Winter Solstice 2023

Many of you know this is my favorite time of the year. For one I am that strange person who enjoys the cold and the snow of the Winter Season. I also love all the warm memories that return for me this time of year. Many from my childhood and even more from the years when my little ones were growing up. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the season and the anticipation with which the young and the young at heart counted the days, to school letting out, days to when family would start arriving. As my children are grown, my grandchildren are young adults and have thankfully chosen not to make me a great grand mom yet, I thought the season would begin to pass me quietly by. This year I decided to cut down on traditions such as sending handwritten cards, over decorating my house to the point that every room overflowed with some form of greenery and baubles. So when Samhain came this year I did not anticipate the bubble of energy in my being that began looking forward to the coming months with childlike joy and anticipation to pop up. But it did, it came without handwritten cards, excessive decorations, and hours spent browsing stores and sites for the perfect gift for everyone. So here I am sharing that the Spirit of Yule came fully alive within me and for me, with no effort on my part, it was just there growing in my heart. So I am celebrating, after all, my Yule tree is up and lit with bright white lights and there is a bit of greenery scattered about so the fae know they are welcome here for the winter celebrations and any time they wish to come in from the cold. But this year I am gifting myself the joy of self-care. That means I will turn down invitations, I will send out no invitations except to the fae around me. Instead, I will grab a good book, actually several good books, and catch up on my reading. I will spend time listening to music and baking cookies, not those fancy ones but just plain cookies that are filled with all the yule spices. I will not write blog posts, I will not do podcasts, I will not teach classes or hold spiritual group chats. I am going to enjoy the holiday season. I am going to honor the Spirit of Yule in a different way this year, I am going to embrace the silent nights, and the winter days with no rushing, no hustle and bustle, and no deadlines, I will not be posting until after the New Year. So to my dear readers, I wish you an amazing, joyful, and blessed Yule. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.