The Winter Solstice // The Wheel of the Year

In 2019 at the Winter Solstice I took to my journal, as I always do when the wheel turns, to write down my reflections and current state around the time of the sabbat. The Winter Solstice is a potent time for turning your attention inward and for many witches it’s considered the start of the new year. As we transition, we focus our attention inward and reflect on the events of the past year, what went well, what could have gone better and set intentions for the year ahead. My favorite part of checking in throughout the year and writing things down is being able to look back and have tangible evidence of my progress (or.. errr.. the lack there of, on occasions). I mention this because in 2019 there were some major goals/intentions that I set that have come to fruition. 

When I lit my candles and pulled out my journal on the winter solstice in 2019 I decided to map out some broad, open ended intentions for the next few years. Typically, I try to focus on just the year ahead but I was at a point in my life that it felt right (and necessary) to think broader.. on a larger scale. I decided that in 2020 I wanted to expand and grow my business, in 2021 I wanted to get married and in 2022 I wanted to buy a house. Each of these goals wasn’t particularly specific but each of them are coming full circle. 

In 2020, we unexpectedly were inundated with a worldwide pandemic and the rug was pulled out from beneath many small businesses, but Waxing Moon House thrived. We signed a lease on a workspace that gave us room to spread out and get organized and quadrupled our gross income. Being quarantined provided us with an abundance of time to focus on our business and expand. 

Photo: Rosie Pose Photography

Then 2021 came in like a wrecking ball. Business was still thriving but our personal lives were turned upside down. My ex-husband and the boys biological father passed away when the moon was full.. late February and on Easter Matthew’s Granny passed. We were thankful we got to share the news with her that we were expecting not long before she passed. It was an extremely emotional time for our entire family and our hearts were becoming disconnected from Waxing Moon House while we forged even stronger familial connections to help each other heal through such transformational times. In between the challenging times, we learned we were expecting a baby and started our first year beekeeping. We called the baby honeybee and in September we welcomed a sweet baby girl on the harvest moon. The year ending included a hand-fasting ceremony on the winter solstice. Matthew and I tied the knot and celebrated with a hearty winter feast with our immediate families. The year was full of highs and lows. 

Looking ahead to 2022, around the peak of the winter solstice, I check in with my journal and past entries I am humbled at how magical, manifested and mundane life can be. It’s empowering to see what intentions have come to fruition and which ones are still blossoming. We’ve (nearly) outgrown our home and are planning to move come spring/summer 2022. We have decidedly chosen to put our candle and crystal shop *on vacation* while we close out the year to be present with our family and to let inspiration lead us. We are reimagining what the next chapter of Waxing Moon House looks like for us. 

I can’t wait to look back at this time next year to see where we stand. I have a renewed feeling of excitement for the year ahead and the changes yet to come. I’m already brainstorming how I can bring my visions to life and create an all encompassing space to share all of the magic in our lives.