I’ve drawn the Death card four times in the past week or so. I got a new tarot deck recently that is based off of Holly Black’s fae works. (Slight spoilers for The Queen of Nothing ahead.) Death shows Carden emerging from the snake, the perfect symbolism of shedding old ways and rebirth.
Most people fear the Death card, just as most people dread these darker months of the year. I love them both. Death just signals a time of change, of becoming someone new, and this time of the year when the leaves are turning and the nights are longer is the perfect reflection of that. Something about resting in the quiet and the dark really stirs my inspiration in a way the warm summer months do not. Summer in Southern California, where I live, is brutal and lasts way longer than its allotted months. I feel I’m in survival mode most of the time, just trying to get through another heat wave.
Most people handle these darker days one of two ways; lock in or rotting. I subscribe to something in between. I have more energy and more drive during these months to push myself, to shed my skin and grow, but I also understand the energy of the season and wish to rest and embrace the coziness. And it is quite easy to find a balance between these.
Winter days are the perfect time to hunker down; lift heavy weights and stretch deeply; read; nourish your body with warm foods—to grow in the slow strong and steady ways rather than the explosive ones that push you past your limited. Now is the time to build and perfect your routines, to reflect on the year and begin planning for the next one. October 31st marks the Witch’s New Year so if you’ve felt the energy shift, know it is not too soon to start. This is the season of preparing.
But make sure you also take your rest—breathe in the change of the season, go on sunset walks, light candles, make tea and drink it slowly, take vitamin D and Magnesium, moisturize. Just let yourself be, let yourself feel the changes taking place and accept them. You can’t become the next version of yourself if you cling to old ways and patterns. Shed them and move on. Slowing down in today’s society is hard, but not as much as people make it out to be. You have more pockets of time than you realize, you just need to learn to prioritize them. Do things tired, do them when you’re feeling off, stop waiting for the “perfect moment” because it will never come. That being said, make sure you are getting your 7-8 hours of sleep.
I have felt burnt-out recently after pushing to finish Project Arrow for two straight months. So rather than diving into a new (or old) WIP, I’ve gotten back into writing blog posts from my idea list that has been sitting around for two years. I am having inspiration for more, as well as posts for my Instagram. I am updating my Patreon and returning to my backlog of books and anime. I might even start prepping my 2027 bujo. My husband and I hung our glass Christmas lights outside and restocked our tea cupboard. We also tried our hand a making foccacia and are planning to try a new type of soup.
Despite feeling so tired with the sky getting dark at 5pm, I am growing, I am changing, I am nesting.
Hail to the Darker months!