We’re halfway between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. I’d wager we are all feeling a little bit like this chickadee here, eager for more sunshine and to see nature reawaken all around us.
Some of us have just participated in the rituals of Imbolc, noted Groundhog’s Day, or celebrated the Festival of Brigid as ways to recognize we’re moving toward spring, toward regrowth, and into the beautiful vitality of nature. And some of us don’t pick a particular day of conscious engagement with seasonal shifts, but we do feel “something is changing.”
Well, Midwinter is a wonderful time to recognize the little changes that show us winter is shifting into Spring: the mornings are brighter earlier and it’s still light out when we start to prepare dinner. Those are some obvious clues. But we are changing subtly, too, as our energy shifts with the lengthening days: we may be drawn to forcing bulbs indoors, starting seeds for tomatoes or basil, eat “lighter” foods, even hug a tree (they’re just beginning to wake up in the warm sun, particularly the maples and birches).
Midwinter, thanks to our location on the globe, is a long cusp season: we will still sometimes feel like it’s way too cold and there’s not enough light. Think of this as the time of the hermit, or, what I like to see it as, the time of the Mystic.
I suggest creating space and time for “sacred solitude.” Perhaps you’ve been doing shadow work as Autumn shifted into Winter. That’s wonderful! Now it’s time to build on that, to sprout those seeds of inner wisdom into visualizing your future or your path forward based on what you’ve learned about yourself. The hermit, or the Mystic, is not an idle archetype. She is attuned to herself, looking inward and learning, and then reflecting those insights outward. She is in the process of Becoming. She is Winter becoming Spring.
Some suggestions for accessing your inner Mystic:
1. If you like Tarot or Oracle cards, find the number 9 card. This is your Hermit/Mystic card. This is your visual reminder for soul-searching, introspection, being alone, and noticing your inner guidance. Place it near your bed, or the kitchen windowsill, your altar…wherever it can best serve as a visual touchstone for your midwinter spiritual work.
2. During the pre-dawn hours we can receive powerful guidance, be it from dreams or during that in-between state of sleep and waking. For some of us, this can happen as we doze for a nap or just before we fall asleep. Keep a pad and pen beside your bed and jot down images, words, etc. that feel important and return to them to contemplate or journal about later.
3. Read a book or watch a video about your spiritual path or spiritual interests to expand your knowledge base.
4. Set aside physical space where you can retreat as a reminder to slow down. This is your cave or your anchoress’ cell where you can turn inward for spiritual work.
5. Tend to your energy. We can’t truly live like a hermit or the Mystic on the Mountain who would have been in isolation for contemplative purposes, but being contemplative naturally opens our Crown and Heart chakras. It expands our auras, too, and the whole of our energy anatomy as we connect with the subtle realms of our Higher Self, Guidance, and Source. As a result, we are more deeply tuned in, and we can, unknowingly, pick up other people’s stuff, whether positive or negative. So be sure to cleanse your energy anatomy. Be sure to pull your aura in and protect yourself before heading into your workplace or the grocery store, etc. If you need some ideas, see my blog post “Energy Clearing Techniques” for some tips.
6. Develop foundational strength. In other words, ground yourself. Emotions and thoughts are of the Water and Air elements and can carry us away. Developing your tether—your rooted, grounded anchor to earth—helps with returning to center. You may already have a tried and true method. Great! If not, or if you need to rework that grounding method a little bit, consider these nature-based options such as an epsom or mineral salt bath, communing with an evergreen tree, or regularly holding/carrying hematite.
I hope these are useful ideas as you move through midwinter into spring!
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, email me. I’d love to hear from you!
Comments