Rest, and make no sudden moves. No proclamations, no commitments. Except for a commitment to rest, hibernate, go within, or look into the shadows. And be.

There is something exciting and hopeful about a new calendar year, and there’s an impulse to move into action to make this the best year yet. But now is not the time. We are still in winter, and her rhythms of stillness and restoration continue to permeate the landscape. Thanks be to this–as I am not properly wintered yet. Are you?

We need the stillness of winter in order to create the best year yet—or at the least, say yes to those things that have been calling to our hearts that we have ignored or brushed aside. Gardners are starting to dream about what seeds to sow and the bounty of the year ahead, but seeds aren’t going into the ground yet. Everything is still dormant.

So when do we emerge from wintering and start intentionally planting seeds? In the ancient Celtic world, the first day of February signaled the beginning of spring and was marked by the celebration of Imbolic or St. Brigid’s Day. Now that the holidays are over, gift yourself the month of January to rest—and make no sudden moves.

If we are well rested, our intentions will rise from a deeper place within and with a potency that is sure to result in their blooming.  

For now, just as gardeners dream of seeds for the early spring planting, I dream of a word–a seed. One simple word–that lands on my heart and is the needle on my internal compass for the year. I sit with this word and hold it lightly. As I rest and restore, this word also might shift. Holding on to this seed feels comforting as I seek stillness, rest, and even wrestle with shadows.

My seed word for this year is reclamation. I love the strength of this word and its potential–both for the earth and us humans. With this seed, I am inviting myself to stay curious and awake to the parts of myself that I have unconsciously neglected or put aside for the comfort of others, or perhaps felt shame around, or forgotten in order to fit into a collective norm. With this seed, my intention is to compassionately reclaim these parts.

What is your seed that you would like to hold and tend to? As you rest this winter, you may become aware of parts of yourself that you would like to be tended to this year to support their flourishing. Allow this to rise up and create space for its unfolding as you sit in the wintertime.

With so much love for each of you as we enter this new calendar year.