What are you reflecting on?
We are indeed now in the depths of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and for many of us it has been an extremely challenging year. Yet, in these dark days despite the cold, rain, snow and damp weather, it is in fact a time of deep inner reflection. A time to stop the doing, to take a pause from endless scrolling on social media and doing Instagram reels with “hooks” to attract people to convert to working with us. Or endless commenting on Facebook with people we hardly know.
More and more that seems to be the way people connect now. There is a lot to be said for being able to connect with like minded people all over the world. There truly is. Recently I reconnected with someone who had had a chart reading with me way back seven years ago. She is now a full time artist and said that my encouragement during that reading way back all those years ago was instrumental in helping her make her way to where she is today.
Without Instagram I would never have found her. I came across her by chance. And as I am moving towards my Creative Relocation Package her words were indeed music to my soul. A sign that this is the right path for now for me too.
For me, it is time to take my own advice and take a step back to embrace my own creativity more.
Which is what I am doing coming up to and after Solstice season. I am taking a much needed break of a few weeks and plan on spending my time painting and writing, walking and reading. Or simply not doing very much at all.
Lighting log fires in my cosy new home, having friends up for raucous dinners with lots of banter and teasing, sitting reading through old and new astrology books. My beloved daughter Ruth’s spirit came through to me so strongly during a meditation session in Lucca two weeks ago. There she was, strong and pure, her love shining light a golden light on me. “Go back home Mam” she was saying. “Go back and enjoy your beautiful home. Create your arts studio. Go paint Mam. It’s how I healed Mam, It’s how you will heal too Mam. You know that”
And indeed I do.
Healing in Italy
Less than two weeks earlier someone I met for the first time told me how healing Italy would be for me. Turns out the healing did not take as long as I expected. The high irony of coming back to Lucca was that the one thing missing, and for me it was a very big thing, was writing groups. Connection with other writers. Feedback. The inspiration I got from listening to what others had written. How it could help inspire make my own work better.
Social media has ironically and blessedly helped with this. I write daily online having finally joined the London Writers Salon online and that has been a true marvel when in person writing classes ceased. My soul is now craving fellow creatives more than ever.
In person if you please. If at all possible.
So it turned out that a few weeks here healed me faster than I expected. As I have written before, Ruth’s spirit continues to guide me in ways I never imagined and when I get out of my own way and let that happen, the magic happens. The regular visits to so many beautiful cafes here in Lucca from where I would sit and write did indeed provide balm for my soul. As did going to Biagioni’s art shop and stocking up on my much loved Fabriano notebooks.
Some women crave Italian shoes and handbags. For me it’s Fabriano notebooks all the way!
But I found myself missing my new office, my old hand written writing notebooks which it turns out I do need to access if I am to get going on what I am now writing about. Which is a childhood memoir which will then morph into telling some of Ruth’s journey.
I miss my painting materials. I miss my astrology books which I love delving in and out of. I miss the utter peace and tranquility of where I live, the sounds of birdsong in the morning, looking out at the winter trees behind my cosy home.
It’s been wonderful being back. I had my time in Italy, I had my glorious few weeks and my soul is now full again with the glamour, the passion, the understated elegance. I keep forgetting that in fact I can always come back!!
Winter Solstice
This Winter Solstice the Sun and Mercury are both trining Jupiter. Mercury is in full blown retrograde period in Capricorn, so truly a time to put structure around your words and how you wish to communicate. The Sun trining Jupiter will bring a much needed sense of expansion and joy coming up to Christmas Day, so do set extra places around the dinner table!
As Mercury is also trining Jupiter, which is now retrograde in fixed earth Taurus there will no doubt be expanded conversation – but on a pragmatic earthy level as these planets are both in earth signs right now. Jupiter goes direct on December 30th, in time for New Year. With both planets retrograde there may be expanded miscommunication or a theme around misunderstandings being enlarged.
Or it may also play out as your higher mind giving you access to streams of consciousness you never expected. A time of disengaging from what you thought your higher creativity was, and a time of letting go and seeing what new stream of consciousness comes into your mind
So this Solstice season, let go of being online so much, and do go focus on spending time in person with loved ones. Have a raucous dinner party, invite people who have never met before, accept all offers to bring something and sit back and let the fun unfold! Sun trine Jupiter after all!
Or stretch and go put yourself out of your comfort zone, connect with other creatives, like signing up for a class you never thought you would be interested in.
Your soul will thank you for it.