch and strengthen our resilience muscles and give ourselves permission to follow our internal rhythms and needs. Here at home, we’ve been making sure to create time for quiet, early evenings and enjoy going to bed a bit earlier. This has allowed us more time to rest and time to work with our “stuff”. We are listening and honoring our energy in the moment, and we are super excited for the returning warmth and energy!
Now that we’ve arrived at the midpoint, how are you? How has winter unfolded for you? What challenges have arisen and what are you celebrating? It’s important to note, that while we can celebrate the renewed power of the sun, we are not yet in spring. There is no need to rush into a state of high energy and activity. The pregnant void of winter holds the image of seeds growing towards the surface of the soil. It’s important to give these seeds time. We can celebrate slightly longer days and know that incubation is still happening unseen.
This part of the seasonal wheel marks a great opportunity to reflect on the year so far. What intentions did you set in January and how have they unfolded? Now that you are really in 2020, what are your intentions for the rest of the year? What is your inner self asking for? The growing light is a time to honor inspiration, illumination and warmth. It’s time, right? You can take all of these qualities and sprinkle them on whatever is needed. The light can encourage a slow melt on what needs to be moved through.
How do you do this, you may ask? First you set the stage and welcome the returning light. I am a big fan of engaging all the senses in honoring this midpoint. It really allows me to feel the shift when I can see, smell, taste and feel it around me. I mean, let’s be real. This is the time of year where winter can start to feel loooong. That’s why I find it so important to acknowledge each little shift as it comes. At first, I just need to create the environment and invitation for the warmth and illumination to arrive. Then I let these things slowly work their magic to let the light find its way into the winter shadowy bits I have been working with.
Care to join me? Here are some simple ways you can celebrate the rebirth of the sun:
After sunset on February 2nd, light all the candles and turn on all the lights in your home if only for a few minutes. If this sounds too much, light a candle in each room of the house instead. Just notice how it feels to see your home filled with light.
Create an essential oil room mist with purified water and 1-3 drops of any of the following, in any combination you choose: lemon, orange, frankincense, and lavender. Go through each room and spray each corner to help purify and move the energy in preparation for the season ahead.
Cook a delicious and spicy dish to create warmth and heat in the body. Try incorporating shallots, ginger, onions, leeks, garlic etc. Need a recipe? This one can be modified a bit and is yummy. Try it here.
If you have a fireplace, make a fire and take time enjoy the heat of the flames while sharing fond summer memories. You can also add papers to the fire symbolizing what you are ready to release to create space for what will emerge in the spring. These can be bills, letters, lists, etc or you can write things you are ready to let go of on slips of paper.
Draw suns on various surfaces: using your finger, trace a sun in the snow, on a foggy mirror, in the dew on your car, or better yet with paper and art supplies. Give yourself permission to take 10 minutes and put color on a page in any shape, design or texture that delights you. Extra credit: write any words or phrases that capture what delights you about the returning sun. Extra, extra credit? Put this image somewhere in your home where you will see it frequently.
I hope you will join us in celebrating this special time of year. May you find the “just-right” way to honor this point of winter and however it shows up in you. You can be right where you are and know the light is returning. Whether you are yearning to brighten and shake off winter or ready to hibernate a bit more - it’s all good.
Aligning with the seasons helps me remember the wheel of life is always turning even when I feel stuck. The cycle is always in motion and that gives me faith and hope for what is to come.
Many warm and brilliant midwinter blessings to you!
