You are transforming. This time of year is for regeneration not resolution. New years resolutions are antithetical to the energy of the spiritual cosmos. Time, when linear is more subject to the whims of the outer reality, whilst the inner reality is more in tune with the rythms of the higher self.
It’s so funny because I have seen the seasonal cycles as something else I am doing “wrong.” I think it’s so lovely and romantic to have energy that mirrors the landscape.
My own energy is inverted. I have absolutely no energy in summer - the heat and oppressive humidity completely drain and overstimulate me. I have the most energy in autumn (an awkward time when people are beginning to be overwhelmed by the holidays) so I work away and hold onto things until January and Feb when I can send them out into the world. I wind down toward the end of Spring and then hibernate and reset over Summer.
I only realized and accepted this about myself last year. It can be such a game changer to work within our natural energy cycles rather than fighting them or expecting full productivity year round. Thanks for writing this. 🌾
Yes, this resonates so deeply! I've spent the last few winters embracing this idea of rest, and this year I opted for a new year's intention instead of a resolution. It feels more appropriate. Winter is definitely a time for rest in all aspects of our lives, because it's our deep instinct to hibernate and turn inwards just like all of nature around us. ♡
I am loving how my favourite creatives here on Substack are softly coming in with an alternative vision of the New Year and all the expectations that seem to crowd this time of year. This was beautiful, soothing, refreshing, inspiring and calming at the same time. Thank you for being, once again, a delightful and soul-enriching presence in my reading list.
Well shucks, this got me all misty eyed 🥹 I’m so glad that this piece resonated with you Julia, thank you for your kind words! I feel honored and humbled to know that I have a place in your reading list. Wishing you a restful start to the new year 💕✨
Verbal processor - I’m not but I can feel that you are and I love receiving you in this way! I feel like all of sudden I just really got to know you, ahhh fell in love with this piece x
Aww thank you Carly! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that feels really special to hear that it made you feel more connected 🥰 I definitely want to continue to play with this format, it was fun to make!
This resonates so much with how I feel, especially this year. I tried to set intentions (not even goals), I tried to think of a word for the year which was uplifting but all i feel is the need for rest and patience for when my energy will return. I was drawn to a new oracle deck, healing waters, and the first cards out were Stagnant waters and Healing waters....Guess that says it all!
I've seen so many posts popping up this week with a similar theme! I think many of us are feeling that call to stillness and reflection. I love that image of Healing waters - it makes me imagine floating in a warm forest pool under the starlight, just gently eddying.
Funny, I just mentioned ‘wintering’ to someone. That we all need a period of rest and renewal. I am adding that book to my ‘to-read’ list right now. Thank you for your thoughtful audio essay.
It seems to be on a lot of people's minds lately! I've noticed a lot of discussion about how January can be an in-between month to pause. Thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed the essay 🥰
It is always interesting to hear another persons experience of the seasons and how they react to them from another part of the world. I myself was born in Ireland, and other than the effects of global warming in the last few years, that island has a relatively stable atmosphere. With the gulf stream arriving on the south west coast and the island sounded by sea, the difference in the seasons would only really be noticeable from the daylight hours. Since my move to France, off the west coast, the seasons are much more evident, and like you I feel dormant during this time of year. It is however a time of slow growth, as the sun does not move at solstice, but it still rises and falls each day. I have created two images two years apart on the 16th of December, this year and two years ago. They were a response by me to counteract the slowing down of the year and plan for the future. The first image was taken at 5,15 in the evening, one minute before sunset near a large shallow lake near Nantes, sighting down a tree lined path to the Grand Lac. The 16th is the day that the evenings start to get longer, the 21st being the official Solstice, and the 6th of January is when the mornings start to brighten earlier. So I chose the 16th of December as my Solstice and start of a new year, the image was just a bonus.
So this year I decided to go back to the same spot to photograph the same image, As always, verified the time for sunrise, as I wanted to get a different aspect to the original image, and also checked the weather, it was to be a cool morning with a slight mist. To my surprise, the path which had viewed only a week earlier was now flooded by the lake to within about ten yards of where I took the original photo. The sene was magical with just a little mist resting on the still water. I setup and took the image. Later that day I developed it and it was everything I could have wished for, except more, as I had not envisaged the path being flooded which gave a perfect mirror image. As this negative was 8 x 10 inches in size I decided to make a Cyanotype of it. The result was better than I could have ever imagined.
So I would agree with you I am not that active during the winter period, but like you I plant the seeds for growth for the following summer. The seasons here are more distinct than where Ι grew up but less than where you are. We need to adapt to our climate and be aware of the passing of the seasons.
Hibernate, rest and plan for the year ahead. Most of all be one with nature and do not fight it.
Hello Phillip, nice to meet you! Thank you so much for sharing about your experiences, I love hearing about your relationship to Dec. 16th and how you captured that with your art. The image you shared is beautiful, so calm and serene. I love the way the branches of the trees are reaching up like inverted roots towards the sky.
I agree, this is a time of slow growth and change. Though I'm still making and creating, it feels like I'm tending to a garden of different seeds I've planted and I'm not sure exactly which ones are going to sprout. I'm just following my instincts, nurturing where it feels right, and waiting to see what thrives in the spring.
Well said. After the holidays, with all its absorption of energy we definitely need to re-charge our creative needs. A seed grows in its own time and space .
Exactly! Makes me think of this quote by Maggie Stiefvater that I've always loved: "When you cultivate invisible seeds, you can’t expect everyone to agree on the shape of your invisible crops. It is wiser to simply acknowledge that they grow well together."
You are transforming. This time of year is for regeneration not resolution. New years resolutions are antithetical to the energy of the spiritual cosmos. Time, when linear is more subject to the whims of the outer reality, whilst the inner reality is more in tune with the rythms of the higher self.
Love your use of the word regeneration within the context of winter.
Agreed! It feels so much more revitalized than resolutions
It’s so funny because I have seen the seasonal cycles as something else I am doing “wrong.” I think it’s so lovely and romantic to have energy that mirrors the landscape.
My own energy is inverted. I have absolutely no energy in summer - the heat and oppressive humidity completely drain and overstimulate me. I have the most energy in autumn (an awkward time when people are beginning to be overwhelmed by the holidays) so I work away and hold onto things until January and Feb when I can send them out into the world. I wind down toward the end of Spring and then hibernate and reset over Summer.
I only realized and accepted this about myself last year. It can be such a game changer to work within our natural energy cycles rather than fighting them or expecting full productivity year round. Thanks for writing this. 🌾
Yes, this resonates so deeply! I've spent the last few winters embracing this idea of rest, and this year I opted for a new year's intention instead of a resolution. It feels more appropriate. Winter is definitely a time for rest in all aspects of our lives, because it's our deep instinct to hibernate and turn inwards just like all of nature around us. ♡
I love that and absolutely agree ♥️ January feels like a wayfinding month, where we go inward and listen to where the compass is pointing
I am loving how my favourite creatives here on Substack are softly coming in with an alternative vision of the New Year and all the expectations that seem to crowd this time of year. This was beautiful, soothing, refreshing, inspiring and calming at the same time. Thank you for being, once again, a delightful and soul-enriching presence in my reading list.
Well shucks, this got me all misty eyed 🥹 I’m so glad that this piece resonated with you Julia, thank you for your kind words! I feel honored and humbled to know that I have a place in your reading list. Wishing you a restful start to the new year 💕✨
I’m with you! You put thoughts and feelings to where many of us are right now. Thank you ♥️
It definitely seems to be a common feeling right now! Glad this piece resonated with you ♥️
Verbal processor - I’m not but I can feel that you are and I love receiving you in this way! I feel like all of sudden I just really got to know you, ahhh fell in love with this piece x
Aww thank you Carly! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that feels really special to hear that it made you feel more connected 🥰 I definitely want to continue to play with this format, it was fun to make!
This resonates so much with how I feel, especially this year. I tried to set intentions (not even goals), I tried to think of a word for the year which was uplifting but all i feel is the need for rest and patience for when my energy will return. I was drawn to a new oracle deck, healing waters, and the first cards out were Stagnant waters and Healing waters....Guess that says it all!
I've seen so many posts popping up this week with a similar theme! I think many of us are feeling that call to stillness and reflection. I love that image of Healing waters - it makes me imagine floating in a warm forest pool under the starlight, just gently eddying.
Funny, I just mentioned ‘wintering’ to someone. That we all need a period of rest and renewal. I am adding that book to my ‘to-read’ list right now. Thank you for your thoughtful audio essay.
It seems to be on a lot of people's minds lately! I've noticed a lot of discussion about how January can be an in-between month to pause. Thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed the essay 🥰
Hello Kerani.
It is always interesting to hear another persons experience of the seasons and how they react to them from another part of the world. I myself was born in Ireland, and other than the effects of global warming in the last few years, that island has a relatively stable atmosphere. With the gulf stream arriving on the south west coast and the island sounded by sea, the difference in the seasons would only really be noticeable from the daylight hours. Since my move to France, off the west coast, the seasons are much more evident, and like you I feel dormant during this time of year. It is however a time of slow growth, as the sun does not move at solstice, but it still rises and falls each day. I have created two images two years apart on the 16th of December, this year and two years ago. They were a response by me to counteract the slowing down of the year and plan for the future. The first image was taken at 5,15 in the evening, one minute before sunset near a large shallow lake near Nantes, sighting down a tree lined path to the Grand Lac. The 16th is the day that the evenings start to get longer, the 21st being the official Solstice, and the 6th of January is when the mornings start to brighten earlier. So I chose the 16th of December as my Solstice and start of a new year, the image was just a bonus.
So this year I decided to go back to the same spot to photograph the same image, As always, verified the time for sunrise, as I wanted to get a different aspect to the original image, and also checked the weather, it was to be a cool morning with a slight mist. To my surprise, the path which had viewed only a week earlier was now flooded by the lake to within about ten yards of where I took the original photo. The sene was magical with just a little mist resting on the still water. I setup and took the image. Later that day I developed it and it was everything I could have wished for, except more, as I had not envisaged the path being flooded which gave a perfect mirror image. As this negative was 8 x 10 inches in size I decided to make a Cyanotype of it. The result was better than I could have ever imagined.
So I would agree with you I am not that active during the winter period, but like you I plant the seeds for growth for the following summer. The seasons here are more distinct than where Ι grew up but less than where you are. We need to adapt to our climate and be aware of the passing of the seasons.
Hibernate, rest and plan for the year ahead. Most of all be one with nature and do not fight it.
https://phillip854.substack.com/p/why-i-write-as-a-photographic-printer
Hello Phillip, nice to meet you! Thank you so much for sharing about your experiences, I love hearing about your relationship to Dec. 16th and how you captured that with your art. The image you shared is beautiful, so calm and serene. I love the way the branches of the trees are reaching up like inverted roots towards the sky.
I agree, this is a time of slow growth and change. Though I'm still making and creating, it feels like I'm tending to a garden of different seeds I've planted and I'm not sure exactly which ones are going to sprout. I'm just following my instincts, nurturing where it feels right, and waiting to see what thrives in the spring.
Well said. After the holidays, with all its absorption of energy we definitely need to re-charge our creative needs. A seed grows in its own time and space .
Exactly! Makes me think of this quote by Maggie Stiefvater that I've always loved: "When you cultivate invisible seeds, you can’t expect everyone to agree on the shape of your invisible crops. It is wiser to simply acknowledge that they grow well together."