By Melanie Marquis
Nature slows under the freeze of the colder air, and naturally, we want to do the same. The approach of winter sends me into slow mode, just as, like everyone else, I need to get about a billion things done in time for the holidays. Gifts to buy or make and wrap, meals to plan and prepare, parties to arrange, cards to make and send...aren't the holidays supposed to be a time to kick back and have fun? It can be difficult to keep one's center, to step back from the stress and enjoy the enchantment of this magickal season. Difficult, yes, but not impossible! Here are some of my own tricks I use to make sure I can do just that without letting holiday madness get the best of me:
- Everyday I ask myself, “What memory do I want to create today?” That reminds me that although there's still shopping to do, a house to clean, or whatever else there might be, it's okay to take a break and do something fun, like make ornaments with my kids, or play in the snow. Much better memories to create than the one of me trying to bait and bribe my kids away from the expensive toys whilst fighting my way through a mob of frantic holiday shoppers!
- Use Magick! Can't find the perfect gift? Use an attraction spell to let it find you instead. Want your trouble-making relatives to keep calm and cool this holiday? Try a stress-banishing charm or a peace powder. Need to keep your presents hid where your kids won't find them? Cast a concealment spell on your present stash. We often forget that magick is a practical art, meant for practical things as well as the ultra-mystical. It's not exactly high magick, but if it works and it harms none...why not?
- Think like a witch! Thinking like a witch means thinking practically and creatively. What do you already have in your home that you can use to make your holidays bright? Do you have things you can give as gifts, materials you can use to make gifts? Do you read tarot or have other skills you could share as a gift for a friend? Do you have kids that could stand to be kept busy making holiday cards? Are there pine cones or evergreens in your yard you can use to decorate your home? Also, before doing any major shopping, make a trip to a thrift store or yard sale and see what you find. Sometimes you find the most unique gifts you can't find anywhere else, like vintage jewelry, antiques for fifty cents, old school toys and collectibles...treasures galore!
- Be thankful and merry! Whatever goes wrong, however stressful it gets, I remember I can always just step outside, connect with the flow of nature, slow down, and just be!
May you enjoy a merry Yuletide season, without any holiday madness to get in the way!