Year's End and The Winter Solstice

I can’t believe the end of the year is upon us. Friday brings the Winter Solstice, and we officially say goodbye to the Holly King as the Oak King again takes the throne until midsummer.
 
Whether you see it as more practical or spiritual, the solstice marks a pivotal moment in the year (specifically, at 5:23pm EST on 12/21). In my home, it is the inciting event that kicks off our twelve-day midwinter celebration of Yuletide. We will spend the evening over a roaring campfire, singing carols and roasting marshmallows as we prepare for the arrival of our holiday guests. My boys will have their annual mock Holly versus Oak King battle, we’ll drink homemade mead, and then we’ll wake up the next morning and welcome our Yule Log into our home with song and merriment.
 
More than a season of celebration, the winter solstice (and the entire midwinter holiday) provides a perfect time to reflect on the past year: to celebrate successes, to plan for the new year, and—most important—to take time away from the hustle and bustle of every day and spend it instead with friends and loved ones, making merry and enjoying the warm company of the people who matter most in our lives.
 
As my holiday gift to you, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite tunes of the season from Damh the Bard, a modern-day Bard whose spirituality and love of folk tradition is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. For me, these two weeks give me time to catch up on reading and dwell on the ideas that have been swirling inside my head as I plot out my projects for the new year. The past year has brought so many wonderful things into my life—a debut novel and a new agent among so many other blessings—and I am so grateful for everyone who has been a part of this journey with me. There are so many new things coming in 2019 that I am eager to announce, including a new project for the Havenwood Falls collective, a super secret authors project at Black Spot Books, and so much more! For now, I’ll be tucked away by the fire, reading and dreaming, and hope that you will be, too.
 
Happy holidays, and be merry!
7J