Winter Hibernation
The Parting of the Hunter
My husband went away to Bulgaria with work last week. He used to go away most months until recent years and waking up at 3:00am was a bit of a shock.
Of course alarms were set and we went to bed early to try to at least capitalise on some “z”ees. We’d really got out of this ritual but surprisingly soon drifted off to sleep, only to be disturbed by text messages beeping, yes forgot to put phone on do not disturb, the low battery alarm going off at 1.00am on the house phone because I’d accidentally unplugged it days ago. Oh and course Si having that horrible dream of oversleeping and missing his flight and connecting flight.
I got up with him at 2:30am to say goodbye, waving him off at the door as he usually does to me and checked the weather. We had a snow flurry over the weekend and I was concerned about icy road for his journey to Bristol and my short commute in 4 1/2 hours time. Charlie our cat was unsure what to make of all this activity and naturally expected to be fed. Husband gone, cat fed, I crawled back into bed, and amazingly fell back to sleep.
New Routine
As the week progressed, I fell into a new routine of coming home and having to open the front door myself, instead of it being opened by Simon, ready to give me a hug. Instead, I hugged my cat! This is standard procedure, it just differed in him appearing from upstairs, rather than being in the office with Si, sat on the windowsill eagerly awaiting my return from work. Cuddles and I’ve been lonely all day cat cries completed, Charlie got fed and I fended for myself, foraging for whatever I could find in the fridge and cupboards. Si is the main cook in our house, so we forward planned for the treacherous week ahead by freezing various dishes and I had a leftover roast from Sunday. I did OK without my hunter around.
I had grand plans of spending the blissfully quiet week writing, reading and studying. However, it was cold. The house dropped to 12oC. I lit fires for warmth and comfort in the evenings and watched the flames. I didn’t do anything productive…I sat and binge watched Lucifer on Netflix and would then go to bed at 8:30pm. I just wanted to hibernate with Charlie curled in tight to my tummy and wake up when it was light again. I guess Si is my light.
Hibernation in full swing
It struck me today that I am in hibernation mode. I am no different to my ancestors, it’s just that modern life makes it a little harder to fall in-sync with the changing seasons.
It used to be that peoples survival, hunting and then working the land, would be totally in tune with the seasons. Migration patterns would be known. Then later, seeds were planted, crops were tended to and harvests were gathered. Festivals were held, yes harvest festivals, and thanks was given to the land and the Gods. Offerings of foods, ales and trinkets were left as a thanks for the harvest past and a wish for a good yield for the year ahead. Food was stored away ready for the winter months. The days got shorter, there wasn’t so much food to gather and hunting would have been harder. I guess ancestors would have hibernated too. Keeping warm and longing for the signs of Winter Solstice (The Day the Sun Stands Still), when the Sun makes his journey back and warmth and light returns. Greenery would be brought in from outside to decorate dwellings (sound familiar), Logs would be dressed, thanks would be given and rituals and celebrations would be said.
There are so many meanings and traditions and followings that I wouldn’t even contemplate writing them here, this is just how I am feeling and my musings. Being in rhythm with the earth feels soothing to me and in modern times that’s not so easy. So how different is all this to modern day? Well we have light at the flick of a switch and Netflix, in fact we are overwhelmed by entertainment. We don’t have to rely on storytelling around a fire. We work standard shifts rather than rise with the light and sleep with the night. It’s no wonder so many people suffer with S.A.D. I know I long for the Winter Solstice so that the days will start to get longer and I won’t be driving to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.
My Mum, like me or me like her, longs for Winter Solstice because it signifies the beginning of the end of that season, when in actual fact we label Winter as November through to February so we are only just at the beginnings of winter. Once my Mum and I both hit that 21st December date we both have an overwhelming feeling of release like and outward sigh, ahhhhhhh, that’s better! We both then watch the leaves reappear on the trees, first as buds and then those succulent fresh green shoots. ‘The Sun is coming. The Sun is coming’ is what my heart cries. I can often be found at the top of a hill in my village watching the Sun rise on Summer Solstice, and then we both start to feel an element of sadness because we are on the long downer to the days getting shorter until we reach Winter Solstice again. So did my Mum verbally instill this into me as a child? Well no not really. Do we both have links, a connection to the Greenman and the rhythm of the earth? Well, yes I believe we do. It’s not a teaching, it’s a feeling and a knowing I suppose. The more I embrace this and find my own sweet way, the stronger it feels and the calmer I feel.
Back to comparisons. What about modern day harvests? We are spoilt. We can pretty much get whatever we want, whenever we want. We don’t see the changing seasons in the food we eat. This is a fairly modern undertaking in relative terms. Early to mid 20th Century we were still relying on a lot produce from our own fair Isle. Yes of course there were trade routes, that’s not what I’m saying, but now we can have avocado all year round and then complain when there’s a shortage. We aren’t reliant on the crops we grow. We don’t understand that when we have a bad harvest we will go short through the winter months. We have lost the link as we sit and eat chocolate after chocolate because they are there. We congratulate ourselves on working are all year and “we deserve this” whilst complaining that our presents for loved ones won’t be arriving next day by courier and we may have to journey into town.
We still celebrate but it’s not quite Winter Solstice for everyone. Religions have adopted many of the old ways and made them fit to encourage clansmen to follow the new religion. The act of bringing in a tree from outside, giving gifts and offering libation is ancient and I’m more than OK if that happens on the 21st or the 25th December (or both). It’s all about coming together whatever label you use.
Finding Balance
So I am once again trying to find balance. I will work my hours and come home and hibernate with my unseasonal food I will give thanks and toast the changing seasons. I will share gifts, feast and make merry on the 21st when I will offer up a decorated log (not made of chocolate but a real one) and let go of the the old and as we watch the flames burn away the messages of letting go attached to the log with coloured ribbons, I will welcome in the new as I welcome back the Sun. Then on the 24th/25th we will exchange gifts, toast to our good health, make merry with dear friends who are like kin. Isn’t that a good balance!
My warmest seasonal greetings to you all xxx
