New Year's - A Time For Reflection
Is it just me, or did winter and the holiday season sneak up on us this year? One moment I was blissfully enjoying fall and what seems to be the very next moment, I find myself in the middle of winter and the holiday season. As winter descends and it gets colder outside, the Water Element dominates and we are meant to go deep inside. Shore up, consolidate, rest. Simmer. Reflect. Instead we seem to get busier and become more frantic during the holiday season.
The Water Element is represented by The Philosopher. A deep thinker. An intuitive. Slow to move but steady. One that pauses for reflection and gleans the deeper meanings of life. There is one day in this holiday season that I always find truly represents the Water Element and allows me the time and space to enjoy the present. The day the world seems to slow down, New Year’s Day. And what a perfect time to have a “quiet” day, at the passing of an old year and the heralding in of a new one. I’m tempted to suggest that you look back on the passing year and to look forward to the coming year and make plans and goals and and and… But, that would be missing the point of Winter and the Water Element. And, New Year’s Day seems too precious for that. What that day has that makes it so special is quiet. And the quiet lends itself well to being present and enjoying what is.
So, in the spirit of the Water Element, I invite you to take advantage of one of the quietest days of the year to pause and enjoy the present and the stillness. I always leave this one day unscheduled so I can enjoy what the day may bring, watching the birds at the feeder or taking a long walk. Allow your inner Water Element to be in charge for the day and see where it takes you and what you learn from moving a little more slowly through the world, if only for a day.
Happy New Year’s Day,
Stephanie Gianarelli
