Samhain, celebrated as Halloween in the secular world, is the witch’s New Year. The myth of Samhain is that the Goddess enters the Underworld and confronts the Lord of Death and Rebirth. In other traditions, the God enters the Underworld and the Goddess becomes a wise crone. The energy of the sabbat is about entering the dreamtime, the sacred womb or cave, and dancing with the transformative darkness. In temperate regions, all has been harvested from the garden and stored away for the coming winter. The woodpile is stacked high. We turn inward, secure in our homes against the cold and darkness. In contemporary society, we begin to think about and plan for the upcoming holidays. This time of year is about telling stories and handing down traditions. We honor our ancestors and invite their guidance as we continue to journey in the manifest world.
October 31
Samhain is about death and release—letting go of what has been as we prepare for the rebirth of light at Yule. J. J. Bachofen wrote, “Without death, no rejuvenation is possible … the positive power cannot for one moment exist without the negative power. Death, then, is not the opposite but the helper of life.” 1 To move forward in your own life, you must let go of and make peace with the past; you must let that old part of you die.
Weather permitting, go outside and look for examples of death: dried leaves, shriveled berries, bones, etc. Sit with the things you have collected, and ask them for a message. Let feelings and images arise in you. Gently bring to mind something in your past that you must let go of in order to move forward into your fullest self. How does the message of these symbols guide you? Write about your experience in your journal.
November 1
Go on a walk today, no matter what the weather is like. Dress appropriately, and stay out for as long as you are comfortable. Pay attention. Walk slowly. Listen and look. What animals and insects are out today? What are they doing? Sense them by expanding your bubble of awareness, and see what images and feelings you get. What are the trees doing? In many climates they will be pulling energy downward, into their roots. Can you match this energy in your body? If feeling energy is new to you, just focus on your five senses. What is the light like today? Where is the sun on the horizon? Is it windy, raining, snowing, clear? Close your eyes a moment, and feel how your body responds to the light and the weather. Record your observations in your journal, including any questions you have at this time, or draw what you have experienced.
November 2
Today is All Souls’ Day and the Day of the Dead, or el Dia de los Muertos. A common image associated with this day, as well as with Samhain and Halloween, is the skeleton. Lie down, preferably on the earth (indoors is fine). Close your eyes, and bring your awareness to your bones. Feel their weight. Living bones are slightly flexible and very strong. Feel energy running along the lines of your bones. Feel the earth beneath you; become aware of the minerals in the earth. Feel your bones’ minerals resonate with the earth’s minerals. Spend some time feeling the connection between your skeleton and the stony earth.
November 3
“Only by understanding the dark side of the moon can we appreciate the light and not take it for granted. Only by facing the shadows of ourselves—the nasty little hidden corners that we fear—can we be complete.”
Dianne Sylvan 2
Go outside, and find a tree that gives you a sense of healing and strength. Ask the tree if it is open to helping you heal. If you get a sense of welcome, sit with your back against the tree’s trunk, your sit bones firmly on the ground. If it’s raining or snowing, you can do this indoors as a meditation, but do come back to the practice later outside with a living tree.
Breathe. Let your awareness spread into the tree and the earth. Feel the tree stretch high above and deep below. Let one of your shadows, the darker parts of yourself that seek healing, rise into your awareness. Gently hold this shadow in the support and strength of the tree. Let the tree help you face your shadow. Notice the great power of the tree and its lack of judgment, fear, or condemnation. Sit with the great tree spirit for as long as you need to.
November 4
The sun rests low on the horizon, and the days are short. The wind blows chilly, tossing up dry leaves. If you’re like me, you crave warming soups and hearty bread. Concentrated foods and root vegetables thicken the blood in preparation for cooler weather. Sour foods like pickles, olives, and sourdough bread help organize and condense energy that has been scattered by the previous warmer seasons. Cooking with less water at lower heat and for longer times (hello, slow cooker!) helps internalize your focus, one of the tasks of autumn.3 Make a stew in your slow cooker of locally grown root vegetables and hearty greens like kale (a pot on the stove is fine if you don’t have a slow cooker). Add a gentle dose of salt for its grounding properties. Serve with sourdough bread and something fermented and tangy. Give thanks to the earth for her gifts, and feel how nourishing it is to eat with the energy of the season.
November 5
This time of year we honor our ancestors. If you haven’t already, dig a little (or a lot) into your family history. Family trees, photo albums, interviews of older relatives, and even genetic mapping can offer a lot of information about who came before you. As you study your ancestors and review what you already know, consider the land they lived on. Climate shapes who we are, what we value, and who we become. Weather and terrain affected your family’s emigration, diet, and values. How has the land shaped your family? Were your ancestors herders or farmers? Did they relocate to be near water or in response to disasters like the Dust Bowl or Hurricane Katrina? Write about how these earthy influences have contributed to who you are today, including what you value, childhood experiences, and your ethnicity.
November 6
Today, a meditation.
Imagine you are walking in a forest at dusk. A light breeze whispers through dry oak leaves and sets fir boughs gently swaying. You look up at where the crescent of the waning moon peeks back at you. Against the sky you see the flitting shapes of bats. You feel a shiver of excitement run down your spine.
The forest pathway curves downhill and eventually enters the dark mouth of a cave. You enter the darkness, feeling the cooler air on your face. You walk into the cave, knowing you are welcome and safe. The darkness envelops you. You feel supported and held by the cool dark.
Let the cave speak to you. What does it have to say? What lessons can the darkness offer you at this time?
November 7
Take the messages you received from the natural symbols of death (October 31) and the cave (yesterday), as well as any dream images or insights that have arisen over the past week. Write or draw these messages on small pieces of paper. Go outside and find a tree that has lost its leaves. Nestle the words and images in holes or crevices in the tree. Ask the tree if it will help you in your journey of awakening. Some other natural being besides a tree is also fine, like a stone outcropping or another plant. Notice what happens now and over the next few weeks. Pay attention to your dreams, another way Spirit speaks to us. Record any messages from the trees or your dreams in your journal.
November 8
Many traditional cultures created lodges or huts for introspection and reflection at appropriate times. In tribal Jewish cultures, the red tent was a place to menstruate, rest, and rebuild sacred energy. A Native American death lodge was a place to face your own death, reflecting on who you are, facing your demons, and preparing for the future. Today many people find rejuvenation in the candlelit quiet of a church.
Make a lodge for yourself. Spend time there alone when you need to. This might be a chair in a dark corner that you smudge with a little white sage, a temporary cave made with a blanket over chairs like you did when you were a child, or even simply a weekly ritual of an herbal facial steam with a towel over your head. Go to your lodge regularly to reconnect with stillness and your true self.
November 9
“Each night dream represents our brief descent into the Great Underdream, a dipping of our toes into the soulstream, a briefing on one or two points about the deeper life waiting and longing to be lived.”
Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft 4
Do you have a recurring dream or a place you visit in your dreams? Describe them in your journal. Also write about the first night dreams you remember from your childhood. What images arise? Are there any animals, allies, trees, or landscapes that speak to you? Many of us return to the same dream landscape. Describe it. What do these dreams say about your life path, soul purpose, and the life you long to live?
November 10
Birds often represent teachings from the Underworld or spirit realm, as they live on both the land and in the air. Some birds, in particular, offer teachings about the dreamtime, transitions, and exploring the darkness. These include the blackbird, who sings at the in-between time of twilight; owls and other nocturnal birds who can see in the darkness; and ravens and crows, who are dark, cunning, and intelligent. Weather permitting, go outside and look for birds. Find a fallen feather and sit in meditation with it, asking for guidance and giving thanks. Let the birds’ message remind you that you, too, are of both the physical and spiritual worlds. For information on the medicine or teachings of any birds you encounter, see Ted Andrews’ Animal Speak; The Druid Animal Oracle by Philip Carr-Gomm, Stephanie Carr-Gomm, and Bill Worthington; or The Healing Wisdom of Birds by Lesley Morrison.
November 11
In different climates, leaves fall from the trees at different times. Notice which trees are losing or have lost their leaves now. Who is completely bare? Who holds on to crisp, dry leaves? Do some of the trees where you live still have their leaves? Even in a temperate climate that doesn’t really experience autumn, trees drop leaves to make room for new growth. Notice the rhythms of your area. Pick a tree that calls to you. Listen to the tree, noticing its place in the environment.
On a spiritual level, trees connect earth to sky, moving vast amounts of water back and forth between these realms. They turn fire—the sun—into life. They are part of complex living communities above and below ground. They can inspire us to live more connected, flowing lives. To find the energy of the tree you chose, see Flower and Tree Magic by Richard Webster or Tree Medicine, Tree Magic by Ellen Evert Hopman.
November 12
Choose someone no longer living who was passionate about a cause. Take action today in honor of this person’s passion. For instance, my father was deeply concerned about global warming even before it was a popular movement. Today I might donate a small amount of money to a nonprofit organization focused on climate change, like 350.org. Or I might leave my lights off all day and not run the clothes dryer or oven. Or I might ride my bike instead of driving. I could also offset my carbon footprint by purchasing wind power or solar power credits at my electric company. In what way can you take action in honor of a loved one who is with us no longer?
November 13
In many temperate regions, the season’s first snow falls at this time of year. Go outside, and let snowflakes fall onto your upturned face. Your inner warmth melts them quickly. As the earth chills outside, we snuggle into blankets and cradle warm mugs of tea. We turn inward. When you come in from playing in the snow, stir a spoonful of snow into your tea, literally taking in the cold weather. Close your eyes as your tea warms you. Feel the energy pulsing inside your body. Give a prayer of thanks for the water cycle that brings us both snow and mugs of tea.
If you don’t have snow where you live, seek out some other form of water. Place your hands in the water and take a moment to listen with your hands. This water is connected to all the water on earth, constantly moving, flowing, cleansing. Take some of this water into your body by licking your fingers.
November 14
Communicating with the natural world requires you to still inner chatter and listen to deeper messages. The Buddhist meditation of witnessing helps you notice that inner chatter so that you can differentiate it from other information. You can sit, walk, or even wash the dishes to practice this mindfulness meditation. Try sitting in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor. Set a timer for five minutes. As you get more comfortable with the technique, you can lengthen your sit to ten and then twenty minutes. All there is to do is sit and observe your breath moving in and out. When thoughts arise or when you notice yourself thinking, just notice (you might say to yourself, “thinking”) and bring your attention back to your breath. The same can be done while walking inside or out. Notice your feet moving on the earth. Bring your attention back when it wanders.
November 15
Another way to hear your inner voice is to amplify it by using tools of divination. Today, pull out a favorite deck of divination or tarot cards. Before asking any questions of the cards, take a moment to quiet your mind. Attune to the place inside you, maybe somewhere near your heart, where you feel most connected to the Goddess. Breathe with her for a few moments. Know that these cards reflect your connection with the Divine; they are a bridge that helps us put words to the flowing energies of the mystery. You might ask a specific question about a relationship, addiction, dream, or something else, or you might ask for general guidance. Remember, though, that the power of the cards does not lie solely outside of you, nor does it come totally from your human mind. You are a part of the Divine, and the Divine is a part of you.
November 16
Prayer is communion with the Divine. There are many ways to pray: some look more like asking for guidance, others more like meditation. Walking in the woods is a prayer for me. Chanting is a common form of prayer for Catholics and Buddhists. A prayer of thanks over a meal reminds us that the food on the table is a gift from the Goddess and the earth. Today, before you eat a meal, take a moment to feel the energy of the food on the table. Can you sense its origins? Feel a bit of the road it traveled to come to your table. Does it radiate life force, ready to transform the mantle of the Goddess into another form? Let these sensations and images inspire a prayer. As you eat, consider these bites of food as energy transformed. The earth, sunlight, and water that grew this food from a seed into a plant or plants now transforms into a new form: you. Let eating be a prayer.
November 17
In Chinese elemental medicine, winter is the season of water, dreams, and the west. Water is a huge issue for our planet today; we have a limited amount of fresh water, which our growing population has a tendency to waste and pollute. Today, practice transmutation, a way to cleanse water. Pour a glass of water or gather some from a stream or a pond. Breathe deeply, entering a meditative state. Attune with the Divine by feeling your heart center. Let that spark of divinity spread into your entire being until you are aware of your own divinity. When you feel a shift in consciousness and unity, focus your attention on your vessel of water. Take a moment to sense its nature. Invite it to reflect its natural divinity, to vibrate at its highest level of being. When you feel a shift in the water, you have transmuted, cleansed, and purified it.
This is a very advanced practice, one to come back to repeatedly. It can transform truly polluted water while changing your relationship with the Divine. For more, see Medicine for the Earth by Sandra Ingerman.
November 18
What grows in your garden this time of year? If you live in a warmer climate, like gardening zones 9 to 11, you will have a lovely garden right now. But even if you live in a colder climate, you may find some cool-season veggies hanging on from last fall even if you do not have a greenhouse or cold frame (see September 10). Kale, for instance, is very cold hardy and will often peek defiantly out of the snow. Some weeds, herbs, and wild plants also hang in there this time of year. Walk through a garden or wildland to find a few edible plants, and include them in tonight’s winter salad.
November 19
Descending into darkness is about entering the depths of our soul’s journey. One meditation that represents this journey is walking a labyrinth. A labyrinth is not a maze; you cannot get lost as you walk inward toward the center and then back out to the beginning. You can, however, get disoriented, just as we do during our journeys through life. Walking the labyrinth is a powerful meditation of healing, prayer, reflection, and rejuvenation. Some churches have labyrinths open to the public, or you can make your own by using tape on the floor, a stick in wet sand, stones in the grass, or paint on a patio. This can be as simple as a spiral, or you can find instructions on crafting the traditional labyrinth shape online or in books like those authored by Lauren Artress. The labyrinth connects us with the creative medicine of Spider and the transformative power of Snake. As we walk, we enter the Underworld and return back to the living whole but transformed.
November 20
Today, do some deep dreamwork. Call up a dream you recently had, one that was meaningful or strange or maybe frightening. Get comfortable, then ground and center. Close your eyes. See yourself reentering this dream. You are your conscious self returning to the dreamscape, not simply remembering what you dreamt. Now ask that a dream guide appear to you. You may have to wait a bit or ask again, but an animal spirit will come to you. Ask it to guide you through the dreamworld. Ask it to help you learn from your dreams. When you are ready, return to normal waking life. Whenever you feel the desire for deep work, return to a dream (one you actually experienced or just let images flow in your deep imagination) and call on your dream guide to help you. You can also call on this dream guide while in ritual space.
November 21
There are four equally important paths to Spirit, named by theologian Matthew Fox the Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa, and Via Transformativa. This time of year we are often drawn to the Via Negativa, where we seek Goddess “in darkness and nothingness, in the silence and emptying, in the letting go and letting be, and in the pain and suffering that constitute an equally real part of our spiritual journey.” 5 Sit in stillness today. Notice your desire to fill darkness with light and stillness with movement or thought. Keep returning to the void, trusting, being. Gently draw into your awareness any suffering or pain you’ve been dealing with recently. Let it sit with you in the stillness. Witness.
November 22
A prayer of gratitude:
I sit in wonder, Goddess (God), at the gift of my body. My breath that moves in and out, an exchange with the world inside me and all around. My heart that pumps blood and oxygen. My brain that processes and thinks and coordinates all I do. My nerves that take in sensation. My feelings that overwhelm and bless.
My body changes over time, but it has been this one body since conception and will be my temple, my avatar, until death. This body dances in the way only it is able to do, carries me from place to place, cries, tastes strawberries, makes love. All I am able to experience in this life is because of this body. Any limitations I face in this life, this body, are both challenges and blessings. For all of this, for my unique body, I give thanks.
November 23
The sun enters the astrological sign of Sagittarius today. Sagittarians tend to be optimistic, honest, and philosophical. They can become involved in too many projects at once, an easy energy to fall into this time of year. As we celebrate the secular and holy holidays of the season, take time to slow down. Be honest with yourself about your own energy, and focus on the true meanings of the holidays: thankfulness, community, stillness, and family.
Oak is associated with Sagittarius. To realign with the grounded energies of the season rather than the frenetic energy of our culture at this time, go outside, hold an oak leaf in your hand, and face the sun. Breathe. Reconnect with the simple rhythms of autumn folding into winter.
November 24
In winter we seek out our home, looking for shelter just as animals are in their dens and roots are tucked beneath the earth. For some, this is a time of homecoming, warmth, and connection. For many, though, this is a frustrating and stressful time of year, when the ideal of family clashes with reality. Letting go of what once was, or never was and never will be, is an important part of growing up. It’s far from easy, however, especially since our culture doesn’t really know how to grow up. Many teen rituals of risk and altered states are actually culturally unsupported attempts to grow up by differentiating from their families and entering the transforming darkness.
Design a ritual of release from your youth, a gateway through which you will step into your soul’s purpose. No matter your chronological age, you probably cling to ego aspects of “home.” Ritual can be a powerful tool for letting go and moving forward. This might include giving away items and clothes from your past, ritually destroying symbols of your adolescent or young adult personality, grieving, and taking vows to dedicate your “next stage of life to mystery, soul discovery, and the Underworld journey.”6 This ritual will carry into the days and months ahead, depending on how ready you are to move forward. Give yourself time, and trust the path.
November 25
Today begins the Celtic month of Ruis. The Druid year, named for trees sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids, begins in December, about the time of the winter solstice. It is thirteen moons, or months, long, though in our Gregorian calendar they are tied to fixed dates rather than moons. Each month has the energy and teachings of a tree sacred to the Celts. This month is connected to Ruis, known to us as the elder tree.
As we wind down in both the Celtic and calendar years, consider the energy of Ruis, which is associated with witches, fairies, the Goddess, and protection. Elderberry syrup is one of the best protections against winter colds and will help you heal faster when you do come down with the sniffles. You can make your own by purchasing dried elderberries from a health food or herb shop (or work with a local herbalist to identify them safely in the wild). Simmer a handful of dried berries in a few cups of water on very low heat for about twenty minutes. Strain, compost the berries, and sweeten the syrup with several tablespoons of honey (but do not give honey to infants under one year of age). Store in the refrigerator, and take teaspoonfuls throughout the day to boost your immune system.
November 26
When we feel stripped of who we once thought we were, we can turn to the earth for guidance and confirmation. Go for a walk today, and look for the first thing that calls to you. It might be a leaf clinging to a branch, a collection of stones, a puddle. Whether you live in a city, near a beach, by a forest, or in the desert, nature will talk to you if you open up and listen. It will help guide you along the path of mystery. Sit with the thing that has attracted you and let whatever happens arise. Imagine you are dreaming with nature. What dreams come?
If it’s too cold or miserable to go outside, save your walk for another day, but take some time for yourself to look out the window. Nature speaks in many ways, so you might even find guidance within the walls of your house: a houseplant, a pet, even the steam rolling off a cup of tea. Let yourself dream with the mystery.
November 27
Sometimes we feel productive, extroverted, and full of energy. Ideas come quickly and easily, and you know exactly how to apply them to life.
And sometimes we don’t feel that way.
A capitalist society values economic value—and therefore activity devoid of any other influence—over everything else. It’s easy to forget that active and productive aren’t the only ways to be. As we cycle with the seasons, the moon, weather, daylight, and body metabolism, we will move in and out of fast and slow, light and dark. Notice your highs and lows, and honor them in whatever way you can.
November 28
“My blood is holy nourishment. My blood nourishes the growing fetus. My blood becomes milk to nourish the young child. My blood flows into the ground as holy nourishment for the Great Mother, Gaia, Mother Earth.”
Susun Weed 7
Give back something to the mother that nourishes us by pouring some of your moonblood or urine on the earth. Urine diluted 20:1 with water makes a high nitrogen fertilizer (that I swear repels squirrels), and blood is high in iron and nitrogen (and also repels squirrels!). The blood from the giblet bag in your Thanksgiving turkey can also be poured on the earth, ritually giving back in thanks for the gift of the bird’s life. If you don’t bleed, eat vegetarian, and it’s too cold to pee outside, get in the habit of putting your nail clippings and hair from your hairbrush in the compost pile. Return what you can to the land.
November 29
Continuing with the moonblood theme, it’s time to switch to reusable menstrual care if you haven’t already. Don’t let the pad and tampon industry take all your money just to produce plastic waste. Cloth pads last a long time and are easy to use and easy to wash. GladRags and Lunapads make cute, comfy pads and panty liners (see gladrags.com/faq.htme and lunapads.com/media/image/media-articles/a planet friendly period.pdf). With a yard or so of flannel, some snaps, and a serger sewing machine, you can easily make your own.
Or, if pads aren’t your thing, get yourself a reusable menstrual cup that collects your blood (which you can then pour on your garden or into the outdoor compost).
Having both options is nice—you’ll never buy the trashy kind again.
November 30
A simple ritual that can be done every day but which is especially helpful this time of year is to visualize your roots growing deep into the earth. Take several centering breaths and feel your feet or sit bones on the ground. Bring your attention to the energy inside your body—the vibration and awareness pulsing inside. As you breathe, see this energy grow stronger. Let it melt down your legs and into the earth, deep, deeper. Breathe with the crystalline core of the earth as long as possible. This might take two minutes as you stand in line at the grocery store (no one will know!) or a full hour in ritual.
December 1
Eating in season attunes us with the rhythms of the land and usually means a lighter carbon footprint. Make a salad of winter plants, either from your cold frame (see September 10), the supermarket, or a farmers’ market. Root vegetables like beets, fingerling potatoes, and carrots are delicious roasted, then cubed (let them cool a bit before cubing), left warm or cooled, and put on top of a salad. For greens, try spinach, kale, mizuna, or whatever hearty dark greens look vibrant and enticing. Top with some roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds saved from the end of summer. A simple dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic complete the wintery feast.
December 2
“Sacred space is within us. Not in our body or brain cells but in the volume of our consciousness. Wherever we go, we bring the sacred within us to the sacred around us.”
Michael S. Schneider 8
What if grocery stores, the place most of us get our nourishment, were regarded as sacred? What if we treated our cars as sacred chariots? What if schools were temples of sacred learning? I don’t mean religious, I mean sacred, which often gets confused but which transcends all cultures and spiritual paths. Where do you spend most of your time? Make it more sacred by bringing attention, awareness, and gratitude into that space. First bring attention to the “volume of our consciousness” and into that sacred space within. Then let it expand into your external space—your desk, kitchen, car, anywhere you spend time and energy. How does it change your awareness? Plants, stones, and other natural items can also help us create sacred space. Remember, however, that it is your inner power inviting the stone or plant to express its own divinity that makes it sacred to you.
December 3
Masaru Emoto writes that “every time we look deep into the power of water, we end up affirming the existence of the Divine.”9 In his books about his research into water, Emoto illustrates the power of water to absorb and transmit energy, be it love and gratitude (which Emoto sees as water’s basic message) or hate and pollution. He shows this power through photographs of frozen water crystals that have been exposed to words and prayers.
Find some snow or ice, and take a moment to send it love and gratitude. Send to it your intention that it will become clean and free of any pollution it picked up as it journeyed along the water cycle. As it melts or evaporates, it will send this cleansed and heightened energy into the world.
December 4
Start some indoor potted herb seeds today. Many garden centers will have a rack of seeds tucked out of the way, awaiting spring. Parsley, basil, chives, cilantro, and even lettuces can be grown in pots in a bright but not too hot window. Keep them evenly moist; covering the pot with plastic (reuse those plastic bag packing pillows by cutting them open or use a clean produce bag) will help retain moisture until the seeds germinate. While generally I am a fan of accepting where the seasons are right now, a little splash of spring can brighten the day, encourage cooking at home, and help us feel connected to green and growing things.
December 5
Early December is the time to put up the Yule tree. It’s my favorite holiday tradition, an altar to evergreen trees, a light in the darkness, and it encompasses my Germanic and Scandinavian ancestral traditions. It is both Pagan and Christian. The tree is a work of art, a gathering place, and a symbol of life in the midst of the otherwise dormant earth.
Purchase a locally grown, pesticide-free tree by searching for local growers or sustainably harvested US Forest Service trees. Never get your tree flocked; the chemicals are toxic. A live tree is another option, though it cannot be kept indoors as long and should be brought inside close to Yule, then brought outside promptly to a protected area to await spring planting. In climates where evergreens do not grow naturally, consider making a different plant, like a houseplant or even a cactus, your Yule tree. If you opt for a “fake” tree, consecrate it each year by smudging it with smoke (fire and air) and sprinkling a little water and salt (earth) onto its branches.
Let the raising and decorating of your tree be a ritual honoring life and light. Invite fairies to live in its branches, asking that they, in turn, protect your home.
December 6
Every year we make a few tree ornaments. An easy and very adaptable way to make ornaments is to make salt dough. The simple recipe makes a dough both kids and adults can craft with.
Mix 2 cups white (wheat) flour with 1 cup salt and add 1 cup water, kneading until smooth. Using your hands, clay-shaping tools, or cookie cutters, shape the dough into desired shapes. The ornaments shouldn’t be thicker than about ¾ inch anywhere or they will take too long to dry out. Bake until hard, about 1½ hours, in a 325°F oven, then paint using acrylic paints or glitter glue.
Symbols of Yule include the usual mainstream Christmas symbols of trees, snowflakes, and stars as well as the sun, fairies, gnomes, and the Holly King. Consider that the ornaments are made out of earth (salt and wheat), water, fire (the oven), and air (your inspirations).
December 7
Because of the way water molecules bond, frozen water elicits some unique properties that other liquids do not. One of them is that water expands, or gets less dense, at 4°C, or just above its freezing point. When it freezes, it has a very low density. This results in several outcomes that make life on earth possible.
Large bodies of water freeze from the top down (because low-density ice floats), allowing for plants and animals to live under the frozen ice even in very cold areas like the planet’s poles. Surface ice also reflects sunlight back into space, helping to cool the planet. “The large heat capacity of the oceans and seas allows them to act as heat reservoirs such that sea temperatures vary only a third as much as land temperatures and so moderate our climate (for example, the Gulf Stream carries tropical warmth to northwestern Europe),” writes Martin Chaplin in his essay “Anomalous Properties of Water.” 10 Whether you drop ice into a cool drink or go skating on a lake, send water molecules thanks for their unique properties that allow our planet to be a home to intelligent and complex life.
December 8
Water fills the stems and roots of plants. It helps stabilize hemoglobin. Its hydrostatic nature, pulling against gravity, determines the maximum height of trees. Even the center of living bone contains 75 percent water. As you read yesterday, water stabilizes the planet. It is the structure of all life. It is our life-support system. Water is support.
Pour yourself a glass of water. Visualize the water running from melted snow down the mountains and into reservoirs, lakes, and streams, then through pipes to your home. See it fill the glass, noticing its nature to rise up the side of the glass and to fill the space it enters. Drink. Let it fill your inner space. Let it support you.
December 9
Water epitomizes support and also grace—in both meanings of the word. Picture an arching wave and a spilling cascade of water. Dancers seek such grace and flow. Another meaning of the word grace is “a virtue coming from God” (Merriam-Webster). Virtue is usually thought of as a human trait, but it comes from the ideas of strength and excellence. Water certainly possesses both.
Sit with a bowl of water or snow. Ground and center. Enter the essence of the water in your lap by reaching your awareness into the substance. Sit with this gift of strength and grace.
December 10
“Grace is a mystical substance, not a mental concept. As a mystical substance, it must be experienced.…To know grace fully and directly, you must turn inward.”
Caroline Myss 11
Grace is usually presented in a Christian context, but it is a “substance” or gift that defies religion. Grace is that moment of touching the Divine. It is when the light enters and frees or heals us. It is a blessing. I believe the feeling we seek this time of year, whatever our religious leanings, is a sense of grace. We celebrate the return of the light as candles lit over several days, as the birth of a savior/teacher, and as the rebirth of the sun. That moment, that breath of life—that is grace. Meditate on the sense of grace in your life or write about it in your journal. How have you felt this kiss of eternal love?
December 11
“Caring for the earth and caring for the soul are interrelated.”
Satish Kumar 12
Meditate on the above quote, then write a poem or paint a picture about the interrelation of soil and soul.
How does this meditation on their relationship inspire you toward caring for both—and for yourself? What insights about matter and spirit arise? How can you bring these ideas into daily life?
December 12
Satish Kumar has said that every movement needs a trinity of words to explain and direct it, like “reduce, reuse, recycle” and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He suggests “soil, soul, and society” as the inspiration for the awakened ecological era. Yesterday we explored the relationship between soil and soul. Both soil and soul are sacred, and when we care for both, we are led to care for ourselves and others. This is the movement that Kumar wishes to encourage by naming our trinity Soil, Soul, and Society: when we build a culture on holding these three as sacred, we can heal our relationships with each other and the earth. Earth, Spirit, and Community are all crucial aspects of whole living.
This holiday season, pick an issue affecting society—hunger, poverty, education, etc.—and donate whatever sum you can afford to healing this cause or spend some time volunteering. Educate your children, if you have them, about this cause and why you want to help.
December 13
In what other ways can you become actively involved in Soil, Soul, and Society? What physical action can you personally take? Choose a small thing to which you are drawn and come up with a plan for action. Again, if you have them, involve your children. You might donate produce you grew to a homeless shelter, or collect books to send to an orphanage in Africa (see http://kabiza.com/send-a-book-child-in-africa.htm or http://shareafrica.org/donate/send-books-toys-shoes-clothes or http://www.booksforafrica.org/index.html), or get involved in revitalizing your neighborhood school. What is calling you? How can you get involved?
December 14
One way to unite Soil, Soul, and Society is through community gardens, community supported agriculture (CSA), or simply sharing your gardening with your neighbors. While the garden rests (for most climates in the Northern Hemisphere), lay the groundwork for this sort of community-based gardening. You might look up a local CSA and purchase a share, sign up to join a community garden (a great place to learn how to garden if you are a newbie), or plan an edible front yard that will attract neighbors. You can teach others about growing your own food while beautifying your home. Visit the American Community Garden Association website at communitygarden.org. To find a CSA in your area, visit www.localharvest.org/csa. And for ideas on growing edibles in your front yard, check out The Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler and Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy.
December 15
Go outside. Sit. Listen. Often we spend too much time indoors this time of year, surrounded by holiday lights and incessant holiday tunes. While these traditions can be cozy, they can also overwhelm the nervous system. Sit in the stillness of the coming winter. Journal about what you see, hear, smell, and feel while simply sitting outside.
December 16
Make your own incense. You probably have many ingredients available outside your front door: juniper boughs and berries, a small piece of cedar, some dried needles from the Yule tree, or some winter-dried herbs like rosemary or sage. In the kitchen you will find dried orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves. Rub wood or bark (cinnamon, for instance) on sandpaper to make a fine powder. Grind up dried plant matter and spices in a mortar and pestle. Begin with a tablespoon of rough herbs (like dried berries) and a teaspoon of powdered ingredients, adjusting amounts to your smell preferences. Blend well, adding a few drops of frankincense or myrrh essential oil (optional). Burn in a heat-proof container on charcoal blocks (available where incense is sold) or toss into the hearth fire to burn.
December 17
Traditionally in northern cultures winter was a time to gather around the fire, tell stories, and rest. We ate root vegetables, which are grounding and nourishing, and made meals from the foods we had canned and salted last autumn. We mended clothes and linens, whittled wooden toys, and listened to the wind howling down the chimney. Give yourself a day to set aside the holiday to-do list. Light a fire or a candle and do a craft, play a game, or write a letter to a friend using a pen and paper. Feel how the rhythm of the earth at this time is about going inward and nourishing yin energy. Let yourself attune with this rhythm.
December 18
Reflect on the last six and a half weeks since Samhain. In your journal, write out any words that come to mind when you think back on your journey, either through this devotional or other spiritual work you’ve been doing. You have faced death and entered the healing power of the womb. You’ve listened to your dreams and inner voice. You have meditated on the miracle of water. How has this work changed you? What questions linger? What fears remain?
December 19
Take three of the words you wrote yesterday that feel inspirational. Gather three small objects to represent them, something you can carry in a pocket like small stones, beads, or acorns. Sit before a lit candle with your three little tokens before you. Say each word, sending it into an object. Feel the object become infused with the energy of this inspirational word. Ground yourself, then snuff the candle when you are finished. Now carry the three objects with you as you go through your holiday celebrations. They can be kept private or shared, but the important thing is to take them with you as reminders of the sacred path you walk.
December 20
In the days and hours leading up to the birth of my children, I wanted dark and quiet. With my first child I craved the low tones of Tibetan chanting and the didgeridoo. I felt heavy, dark, and ripe—and uncomfortable.
Can you feel the deep tones of the earth, ready for the rebirth of the sun? How does it relate to your own sense of excitement or anxiety? Watch the sun set if you can. Notice your emotions—the bittersweet longing, the sadness, the release. Breathe.