Emerging from Winter Blues into Spring Sunshine

‘Winter blues’ is a common expression because of the depression sometimes associated with reduced light known as Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD). The lower level of natural sunlight can cause the reduction in serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood; changes in melatonin, a hormone associated with both mood and sleep; and disruptions in the body’s circadian rhythms which regulate sleep-wake cycles.
Other losses often occur in winter. The holidays create stress sometimes causing couples to decide to part at the end of the year. Job cuts frequently are made at year’s end because businesses look to improve their bottom line. Grief is part of these losses too. These changes disrupt the status quo and force us to adapt to a new reality.

However, grief and pain pass too. Spring is the time to embrace the renewal and hope this season brings. With each new day, we have the opportunity to savor the moments of emergence and look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

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Trust

The true basis for trust lies in the Divine (Creator, Source, Spirit, God, All That Is). Often, we were told or shown the world is dangerous, insecure, and hostile. Western culture adopted the 19th-century Darwinian notion of survival of the fittest based on the theory that everything in nature is in competition for resources and only the strongest and most adaptable prevail.

The Darwinian approach led to the idea that humans are inherently bad. “Human beings, we’re taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought.” Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman and Erica Moore (2020). This theory is challenged by archeological, anthropological, and social science. Humankind proves that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. This instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens according to Bregman. This recent development is further supported in Nurturing Our Humanity, by Riane Eisler and Douglas P. Fry (2019) where their research discovered that partnership-based societies thrive and are less damaging than the domination model in which we now live. If we believe we can trust in the inherent nature of humans to be trustworthy and supportive, we can relax and look for the good surrounding us.

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Spring into Action

Easter, Earth Day, and the Equinox have passed. Spring has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn is on its way in the Southern. The change of seasons indicates the next chapter in the year’s movement around the sun. In other eras, the new year began with the...

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The Energy of Transformation

You haven’t heard from me for a while. This has been a busy late winter/early spring. I moved into my new home and am settling into a new city and community. I am loving my new place and Gigi is adapting well too. In January, I contracted Covid for the second time....

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When Holiday Plans Go Awry

Have you ever noticed that with the carefullest of preparation and attention, things don’t go quite as planned? The dinner isn’t done on time, guests fail to appear (for the best of reasons, of course), the presents don’t arrive in the mail, the weather turns bad, or the children get sick. Isn’t this a continuation of what has happened this year? You probably are familiar with the Yiddish proverb, “Make plans. God Laughs.”

If you have been having a challenging season, you are not alone. Most of the people I know have been having difficulties completing projects, scheduling events, getting over illnesses, or in general been stymied in having things flowing easily.

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Calling in Your Ancestors

October is the month we honor our ancestors.

Our ancestors still exist and care about us after they have crossed over to the other side. With my work over the last 20+ years, I know our ancestors love us and want us to be happy, healthy, and abundant. Ancestors delight in connecting to their descendants and passing on the wisdom of their extended lives on earth and the perspective they have gained from the other side. The only block to getting love and support from all your ancestors is the belief that they aren’t available to you.

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Harvesting Radical Change

August’s Full Moon is the Harvest Moon. The end of summer is in sight with the ripening of the spring planting. What are you harvesting as summer ends?

This is the time of radical change in the world. The past two years saw a withdrawal from everyday life with the shutdowns and isolation of the Covid pandemic. Although not totally over and with the spread of the monkey flu, life began to return to normal. Now the world is once again in flux with economic shifts, the conflict in Ukraine, continuing global warming, and looming energy shortages.

Now the transformation is illuminating and creating new outcomes. …

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Enjoy Summer’s Masculine Energy

June brings a variety of special days: the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere/the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere; Midsummer Day or in olden times–quarter day, and Father’s Day, a worldwide celebration of fathers. Father’s Day is June 19th, Summer Solstice is June 21st, and Midsummer (halfway through the growing season is June 24th. These days in the northern half of the world, all mark the energy of the masculine. The ancient ancestors noted these dates as is shown by the numerous monuments that mark the Solstice and Midsummer. I’m sure they acknowledged fathers sometime during summer too.

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Trust

The true basis for trust lies in the Divine (Creator, Source, Spirit, God, All That Is). When we learn the world is a safe place and humans are inherently good, trusting becomes easier. Trust the Divine, yourself, and others to navigate life with joy and serenity.

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Inspiration and Opportunity

Winter has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. Life-giving snowfall and rain blanket the country often causing airline and traffic delays. The Omicron variant of the Covid virus is impacting schools and businesses slowing down progress. If we remember that winter is the time of introspection, rebirth, and renewal, then we can use these delays and diversions to look inward.

January is a time for new dreams, allowing renewal of the good, and setting the direction for the rest of the year. What deaths of spirit did we suffer last year in order to release that which no longer serves us? We can now assess our current situation and reflect, refine, and redirect those aspects of life that are unsatisfactory and shape a new direction. The opportunity for rebirth comes with the new year.

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