Witches Rest: Turning Within
Samhain has passed with its wonder, mystery, and celebration of our ancestors. The months following are known in some pagan communities as Witches Rest. The period between Samhain (Oct 31st) and Imbolc (Feb 1st) is a time of dormancy in nature. The trees have shed their mantle of auburn leaves, there is a chill in the air that ruffles the brown grass, and the animals are preparing for the long winter to come. The earth is sleeping, at rest until spring. This is a transitional time of year for many. It is difficult to follow nature's example with the rush and bustle of the coming holidays and family descending along with the cold. When you are truly connected with nature and the turning of the seasons, this wonderful time of year truly takes on a new meaning that is just as meaningful and magical.
What Witches Rest Means to Me
The dark half of the year has come with whistling kettles, crackling fires, and warm socks. The days grow shorter and shorter and much of our afternoon tasks are done with darkness at the windows. The typical "american" holiday season is ramping up, thankfully it is a cycle that I no longer participate in so I don't feel the strain anymore. No more rushing to purchase gifts and worry about money spent. I do still give gifts, however now they are given in the spirit of love and friendship. Hand made and simple, they come from the heart and not from the wallet or Black Friday sales. The amount of pressure and stress that this shift has relieved from my life is truly remarkable and had given me the freedom to truly enjoy this change of season.It is a season of warmth, peace, and love for me now that I have become removed from the frantic consumerism rush.
For many of us that are closely attuned to the cycle of the seasons, we follow the example that nature presents us. It is a time of Rest, to snuggle into our warm caves and recharge our internal batteries that the past year has depleted. However it is also a time of deeper personal growth. Just like the trees that now rest and focus on growing their roots deeper, we too must turn our attention inward to our own personal growth.
The bulk of the year was spent growing outward things such as my garden, my work, relationships both Pagan and otherwise, the Tradition of witchcraft that I belong to, etc. During witches rest, I can finally turn my attention inward. I seek to gain the personal growth that will fortify me in the busy season to come after Imbolc. I seek specifically to grow within my spirituality and practice as a witch and as a woman. For me, witches rest is no time to be idol, but rather a time to shift my focus and emerge from the dormancy of winter a more evolved witch than I was at the start.
This Witches Work
I have quite the daunting list this year. I suppose it reflects all of the outward work I have done this year that made it difficult to shift my focus within. It is a time for me to have faith in all the work I have done and pull myself back, knowing that the things put in place are solid and able to function without my constants supervision. It is difficult to pull back and shift your focus. Harder still to take a realistic look at myself and objectively find those areas that need my time and attention. My list is very personal to my own life and practice:
My Meditative Practice
Developing a stronger personal practice
Trance Work
Developing different techniques and experimenting
Personal Confidence
Working on Self image and Self confidence within myself
Outreach Projects
Giving back to the community for others as well as myself
Work Within My Home
doing the things that I have put off within my home physically and magically
Your list should be personal to you. What have you been neglecting within yourself or for yourself that needs work? Be honest with yourself and ask the hard questions. We can only grow through truth, effort, and personal reflection; so it is up to you to make a list that is true to you and will help you grow.
This season had quickly become a favorite of mine and I can now deck my Yule tree with joy in my heart knowing that it is a season well spent and much enjoyed. May witches rest bring all the things you need within yourself to you and the strength to face the coming year with a new outlook and renewed strength.
I hope to see you all on the other side with fresh energy, enthusiasm, and roots that have grown deep despite the frost.
Blessings!
Silver Spring
