The One In Which I Recap January & Set An Intention For February {Photos + Video}

Bundled up because FEBRUARY

Yesterday, February 1st, was Imbolc. Imbolc is one of my favourite festivals on the pagan wheel of the year because it is a) dedicated to one of my favourite Goddesses, Brighid, and b) celebrates mid-winter.

Mid-winter means winter is HALF OVER and there's something very hopeful and uplifting about that despite the knee high drifts of snow to trudge through, and the air that hurts my face, and the constant hum of my space heater because it's COLD IN HERE.

I spend most of my time these days bundled up in flannel pajamas, a ridiculously over-sized plush robe, hooded sweaters and wrist warmers, wool socks, slippers, and a warm puppy attached to my person by her tenacious desire to always be snuggling.

It sounds kind of miserable when I put it like that, but it's actually kind of cozy. Boring sometimes, but cozy. And I have been absolutely excellent about ensuring that I leave the house at least once or twice a week for Open Mic nights, coffee with friends, solo dinners...

So, I know I left you guys high and dry there for a while...

I'm not sorry, though, because I've been living in the real world for a while where there is coffee and pixie dust snow flakes and trees that look like the bones of the earth and the sound of many people chatting at once, and music, and excellent food, and paint flung at canvases, and snuggles with the puppy, and binge watching The Fall on Netflix, and dishes to be done, and laundry to be folded - two things which give me an enormous sense of accomplishment. I know. I'm weird.

The latter half of January has been all about attempting to live in the world. Making friends as per my intentions for 2015. Nurturing friendships that I let fall off my radar because I had this story I was clinging to about sucking at real life.

I'm learning that I don't actually suck at real life. I'm good at real life. It's a balance thing, though, and that's what I suck at. I'm either 100% invested in my virtual world which leads to a lot of bleary-eyed staring into the cold light of a screen or I'm 100% invested in my meat space world, which leads to a dusty blog and a neglected newsletter.

Neglected newsletter and dusty blog aside, this was January.

Finding the balance. That's the trick. That's my intention for February.

What's yours?

In Other News

Book Of Days is making me ridiculously happy right now. Building a new lesson each and every week for 12 weeks creates a rhythm, a container, a cauldron of creativity that never fails me. I am in the throes of inspiration at all times, and that keeps my chin up even when I'm struggling with seasonal affective disorder and other nasty side-effects of it being THE DEAD OF WINTER.

All this colour is medicinal. Colour is to winter what music is to silence. I am in love with my art journaling practice.

I've also been rocking Life Book.

I'm still working on Week Five.

And I opened Moon Journaling.

I'm really loving this free offering in which I come to you every New Moon and invite you to join me in setting an intention, and arting from a place of new beginnings. You can find it free in my network. Here's the video for January New Moon. The new offering will go live on February 18th, so be sure and join in before then. xo

And that's my life right now.

Tell me about yours? I love to hear what's happening in your world. <3