Winds of Winter    
By Beth Leas


When the winds of winter swirl around our feet, raising the dying leaves toward the sky, lifting the dust and darkening the sun, our inclination is to retreat, hiding from the cold as nature’s storms rage with long duration.  Spanning the time between the wealth of the fall harvest and the new growth of spring, winter’s chaos represents a much-needed period of rest and renewal.

Chaos provides a means for us to reflect upon events, grieve our losses and embrace a final resolution of the past, while preparing for the future.  Winter is a time of inner work—a time to bring our lives under our own authority.  It’s a time when we shift our forces away from the practical concerns of our lives toward a search for deeper meaning.  This is a season about remembering. 

Remembering who we truly are.  Remembering our visions, hopes and dreams.  Remembering our deepest yearnings.  It is about remembering what we’ve lost and reclaiming it— reclaiming our strength, passion, viability, wisdom and compassion.  It’s a time which holds the possibility that we can emerge a new person.

Essential questions of self spring to mind as we remember our visions, hopes and dreams:

If I am not for myself, who is for me?
If I am only for myself, who am I?
And if not now, when?
~Hillel

Going to our core, we naturally tend to strive for balance and renewal, hoping to find fulfillment while hibernating or struggling through the chaos.  Seeking resolution and clarity enables us to respectfully separate days gone by and prepare for the approaching year.

While chaos might seem to temporarily block our spiritual growth, it also provides a chance to free our souls from undue restrictions, moving us into a period of free flowing enchantment and reconnecting us with our sense of wonder at the creativity and beauty of a world in transition.  So let the Winds of Winter blow!