As the Winter Solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year, graced us this week, I found myself drawn to reflections on the cyclical nature of life and my connection to this season.

I don’t consider myself Wiccan, I don’t ascribe to any specific religion, but I do consider myself some sort of pagan. These pagan inclinations are deeply rooted in appreciation for the Earth’s ability to sustain life. That’s about as close to “worship” I get, but in general, I’m inclined to observe the common “pagan holidays.”

As we stand at the zenith of the year, I’m reflecting on my connection to this half of the year marked by a natural slowing down. Whenever I make changes to my life, I try to do so with an intension to align myself more with nature’s rhythm. Winter, however, brings its own challenges — the pervasive darkness, biting cold, and the apparent death of all things green.

In recognizing the importance of this period of “death” in the intricate cycle that sustains our world, I also acknowledge the societal pressure to be endlessly productive, even during this season of rest. It’s an all-too-common pitfall to buy into the capitalist notion that we must maintain peak productivity year-round. The result? A battle with seasonal depression and the ensuing self-blame for not meeting unrealistic expectations.

The solstice, though significant for being the day of longest darkness, is not a sudden end to the darkness or the cold. Thus, I find myself contemplating ways to make this half of the year gentler on my well-being. And it begins with granting myself permission to take breaks.

Like with this blog, for instance. I’ve been really struggling to keep up with the once weekly goal for posting (you may have noticed), and it’s caused me a lot of stress and guilt. I feel like I failed an assignment, but it’s an assignment I’ve given to myself. Rather than berating for perceiving a delay as failure, what if I adjusted the pace? What if, for this season, I embraced a more lenient posting schedule, allowing for a monthly post instead of a weekly one?

No catastrophe ensues from such an adjustment; in fact, it might yield richer, more thoughtful blog posts as I gather more experiences and insights.

So here’s to a gentler, more understanding approach in this season of introspection. Here’s to acknowledging the darkness while also allowing room for a softer, more forgiving light.