Feeling content

When I awoke yesterday I sat in the living room with a video fire on the TV listening to holiday songs and the crackling of the wood burning, enjoying the tree lit up with colored lights and I felt content. Not joyous, not excited, but instead this pleasant sense of contentment and presence.


There was no hurry (family didn’t want to gather until after 9) it was still dark, I was warm and cozy and it made a space for my mind to wander and dream and remember. 

I recalled the story my Grandmother used to tell about a time when she was in her youth and  one year at Christmas the children in her house received the gift of an orange. This was during or just after the Great Depression. This orange was a huge treat. Living in a coal mining town in the mountains of Utah, there were no oranges easily within reach. Yet here was this gift of sweetness and sunshine. Here was a gift that meant so much that my Grandmother told this story into her 90’s. 

You may or may not celebrate Christmas. And if you do you may or may not celebrate it as the birth of Jesus (Yes, Christians can be Witches too my friends). But regardless of what you celebrate this time of year you are likely not immune to the “Christmas” messaging that is everywhere!

In this modern world of consumerism so often the simple joys of this season are lost. 
The preparing of traditional meals, (or perhaps the tradition of preparing something new), the connections with loved ones (in person or virtually), the care for community members who might need support during this colder darker time. The giving of oneself (in time or energy).

During the dark and cold months of Winter we are invited to not only turn awareness within and reflect but also to lean in, to those around us. Discovering our edges in the way we bump up against theirs. 

There is so much that has changed and transformed from pre Christian times until now. Yet what has remained the same is the human connection we have. The coldness of Winter. The coming months that still hold the tendrils of darkness even as the Sun returns to its power. 

As we move into Winter our work is to nourish that flame within, and perhaps lend a little of its warmth to others who might need it.  Lean in. 

Tending your Sacred Flame
You are invited to feed your flame with a virtual retreat
We gather  Friday January 14th from 3:30 pm -5:30 PM PT and Saturday January 15th 9-12 am PT and 1-4 pm PT.
Erin LaFaive of Full Circle Herbals and I are co hosting this two day event.
Nourish Yourself Through the Darkness
Together we will:
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• work with our dreams
• practice meditation and guided visualization
• utilize writing exercises to explore the medicine we carry within
• practice tools of divination to help us connect more deeply with our intuition
• learn about plants that can help support us during this time of year
• move our bodies with intention to help stuck energy flow
• be held and witnessed within the circle we create, to discover the way connection can nourish us

Early Bird Pricing is good through Jan 7th. This link should automatically give you 30% off the full price of the retreat. If for some reason the discount does not appear, use code SOLSTICE2021 at check out. 
Let us nourish ourselves through the darkness and build our inner fires. 
With Love and Blessings,
Emily