Beth, I loved how you connected your personal journey with the myth of Persephone. It's a powerful metaphor for the cycles of life and the importance of renewal. I also love the symbolism of the Winter Solstice and wrote about it and the particular significance it holds in Irish mythology http://journeyingbeyondbreastcancer.com/2024/12/21/shedding-light-on-winter-solstice/
I tried to leave you a message on your site, but I was having difficulty submitting it. Basically, I wrote the following: I never had heard of Newgrange prior to reading your post. The photo is magnificent, and it’s clear that the Solstice was very much revered many years ago in Ireland, as it is today. I also love the poem. Your last sentence is so beautifully written with hope.
Thank you for enjoying my relating my own experience with the Persephone myth. I was inspired, as you know, by Stephanie Raffelock, who had encouraged her readers to develop the myth as it related to their own situations/lives.
Thank you, once again, for including me in this week's Round Up. I'm very grateful.
Beth, tomorrow on the Solstice, (21st) I'll make a list of dreams, visions and goals for the ascension, and I'll remember you, kindred soul.
I love what's becoming of Oliver. He has a look to his mouth that I hadn't noticed before. . . did that change since the last iteration? He seems sure of himself, very self-satisfied. I feel like I can see some of his personality. And I agree with Nancy, that green works perfectly for the background. I can't wait for the fur to fly!
A quiet day tomorrow, intentional and reflective. Keep the small lights burning and then the 22nd, the ascension begins. Thanks for sharing my Persephone piece in your post -- I've been developing this ritual in myself for ten years now and I love sharing it.
Happy Solstice dear woman and big, big hugs. May 2025 be a year of sharing light with all.
What a wonderful way to mark the solstice -- by listing your goals and dreams. I love it. It is a great way of reflecting the meaning of the Solstice. I'm glad you are having a reflective, quiet day tomorrow. I believe these introspection days are so vital to our well-being, physically and emotionally.
Yes, Oliver's expression has changed since the last draft; I did extra work on his mouth, reflecting more of his personality. You have a really keen eye for picking that up. Though he's scared of everyone that comes to our house, he really knows he is the true owner of the house. LOL
Have a wonderful holiday, and hope 2025 brings you much joy and comfort.
oh Beth, a deep heartfelt thank you for returning to the Persephone myth and opening up about what ascension means to you. In order to claim the light we must confront and experience the darkness. As we make our way back into illumination, it becomes so much clearer just how much we have put at risk. It begins with our physical health, then we begin to recognize how sleep deprivation is not allowing us full access to our artistic toolkits. This post has moved me deeply Beth. The only thing that matters is taking simple steps forward to remedy the misalignment and manage and place our self care routines first. I look forward in the new year to supporting and celebrating each other and our progress moving forward. The solstice is an auspicious moment to reflect on how we too often hold ourselves back from taking bigger leaps with our creativity. And recognizing that through deliberate and focused action, we can claim our light.
"In order to claim the light we must confront and experience the darkness." Beautifully said, Gerry. It's true. I guess the darkness is useful so that when light occurs, one appreciates it all the more. You are right that steps must be taken to help align the misalignment. By not taking care of the basics -- sleep, exercise, great nutrition -- we sell ourselves short and don't give ourselves the opportunity to truly succeed.
Recalibrating is necessary in order to improve my physical and mental health. We cannot forget our health, no matter how stressful life gets.
Thank you, Gerry, for all your support. I so appreciate you!
First of all, I'm sorry you've been in a dark place emotionally. I can understand how the shorter days impact your mental health. As for me, I don't mind that part of this time of year. I love the lights and the coziness they bring to these darker days. More darkness means more lights - the soft, glowing kind are what I like. I also like the snow, but the cold... that's what gets to me. It's so hard to talk myself into going outside to walk Titus (and myself) on cold days. I just want to stay home, which is fine, but when you're an introverted homebody like I am... well, a person does need to get out!
I love how you are recognizing and reclaiming both your physical and mental health and part of doing that is keeping your creation of art as a top priority. I think I need to do a better job of this in 2025 regarding my writing.
I love, love that green! The color is so rich, deep, and somehow intriguing. I'm glad you went back to it. And thank you for the mention - especially since I have no painting expertise whatsoever.
Thank you for the wonderful read. Can't wait to see Oliver's fur fly! Take care of yourself and keep painting. And writing, of course.
Thank you for your insightful comment and your encouragement. I really appreciate it.
The way you describe the lights is so appealing. I do love looking at all the Christmas lights displayed in the neighborhood, and they do make me feel good. The snow is beautiful, but I don't like driving in it. I work from home, so I'm a homebody myself, and I'm an introvert too, so I totally get where you are coming from.
Yes, it's so important that we all take care of our physical and mental health. We cannot afford not to. Whether it's writing, visual art, music, dance, etc. it's important to do what we love. I think about you and wonder what you are writing. I guess I'll eventually find out -- ha!
The green is beautiful; you are right. You probably know more about art than you think. The viewer definitely has tastes and knows what looks good. Your opinion matters, and when you mentioned that you loved the Viridian Green, I took a close look at the painting and knew that your insight was spot-on!
I will take care of myself and give myself to art more. Take care of yourself and happy holidays to you and your loved ones.
After tonight, the days will begin to get longer. My own way of coping with winter is to tell myself spring begins on January 1. The days are getting longer by then, and there is much to look forward to. The calendar opens up with opportunity. I’m with you on the struggle. I’ve felt my own creative energy wane lately. I want to open up like a flower to let the light in, and balance on my delicate stem, even when the wind blows. That’s my vision for the coming year as the light returns. Thank you for your inspiring post, Beth.
You're right: the days are going to get longer in the near future. I noticed that you call January 1 spring. For me, I start noticing the longer days in February, so that's when I usually feel more hope. Maybe I need to pay more attention to January as a beacon of hope.
I love this line: "I want to open up like a flower to let the light in, and balance on my delicate stem, even when the wind blows." It's simply beautiful. I guess we are all like flowers in that sense. I'm sorry that your creative energy has been diminished as of late. I know you are super busy with your business, so I'm sure that eats into the amount of energy you have for creativity.
Hang in there: January is right around the corner!
Until I started reading and following you, I never gave much thought to self-care. I put so much effort into pleasing everybody else, I lose track of pleasing myself. Each time I read you, I stop to consider "what did I do to care for myself today?" Thanks for the reminder. And Oliver is taking shape. He's got that little smirk on his face so similar to all of the cats I've known. I love that background color -- kind of a teal color.
Thank you for your comment. For much of my life, I would please everyone and neglect myself in order to do this. And some of the people I pleased weren't even worth the effort!
I'm so glad my posts resonate with you. It's so important to practice self-care, whatever that looks like to each individual, whether it be reading, getting a massage, taking nice walks, meditating, etc.
Thank you for your kind words about how Oliver is developing. He does have that smirk, doesn't he? I'm so glad you enjoy the background color! Have a wonderful holiday.
Beth, I loved how you connected your personal journey with the myth of Persephone. It's a powerful metaphor for the cycles of life and the importance of renewal. I also love the symbolism of the Winter Solstice and wrote about it and the particular significance it holds in Irish mythology http://journeyingbeyondbreastcancer.com/2024/12/21/shedding-light-on-winter-solstice/
Hi Marie,
I tried to leave you a message on your site, but I was having difficulty submitting it. Basically, I wrote the following: I never had heard of Newgrange prior to reading your post. The photo is magnificent, and it’s clear that the Solstice was very much revered many years ago in Ireland, as it is today. I also love the poem. Your last sentence is so beautifully written with hope.
Thank you for enjoying my relating my own experience with the Persephone myth. I was inspired, as you know, by Stephanie Raffelock, who had encouraged her readers to develop the myth as it related to their own situations/lives.
Thank you, once again, for including me in this week's Round Up. I'm very grateful.
I always love your posts Beth. I am also really pleased that you learned something new about Newgrange. It's a very special place x
Beth, tomorrow on the Solstice, (21st) I'll make a list of dreams, visions and goals for the ascension, and I'll remember you, kindred soul.
I love what's becoming of Oliver. He has a look to his mouth that I hadn't noticed before. . . did that change since the last iteration? He seems sure of himself, very self-satisfied. I feel like I can see some of his personality. And I agree with Nancy, that green works perfectly for the background. I can't wait for the fur to fly!
A quiet day tomorrow, intentional and reflective. Keep the small lights burning and then the 22nd, the ascension begins. Thanks for sharing my Persephone piece in your post -- I've been developing this ritual in myself for ten years now and I love sharing it.
Happy Solstice dear woman and big, big hugs. May 2025 be a year of sharing light with all.
Hi Stephanie,
What a wonderful way to mark the solstice -- by listing your goals and dreams. I love it. It is a great way of reflecting the meaning of the Solstice. I'm glad you are having a reflective, quiet day tomorrow. I believe these introspection days are so vital to our well-being, physically and emotionally.
Yes, Oliver's expression has changed since the last draft; I did extra work on his mouth, reflecting more of his personality. You have a really keen eye for picking that up. Though he's scared of everyone that comes to our house, he really knows he is the true owner of the house. LOL
Have a wonderful holiday, and hope 2025 brings you much joy and comfort.
oh Beth, a deep heartfelt thank you for returning to the Persephone myth and opening up about what ascension means to you. In order to claim the light we must confront and experience the darkness. As we make our way back into illumination, it becomes so much clearer just how much we have put at risk. It begins with our physical health, then we begin to recognize how sleep deprivation is not allowing us full access to our artistic toolkits. This post has moved me deeply Beth. The only thing that matters is taking simple steps forward to remedy the misalignment and manage and place our self care routines first. I look forward in the new year to supporting and celebrating each other and our progress moving forward. The solstice is an auspicious moment to reflect on how we too often hold ourselves back from taking bigger leaps with our creativity. And recognizing that through deliberate and focused action, we can claim our light.
"In order to claim the light we must confront and experience the darkness." Beautifully said, Gerry. It's true. I guess the darkness is useful so that when light occurs, one appreciates it all the more. You are right that steps must be taken to help align the misalignment. By not taking care of the basics -- sleep, exercise, great nutrition -- we sell ourselves short and don't give ourselves the opportunity to truly succeed.
Recalibrating is necessary in order to improve my physical and mental health. We cannot forget our health, no matter how stressful life gets.
Thank you, Gerry, for all your support. I so appreciate you!
Hi Beth,
First of all, I'm sorry you've been in a dark place emotionally. I can understand how the shorter days impact your mental health. As for me, I don't mind that part of this time of year. I love the lights and the coziness they bring to these darker days. More darkness means more lights - the soft, glowing kind are what I like. I also like the snow, but the cold... that's what gets to me. It's so hard to talk myself into going outside to walk Titus (and myself) on cold days. I just want to stay home, which is fine, but when you're an introverted homebody like I am... well, a person does need to get out!
I love how you are recognizing and reclaiming both your physical and mental health and part of doing that is keeping your creation of art as a top priority. I think I need to do a better job of this in 2025 regarding my writing.
I love, love that green! The color is so rich, deep, and somehow intriguing. I'm glad you went back to it. And thank you for the mention - especially since I have no painting expertise whatsoever.
Thank you for the wonderful read. Can't wait to see Oliver's fur fly! Take care of yourself and keep painting. And writing, of course.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your insightful comment and your encouragement. I really appreciate it.
The way you describe the lights is so appealing. I do love looking at all the Christmas lights displayed in the neighborhood, and they do make me feel good. The snow is beautiful, but I don't like driving in it. I work from home, so I'm a homebody myself, and I'm an introvert too, so I totally get where you are coming from.
Yes, it's so important that we all take care of our physical and mental health. We cannot afford not to. Whether it's writing, visual art, music, dance, etc. it's important to do what we love. I think about you and wonder what you are writing. I guess I'll eventually find out -- ha!
The green is beautiful; you are right. You probably know more about art than you think. The viewer definitely has tastes and knows what looks good. Your opinion matters, and when you mentioned that you loved the Viridian Green, I took a close look at the painting and knew that your insight was spot-on!
I will take care of myself and give myself to art more. Take care of yourself and happy holidays to you and your loved ones.
After tonight, the days will begin to get longer. My own way of coping with winter is to tell myself spring begins on January 1. The days are getting longer by then, and there is much to look forward to. The calendar opens up with opportunity. I’m with you on the struggle. I’ve felt my own creative energy wane lately. I want to open up like a flower to let the light in, and balance on my delicate stem, even when the wind blows. That’s my vision for the coming year as the light returns. Thank you for your inspiring post, Beth.
Hi Alene,
You're right: the days are going to get longer in the near future. I noticed that you call January 1 spring. For me, I start noticing the longer days in February, so that's when I usually feel more hope. Maybe I need to pay more attention to January as a beacon of hope.
I love this line: "I want to open up like a flower to let the light in, and balance on my delicate stem, even when the wind blows." It's simply beautiful. I guess we are all like flowers in that sense. I'm sorry that your creative energy has been diminished as of late. I know you are super busy with your business, so I'm sure that eats into the amount of energy you have for creativity.
Hang in there: January is right around the corner!
Until I started reading and following you, I never gave much thought to self-care. I put so much effort into pleasing everybody else, I lose track of pleasing myself. Each time I read you, I stop to consider "what did I do to care for myself today?" Thanks for the reminder. And Oliver is taking shape. He's got that little smirk on his face so similar to all of the cats I've known. I love that background color -- kind of a teal color.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your comment. For much of my life, I would please everyone and neglect myself in order to do this. And some of the people I pleased weren't even worth the effort!
I'm so glad my posts resonate with you. It's so important to practice self-care, whatever that looks like to each individual, whether it be reading, getting a massage, taking nice walks, meditating, etc.
Thank you for your kind words about how Oliver is developing. He does have that smirk, doesn't he? I'm so glad you enjoy the background color! Have a wonderful holiday.