A Gentler Start to the Year

Reflection, regeneration, and my plans for this space in 2026 ✨

“The contrast between the sparkle of Christmas and the greyness of January, alongside the narrative of self-improvement, busyness and denial of the post-festive period meant that I used to intensely dislike the start of the year.

However, there is another way of looking at this blank slate. There is quiet potential in this time: its opportunity and whispered promise, our powerlessness in the face of nature. There is hope in it all – the regenerative power of the new year.” - from my first book, ‘Slow Seasons’.

Happy New Year to you and yours, and I hope you’re managing to have a gentle(ish) start to 2026. I know the “new year, new you” messaging, along with the year-in-review photo round-ups can be a lot alongside the cold, darkness and post-festive slump; it’s no wonder we can be left feeling blue. Instead of comparison, I invite you to greet yourself with compassion; instead of jumping right into the new year, I encourage you, if you can, to pause and stay a while to savour the slowness of Winter.

In deepest Winter, our bodies and minds are crying out for hibernation - indeed, this is a season during which our ancestors would have done so. They slowed, echoing the rhythms of the natural world, turning inwards, and focusing on survival. Yule, Midwinter, was a time of fire and feasting, yes - but also one of reflection, honouring the symbolic death and rebirth of the year. This time of the calendar in today’s society can feel the opposite, urging us forward into the next season almost as soon as Christmas has finished, which robs us of the vital joy of the here and now.

Instead of making resolutions I’ll never keep and striving for productivity above all else, I’ll be watching the hours of daylight growing, minute by minute. Getting outside whenever I can, then returning home to nest some more. Making candles in my cosy kitchen. Planting Spring bulbs indoors and watching them grow. Tending a pan of simmering marmalade. Reflecting kindly on the year just gone, then gently, slowly, starting to make plans for the longer, lighter days to come.

There is so much more of Winter to enjoy if we slow down and take time to seek out the smaller joys of this quiet season. To look for the glimmers in the darkness. This has taken me years of practice - and if you want a help and a guide then I certainly recommend my book, Slow Seasons. The Winter chapters were among my favourite to write, and I have a lot more to say on this topic! They’re also the ones I hope are most helpful; I’ve been so touched by the recent messages and tags saying so over on Instagram, thank you. I know that this can be such a tough time for so many.

And, in the spirit of slowness, I’ve been reflecting on this space and how this community can evolve in 2026. I’ve decided that rather than monthly newsletters, I’m going to write to you on each of the festivals in the Celtic Wheel of the Year - so I will arrive in your inbox with my usual slow living tips and a seasonal recipe at the start of February for Imbolc, and thereafter on each of the seven other seasonal celebrations (Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lùnastal, Mabon, Samhain and Yule). That way, the structure will be consistent with my other writing and there’s more time to digest things.

I’ll still be here sharing weekly posts in my paid community, with a recipe, craft, journaling prompt, seasonal glimmers, activities and seasonal reading recommendations spread across each season too. I’d love it if you joined us there - here’s a flavour of my offerings for Yule:

Craft: Velvet Ribbon Garland

Recipe: Spiced Yule Buns

Yule Glimmers

Yule Reflections (journaling prompts)

Seasonal Reading: Midwinter

And if you enjoy my newsletter I’d love it if you could share it too to help me spread the word:

Plus, if you want to be first to know about my upcoming seasonal gatherings (which you can read more about here) then sign up for this news on my website (you can also spend time enjoying my archive of slow living content and even buy my book).

Thanks so much for being here and have a wonderful, slow start to the year. I hope you can take time to pause and reflect. See you for Imbolc at the start of Feb! Xxx