Relevance of Winter

I’m sitting here looking out the window and watching the snow continue for what’s now over eight hours. First of all, it’s awe-inspiring to me. I can’t tell you how much I love winter. The snow, the frost on the trees glistening in the sunlight in the morning. The ice can even be pretty, though it doesn’t make for every good traveling conditions.

Snowy days like this are good for indoor days of comfort. Right now, I’ve got a movie playing in the background, Egyptian Goddess blend incense burning, a nice blanket, and a hot cup of coffee. It’s a good time for reflection and contemplation, both of which are perfect themes carried throughout the winter months. There’s a lot of symbolism in winter and the changing seasons.

If you haven’t read my article on Patheos Pagan, Anubis in the Darkness of Winter, I would recommend doing so at some point, perhaps before continuing with this post. I talk about the energies of reflection, contemplation, and transformation that are prevalent during the winter months, but are also energies that Anubis, my primary deity, carry. Speaking of article and Anubis, my first article on PP talks about how came to meet him. Check it out here.

I don’t mean to get too personal here, but things have shifted in my life recently that were, though something I had wanted, unintended to happen specifically at this time. I don’t mean to go into any detail at this time, but it was something large and challenging. It’s just interesting to me that it happened around the time where “death” (transformation) happens in the natural world.

I’ve known for as long as I can remember that death (again, not literal death – metaphorically, in the form of transformation) is a common theme in my life. My life is frequently changing, usually when I don’t expect it and don’t necessarily want it. But the older I get, the more I have come to accept it. I realize the value in change and the transformation that it brings – often for the better once things have shifted and settled.

What was a bit shocking to me, though, was this was the first time in my life where I welcomed it with open arms. Perhaps it was because of the circumstance in which things changed, but I feel like that, for the first time, I am fully wanting to embrace the possibilities and the opportunities that it brings. I am in full control of my life, including how I react to change. Yes, things get hard. Yes, there will be times where I may feel like things are too much, but ultimately, how I learn to cope with that is the ideal, operative mechanism here. My life is in my hands. I hold the keys to my own power and my own authority. Resistance only makes things harder.

One thing I’m in the planning stages of is working on spellwork for transformation. Perhaps, once I am done, I will post the spellwork and update on its success (or lack thereof).

Stay tuned, and stay warm! 🙂