The December Garden
My garden is resting now, brown debris from tomato and cucumber plants covering the soil to provide for next year’s crops. The asters and dianthus remain green, their cold-hardy nature defying the single-digit nights we’ve had the past few days. Magnolia leaves cover the herb garden, where I’m always torn between removing them to deter rodents from nesting under them and dining on my plants, and leaving them to provide overwintering places for caterpillars and other wildlife. The oregano pokes through – I had planned to cut it all to dry for the pantry, then ended up leaving it there because it’s a bit of green in the dullness of the winter, and my chickens appreciate a sprig in their feed each morning. During the day, songbirds pick over millet sprays that grew from scattered birdseed. At night, our resident woodchuck roots around in the leaves for tomatoes that are still hiding.
December arrives as a threshold, inviting us to loosen the grip of urgency and soften into the rhythm of winter. Nature shows us how: trees push energy into their roots, trusting unseen strength to carry them through the darkest nights. The snow that will soon blanket the garden will silently protect and feed the soil. In this season, stillness is not absence – it is the fertile ground where renewal quietly begins.
This month, let your practices become sanctuaries of pause. Use the offerings here to create space for reflection, to honor the turning of the solstice, and to welcome the slow return of light over the Yule season.
A Threshold Reflection for December
Grab your journal and writing tools. Step gently away from the noise and into your own quiet. Light a candle and maybe some incense. As you journal, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I need to release so my inner light can breathe again?
- What patterns, pressures, or stories from this year no longer need to continue?
Begin with words that open the door:
- “I give myself permission to…”
- “My soul is asking me to…”
- “The light I’m tending right now is…”
For Further Reflection this Month…
If you want to embrace the stillness of the winter solstice season more deeply, our December newsletter, “A Quiet Return to Light,” offers more ideas for journaling, reflection, and celebrating the transition between the end of one year and the birth of the next.
Related Posts
-
Yule, Night 7: Finding Clarity and Truth in the Darkness of Life
The brightness and busyness of life can sometimes blind us to treasures hidden in plain sight. This winter, let the darkness of the season bring clarity and truth you can bring into the new year.
-
Embracing Winter Solstice on Yule, Night 1: A Journey of Hope
Here at the window’s edge, warmth meets winter, and the season’s first hope begins to glow. Celebrate Yule Night 1 with us at The Garden Way.
-
Yule: Ancient Winter Celebrations and Modern Influences
Join us at The Garden Way to learn more about the origin of Yule and how we celebrate mid-winter worldwide, today.
-
Embracing December’s Garden Stillness
The garden is still in mid-winter. We use this time to review what went well, what we want to repeat next year, and what new gardening, and life, strategies we’d like to try.
Leave a Reply