Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s post, I will be discussing the process of slowing down during the Dark Half of the Year!
This is a natural process that many of us feel, the energy of slowing down as the dark and cold months set in. However, this is often difficult to truly honor, with the busyness of the Holiday Season and all of the stress that comes with it. That is why I wanted to discuss this very important natural part of life as Nature herself grows darker and colder.
We are now in November, and that means that the Winter Holiday Season is fast approaching, but it also means that we are in that beautiful Portal between Samhain and the Winter Solstice. This is the time when Nature is truly at her darkest, with literally the least amount of daylight hours we have all year long. While most of us want to make sure that our loved ones, and ourselves, have a nice Holiday Season (no matter the various ones we may celebrate), it also brings with it added stress and time spent go, go, going. This is the exact opposite of what Nature is asking us to do, which is to slow down.
So, how do we reconcile our modern responsibilities and the joy we have in celebrating with loved ones, with the very important and natural inclination to go within during the dark and cold months of the year? There is no easy answer, as everyone has a very different life path and different circumstances. However, I think that carving out some time for ourselves is something that is doable for most people. This can be as simple as a couple of hours to watch a movie with a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate, or hot apple cider. It can be as simple as an extra hour to yourself to do some yoga, meditation, or journaling. It can also look like performing a long and luxurious Bath Magick Ritual. Or, even, taking the nap your body is crying out for before making dinner one night. This is simply about filling up your cup, or refilling your cup throughout the day, to make sure you are cared for! After all, we cannot truly care for others (at least not well) if we are depleted of energy ourselves.
The biggest struggle for many with this is the feeling that we should always be doing something constructive. In Western Cultures, we are raised with this mentality that we must always be doing something, achieving something. This is what ultimately leads to the huge disparity of achievement we actually see, as some people react to this pressure by slacking off and deciding not to work towards any goals, and others burn themselves out by overdoing everything. It is understandable why either of these things occurs, as the idea of pushing and striving to achieve with the inability to sit still and truly enjoy our accomplishments is going to weigh on people.
Yet, I think there is another way, but it takes time to recalibrate our way of thinking. That way is to follow the rhythms of Nature. Follow the Moon Cycle to allow yourself to become attuned to how the Moon impacts your life. Follow the Seasonal Cycle to learn to become attuned to how these yearly shifts impact you. Become more in tune with your hormonal shifts, especially important when it comes to the Menstrual Cycle (or Menopause), but everyone has a cycle of hormonal shifts. Over time, it becomes easier to notice our relationship with each of these cycles.
Once we get into better alignment with the Cycles of Nature, we can truly begin to embrace the natural inclination to go within during the darkest and coldest months. Obviously, this is a balancing act between responsibility and self-care, as noted above, but it is also something that I believe the world truly needs! We need to prioritize flowing with the Natural Cycles, for this is what will give us a better quality of life. As a bonus, for those of us who are Magickal and Spiritual Practitioners, learning to flow with the Natural Cycles can also help to recalibrate our ability to receive, making spells and rituals all the more likely to alchemize the changes we are seeking to call forth!
I hope you have enjoyed this look at the true importance of slowing down at this time of the year. What is your favorite way to carve out time to slow down amid the chaos of the Winter Holiday Season? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of this post is my cat, Harlow, sleeping. Cats truly know how to slow down and how to receive!
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru
- Priestess of Avalon Priestess of the Goddess by Kathy Jones
- The Path of the Priestess by Sharron Rose
- Grail Alchemy by Mara Freeman
- The Avalonian Oracle by Jhenah Telyndru