Winter: The Wild-lands of Soul
Winter calls the wild-lands of our soul to be held in its embrace. With its hushed colors and gray light, in the unfolding and enveloping stillness, the season invites us to root down into the core of our being.
The wild-lands of winter lead us back to the wild-lands of our own soul through the light and warmth of the hearth-fire. The hearth-fire, as the center of the home, reminds us that home is our most sacred temple. In this sacred temple, on chilled winter evenings, the hearth-fire creates the space for our soul to awaken.
For My Irish ancestors, who practiced Druidism, home was a reflection of their reverence for nature and its connection to the spiritual otherworld. They honored the cycles of the seasons, the magical healing properties of plants and trees, the animal spirits, the wisdom of the moon and stars, and all the earthly elements.
For my ancestors, the home became the sacred temple in which this natural, spiritually potent energy of the earth could be integrated into daily life.
In the home, the making of food and clothing, the provision of warmth and shelter, the daily rituals, and seasonal celebrations, were expressions of the deeper spiritual essence of nature.
The home was the reflection of nature’s wild-lands and the hearth-fire was the portal through which the power of nature nourished the wild-lands of one’s soul.
In today’s world, especially during the winter season, the hearth-fire continues to be the central gathering place within our home. The energy of fire helps us to recognize the importance of releasing, letting go, and welcoming in transformation.
The hearth is the place whereby we are nourished, sustained, warmed: it is the place we are renewed through stories and memories, love and creativity, forgiveness and repair, tasks and rituals.
Just as we stoke the fire in the deep of winter, we are being invited to stoke our creativity ten-fold during these cold, dark months. The hearth-fire invites us to connect to our internal creative fire and to use our creative energy to cultivate deeper meaning, purpose, and intimacy.
The Season of Grace and Dreams
Winter is the season of grace-filled moments when Spirit calls to us through potent dreams; inviting us into the depth of it ALL.
Inviting us into the sacred magic of earth, fire, air, water; letting the elements teach us how to dive into the mysteries of our psyche and honor our deep soul-knowing.
Will you accept this invitation to enter your own soul-filled wild-lands?
The Season of Mystery and Trust
Winter is the season of mystery. The season when we realize just how challenging it can be to trust in something not yet seen.
It is the season that teaches us to be patient with the unknown and the “not yet”.
The season that teaches us that darkness and death are never the end. There is always transformation happening, even when everything is still and seemingly empty.
In this season, if we trust the mysterious, sacred energy of the universe, we come into an awareness that Spirit and Love are so much greater than our plans and agendas, ineffective control tactics, and protective strategies.
When we learn to trust the mysterious erotic life force, creation and transformation are always cycling through our lives.
The Wild-lands of Winter live within each of us:
- When dark nights and fear grab hold of us and the path is unknown.
- When grief reigns and joy feels out of reach.
- When morning skies, of barely perceptible light, mirror our moods.
- When we must summon our courage to trust the unseen promise of possibility and renewal.
- When the warming fire reminds us that the sacred mystery of life is not out of reach; it is found in the rhythms of daily life, as we honor the earth’s wisdom.
- When we reclaim our creative light and our true nature.
Root Into Mother Earth this Winter
As Winter Solstice approaches, I hope you will let your soul root down and down and down, finding the eternal comfort of the earth.
Finding the hidden caverns of her wisdom and healing, mystery and promise.
May your winter have just the right amount of solitude and stillness connecting you to the wild-lands within, reminding you that it is in the quiet, ordinary moments that the sacred mystery is revealed.
May your winter gatherings and celebrations welcome authentic, abiding, and faithful love around your hearth fires.
Yes, Winter is calling the wild-lands of your soul to be held in her embrace. May you allow this season to envelop you in her restorative stillness.
As always, peace in the journey,
Jane
Jane Ryan
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