Welcoming the Winter Solstice

An invitation to journal the year

I picked up my journal for the first time in a long time this morning as I knew I wouldn’t have space in the day tomorrow to celebrate the solstice. These prompts are gifts from me to you so that you can journal either today and tomorrow to celebrate the end of the darkest days of the year.

As always, these journal prompts are invitations rather than a list that you need to tick off. They’re a soft chance to reflect on the year and contemplate what you’d like to bring into the next.

We start with gratitude - what are you grateful for this year. Think about the year as a whole and don’t worry if your year has been a shitshow. It might be helpful to run through each month and see which pockets of light come to mind. Perhaps it’s a friend who’s been with you every step of the way. Perhaps its the view from your bedroom window that’s kept you halfway sane. For others, the things they’re grateful for will be big and life changing - but they’re all equally important.

Then we move to seeds that we’d like to plant - these could be big, bold dreams that you’re putting into action. Or they might be quiet seedlings that you’ve already started to tend. One of mine is to remember to stretch whilst my kettle is boiling - this tiny seed has grown into a strong plant in the past. Stretching leads to meditating, meditating leads to my brain being less busy, a less busy brain leads to deep work being done and so on. But for this prompt - let’s just focus on the seed and let it grow in which ever direction it pleases.

Finally, our 12 wishes - you can skip this one if it doesn’t feel aligned but I love writing wishes for the year. They’re not goals, they don’t need to be SMART and they definitely don’t need a measurable outcome. They’re wishes that we’re putting out there into the year ahead. And I promise if does not matter if your wishes don’t come true - it does not mean you’ve failed.
Be bold and heartfelt with these wishes. Let them be things you have literally no control over but you would love it to happen. One of mine is for Nell’s medical teams to keep being happy with her progress - I have no control over the way her brain damage and cCMV will present as she grows but it doesn’t take away from wishing that her teams are happy with her.
Be big and be bold and be led by your heart.

These prompts can be taken in any order, they can be contemplated in one big go or let to simmer and come back to. They’re a space for you to reflect and look ahead.

I’d love to know your wishes if you’d like to share them with me - I’ll hold them in my heart for you as well.

With tonnes of love,

Beth x

P.S: It’s my intention to share journaling prompts for each equinox and each solstice, so please subscribe so you don’t miss out.