This is the time of the year when we give ourselves a moment to reflect on what was and what will be. We make resolutions, set goals, and see ourselves tossing out the old and welcoming the new.
For some of us, we do this kind of self-reflection leading up to and just after the Winter Solstice.
Mystically speaking, on the physical plane, the Winter Solstice is about witnessing the darkness of the longest night and celebrating the return of longer, brighter days. And on the spiritual plane, we notice the darkness and the light within ourselves.
What does this mean, witnessing the darkness and the light within one's self?
To witness is to see or know by personal experience; likewise, to Witness is to see yourself on the inside, to recognize your thoughts and emotions consciously.
So not only are we recognizing that the time of the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere is a short day/long night due to the planet being tilted away from the sun,
we are also looking back into ourselves, back into our Consciousness to see where we’ve been while, like the planet, we, too, tilt--into our future plans, into our resolutions and goals.
You could also call this resolution work ‘taking stock’. Agriculturally speaking, in the past, families and communities would check on the remaining stored food, toss what had gone bad, and take steps to keep stores from further spoilage (preserve what was still useful). At the Winter Solstice and/or beginning of the new year, we do this metaphysically: we let go of what no longer serves. By peering into the darkness of your soul’s root cellar, at what’s spoiled and what is still nourishing, you release what no longer serves draw on that which is still sustaining.
Whenever it is that you take stock, though, it’s about self-reflection leading to renewal. And this process of renewal is just that: a process.
Mara Freeman, in her book Kindling the Celtic Spirit, explains:
At Winter Solstice the seed of light is tightly folded within the bud of darkness. From now on, as the days grow longer, the sun-seed slowly unfurls from this center, through the spring days of Imbolc and Beltaine, to its full flowering at Summer Solstice (377).
As we look toward the threshold of a new year, we become more aware of our journey as a spiral that circles around yet continually moves us onward to the next cycle of our soul’s evolution (378).
Through reflection and renewal you develop yourself.
Your resolutions for 2024 are but seeds right now, just beginning to feel the strengthening of the Light. Tend them with compassion and grace as you see how they sprout, unfurl, and grow into the beautiful harvest of you!
If you are new to this process of reflection and renewal,
here are a few guiding steps:
Count your blessings: Review the past year—ask yourself: what lessons have I learned? What were my accomplishments? What was challenging? Look at your answers with gratitude and/or forgiveness because all that you did, for better of for worse, has lent itself to your personal growth.
Next, this about how you’d like to manifest for yourself this year: let your imagination roam and take note of what visions and daydreams show up. These are your seeds.
Read over your ideas of what is to come and notice your thoughts, emotional responses in your body, and any word associations to help you discern (intuit) where to focus your energy going forward.
Do remember these caveats:
Your life is a work in progress. Allow yourself some Grace.
Patience with the cyclical nature of healing, growth, and accomplishment is paramount.
You are in a co-creative process with your Higher Self, this Earth, other humans, and the Beings of Light who work with you (you’re not alone!). Just ask for the support you need to make your intentions take root and grow.
If you'd like some support, I'm here for you. An Akashic Records reading is an informative way to look into your life and discover your path forward. A crystal healing session is great for dissolving and shifting blocks that hinder the accessing of potential, motion, and creative growth. Flower essences are pure vibration, and they, too, are here for us on the spiritual, emotional, and mental levels—a custom blend for 2024’s resolutions can be helpful in the subtlest layers of your Being.
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