Embracing the Seasons: 7 Steps to a Better Winter

November 26, 2014

The snow started to fall here in Northeast PA on Wednesday morning and continued through the day, covering the garden, and softening the untended edges of the yard.  The woods behind the house filled with snow and the path that leads up the hill was buried.  And I was glad to see it.  

I love the changing seasons and the rhythm our circling earth supplies. But I know that each season brings its own unique set of opportunities and challenges and that this is especially true of winter.

For me, winter is a time of clarity and inspiration.  A time of creativity and deep thought and blinding illumination.  Winter opens the mind to new things, things we would have never thought of in other softer seasons, things that can put the whole rest of the year into a meaningful perspective.

But winter is a time of limitation, too.  Those of us living in the colder climates may feel hemmed in by snow or cold or icy roads.  We might not get outside as much as we would like and even when we do go out - the days end early.  This can affect us in many different ways and some of us may struggle to keep our spirits high.

I have found that the best way to keep my spirits up is by celebrating the unique energies of this very special season.  Here are a few tips that have helped me:
  1. Honor your intellect.  Learn something new.  Turn off the TV.  Pick up a book.  Learn a language. Research a topic.  Fill the long nights with learning.
  2. Stimulate your creativity.  Pick a winter project.  Make candles or cookies or learn a brand new craft.  Write a short story, start a novel or a painting, redesign your blog or website, or redecorate your home.
  3. Seek inner illumination.  Learn something new about yourself.  Start a journal.  Meditate.  Record your dreams.  Record your tarot readings or psychic sessions.  Reflect on your discoveries and the ways you can apply that insight in the coming year.
  4. Chase the sun.  Go outside when the sun is shining or anytime it's snowing.  Walk your dog, do some winter gardening or take a social media pic and inspire others.  Tell yourself yourself you can come in whenever you are ready.  Odds are you'll stay a while (it's the getting out that's hard).
  5. Bring the light indoors.  Use candles and brightly colored lights at night.  Open the curtains   throughout the day.  Rethink your window treatments.
  6. Break up stale energy.  Crack the windows when you clean whenever that is possible.  Clear clutter.  Make a giveaway bag (and then give it away).  Keep things neat.
  7. Bring a bit of nature into your home before the holiday season.  Buy a plant.  Cut a bit of evergreen and put it on your altar or in any prominent location.
Winter is not an easy season, true, but it has a lot to offer!

Wednesday Morning: my herb garden in the process of being cover up by snow.
Rosemary saved in the nick of time.
Hill behind our house just as the snow was starting.

2 comments

  1. I don't get snow here, Barbara, and we don't feel the change in seasons much where I live, but I feel the changes in my bones and my mind (maybe because I was born in Europe, a genetic thing!), and will keep your suggestions for next Autumn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comments Tosca! It sounds like you are in tune with the change in seasons independent of weather - which isn't a bad thing!

      Delete

Please share your thoughts!