MIDWINTER

We thought it would be nice to share one of our smaller rituals, and one of the more overlooked annual wheel marks, is Midwinter.

In Danish folk tradition, Kjørmes Knud, also known as Kyndelmisse, is celebrated 40 days after Christmas Eve, which falls on February 2nd. This day marks the halfway point of winter, and you can begin to feel the return of light. It is traditionally recognized as one of the harshest times of the year and signifies that you are halfway through the supplies gathered during the harvest. Festivities often include light parties and meals featuring pork with apples. The Celts have a similar celebration on the same day, called Imbolc. Midwinter is a time for dreams; it represents a period of deep darkness when we seek warmth and comfort. Beneath the black soil, seeds lie dormant, needing frost to grow later in the year. At this moment, they are simply existing. Just like these seeds, which require frost and darkness for future growth, we too can take this time to relax and reflect. It is an opportunity to be present in the moment and to embrace peace without the pressure to be overly productive.

This time of year, is a unique opportunity to slow down, and for the same reason, this seasonal ritual is simple - because we don't have much to do right now. Currently, many of us don't have much energy. We can usefully remind ourselves that before electric light was invented, you couldn't do much after sunset. You could read, do needlework, sleep and talk. Our time expects us to be equally active all year round, but we believe that is unnatural. Therefore, we invite you to give yourself permission to be still. This seasonal ritual is modest, quiet and best done alone. Our winter ritual is generally about supporting you in dreaming, being still and reflecting.

Winter reflection: A DAILY PRACTICE Midwinter is a fantastic time to pick up on journaling, and you can use the darkness to dwell on where you are in your life right now. Journaling is the simplest and most effective tool for self-healing. It is used in psychiatric treatment in many places around the world, and several studies have documented surprisingly positive results in terms of the effect of journaling on mental well-being. If you have a piece of paper and a pen at hand, you always have a unique tool available, completely free of charge.

We invite you to write daily, approximately 1-2 A4 pages handwritten, throughout Midwinter. Studies have shown that writing before bed significantly improves sleep. Just as creative people have found that writing in the morning allows them to clear their minds of all worries and thoughts and can therefore better focus on giving their creativity free rein. But how do you get started? And how can you keep going? We will guide you through this on the next page with our Good Advice on Writing, which you will find on the next page.

What qualities does darkness have that I have missed in my life?

What can I learn from nature right now?

What does it take for me to be at peace?

How do I feel about darkness?

How can I use the season to restore?

What did I long for?

What am I grateful for in my life?

Winter Walk

Medicine walk and Vision quest are methods used by several cultures around the world. Our Winter Walk is inspired by this, but in a condensed version. When we go for a winter walk, we submerge in a dialogue with nature and the spiritual world. Nature and its beings want to talk to us and they have profound wisdom we can all access. Nature is alive, and when we engage in it and acknowledges its aliveness, it awakens. The more of us who see, acknowledge and embark into a relationship with nature, the more it lives, and the more we take care of it.

In this Winter Walk, you can focus on what you have learned from winter, about your longings and about peace. But you can also use it to get an answer to a question that you need help with. Before you go, you choose which question you want to use.

It should be a simple question/intention, and it should not contain an "AND". Your "quest" should be about you alone. If you have a question about another person, you can ask how YOU can help them/what you can do in relation to them. Examples of questions might be:

• What can I learn from this season?

• What does nature remind me of that I have forgotten?

• What is nature saying to me right now?

How to do it

Preparation:

Wear warm clothes and good boots.

Bring something that you can use as a gift to nature. It can be beer,

milk, butter, bread, biscuits or whatever you have.

Bring a pen and notebook.

Choose a good place and set aside plenty of time

Timer/phone

Prepare what you want to ask.

Something to sit on.

Read this guide through.

When we do a WINTER WALK, we walk in silence and listen to ourselves and the forest. Try to be in touch with nature; hear what it has to say to you. Nature is your ally, your friend.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

The first thing you do when you arrive at your place is to set a threshold. This marks the start and end of your hike. Your hike can last between 20 and 30 minutes. Set the timer when you set off.

When you pass your threshold, you enter the magical reality. Nature is enchanted and speaks to you. See yourself as the hero of a fairy tale, have an open mind and read the signs. Experience nature and take it in.

When your alarm gives the signal, you go back to your starting point and step through the threshold again, so you step out of the magical reality.

Then you sit down and write what you have experienced in your notebook.

After you have noted all your impressions from your Winter Walk, you can write all the essential elements and gather them into a few sentences or a poem that you can take with you.

Happy Midwinter.