Newsletter Issue #8
Holiday celebrations and a downloadable 2023 goal planner!
Next week is a celebratory week with the winter solstice (Yule), December 21st (or summer solstice, Litha, for southern hemisphere on December 22nd). We also have Hanukah from Dec 18-26, and Christmas on the 25th.
I find it interesting that Yule, the Christmas holiday, and Hanukah coincide so closely and looked into the origins and similarities between the celebrations. Yule celebrates the coming of new light as it is from this day onward that the “sun returns” and daylight becomes longer. Hannuka is “the festival of lights” and celebrates the Jewish people spreading their spiritual light in the world. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and makes sense for ancient Christians to choose to celebrate him during this time as they saw him as “the light of the world.” Could they all be related?
As I get older I like the idea of blending beliefs and traditions that are more meaningful for me, even if they might be less traditional than the events my family or culture have celebrated in the past. My partner and I come from very different backgrounds, and I think our connection and life together has definitely allowed me to take a step back and ask myself what is it that I believe, what do I truly think is important, and how to I feel when I do or do not participate in certain traditions. I’m still navigating this and also working on the boundaries I set with myself and my family related to holiday expectations (that’s an ever-evolving experience). This year for me this looks like celebrating Yule in a personal ceremony at home, and then meeting my family the day before Christmas Eve to exchange presents and spend time together, as I’ll be working in the hospital over the Christmas holiday. I’m curious to hear your experiences with holidays, traditions, and how you decide to celebrate or not?
Whatever you choose to celebrate or not celebrate I hope you are having a wonderful week and a magical December!
Finding Wonder - Celebrate Yule
Right now, I feel drawn to honor Yule as a gentle pause in the holiday season hurry and connect to nature and the cycles of the seasons and the sun and moon.
If you are intrigued by Yule check out the following links":
How to Celebrate Yule: Rituals, Traditions, and More (tesswhitehurst.com)
Celebrating Yule: The Returning of Light by Sea Witch Botanicals
Consider holding a small personal Yule ceremony in your home to welcome the sun’s energy and prepare your home for the new year.
A traditional aspect of a Yule celebration includes lighting a candle or burning a Yule log to symbolize the coming warmth and “return of the sun.” In celebration of the changing from dark to light, it is a common practice to set intentions of letting go of what no longer serves you and symbolically burning it in the fire. This allows you to release burdens holding you back, leaving them behind in the dark season and inviting new, fresh, light energy as the sun illuminates your intentions moving forward. In Home Energetics these practices bring fire element into the home. Fire element brings yang (masculine) energy, inspiration, and fresh life force (chi). My Yule practice this year will be lighting candle for that spark of inspiration, creating an intentional space, making a list of what I’m releasing and working on my goal planner below.
Setting 2023 Goals
There is always an abundance of new year’s goals, ambitions, and manifestation setting messaging around this time of year and it is easy to feel pressure to create astronomical goals and manifestations for your year ahead.
Last year I made grand plans to create new and wonderful things in 2022 starting out with a bang in January. The problem was, after the holidays I had zero motivation, clarity, or energy to act on any of my planned goals. This year I am taking that experience into consideration. I’ve been feeling the pull to write some things out now so that I don’t feel that pressure on December 31st or during the month of January like I did last year.
I created my own goal planner exercise and I want to share this planner with you now so that you can have time to mull it over and consider what you’d like to see for yourself in 2023. You can complete this planner whenever feels right for you, whether that be today, next week, NYE, or even next July. You can complete the whole year, the next 6 months, or just one month at a time, use it however feels right for you.
I am so grateful for you and thankful that you are subscribed to my newsletter.
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Sending love,
Jacey
