Yuletide Thanks: Day 4

Enjoy the evergreen symbols of protection and rebirth you have brought into your house and continue to welcome those of family and friends as they contribute to the abundance of your surroundings. Light a fresh yule candle as a symbol of the returning light and place it upon your Yule log to burn brightly in your home as a shining reminder.

Think back to July and August this year, the hottest days of summer regardless of the light beginning to shorten after the summer solstice. This is the time of harvest festival when traditionally we gather the fruits of our labour either physically as a farmer in the fields or metaphorically as the seeds of ideas and plans planted at the beginning of the year come to fruition. What did this time of year bring for you, did the hard work and planning of your early intentions bear fruit; were you able to reap the benefits of your endeavours from lifes fertile landscape or did some ideas fall on barren soil? Give thanks for your intentions regardless of the fruit they bestowed, knowing that even barren soil has something to offer you by way of lessons. Be thankful for the hard work you ploughed into the year up until that point and for the opportunity to prepare your space for the autumn of quiet reflection.

Think about the gifts of nature and the turning of the seasons towards the beautiful hues of Autumn. Give thanks for the cycle of life as the leaves turn colour and the reaping of a bountiful harvest results in the inevitable dying back of the remaining vegetation.

Think about those in your family that are coming into the autumn of their years. Give thanks for the gifts of wisdom and knowledge that have contributed to your existence by way of support, guidance, fun and laughter.

Think about yourself as you pass through the cycle of life. Give thanks for your health and wellness while understanding that the gift of life can be fragile and your inner alchemy helps to strengthen that fragility towards resilience.

Enjoy the ritual of consuming your sweet/fruit/nut symbols of thanks

Have a happy Yule one and all

Yuletide thanks day 5