But, the storm finally abated, and then came the first fall of snow. I always look forward to this time of year, when the Holly King has risen, all red berries a’ glowing. When the dark days descend and at last we can slow down. We light the fires, get some early nights and gather in. Not too much Netflix, hopefully.

There are so many winter tales for the season of indrawing. While we honour our need for rest and warmth, for the ancient tradition of reading or telling stories while the dark nights draw in and the hoar frost crackles. Nature has retreated, the seeds of spring already sown deep in the ground. And the wheel keeps slowly turning.

In olden times women would sew and spin, gossip and tell old folktales. Children drew close round the fire, eyes wide with the wonder and magic that such tales would evoke. They knew it was a time when the faerie folk would start to arrive and claim their warm spots around the house. Faerie folk bringing enchantment and a sparkle into the wintering household. Of course children were oft told of the mischievous sprites and not-so-nice faeries that would snatch them away in the night if they were badly behaved.

Parallels in stories

I, like so many others, have always been a huge fan of the Narnia Chronicles. I am particularly reminded at this time of year of the White Queen, the wicked witch of winter who glides in on her gilded sled and seduces young Edmund with Turkish delight. It has been enchanted to make him want to eat it forever. As soon as he takes it, he falls under her spell and he belongs to her. He realises after a while the sweets are making him feel sick but he can’t stop.  

I think this is a wonderful analogy for our times. We, the consumers under the dark spell of dark corporate forces and faceless energies. Manipulating, entrancing and bewitching us to buy and consume things we don’t need and which take our light. Which ravage the Earth and destroy our living systems. We know what’s happening but still seem unable to stop. This is Dark Magic. Watch out for those alluring entrancements – and remember – they know exactly what you like. Algorithms….

But we find our truth in these old stories. Tales full of wisdom and warnings, the battle between the forces of dark and light. It’s time for us to begin again the hero’s journey. We fight the demons and make a stand for all that is good. We are at the precipice morally.

Winter rest

But back to our ancestors… who knew well that winter is a grim reaper for some. If the granaries were not full, if harvest had failed, if the cold and lack of food took its toll, death numbers were likley to be high. They didn’t have antibiotics or vaccines back then…

These past few weeks of recovery and a continued convalescence have given me permission to rest in a way I haven’t allowed myself in years. I haven’t even been able to look at screens or engage in online work the way I would normally.

One of the most common things I hear from friends is how burnt out and tired they are. We run on caffeine, a torrent of daily information. We have relentless prompts of the little dictators in our pockets or on our desktops, ever demanding our attention. Drawing us into the ‘Metaverse’.

I often wonder, when we die, will we know how many years we spent staring at our screens. How long we have spent absorbing other people’s thoughtforms? Or did we use the tech to connect with people in meaningful ways. Were we endlessly shopping or creating illusory online personae that become more real than one’s own being?

It was Black Friday yesterday. Funny how Storm Arwen chose to ravage the country the same day.

And yet here I am writing this on my screen and you reading this. Used as tools, the tech is pure magic, amazing. It connects us all in incredible ways. For my own work it has been key in networking and building a small business.

I am ever aware of the loss of a certain innocence and simplicity that I grew up with. When you knew where your food came from and Sunday dinner was the highlight of the week. We devoured books, when radio was king and TV only broadcasted 2 hours a day in black and white. When nature started right outside the door. We would step into an expansive kingdom of thrilling adventure and wild magic.

No, it was not time to go shopping. It was, and still is, a time to hunt for magic.