In the US, we tend to think of winter as a time of cold, of dark, of death. In winter, there is no motion.
However, in other cultures, Japan for example, the energy of winter is a time of sleep, of inner renewal. A time when something is happening below the surface out of sight.
The winter of the soul is an inner process of preparing to blossom.
Think of a seed in the soil which needs rest, a gathering. In fact, many seeds need a period of cold in order to be able to sprout and bloom. Constant warmth will not support the inner motion which needs to proceed outer growth.
In the winter of the soul, you are gathering for yourself what’s needed for the potential of the soul to be expressed and realized.
Most importantly, the winter of the soul is not about transformation.
The winter of the soul is a process of transmutation.
An important distinction.
Transformation is a shift in the structure.
Whereas, transmutation is a shift in the essence.
When you experience transmutation, you’re shifting the very essence of who you are.
The winter of the soul prepares you for that very, very, very powerful deep motion that most people will resist because it’s not usually pleasant.
The transmutation of the winter of the soul requires that you let go of control, of expectation, of outdated truth.
Your life needs to be different at your essential core.
Transmuted, the winter of the soul leads to claiming the potential of exponential growth in the blossoming of your soul.
A lot of my writing comes from what and how I am aware of my inner landscape and my personal work. You can find more articles like this here: For Body, Mind, Heart & Soul.