I never hit the ground running in January. I don’t make big plans and goals to work on right away, I used to, not anymore. As I’ve grown older I am starting to figure out my rhythm, which so closely follows the rhythm of the seasons. In Winter, the Earth rests, I rest. I use this time to reflect and feel. I make a point to stay quiet, journal and carve out as much time for myself as I can. In Winter, when things lie dormant, there’s so much more under the surface than meets the eye. That can wait until Spring. The seeds of change need their rest before they burst into bloom.
I used to be deeply affected by these early days of January in the sense that they made me feel sad. The holiday decorations needed to come down and I needed to get on with a new environment that was stripped of its former laughter, lights, food and frolic associated with the Christmas season in my family traditions. Now, I look at them as a child would search for the comfort of her Mother’s safe arms, buried within the folds of her soft sweater. A chance to rest after a long day of school or play, or as it is in January, a long year I have just lived out. I am in need of a deep rest before I charge up again.
In the Tarot, January would liken itself to the archetype of The Hermit. The Hermit, just as He sounds, is introspective. He leans towards the wisdom that lies deep within us, our knowing that we can only acknowledge by feeling. I embody the Hermit every time I sit in meditation, opening up my connection to my inner wisdom while quieting my environment. The simple act of lighting a candle can bring us to a more introspective state. The single flame reminds us of the life-force that lives within each of us, lit by our desire to illuminate the mysteries that lie within us. There is so much more to us than meet the eye.
This year, the first full moon, The Wolf Moon, falls on January 13, under the sign of Cancer. This moon’s glow beckons us to feel. It asks us to reflect on what we really want and need and not to override our deepest desires with a predetermined agenda. This is a window of opportunity to really expand your senses. Deep with you lies the antidote for all the ails you. Finding the courage to allow the healing that is required may be your biggest hurdle to date, but it is a road you must take. We are all in need of healing on some level, as the act of living continually demands through our need for sleep to rejuvenate our bodies. We can’t go on charging through our responsibilities without rest and expect to thrive.
Where I live, in Southern California, the repetitive season of stillness Winter usually delivers in January has been disrupted by unprecedented, raging wildfires. There has been such catastrophic damage and loss throughout the last several days and as I write this, the fires are not yet contained. This has been far from a time of rest as all of us in Los Angeles have been watching these fires destroy our beautiful communities, homes and businesses, as well as acres upon acres of natural beauty. It is heartbreaking. I am fortunate to be out of harms way but so many have not been so lucky, losing everything they owned. This reset of their lives was definitely not one of their choosing, but like catastrophe dictates, they must find a way to cope with their loss. Through this chaos will emerge a forced period of stillness in which they will need to rebuild their homes and their lives. The fires will be fought, the Earth will once again rest, and the damage will be a solemn reminder of the anguish of grief. But in time, deep under the surface within the belly of dormancy, there will be rebirth. I pray we can all remember this through the pain of the tragedy. We can never get back what we lost but rebirth will come in a new form.
May January 2025 be a reminder to all of us that we are resilient. We can know our own strength through the challenges of life, this is our human superpower. It is the power that resides in every living thing…the power to transform. The call to rest is screaming louder than ever throughout the troubles of the World. We all need to find a way to slow down so the we may reassess the ways in which we communicate with each other, treat each other and see each other, or we may never find the Rest within ourselves.