For the antsy, wintering soul...
It's been awhile!
Greetings, Dear Reader! It’s been a very long time since I’ve found my way into your inbox. For those who may not remember — Hi! My name is Megan, I’m a neurodivergent sensitive soul and I am here to help you embrace your God-given sensitivity and find ways to thrive. I do plan to write a bit about my break sometime in the near future1. But today I wanted to share some winter encouragement for any other antsy souls awaiting spring.
At the end of November we found a woolly bear caterpillar in our basement. How they found their way there, I'm not sure (they were taken to a big pile of leaves to make a den so they can become an Isabella Tiger Moth. This is why it’s important to leave the leaves, folks!). Seeing this beautiful creature immediately took me back to my grandmother telling me how they predicted winter weather. We know they foretell winter coming as they are active just before cold weather sets in as they search for a place to overwinter. Though my grandmother's claim their banding foretells how harsh winter will be is debated (there is no proof of this), I took note that this caterpillar was telling me that winter would start out harsh and end early. So far, especially compared to recent winters, the caterpillar was right. It was going to turn quite cold and windy, a bit earlier than usual, that coming weekend. Then, right after the new year we had a big ice and snow storm with more snow than we've had in years. Immediately following the storm came the bitterly cold temps which left the snow to stick around for a long while (our north facing backyard still has a coating of snow). It's been the snowiest January in my recent memory. The extended forecast on my weather app shows a lot of 50 degree days in February, so we'll see if the caterpillar's forecast stays true! Only time will tell whether or not winter ends early this year, but after a bit of a thaw we're back to frigid temps today and I'm finding myself itching for spring. So, I remind myself that Imbolc is in less than 2 weeks!
Imbolc is the Gaelic2 festival marking the beginning of Spring. This festival is celebrated at the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, when sheep typically give birth-one of the season’s first signs of life. The word Imbolc translates to “in the belly of the mother”, signifying the seeds that are in the earth waiting to burst forth in spring, and possibly linked to lambing season being around this time-quite literally in the belly of the mother.
Imbolc is coming, so I remind myself that Spring is coming. But, for now, we continue to rest. The plants are resting, seeds are in the process of stratification so they can germinate and grow. And we humans are Earth3 and have similar patterns. For now, we continue to rest. For soon, we too, will sprout life so to speak!
But, I must admit I’ve struggled this season with this part. Not so much the resting (my nervous system requires a lot of that these days), but with the waiting. Waiting to not have to turn the overhead light on to cook dinner4. Waiting for the Dawn Chorus to start again5. Waiting for the day when I don’t have to bundle up to go feed the birds6. And waiting for the day the native flowers bloom7. I wonder, do the seeds get impatient while underground? Do the trees bemoan the cold, sharp wind waiting for longer sunlight and warmer temperatures to begin their budding? I doubt it. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
So, I continue to rest and tend my antsy, wintering soul. I find joy in watching the winter birds, I soak up the winter sunshine when it makes an appearance, I read cozy fantasy books in the evenings because without this pause, without the rest, I won’t have the energy to bud in spring.
Imbolc is coming, spring is on her way, but for now we continue to rest.
How are you tending your antsy, wintering soul this winter, Dear Ones? Comment on the site or app or send me a reply!
I have, in the meantime, updated the about page to better reflect what I plan to do here
This is part of my own ancestry I am learning more about
Genesis 2:7
overhead lights are the worst and from the Spring Equinox until late October, I cook by natural light
Sure, we have a lot of birds visiting - the day after it snowed we had 35 Eurasian Tree Sparrows and 30 starlings among all the native birds who came for the post-storm feast we provided…but they aren’t singing every morning like they will come spring. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow & European Starling are invasive species. But, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is particularly interesting as they are only found in the St. Louis region! Click here to learn more about this fascinating history of these birds
Don’t worry, come July I’ll be complaining about the excessive heat and oppressive humidity here in St. Louis!
Grow native, folks! All of Creation will thank you!
I am very much enjoying the bring sunshine on my evening drive home, instead of the 5pm darkness of midwinter. 🤍 we are having extreme cold here too, but looking forward to spring’s return!
A great reminder! The days are already getting longer. Welcome back to writing!