Knowing when to move on

 

 Life is change, and all things come...and go...in their own time.  I've been writing this blog, on and a bit off, for 11 years now, and it's time for me to move on.  Like most things that have been a big part of our lives, it can be hard to move forward and let go of something, even if it's no longer serving you in the way that it was previously.  But acknowledging where you are in life and what your needs and desires are, as well as the limits of your capabilities, is an important part of life!

 

When I first started blogging, I didn't even share my posts with anyone...literally no one knew I was doing it.  I was just typing my thoughts out into the void, and it was a way for me to mentally process things or organize my thoughts on a subject.  In the early days, it was also a way for me to feel connected with other Pagans and witchy folks (weird I know, especially since I didn't tell anyone about it, but it still made me feel like my voice was getting out there).

Along the way, I've done several blogging projects, which have helped me connect even further with other bloggers and pushed me to expand my own blog...in ways that I often resisted (like adding photos to my posts...or actively sharing them in a way that hopefully promoted conversation about the topic with other people).

And it's been something that helped me feel meaningful, both as a writer and as a Pagan.  I was able to put my thoughts and opinions out there, in my own space, and talk about the stuff I wanted to talk about.  I always love when people mention bits that really stuck with them or ideas that they hadn't considered (but were really excited about).

But, after 530 blog posts (yes, I did the math lol), I've been feeling like I'm starting to repeat myself.  I try very hard to only revisit topics if I have something new to say, but it's definitely been a struggle in the past few years, to think about what I want to write about.  I've always tried to keep my blog kinda politics free (which definitely shifted around 2020, and I ended up talking about more topics that were both controversial and related to current events).  

Mostly though, it was becoming to feel more tedious than exciting.  I'd plan out my topics and pre-write blogs (because that helped my brain feel less burdened by the bits that were less exciting to me), but blog writing became something that I did because "I was supposed to"...and not so much because I was passionate about it.

On top of that, with my new job, my time and energy has been severely limited.  Over the past few months (since I started working), I've managed to keep my blog going, but it's definitely been a task I don't look forward to...and I don't want that to be the energy of my blog!

I feel like this is the point where I often try to be stubborn, to push myself beyond what I should be doing, and convince myself that because "I can handle it" that I should be doing it.  But just because we are capable of doing a thing doesn't mean it's healthy for us!  

So even though it feels bittersweet, I know that it's time for me to retire from blogging.  ((at least for the moment...because who knows what the future will bring, I am not saying I will never blog again, but for right now, this is something I need to set aside))  With my time being more limited, I have to decide which things are a priority for me, and I want to focus on my personal path right now.

One of the ways I find very helpful to transition change is to make a formal acknowledgement of it...and that's a bit of what this post is.  It's my way of recognizing the end of this part of my life...and the start of something new.  My blog will still stay here (as long as Blogger is around hehe), and I hope anyone who is wanting a bit of witchy rambling will still poke through old posts and read things that seem interesting to them!

I appreciate each and every one of you who have ever read my blog...even if you are a lurker that I don't know about (I've done plenty of lurking in my day!)  The thought that someone might find value in what I've written was a big motivator for me, and I have loved reading comments, and interacting with readers over the years.  I am so grateful for all the people I've met along the way, and all the things I've learned:  about myself, about my path, and about the differences and similarities we all share.  I wish the very best for everyone, and hope the New Year brings a fresh start if you are looking for one (and that you have a smooth transition with anything you are setting behind).

May your days be filled with joy, laughter and learning, and your nights with sweet dreams and restful recovery!

Welcoming back the sun

 

 In the middle of winter, Yule is the time for us to welcome back the sun.  Today, we think of this as a symbolic gesture, we know that it is the moment when the days start getting longer again, and the sun will be out more, but our ancestors didn't know take this expectation for granted, and until they saw the signs of the longer days there remained that fear that maybe this year the sun would just keep getting less and less.  Welcoming back the sun was a heart-felt appreciation for the life and warmth it brings to our lives.

One common practice I see a lot of people embracing for Yule is to stay up all night (and literally welcome the sun back in the morning).  And while this can be a really powerful way to celebrate, it isn't necessarily accessible for everyone.  Obviously, some people work, and others may not be able to stay up all night for a variety of reasons (children, health issues, age).  A simpler practice would be to watch the sun rise, but even that may be difficult or impossible for many people.  

But while experiencing things in person may be an idealized practice, the truth is we live in a day and age where we aren't limited to that!  We can watch videos of the sunrise, or look at breathtaking pictures that capture that magical moment.  We can read poems that put emotions into words, or read other descriptions of the wonder of sunrise.  It can be really eye opening to read about other people's experiences, to be able to put yourself in their shoes for a moment and see what the shared experience of sunrise means to people who live very different lives from ours.

We might also take this opportunity to do a bit of journeying, and to wonder about how our ancestors might have approached this time of year.  It's one thing to think about the hardships they might have faced, and another to try to put ourselves in their place.  Doing a visualization and stepping into the role of one of our ancestors can not only open our eyes but can teach us so much about how similar (and different) we are.  

I have always thought that one of the hardest things for us to really grasp is how uncertain things felt.  People made up stories to try to explain all the mystery of the world around them.  They noticed that the sun rose and set at different times throughout the year, and they didn't understand why, but as the months grew colder and the sun was out less, it was only natural to worry that maybe this year it wouldn't come back (especially if you also consider that they felt that gods were present in the world around us and that we could displease them in a way that would make them lash out to punish us).

Trying to put yourself back in that situation, to really feel how it must have felt (or at least as close as we can come to understanding it) not only brings us closer to our ancestors, but it gives us a unique perspective on some of our modern fears (I may not worry about the sun not rising in the morning, but I have definitely thought about the effects of our sun one day dying, or other catastrophic events that science has told us are possible).  It makes me feel comforted to know that one day, perhaps one of my decedents will wonder how I could possibly worry about things like that (because they may have figured it out and know how things work).  It reminds me of the idea that any science significantly advanced enough will appear to be magic (and also that maybe one day what we see and practice as magic might be fully defined and understood as science!)

I also feel like the sun has a very different role in our lives today than it did in times past.  If you go far enough back, the sun was the only reliable source of light, and so it's cycles truly dictated our ancestors lives.  Even back before the advent of electricity, light at night was not always accessible (or abundant), and people lived much of their lives at the mercy of daylight.  Today, we are not as limited, and yet we still find ourselves drawn to the light, and especially when something like daylight savings time comes by and we notice the big shift (and it is now dark in the afternoon...) and we feel off kilter.

Even when it comes to electric lights, we are constantly striving to make our lights more natural and realistic (or we run in the other direction with things like color changing LED lights).  We know that indoor lights are not created equal, and many people struggle with different qualities of light.  We also know that actual sunlight is important for many health reasons (from our sleep cycle to emotional regulation and mental well being).

So even though we don't worry about the sun not rising in the morning when we go to bed at night, we need to acknowledge the important role that the sun plays in our lives.  It warms us and lights our way and grows our food and it is nice to have this time dedicated to acknowledging that and taking the time to not only show our gratitude but to also express our appreciation to the light for all it does in our lives. 

Winter storms

 

 Mother Nature isn't always gentle and kind, as we see in storms of all kinds.  But winter storms have the added effect of lingering, and can last days...or more!  Even today, winter storms can cause a lot of devastation, interrupt our lives and even prove deadly.  And that is even with all our advances in modern science, for our ancestors this time of year would have been even more dangerous.

But while storms can create unexpected tragedy, they are also undeniably powerful, and we can tap into that power for many purposes.  As with most storm work, storms can be unpredictable, so stay mindful of that as you prepare for your work.

When we think about work our ancestors might have done with storms, we often think of protection and destruction as the two main focuses.  Protection was mainly focused around protecting you and your loved ones (and property) from the storm itself, where with destruction work you were using the storm as a representation of the destruction you were wanting to cause.

Today, while protection work is still quite valid, it may just look a little different from what our ancestors would consider.  In most cases, it would take a historic storm to do more than inconvenience most of us.  Even when we loose power, we have resources at our disposal now to help make sure we are taken care of.  With cell phones, we often don't even loose communication, which can be quite problematic when talking about being snowed in.

But even though we may not have the same deep seated fears about the effects of storms, we still want to avoid the worst they have to offer, and would welcome help in not being too effected by them.  So along side tapping into the storms energies to protect you and your household, consider also the myriad of ways your life will be effected by the storm.  While I can absolutely manage in my house without internet, I'd rather not have that limitation, so protecting my connection to the outside world is something I work towards.  On a similar thought, while we could probably survive for months on the food in our house, I like having the option of outside food, so I also work to keep the roads clear and safe (because we live in a place that doesn't get a lot of winter storms, so people aren't great at driving in winter weather).

I also really enjoy opening myself up to the energy of storms, as I find that it often lets me express feelings that I bottle up inside.  Especially in the winter, with all the holidays and events and obligations (and gifts!) weighing us down, we can become quite frustrated with having to stay in good cheer all the time (because you aren't allowed to be grumpy during the holidays, right?)  Try opening yourself up to the energy of the storm, and have some good tools of self-expression handy for whatever comes up.  You might feel inspired to do art to express what your are feeling, or you may want to write/type about the experience instead.  If you have a witchy (or just open-minded) friend you trust you might do this together and you can talk about how it felt afterwards (as well as doing any other activities, together or later when you are alone).

If you do end up being snowed in, I think that is a very special kind of energy as well.  I know the Pandemic has altered many people's thoughts about being 'stuck home', and I know that as adults we often have trained ourselves to look at what we 'should be doing', but I have always seen being snowed in as I did when I was a child...it's a free day!  Yes, you can't do the things you had planned to do, and often you are quite severely limited in what you can do....but that just means that you now have no plans for the day!  It's the perfect day to just play (whatever that means to you...it might mean playing a game, reading, watching something, doing a hobby, crafting.....and bonus points if it is something you 'always meant to try' or 'never have time to do').

Divination is always a fun activity to do, whether you want to tap into the energy just before the storm starts, at it's height, or in it's aftermath, each provides you an opportunity to explore a part of your life that isn't ordinary.  Just prior to a storm, there is often that stillness and a sense of something about to happen.  We can get a similar experience sometimes in life around a powerful event.  So this would be a good time to look for clarity on big changes in your life, especially in what you can do to prepare for them.  In the middle of the storm, you are caught up in all the drama of everything that is going on, and sometimes it can feel hard to slow down enough to think.  Here you might ask about what the best course of action is, and how to move yourself into a safe space where you can have the time you need.  And after the storm, we are often just so overwhelmed with the sense of loss that we can't figure out what we need to do to recover or how to start moving past it.

 

So, when winter hits, and you feel that stillness in the air, get ready for any storms that might be approaching.  Think about how you want to work with each storm that comes your way, for each one is an opportunity to connect with the storm and use it's energy to enhance your life.  Whether you simply want to stay safe and protected or whether you want to ride the storm and see where it takes you, remember to not only take appropriate magical precautions, but also all the physical ones as well.

Unseasonable weather

 

 When it comes to both holidays (like Yule) and seasons, we grow up with certain mental images of what the world should look like.  I'll be speaking from a Norther Hemisphere perspective, as that's where I've always lived, but I will touch on how this effects our world view (in regards to places that experience seasons differently).  For me, Yule (and winter) have always been about cold and snow.  I was absolutely the kid that wished for a white Xmas (and only ever got one!)

Even as an adult, I want winter to be cold and snowy (rainy winters are just cold and miserable, I'd much rather it be seriously cold and frozen because that never feels as cold to me as when you are wet).  And when it's warm enough out to wear shorts, it just doesn't feel right.  Which is kind of ironic considering I lived in Hawaii for a while, and both winter and Xmas there are quite warm!

I think it's really easy to pin all our expectations on things like the weather, and to feel like 'it's not really Yule unless it's cold and snowy out'.  But that can lead us to feel unsatisfied with how the world is (because we are continually comparing it to 'the way it should be' and of course reality rarely compares to our idealized fantasy world).  And we shouldn't let our expectations ruin our holiday experiences, even if they aren't quite what we wished for.

So how do you reconcile your holiday dreams with the reality of what is?  I think one thing that really helps is to look for the good in what you have.  If it's not snowing, maybe you can go for a nice walk and appreciate the stillness of winter.  If it's cold and rainy it might be the perfect day to cuddle up in a blanket with a hot beverage of your choice and watch a cozy movie (maybe even one with snow!)  

House decorations can play a big part in this as well.  I have snowflake window clings that live on my windows most of winter, to make up for the fact that I live somewhere with (typically) very little snow.  Things like tinsel mimic the sparkle of sun on snow, and can also call up holiday feelings for many.

And of course we can get creative with crafting!  When I lived in Hawaii, we would use sand instead of snow, so we might make 'sand angels' or build a sandman (or make a driftwood tree, like in the picture above!)  Art can be a wonderful way to create a seasonal feel when the outside doesn't match your mental image of the season.  There are tons of seasonal craft projects you can find online, for many different areas of the world, so a bit of exploring will get you lots of options!

I also think that sometimes it's fun to explore our feelings about seasons feeling out of phase.  For example, if I were to take a trip to Australia for the holidays (where it is summer in December instead of winter), it can be a fun mental experiment to lean into the differences.  See how local people celebrate things and allow yourself to participate without expectations (try not to judge things in comparison to what you are used to, rather simply enjoy what they have to offer and appreciate them for their own merits).  Often if we can simply stop comparing and stop expecting sameness we will find that the experience we have is unique and amazing and will be something we will remember for years to come (because it was so different from what we are used to).

I think especially from a Pagan perspective, with so many of our holidays based on seasonal observances (and often from a European part of the world so not even necessarily in tune with the seasonal shifts where we actually live), there can be a disjointedness in how we experience celebrations.  And this might mean we have to step away from the associations we learned and instead embrace what the world in our neck of the woods does at different times of the year.  Exploring this connection to the world outside your door can be a powerful thing!

Wherever you life, and however you celebrate, if you find yourself feeling a bit down because you 'wish it was more like...(whatever you are comparing things to)' try to stop judging and just be open to what is.  Find ways to bring a bit of that seasonal magic into your home and celebrations, whether that means decorating to suit or spending some time doing seasonal crafting.  Nothing in nature is perfect, and it is those imperfections that make for amazing experiences, so don't sell yourself short by only accepting perfection!