Happy December, loves. And welcome to Blogmas! We’ve come to the last month of the year and I always find myself wanting to slow down + savor the days of this month – no matter how the year has been. It feels like these 31 days are meant for quiet reflection + a deep opportunity to really ground down before bursting into a new year. But, December is also a month in which I want to be fully present. There are so many rituals, traditions, meanings, symbols, and spiritual themes to soak in. Not to mention, there are often opportunities for cozy moments, and a spirit of magic + hope seem to dance in the crisp, cold winter air.
So, to help me fully experience a slow, meaningful December and to create a sense of holiday spirit, I’ve decided to do something I (and others) call Blogmas. Simply stated, it is me making a commitment to myself – and to you – to blog every day from December 1 to the Winter Solstice on the 22nd. I chose to stop on the 22 for a couple of reasons. First, the energy changes after the winter solstice. I do not feel as cave-like after the light shifts and we begin our march toward light again. Second, I don’t want to bind myself to daily posting through the height of the holidays. Instead, I want to focus my time on my family and deep rest. The last 12 days of the year are filled with their own type of liminal, portal, transitional, sacred magic.
But, for the next 22 days I’ll be here. Writing to you early in the dark morning from my candlelit desk, with a cup of coffee, a few crystals, and my Yuletide playlist.
I so hope that you check in, if not every day, then a couple of times a week to not only see how my December unfolds, but to also allow yourself to slow down + tap into the quiet, silent, restful energy that December brings.
The mood of December + this Blogmas
As I start today, I want to set the stage by taking a moment to soak in mood of December.
So, I close my eyes and draw in a long, deep breath. I feel everything become still. Almost as if I have pressed pause. But, nothing has really stopped, for I still feel an energy. I feel the quiet, silent, solitary energy of the coming winter. I feel calm and at peace in my solitude in the darkness. And, I just want to dwell here for a while.
This is December. A month for dwelling in the moment. A time when nothing should be rushed. But, a time that often is.
How, then, can I experience the magic of December as I believe it is meant to be experienced? How can I stay slow and simply dwell in the energy of quiet solitude and palpable hope when the world around me spins so fast?
The only thing I know to do is to just be. To dwell in the present moment. To be mindful as each one comes + goes. To dwell is something that is long-term. It is to abide, remain, stay, tarry. It is a time of focused attention, of mindfulness. So, dwelling in December, sinking into the energy of the month, is how i intend to create + soak in the magic of the month.
How I am using December’s stillness + silence
The slow, quiet, hopeful energy that I feel as I enter the darkness of December comes directly from nature. And, I think that perhaps it is time to continue to follow nature’s example during this time of year and reframe winter for ourselves. As we move into December, all of the flowers + leaves have fallen. Trees stand bare. Frost covers the nordic ground outside my apartment + lays on the roofs of the buildings below my balcony. My windows are decorated with frost. Even my balcony has a thin layer of slippery ice. Everything is stripped down and mornings feel more empty + still than ever.
December welcomes a time of dormancy and hibernation for the earth and all of her animals. It is a magical, silent, dark, cold time of waiting. It seems as if nothing is happening, but underneath the surface, all is as it should be. In the quiet stillness above ground, we wait. But, in the dark, warm earth beneath us, hope lives and life continues. It’s all just a bit more slow.
So, what if we decide to slow down , crawl into our own cave, + dwell in the darkness of December as well? We could carve out space, then, for rest + healing from the year that has been. A time to tend to our roots + to let the silent energy of winter’s earth hold us. A time to believe without seeing. A time to trust in the unfolding of life, the cycles of nature, the hope of the return of the light. A time to tell stories of wise men + a manger. A time to reflect on justice and equality. A time to be honest about what we need to release + how we can create more love. A time to discover the magic of the month with each passing day of December.
With this Blogmas, I hope to explore my soul, tend to my roots, sit in the silence of the dark mornings, reflect on my life + my place in this world, ponder the themes + spirituality of this season, face the truths of an often dark world, feel the magic that exists through it all, and create space every day to share it all with you.
So, again, welcome to Blogmas! And Happy December to you! May it be a magical month of quiet, still, silent hope.
xoxo. liz.
