Merry Yuletide dear ones. December 20th is this year's winter solstice, and we welcome the transition. It is the season of the hearth, where we lay our work down and gather 'round the fire for celebration and rest. In the Northern Hemisphere the Earth sleeps under the whisper of rain or a blanket of white snow. On this day, it is the darkest day of the year. We celebrate the darkness and the break it affords us from the demanding light of the Sun. We may find ourselves sleepier, dreamier, and generally more sensitive to stimulation. We can greet the season with acceptance and open arms, slowing down as much as we can, or with resistance, experiencing overwhelm and burnout. The choice is up to you.

Yuletide traditionally was celebrated as the day the work was done. Harvest time long past, but the barrenness of late winter not yet come, it was a time of celebrating plenty by scattering ciders, ales, and herbs over sacred trees or the resting fields. Families would have selected a yule log many months ago, and now it would be dried and ready to burn. The Yule log was decorated lavishly, and sometimes inlaid with candles that symbolized various elements. It was placed on the hearth with reverence, and the ashes were saved to imbue the coming growth of the land with the fertility of the year before. A small piece of the burnt log was saved for the following year, to be used as kindling for that years Yule log. Both the ashes and the kindling piece are tangible ways to carry over the connection to the land into the following year, and helped maintain the connection to that which feeds us through the winter though the trees are bare and the fields quiet. Evergreen boughs and trees are used to decorate, and remind us of the ever-present flow of life.

Ancient Celts laid the Holly King to rest and acknowledged the birth of the Oak King, who would oversee the fertility of the next year. The Earth was seen as in the process of conception and gestation. The seeds dropped in the Fall now lay quietly waiting for the warmth of Spring to awaken their green growing powers. The goddess Brighid, tender of the sacred creative fire, is honored at this time. Winter is a time in which our creativity can flourish, as we plan for the following year. What will we build? What will we try? How will we commit ourselves? What will we let go of in order to make space for new and vibrant energies? We can also take advantage of the cold outside to pursue our indoor crafts, investing time and energy into the artist in ourselves that lies dormant during the busy summer months.

Magickal herbs for yuletide are fun and often hardy. Cedar for clearing and enhancing psychic powers. Pine for peace, healing, and joy. Juniper for protection (three berries a day will supercharge your immune system). Mistletoe for dreams, both sleeping and awake. Holly for willingness to invite the spirit of nature into your home, and for protecting the innocent. Chamomile for sweet cheeriness. Thistle to ward off ill-wishes, and cultivate joy and vitality. Ash for gentle light and magical power.

Consider celebrating this Yuletide by taking some quiet time for yourself. Often the holidays can bring up a lot in us, be it stress of expectations, griefs long past, fears of the dark, all things that we can give loving attention to and then lay to rest for an hour or two (or even a whole day!). Journaling, reflecting, and making commitments to the self to deepen our loving relationship to our own existence is supported by all the energies of this Holiday.

I recently came across the concept of Hygge, a Danish cultural movement developed in the long, dark winters of Northern Europe. It is best translated as developing intimacy with oneself, friends, and the home by acknowledging a moment, ordinary of extraordinary, as charming, cozy, or special. It sounds simple but in essence is deeply profound. I have been practicing this by relishing simple things, like a warm cup of tea, the curve of a cat's back as he stretches, or the smell of the rain. Practicing this acknowledgement of contentment creates a cozy container within myself and is one of the best ways I have found to deal with normal seasonal feelings of depression, anxiety, or listlessness. If you want to explore this with me, you can get deepen your inspiration here at Hygge House.

My wish for you this Yuletide is to be well, rest as you can, and relieve yourself of the stories around getting "there", whatever "there" is to you, and examine how you can enjoy here, right now as deeply as you can. Celebrate how you, like all of nature, are an ever-changing, ever-growing being that never arrives because there is nowhere to get to but this, here, right now.

In Love,

Susan Marie