Hi! I’m Liz and welcome to the Wild Soul Collective. I write seasonal letters and record a monthly podcast for those of us who long to live a slow life in rhythm with nature. Thanks for stopping by! All posts are always free. Subscribe + join the Wild Soul Collective. We would love to have you here. ❍↟☽
Happy 2024, my friend!
I have been dying to connect with you all week. I actually had no intention of waiting until today. But, as I leaned into the energy of the new year, quietly returned to work, and soaked in the last of the holiday vibes, I realized that I actually needed this week away from writing and posting to gather my thoughts and feel my feelings. So, I’m glad that I waited; so that I could let myself slowly shift and settle.
In the past, at the beginning of a new year, I would tend to get all caught up in that “new year, new me” feeling. And the expectation that, somehow, with the changing of the modern calendar year, things should feel and be different.
But, really, the beginning of January is right in the middle of winter. This is not the time at all to busy myself with new goals, ideas, or plans to reinvent myself or jump into the hustle and bustle of life. (Do I ever really need to reinvent myself?) In any case, in the past few years, I have come to realize that it is perfectly ok to save all of the renewal, rebirth, growth, and active energy for the coming spring months. That’s actually the most natural and aligned time, anyway.
So, this past week I just took a breath and slowed down a bit. And remembered that there is no need ever for the destructive “new year, new me” vibe. It is all a constant evolution. We are all constantly evolving and becoming.
It’s true that this is new calendar year, yes. And that brings a whole lot of fresh start, clean slate, new page energy. And I feel all of that energy.
But, on feeling a little bit deeper, and observing nature this week, I am reminded that we are still in the depths of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is still the season of hibernation. The ancient earth is still deep in its winter silence. And she’s calling me to remain there too - as much as I can.
In my everyday life, I did return to work this week and the pace picked up after the holidays. Life continues to unfold. Responsibilities continue to pile up. The seasons continue to change. But, the energy of January is slow and gentle. And so, that is exactly how I am determined to be all month long.
First of all, there is no need for a new me - or a new you - or a new anything. Not even the trees or flowers or animals are concerned with new things right now. There is no thought of beginning again. For, all of earth in the northern hemisphere is deep in the season of winter. Sleeping. Resting. Warming. Dreaming.
And January invites me to drop into that soft, wintry gentle mood all month long, even right in the midst of my everyday life. In fact, the only intention I have as 2024 begins, is to bring that slow, soft, wintry gentleness into everything I do this month. Mostly, I simple want to ease into this new calendar year. And continue to let my roots grow deep and the messages of winter speak to me of wisdom, visions, and the way forward. Just like all of nature around me, I’m still in restful preparation mode. And I am certain that I can even approach work days and mundane chores with that same gentle January magic.
It’s as if time stands still in January. Or there is a whole different understanding and experience of time. In winter, the hours are slow. January often seems infuriatingly never-ending.
But, again, it is not time to jump forward and leap ahead. It’s not time to make resolutions and long to-do lists of everything that I want to accomplish this year. It is time to be gentle with my soul, to be at one with this mystical month of seemingly suspended time. To follow the rhythms of nature. And to settle into the quiet energy of this month - even if only for a few moments every day.
Wintering
Snow gently falls, darkness envelops me, the cold settles deep in my bones, the earth rests. And so must I - if I am to let my roots grow deep and prepare whatever seeds of creativity and life in me want to bloom and grow come spring.
Now is the time for deep restoration, my friend. The holiday hustle and bustle has hushed. The streamers and confetti have been cleaned up. January invites us to now rest in our homes. To take long, steamy baths. To read and write. To eat warm soups. To stoke the fires built back in the end of November. To journal and dream and gather up the hopes of the new calendar year. To allow ourselves evenings of rest and mornings of meditation.
As I grow older, I realize that January, though often gray and cold and long and dreary, has exactly the atmosphere and energy that is needed right now. It’s all part of the cycle of life and the rhythm of the seasons.
When I align with this energy instead of trying to make January all about new beginnings (that’s the energy of March and April), then January is transformed into a month of quiet, gentle moments of winter rest for body, mind, and soul.
Like the bears and the birds and the plants of the earth, the hibernation and restoration of January is silent, quiet, necessary work of wintering before the coming spring. It is a lesson in learning that the quiet moments of life are what keep me rooted and inspired and moving forward. And, then, magically, without even realizing what is happening, at the end of the month there will be tiny signs of life.
☀️Sunrise and sunset times
In the last few months of 2023, I started a new ritual in my journal/calendar. At the start of the week, on Mondays, I write in the sunrise and sunset times. I love to mark the lengthening (or decreasing) hours of the day. Up here in Sweden, those times are often quite extreme and change somewhat drastically from week to week. This weekly practice keeps me aware, not only of the times, but it reminds me to be aware of the sun in the sky - how it moves, where it rises, where it sets. It’s just one way I create space to connect deeply with the rhythms of nature.
January sunrise + sunset times in Norrköping, Sweden
Jan 1 - 8:45 / 15:11 (6.5 hours of daylight)
Jan 8 - 8:41/ 15:22
Jan 15 - 8:33 / 15:36
Jan 22 - 8:22 / 15:51
Jan 29 - 8:09 / 16:07 (8 hours of daylight!)
✨ Sacred Days in January:
Jan 6: Epiphany - The 13th day after Christmas and the end of Christmastide. Also known, in Christianity, as the day that the wise man, after following a star in thee eastern sky, arrived at the stable to leave gifts of incense and oils for the newborn Jesus.
Jan 11: New Moon in Capricorn - The first cycle of the monthly moon phases of 2024. A great time to set intentions and meditate in the dark, wintry night.
Jan 25: The Wolf Full Moon - The first full moon of 2024. Named by indigenous peoples for the wild, howling wolves of January. The perfect night for tapping into our own wild wolf energy. (Book tip: Women Who Run with the Wolves)
Feb 1: Imbolc - The midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. An ancient celebration of St. Brigid and the beginning of very early spring energy.
🎵 Playlist:
As always, I love sharing my playlist for the month. Each playlist is filled with hundreds of songs. Perfect hitting shuffle, letting the tunes roll, and settling into the mood of month.
January’s mood: Gently + slowly welcome the new year. Rest deep in the earth's stillness. Indulge in winter's magic.
🎙️ Introducing the Wild Soul Collective Podcast
For 2024, my plan is to write a letter at the beginning of each month to move with the seasons, reflect on living in rhythm with nature, and connect with you throughout the year. I also plan to start sharing these letters on my podcast, as a way to challenge myself creatively, but also as another, perhaps deeper, way to connect with you. And, you can choose to read or listen or both - whatever suits you best. Let me know what you think!
And please subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcasts!
And with all of that, dear you, I think it’s time for me to wrap-up this January letter. I am so looking forward to continuing to grow and connect with you. Over the following months, I hope to create a deeper communal feel here, to write regularly (but not on a formal schedule) to you, to find new ways to be creative, and to mark the changing of the seasons together.
For now, it’s time for me to sip on mulled wine, take down the holiday decorations, and welcome the wintry, restful January mood into my home.
I wish you much rest, wisdom, and magic all January long, my friend. You’ll hear from me again next week!
xoxo. liz.
The gentle hush of January ❄️