The Midwinter Shift
Introspection, alchemy, and the return of the light
Can you feel it yet? The shift in the air, the magic of the longest night, the closing of this year? The time of transformation is nearing. I feel it in my bones, this is going to be a big year.
As the moon returns from her dark phase in Sagittarius – the last lunation of this year and, simultaneously, the first lunation of the new year – and as Yule and Winter Solstice approach, we are asked to get curious about the depths of our inner world.
This time also coincides with the initiation of Capricorn season, which reminds us to pay close attention to the structures in our lives.
New Moon Sagittarius into Winter Solstice and Yule
This is a time for deep introspection – a time to slow down and ask what we believe deeply in our hearts.
What narratives are you leaning into? Do they help or are they holding you back from your truest potential?
This time of year, there’s so much pressure to rush ahead and plan the entire next trip around the sun.
But what if we slowed down and noticed? Noticed the shift in the air. Noticed the winter-time birds that have made their migratory journey to sit on our windowsill and eat the seeds from the garden.
What if we took the time to allow in a little boredom so that we may be open to receive enchantment and wonder when they present themselves to us.
What if we weren’t so distracted with endless to-dos at this time of year – the Christmas lists, the grocery lists, the guest lists? What if we spent even just a little of that time feeling the chill in the air, watching the fog roll in, or noticing the snow fall from the sky.
This new moon asks us to turn inward, to soften our gaze, to notice how we feel in our bodies, and to check in with what we believe about ourselves and the possibilities of the new year.
After the solstice, the light slowly begins to return. Until then, find the wonder in the darkness, visit with the stillness, commune with the shadows and the cold. When the rest of the world demands your self-expenditure, your finite energy and resources, all of your attention – make time for yourself and your loved ones to just be. To notice. To get curious about you tend to overlook and rush past.
The shift to Capricorn season
The sea goat, Capricorn, is a discerning force – a guide to hone our goals and plan accordingly.
Part of examining the way our lives are structured is keeping what works and alchemizing what doesn’t.
This looks like deconstruction and reconstruction. And what better time to do this than the end of one year and the beginning of the next?
What do you want to leave in 2025? How can you alchemize it into something better suited to your goals for 2026?
What is the sun in Capricorn asking you to devote yourself to in the season? What do you need to deconstruct to do so?
Are there limiting beliefs about your abilities or who you are that are holding you back from realizing your potential for the coming year?
Are there structures you’ve broken down this year that are waiting to be turned into new processes, goals, habits, or directions?
After all, a crucial part of deconstruction is reconstruction, so that you may set into motion systems that work for you.
I hope this season is a joyous and easeful one for you.
Sending warmth and wonder to you this solstice season, my friend. Blessed be.
