Years ago, when I first moved to Boston, I was a teenager and I loved the Summer with its warm, sunny days and I dreaded the dark, cold ones that inevitably followed our colorful, Fall.

As Winter days darkened and freezing temperatures approached, I watched the Charles River daily, waiting for the inevitable freeze which seemed to be the official stamp that winter was here, a time when I would feel as dark as the days I inhabited.

In those days my relationship with the Divine was just beginning. My emotions still ruled, they were everything to me.

Not knowing that I had choice, that I could shift my frequency at will, I was truly governed by my external circumstances, and when the river froze over, it seemed as if the days ahead and I, were doomed.

It’s been many years since Winter had such a negative effect on me. I’ve worked hard to increase my consciousness. I am no longer governed by external circumstances. I know that whatever arrives has a purpose and that once I discover and learn it’s meaning, I get to shift my energy into higher frequencies.

As I look back now, I see how much freedom I gave away. I find myself so grateful for the perspective I now have, for the knowledge I’ve gained and the agency over my life, which Practical Spirituality, has provided for me.

Now, as I prepare for Winter knowing the darker days are upon us, I take a breath, I release it and then excitement settles in.

Winter now is a deeply spiritual time of year for me. It’s a time for less social interaction and more internal work. I find myself choosing to spend more time with books, meditating and observing myself and the world.

While these actions show up throughout the year, the colder, darker days, call to me and invite me to relish even more the quiet and solitude, to be grateful for reflection and insight.

As I harvest the lemon thyme, oregano and basil that have been growing like weeds on my deck, I get excited about the soup and stews they will end up in.

I pull my throw blanket and sweaters out of storage and imagine myself cozying up with a hot cup of tea in the days to come, watching the pond (not the river) freeze over.

When the pond hardens, I love watching the cracks in the ice appear, as I listen to the groaning of the water as it shifts underneath.

There’s something so beautiful about the starkness of Winter.

As the trees lose their leaves, we may miss the color and shade they offer, but we gain the opportunity to view the architecture within, that’s hidden in the warmer days.

Winter is a wonderful time to feel into the truth of one of my favorite spiritual lessons:

“Everything that can heal, can harm and everything that can harm can heal.”

The dark days can define how we be, what we do and what we experience. We can choose to let the darkness envelope us in ways that don’t serve.

Or

We can choose to gracefully go into the cold, seeing the darker hours not as restriction, but as an invitation, to reflect on the aspects of us that require adjustment, small tweaks, or larger shifts.

We can observe how we might be more of service and go into gratitude for all we have been given.

We can choose to take on practices where we engage our highest frequency, connect to the Divine and spread LOVE to others in the world, who are in need.

We can grab our throw blankets cook our soups, breads and stews, grab a great book and appreciate the opportunity to slow down- go within and commune with the peace that lies within each of us.

I hope you’ll join me, Beloved in using the Winter days to deepen into the quiet and peace that lie within you, to enjoy the winter view wherever you are, and to savor the marshmallows in your cocoa!

And for those of you reading this message who are in warmer climates… come visit… Winter beckons!