Slowing down to Grow

Every year, when I see the first flurries, I begin daydreaming (I daydream a lot) of sitting on my couch in front my fire place (which I don’t have) with my cup of herbal tea, flipping through seed catalogs, while something sweet and magical is baking in the oven, and it’s so serene and purifying…

Yeah right! I flip through my magical planners, calenders, and books and see images of this scene for Yule. Most of us aren’t doing anything like that right now. We are planning parties, buying gifts, sitting in traffic, decorating, writing cards, catching up on cleaning (because we’re outside during the nice weather, not cleaning our houses, plus relatives are coming!), baking cookies for gifts or school or work, among the million others chores and deeds that just have to get done during Christmas time. Wait…we don’t even celebrate Christmas…we’re missing OUR time for OUR holiday right now. Making this sabbat Yule and not Christmas is up to us. We need to slow down and think about cutting some of this chaos out and enjoy communing with mother earth and our restful time. I mean it, we NEED it. We need to acknowledge this part of the cycle. I know it’s hard to get around doing all things supposedly needed for this holiday season, just don’t forget about yourself, your family, and what’s important. We’re paring down in other areas in order to live simply and save money. Well, pare down your tasks, chores, and to-do lists as well. If we don’t, we will have missed this window of opportunity to be grateful, slow down, share, and enjoy our earth, and ourselves, being renewed. If we let this get away from us because seasonal chaos has taken over, we’re cheating our spiritual selves.

In my family, we were taught that Yule was a harvest festival, but from the stand point that you were celebrating everything you had harvested from Litha to Samhain, all the work you had done. In other words, it was a time to reflect on your hard work, see what you had achieved and plan for next year. Yule is also a time for working on and showcasing crafts, wares, and perfecting skills. So what a wonderful time to allow yourself to practice your art or start a new hobby you’ve been curious about. We also had a rule; hand made gifts only. This still goes for my coven (once in a while someone will find a several copies of a great book to give. That’s excused:) So why not make gifts for your close friends this year instead of buying into this commercialism that is not what Christmas or Yule is really about at all.

We also need to think about the relationship aspect of Yule. This is the time of year I get the most spiritual work done (because I don’t have my gardens to distract me). I make incenses, oils, soaps, candles, and cookies for deities I work with and for gifts. It’s also the time when I can cuddle with my husband and kids more. Allow yourself time for these things this season. Don’t miss another year of wondering where Yule went. If you rest in one area, you will find time to grow in others. Don’t miss out on all the important spiritual and personal growth you could be gaining. Commit to slowing down this season and you and your family will reap the rewards of this sabbat. Take time for yourself and ask “How do I want to grow this season?” You will be amazed with the options, the time you have to pursue them with, and how these will spill over as a new facet of next year. Rest, then grow. You deserve it. Have a blessed Yule everyone!