It may seem a bit premature to be saying goodbye to 2023 as we still have 2 months left on the calendar. However since my birthday is almost on Samhain I often think of this time of year as the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. My activities are mostly storing up wood; uncovering blankets and shawls; searching for new teas and bath salts; a few planned social engagements; and books as you can plainly see. I love the winter and the nesting time. It could be because I am bear clan but denning up and dreaming just seem to be in the air.
This year was a bit challenging for me. There are a few less people in my life than there were before but of course there are also quite a few new dear ones to get to know. I’ve faced a lot of shadows and released a lot of old patterns that had outgrown their usefulness years ago. In a way I have had to rewrite my life story as I let go of the traumas that formed my world views. The choice was made to live in the light instead of dwelling in the cramped and uncomfortable box that felt safe and familiar. So now I get to ask what does my future hold? What do I want to manifest? Who am I without all the masks I’ve worn?
…and so I turn to books. I have signed up for two classes to enjoy this winter season. I am delving into Sharon Blackie’s “Courting the World’s Soul” and Stephen Aizenstat’s “Dream Tending Master Class”. They both facilitate communicating with the soul of the world and your own personal soul. I am looking forward to giving myself regularly allotted time to spend with Spirit. I communicate with spirit a lot but not usually in a dedicated space and time. Just thinking about it causes me to release a deep breath and become receptive. I am so grateful that I have been given this opportunity. After all the dark comes so soon these days and I can’t think of a lovelier way to spend an evening. My dream has always been to have David on one end of the couch and me on the other end and both of us are reading and then we pause to share a particularly interesting bit we have just read and a discussion ensues. Of course it is even better when the discussion is fueled by tea and a cookie or two.
What a great challenge! Because "dwelling in the cramped and uncomfortable box that felt safe and familiar" insinuates itself and feels so personal, I often overlook it as identity. This is the crux of the challenge as you described it: letting go, not only to the year's forced reshaping, but to all of the year's internal muck that requires reflection and insight to come to light! Thanks for the gentle reminder.