My understanding of how Christmas should look was re-shaped a few weeks ago so this year it will be about inward reflection and journaling in place of the usual festivities. Sure we still have a plastic tree and presents will be opened on the 25th but as Sabrina's dad cancelled his trip this year (due to angry French farmers blocking the roads) it seems the perfect opportunity to make the best of the upcoming 12 Sacred Nights, which if adequately observed and journaled will reveal insights into the year ahead.
In preparation for the Sacred Nights (Dec24th-Jan5th) the pagans who created this system would party during the three days of 'inactivity' from the sun 21st-23rd Dec, practicing kindness and love to all. The 24th is special because on this day the sun starts its great journey back toward Summer and we use this energy to connect up with the year ahead.
Sacred Nights Calendar
21st Winter Solstice - walk in nature/give thanks/be present
22nd & 23rd - prepare for the Sacred Nights by being kind to everyone and saying yes to any party invitations! By chance i enjoyed a little party yesterday on the 23rd, with a bunch of english men.
From the evening of the 24th to the evening of the 25th - this period represents the whole year so be present, observe and take notes in a dedicated journal.
From the evening of:
25th-26th - represents January, so be present, observe and take notes.
26th-27th - represents February, so be present...
27th-28th - represents March...
28th-29th - April
30th-31st - May
31st-1st - June
1st-2nd - August
2nd-3rd - September
3rd-4th - October
4th-5th - November
5th-6th - December
Sabrina noted the other day how she always gets dry hair in August and i observed how she is always dehydrated on the 1st Jan after a night of drinking so this is a perfect fit. August must be a test for humanity at large because who doesn't like a good party to see in the western new year? I think it comes back at us in different ways, for Sabrina it's her hair, for me my feet always start to crack at that time of year, often becoming very painful. So perhaps if i cancel my new year's party we will both avoid these things in August? While this does sound good it will be hard for me to do that.
During the Sacred Nights i will avoid artificial lighting where i can, staying outside as much as possible in the day and will use candles for illumination in the evenings.
And I will do an update in a year to let you know how effective it has been at helping me traverse the the obstacles & successes of the year ahead.
The day of the Winter Solstice
I picked these leaves from the garden in the morning and made sure to include them in my lunch on the Solstice. This is actually something i do every day. Sometimes i blend them with my smoothie, sometimes i eat them as a salad, always unwashed to preserve the vitamin B12 present on the leaves in the form of micro-organisms.
After lunch Sabrina drove us to Arboussols, a small community on the other side of the valley which surrounds this old church.
Some of the community homes seen here.
We found this area up above the church from which the view was quite special.
The purpose of this walk was to be conscious of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day. And it was a pleasure to do this with my beautiful family.
Sabrina, who has really been in her element these last few months despite the challenges of being a pig in a snake year, was shining and radiant as ever in her red winter outfit.
Hard to believe i walked barefoot to the top of the peak on the other side of this valley. The snow covered peak on the left!
Luna was really feeling the energy of the moment.
Posing...
...and stretching. For us and our Great Mother!
The landscape was quite surreal over on the other side of the valley.
While behind us were the usual crazy looking clouds which almost seem to follow me these days.
We headed further up the hill towards the community.
It consists of no more than ten houses in total.
With a little church at the top.
The energy here was striking.
It was being utilized by the locals for the benefit of plants.
Their peas looking great despite the sub zero temperatures at night.
The church was built in this exact spot to catch these natural energies and project them out to the land and homes around it.
Heading back down the hill now.
To the older church, renovated in recent times.
The renovated section seen here.
What an incredible entrance it was.
With an even more incredible door.
As a lover of spirals they were surely a special gift.
The entrance seen from the other side here.
And what a room! Great resonance for sound. Wish i'd had my tuning forks!
Esteban & Luna immediately felt moved to re-enact a scene from X factor!
Luna danced for us.
Later Esteban became a part of the show.
The sun was obstructed by clouds when we came outside but it was still so very beautiful.
Our home village visible in this shot over on the other side of the valley.
Sabrina felt moved to create cairns in this moment (rock piles).
One for each of us.
While the children played with larger rocks.
Making piles to stand on.
And sit on!
Esteban showed off his strength by lifting this rock and i explained to him afterwards how to bend his knees when lifting heavy objects, as not to injure his back.
Just as it was time to go I noticed a unique cloud forming above us, something like a bird.
Heading back towards the car now.
Esteban decided to find his way back with his eyes closed, the magnificent bird seen behind him.
All in all a wonderful little moment with nature, exactly what was called for on this special energetic day.
Final thoughts
Nothing in nature stands alone. While it may appear to us as separate/independent/disconnected, everything living has unseen connections and when we become conscious of these connections and tap into them we can affect change in our reality.
On a macro scale we have practices like acupuncture which seek to manipulate the meridians, invisible energetic lines connecting up certain parts of our body with other parts.
Our teeth could be another example, each one connecting with different organs and parts of the body. So when certain teeth get sick or are removed, this affects the connected area just as much as the area itself.
The Chinese zodiac is at the other end of the scale, drawing our attention to the connection between our zodiac animal and the year it is in. I mentioned Sabrina is a pig in a snake year and this is traditionally a testing year because pigs are at the opposite end of the 12 year cycle to snakes. While i am a dragon who is excited to enter a horse year next year, understanding how this is usually a very productive year for me. So our animal, dictated by the year in which we are born, connects up in some way with each of the other animals in the 12 year cycle. Meaning that the moment of our birth has a connection with all future events in our life which are dominated by a 12 year cycle. We can't see that connection but it's there. Only providing its wisdom to those who study it.
So the same can be said about the 12 day period we are entering into now, 24/25th December till 5/6th Jan, a period described as being outside of time by great minds like Steiner. Each night/day in this period connects with a month of the year ahead, just as each year in the Chinese system connects with another year in the greater 12 year cycle.
Invisible connections confirmed only through our personal experience which in this case requires us to remain calm, remain observant and remain committed to our journaling.
An exercise i will this year be taking very seriously.
Merry Sacred Nights everyone 🌱
Merry Sacred Nights! 🌑🌓🌕 What a wonderful post to find. Grateful to @new.things for spotting your post and sharing it with me. 🙏
Great to have you with us on the ride! Check the link in this post if you want further details on the Sacred Nights which i reviewed only in part here. We enjoyed a very calm day today and look forward now to 12 more...
12 sacred days ahead.
What are the things one shall not do? I suppose any type of party? Big lunches and dinners and such?
Being conscious for the next 12 days, how will you approach this?
Not sure, but I may try a few days here and there, since I am very interested to see if somehow things works out.
Any website you can link for me to readup a bit more on this?
Owww, the 12yr cycle, the animals: a website as well, please. Also here I like to readup a little and what it may do for me.
In the meantime, NJOY this period and may all support and help you and your family in 2026.
I am still pretty new to this but from what i can understand it would be best to avoid alcohol and parties during the 12 days. Be like nature and stay still, drawing your energy into your roots for the year ahead. And the main thing is to write everything down in your journal, so if you do end up at a party, or see something unusual (particularly in the form of animals) just write it down and observe later in the year, using the calendar i provided in this post. It's all guidance but we have to be watching carefully.
This is the lady from whom i learned the concept.
I wrote a longer post about the Sacred Nights here.
And i wrote about the Chinese zodiac animals here.
Thank you for your kind wishes of NJOYment. Same to you my friend. Enjoy the days, sacred or not, and ride the wave into 2026 with a smile.
Thanks so much for all the links. Will go through them carefully.
NJOY
You had me at Sacred Nights and Solstice Walk! You and your family expressed so beautifully connecting with the energy surrounding us. Every photo, every intent, was precious. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and practices to celebrate these special times. Haha, I'm a Goat in a Snake year. lol
Hello there!
Although technically goats don't like snakes all year round you should be alright as a goat in a snake year because there are no connections between goats and snakes in the Chinese zodiac. It's the rat & ox years you want to watch out for.
Though i would like to add that while being in our 'worst' years can test us, it can also really define who we are. It's like we are presented lessons in these periods and we either learn the lessons or we don't. So it can make us more angry or make us more wise. But the general rule of thumb in China is to avoid making big life decisions in these periods. Better to wait, as a goat, till pig or rabbit years for best effect on all the other animals/years, working in harmony with the whole.
If you want to read more about 'the animal hiding in your heart' i wrote about it here
Thank you so much for appreciating this post and the invisible connections between things!
That's why I had such a good year and so many people I know were struggling. A Goat in a Horse year is next and that looks awesome for me. Yay! I will check out the animal in your heart post. Awesome vibes from you and your family. Thank You!
This is one of the best authors I know: [Literature] Charles Dickens: Night Walks 1/43