Wintering
An Advocacy for the Season of Silence
Admittedly, the fourth season, where colors play out on the gray spectrum and occasionally emerge in snow white and sky blue, is rarely perceived as pleasant by most. Here in Berlin, it is the additional cold that demands us to dress in thick layers, equally dark as the evening that seemingly begins too early. And honestly, do we really do justice to this magical time of the year when we rush into a forced big energy mode on the 1st of January? I really doubt it.
In this article, you will discover the symbolic and cyclical significance of this season, which invites us to embrace and endure the trust in silence.
The qualities of Wintering
You might be familiar with the term when people talk about enduring or spending the winter in a specific place to escape the cold and darkness. However, not everyone has the luxury of owning a residency that allows them to follow the sun throughout the year. I'd like to warmly invite you to explore more dimensions of this concept and integrate its rich qualities into your perspective.
In its literal sense, "Wintering" is not just about enduring the season but about creating a unique and cozy process for embracing winter. These are months defined by rest, reflection, and retreat, an opportunity to make the season comfortable and delightful. Imagine it as a period of hibernation, self-care, and renewal, drawing inspiration from nature and the animals that gracefully navigate this season with an energy of introspection. The intention is to fully embrace and embody the dormant season in your life.
It's about fostering rituals and practices that uplift and support your well-being—whether through sipping herbal tea, savoring warm porridges and soups, surrounding yourself with candles, snuggling up in warm blankets, diving into captivating books, and genuinely cherishing the beauty of the long nights.
I extend a warm invitation to you to explore the art of "Wintering," turning it into a time of joy, self-discovery, and a deeper connection with the season's unique charm.
The Sacred Festivals of Winter
It is the time of stillness and introspection, inviting us to rest and snuggle in. The Winter Solstice, usually around December 21st and 22nd, marks the beginning of this season, followed by the Twelve Holy Nights, which are fortunately gaining increased attention in our culture. In these twelve sacred nights, we are invited to deeply connect with our inner selves, the subconscious, and can receive information and inspiration for the coming year. The great goddess "Frau Holle" is considered the mother of the Twelve Holy Nights and winter. You might know her more as the pillow-shaking, instructive fairy-tale figure, who in her original origin was revered as the guardian of souls and spinner of destiny by our ancestors.
Officially, these end on January 6th - the day the Christian religion dedicates to the "Three Wise Men," which is even declared a holiday in many parts of Germany. On this day, it is said that the newborn Jesus is visited by three mystics, alchemists, astrologers, who bring gifts for his well-being: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Interestingly, this day was originally dedicated to the three Bethen, the Central European equivalent of the Norns. In Norse mythology, these fate-determining, female beings, also known as Matronen or Mothers, represent the original origin of the later church triad (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) and are thus older than the three Wise Men from the East. With Christianization, the transformation into holy martyrs followed: Catherine, Margaret, and Barbara. And yes, at some point, they became male and royal.
Between these significant dates, the Winter Solstice and January 6th, Christmas takes place. The festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, who will later, as an adult, practice and spread love and be killed by society around Easter. A holy festival of Christianity.
New Year's Eve, the New Year's Eve, got its name from Pope Sylvester I, who became known in the 4th century for his role in the Christianization of the Roman Empire.
Following is the New Year, January 1st, which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to align fully with the sun and not the lunar cycle. This led, among other things, to the introduction of leap years.
Societally, we are conditioned to promise ourselves new beginnings, wishes, and routines at the turn of the year, and these are often supposed to be implemented rigorously and directly on January 1st. Perhaps you are familiar with the experience that this often feels more challenging than you envisioned, and perhaps I may tell you that this season hardly supports the energy of a fresh start.
So, winter is filled with many dates that we know by heart, inviting us to celebrate, give thanks, and connect.
Remember, as you do - winter supports you in stillness, introspection, and connection with yourself. Breathe in and out deeply and endure it.
Nature may again be your inspiration. Look out the window and find a tree standing in its power. Although it bears no buds, flowers, or fruits, it lives and uses the time to connect with the strength of the earth. To hibernate. To rest, to allow sleep. To allow the seemingly dark to be accepted and integrated.
Only at Imbolc, the second full moon after the Winter Solstice, does the light return, and with it, the energy for a slow new beginning. This Celtic festival usually takes place in early February and is dedicated to the goddess Brigid, Bridgid, or Brigantia. She is revered as the goddess of light, fire, fertility, and healing. In some traditions, she is seen as the "Triple Goddess," representing the archetypes of the Virgin, Mother, and Crone. The associated colors are white for purity, red for a woman's first bleeding, and black for gaining knowledge and transition.
Imbolc is the first festival in the cyclical annual circle that invites us to manifestation and initiation. Planting the first seeds for spring in optimism and trust.
Meteorologically, winter even extends until the end of March, and wouldn't we best support this season by nourishing the power of stillness within us until then?
The Element of Winter: Water
The element of water can be associated with our emotions, intuition, and purification. So, for three months, we are invited to connect with these qualities in depth. Our society is increasingly opening up to this introspection and recognizing that we have been conditioned to neglect these qualities in favor of perceived productivity and efficiency.
How about reminding yourself consistently for a whole winter that this can be the season favoring introspection? Reflection and contemplation when nature is at rest.
When snow quietly falls, and we get to witness a crystalline version of water falling silently and brightly to the earth. A time when the transformation of the element is brought before our eyes.
When rivers and seas extend their shores and waves beyond the limits of summer, demonstrating their power and magnitude in a seasonal quality.
Water often symbolizes depth and invites us to dive into inner thoughts and desires. We also use water for cleansing - whether for our bodies or for nature, which can gain new strength through contact with water.
In Tarot, the Cups are associated with the element of water and represent emotional themes and situations. The spectrum of love, for example, can be covered and interpreted in all its abundance through the Cups. From the first chance, through connection and commitment to sorrow and absolute joy. The Cups also symbolize healing and renewal, necessary to transform emotional wounds and experiences into inner harmony.
Astrology and Tarot Cards for Winter
As above, so below: Astrologically, winter is associated with the alignment into the subtle, which is accessible to us when we can receive information and impulses in silence.
Capricorn opens the winter season and shapes as a zodiac sign the individuals born from December 22nd to January 19th. Capricorn is the tenth sign in the zodiac and is traditionally ruled by Saturn. This archetype in astrology is closely associated with traits such as ambition, discipline, endurance, and responsibility. I invite you to imagine the Capricorn at the mountaintop, having climbed the highest earthly peak and now ready, almost yearning, to connect with the horizon. It can be frustrating to realize that it is now on foot - or better - on hoof that it cannot go any further. At the same time, it can be encouraging to know that the starting position gives you the greatest possible perspective - foresight and humility. Away from perfectionism and striving towards the certainty that even at this time of year, everything is there, and the outlook can be enjoyed. The Tarot card associated with this season is, by the way, “The Devil”, reminding us that being harsh on oneself can be compulsive and that loosening undesirable and destructive traits is often in our own hands.
From January 20th to February 18th, Aquarius follows, the eleventh sign in the zodiac, traditionally ruled by Uranus and Saturn. The archetype of Aquarius in astrology is associated with qualities such as originality, independence, intellect, and humanitarianism. Also, with the gift of envisioning and sensitivity and the courage for new technologies and systems. This archetype faces the sky and is connected with the element of air, hovering between worlds and integrating inspiration and lightness from this perspective. In Tarot, the card of “The Star” is associated with this archetype. A person in their nakedness and authenticity supporting the cosmic flow of heaven and earth. This is symbolized, among other things, by the position of the feet. One in the water - one on the earth. This card shows the quality of healing that occurs when the flow is allowed to happen. The connection to the subtle and the gift of allowing these impulses and knowledge to flow into our world. The integration of knowledge that seemingly suddenly opens up new paths and is integrated and implemented with great trust. Another season that invites us to celebrate stillness because from it flows the emotion needed to set new course.
Pisces close the cycle of winter and are attributed to the period from February 19th to March 20th. We are in the twelfth and thus the last sign in the zodiac, traditionally ruled by Neptune. This archetype is associated with the element of water in astrology and is connected with empathy, sensitivity, intuition, and creativity. At this end of the cycle, it is about the qualities of dreams, illusion, and spirituality. On old graves, the symbol of the fish is often depicted and can be interpreted in connection with eternal life. They represent not only resurrection and overcoming death but also us, the collective, as we individually swim and drift in the collective sea of the (sub)conscious.
In Tarot, the card "The Moon" is associated with the fish, conveying qualities such as spiritual depth, intuition, and connection with the subconscious. The cyclical moon is also associated with the archetype of the Mother. She, to whom we can always return and who, in her femininity and love, always accepts us. A homage to the great cosmic Mother Earth, honored and revered as a goddess by our ancestors.
A deep dive into the water of emotions at the end of winter before we turn to spring.
Reflection and Journaling Prompts for Winter
Cuddle up with a blanket and a comforting cup of herbal tea. Find a serene space, allowing yourself to reconnect through the following self-reflection prompts for winter:
What highs and lows have you experienced in the last 12 months?
How have I grown through them?
What does stillness mean to me?
Why do I not allow myself to come into stillness and quiet?
How can I actively integrate stillness into my days?
If stillness is a gift, how does it look, how does it feel?
How can I allow the emotional flow? What supports me in this?
Connect with the archetype of Capricorn: What is my perspective right now?
Where can I release myself from effort and perfectionism?
Connect with the archetype of Aquarius: How can I support my organism in getting into the flow? In which area of life do I allow myself to vision powerfully?
Connect with the archetype of Pisces: When do I feel my sacredness and connection with myself and the collective? What do I need to bravely dive into the depth of my subconscious?
Remember, winter is the season to celebrate stillness, reflection, and connection with your inner self. Get comfortable and enjoy the journey within!
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.’"
Sylvia Plath