Welcome to Capricorn Season!
Hello all! Welcome to the first full day of cozy Capricorn season and the beginning of winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter began at 10:27p EST on December 21 when the sun reached zero degrees of Capricorn. This season heralds a time of reflection, recharging and planning to support ourselves throughout winter.
Capricorn season contains my solar return and as my sun sign, I get lit up by a lot of the themes of this season. I have also learned through seasonal living that there are things that I can do at the start of winter that help me thrive during a time of year that traditionally has been challenging for me due to the darker days and colder, wetter weather. These things start with slowing down. Right after Christmas, I take the week between it and New Year’s off, and I don’t do much of anything.
I have taught a few yoga classes over the years during this week, but that is it. I don’t take down the decorations or try to create resolutions or try to meet up with friends I missed during the holiday season. What do I do during this time? I read covered in blankets in front of the fire, take long walks, journal, enjoy indulgent baths, cook and bake comfort foods and occasionally declutter an area that has collected too much stuff over the year. I actually do a big de-cluttering every January, but I like to start with smaller areas during this break.
What else do I do? I dream and think about how I want to feel in the new year and what I want to bring about. I basically ‘winter’ in the way the author, Katherine May uses the term in her book, Wintering, as a time of deep rest and retreat. And you know what, I arrive in January feeling refreshed and excited for the year ahead and ready for the rest of winter.
As I find the transition time during the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one especially sacred, I also add one of my favorite annual rituals. I do a daily card pull for the 12 days of Yule starting with one on December 25th and ending with one on January 6th. I use Lara Day's The 13 Holy Nights Oracle Deck for this. Each pull represents one of the months of the year starting with my January pull on Christmas day. I look at the card and write a brief reflection in my journal on what it means to me about that month for the upcoming year. On the first day of each month, I go back and look at the card I pulled and reflect on what it may mean for me in that present moment. This break from all the hustle of our regular lives - without the addition of travel & packing for a vacation - makes the perfect gift of self care to myself to start off the New Year.
Taking a cue from mother nature and slowing down to rest and recharge as we enter winter helps sets you up for a successful season. Wishing you all some moments of cozy comfort over the next two weeks!☕️