Wintertime is Smooring time
We’re moving through the deepest, darkest time of the year, at least in the Northern hemisphere. I know for some of you, that just feels completely oppressive and depressing. But for this Cancer crab (that’s my symbol in astrology), I have an easy excuse to retreat into my cozy shell and revel in what I call “sanctuary time”.
And sometimes I get to do that with my mom… that’s us, snuggling up together last week when I visited her. Pretty special.
Mom recently shared with me an article from a Cornell University chaplain that captures this energy so beautifully. Apparently, there are Scottish homes where the hearth fire hasn’t gone out for centuries because they “smoor” it every night. Smooring the fire means covering it with ashes before bed. This keeps the embers burning gently all night so it can be easily resurrected in the morning.
What is a smoored fire?
A smoored fire just sort of glows a little; it doesn’t light the room or boil water, but it’s not dead, either. It’s just waiting, letting you rest without worry until you have the energy to tend it again. Are you getting the metaphor here??
I love how this chaplain describes it: “If you don’t have it in you to shine, or sparkle, or twinkle, then pull a blanket of ashes up over your head for a while. Smoor yourself; you deserve it. We’d rather have you at a dim glow than have you go out altogether. I promise, when the time is right, all it will take is a few strong breaths to set you to crackling again.”
So, bears and field mice might be hibernating right now, but I’ll be smooring. Yes, it’s in synch with the season, but also important for optimal healing after my knee surgery on January 6th, as I shared in my New Year’s newsletter.
How about you? What will your smooring look like?
Can you carve out space for your own sanctuary time? Maybe create some new self-nurturing habits or spiritual practices to support yourself through 2025?
If you can do that, you’ll also be fully embracing the vibe of the Cancer/Capricorn Full Moon coming up on January 13th. Among other things, Cancer energy is about creating safety and comfort, honoring your home, and nurturing yourself and those you love. Integrate that with the grounded, disciplined, foundation-building Capricorn season we’re moving through from December 21st to January 20th and you’ve got the perfect combo for committing to gentle self-care routines for the year ahead
And it you want to do some more universal goal-setting, you can tune into the recording of my virtual Capricorn New Moon SisterCircle I facilitated on December 30th when we “Set Intentions for the New Year with Candle Magic”.
My Deb’s Picks this month include several terrific retreats to further deepen your connection to your inner “home” and create nurturing intentions from that sacred space. Check them out below and let me know what resonates with you.
And if you want to embrace the energy of the Cancer/Capricorn Full Moon, you can click here to listen to the TeleMeditation I led on January 13th.
WHAT’S YOUR JQ™? NEW* VLOG SERIES w/ DEB at the WELLNESS UNIVERSE – 3rd Wednesdays
I’ve shared a LOT here about my introduction to the Chair of JOY® 16 months ago, and becoming a Certified JOYELY® Ambassador. Through many talks, multiple blogs, and several videos on my YouTube Channel, I’ve been spreading the message that JOY is truly a core life skill, one that we all possess, whether we’re in touch with it or not! And now I’ll be doing a regular vlog through the Wellness Universe, highlighting a different aspect of JOY Intelligence™ each month. CLICK HERE and check out the first one on January 15th!
SOLACE: A DEEP REST WINTER RETREAT w/ RENEE TRUDEAU
My goddess-sister Renee is an absolute genius at creating safe and sacred space to nurture yourself. This time, it’s a 2.5 hour deep virtual retreat where you can rest in stillness, meditation, journaling, and poetry with a wise circle of women AND enjoy a long Yoga Nidra session. It’s downloadable which means that you can keep going back to it all year, whenever you need a little bit of sanctuary time. Just click on the link above to get it, and sink into a beautiful version of smooring.
SABBATH: FINDING REST, RENEWAL, & DELIGHT IN OUR BUSY LIVES by Wayne Muller
This book was gifted to me by my first coach, Harriet Salinger, 25 years ago and still holds a hallowed place on my next-to-bed bookshelf. Ages ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time in the midst of perpetual labor, and is still sorely needed today. As Muller says, “in the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest.” His book is full of wonderful stories, poems, and practices, regardless of your spiritual tradition. He reminds us that we can use this time of sacred rest (smooring!) to refresh our bodies, restore our creativity, and re-connect with our inner well of joy. Read his book, and create some new Sabbath experiences of your own.
VISION 2025 w/BARBARA BIZIOU Jan. 24-25 in NYC
My dear friend Barbara has been hosting these powerful weekends for years — I highlighted her retreat in LA last month, and now you can attend in NYC. You’ll experience sacred rituals to release energetic blocks and invite new opportunities; manifestation practices to shift your energy into alignment with your desires; vision collaging to ground your dreams in reality; an astrological overview. I’ve done VISION many times and it truly is magical! You can CLICK HERE for more details and to register.
MORIOX KIDS — DANCE FOR EDUCATION
This popped up somewhere on Instagram over the holidays and it so captured me that I had to find out more! CLICK HERE to watch this sweet, poignant take on the transition from 2024 to 2025. Then click on the link above to learn more about these extraordinary kids. They describe themselves as “talented kids from poor families in Rwanda who use music, dance & drama to raise funds for basic needs and education.” Not sure it has anything to do with smooring, but I loved their videos!
I hope some of these Picks will inspire you to create more sanctuary time for yourself and explore your innermost yearnings. And as always, if you have any events or resources to share, I’d love to hear them.
With quiet, smooring blessings,
Deborah