I don’t know about you but I know I am already tired of it being dark at 430pm, having 2 feet of snow and the bitter cold of -26c. Everyone says “Well, you are Canadian, so you are used to it!” but in reality, it’s horrible. We have had snow for a month now and I am ready for spring, be alas not for another 3 or more months yet will we be blessed with warmer sunshine and melting snow.  As winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere December 21^st at 5:44am est we start the transition to the days gradually getting longer again. The days may be cold and full of snow but just knowing the sun is getting warmer is enough to keep us going. I tend to hibernate, and only go out when necessary and I keep my home nice and toasty warm with a roaring fire. However horrible the weather is outside, I do use the winter solstice and this season for positive changes, looking inward and figuring out what I want to (or need to) change in order to be a better me when life comes back to the earth I step upon. Normally the things that come to mind are a more healthier lifestyle, getting more exercise and eating better and more balance to the day to day routines. But it also is a time of purging, and getting rid of things that no longer serve me in my current existence, and the proverbial “cleaning of the cobwebs” occur. I also tend to journal and read more, all good habits to get back into!

Sure some folks love winter and all the fun sports to do in the snow, and sure even I will admit I love the peaceful silence of nature’s slumber when I walk through the woods. However for me, and many others who really dislike the cold and brutal extremes,  it’s a time to “Hermit” and this is the Tarot Energy for this season change. The 9^th Major Arcana card shows a solitaire person alone immersed in their thoughts and personal energy. Activity gives way to dormancy. Life is still, indwelling and silent. This is a time of introversion, contemplation and going within. Symbolic winter invites us to quiet the mind, still the soul, and crystallize our inner workings. This is a time to ice skate through winter whites as a means of gaining purity and clarification. Curl up by a warm fire, read a good book or write your own story. Snuggle with loved ones. Clean out the cobwebs and make your own personal “Me List” and things you want to do and accomplish when the earth comes back to life again. Find healthy recipes to try out, do some at home yoga or be crazy like me and do Zumba from Youtube. Research neat places to visit during the summer months. Lots of things you can do while being a Hermit that can free the mind and soul during the season of sleep.

Grab a pen and paper and write out your personal Me “wish list” for 2017 this winter solstice and burn your intentions in the fire, and watch them manifest when spring unfolds. Stay warm everyone!  Blessed be this holiday season

~Jenn