My word of the year for 2024 is Enchanted. Each year a new word finds me- inspired by nature, spoken in a dream, divined through the tarot; the forms in which the word comes to me differs as vastly as the words themselves. Surrender. Fear. Imagine. Joy. For the past five years (I didn’t have a word for 2023 which speaks volumes of how deep in the womb tomb of the Goddess I wandered) I’ve claimed a different word, lived it, breathed it, journeyed with it and experienced it. Usually by Samhain, as we start the descent into the dark half in earnest- I know my word for the coming year. As I broke through the blocks that were 2023, enchanted was all around me. Words in books, conversations with friends; even book titles themselves. I was captivated by the beauty around me as the seasons shifted, and so I knew that this spiral would be about reclaiming my own enchanted life. I wanted to live it, breathe it, embody it and find it. I knew I would find it in nature, and so I would let nature guide me. I would look for enchantment throughout the seasons, the turning of the wheel and focusing in on the lessons and magick that each of the season’s enchantments hold.
As I’m starting to write this post, we’re still in the firm grip of Winter. Frost is on the ground most mornings now, and snow keeps trying to gently fall from the skies. There’s a biting wind whenever I go outside, and hot chocolate is perhaps my go-to drink this season. I spend a lot of time inside and I’ve found myself adjusting my daily rituals and routines for the shorter days and colder temperatures. I knew I’d find winter the hardest season to connect with; it’s my least favourite season and one that I’d prefer to hibernate away. Aside from the beauty of frost glistening and icy blue skies, where exactly is the enchantment of Winter? How do I winter and find the magick?
That’s where I started.
I embraced wintering.
I fully embraced the season of Winter. I journalled around why this was my least favourite season. It was hard, at first. I was still going at the pace of Autumn, still dreaming of Summer and its long days and endless energy. I wanted to do everything, see everyone and experience all that I could. My calendar was getting booked up and I was still recovering from travelling across several timezones. Outside though, things were slowing down, resting and reserving energy. I had a thought- maybe I should do that, too. I listened to my instincts and body; I needed rest. In trying to discern the magick of this season, I was really called to draw inwards and return to the basics- essentially assessing what would nurture and nourish me over these colder months. One of my favourite hobbies is reading- and I’ve read a lot over these dark months; both fiction and non-fiction. Re-reading some of my favourite series as well as reading new books on subjects that sparked my interest. The more I read, the more I nourished my muse. I spent time with my son and husband, nurturing my family roots. I spent time alone, in my sacred space, nourishing my connection with the divine. I spent time out in nature, nurturing my connection with land and sea, my family, my muse and the Goddess. I said no to things, events and ideas. Now was not the time. In the deep stillness of Winter, I began to nourish the seeds for the year to come, and in doing so, began to refill my own cup and nourish myself.
Winter’s Enchantment.
Throughout the months of November to March, I journeyed with the enchantment of Winter. I found it in the boundaries I redefined, the stillness at the Solstice, the nourishment I both gave and received, my home as an extension of myself, nurturing the connections I have (and releasing the ones that no longer support me), my own inward journey and reflections and a return to basics to reaffirm the foundations of all aspects of my life. I laughed, I cried, I slept, I dreamt, I read, I cooked. I experienced grief, anger, sadness, and anxiety. I cocooned in blankets and let the winter sea breeze kiss my face. I began decluttering; bringing simplicity to my home and life. Slowly, intentionally. I wrote, inspired by my muse.
Now, as Winter is starting to melt into Spring and the energy is rising, I’m exploring the liminal space between Winter and Spring. It’s not quite one or the other yet and I have the lessons of Winter and the enchantment that they offer, as well as the edge of a shiny and new season, with it’s enchantments just waiting for me to explore, live, embody and breathe.
