After Imbolc, there’s a temptation to sprint.
Don’t.
New growth is fragile.
Ideas, boundaries, self-respect, emerging clarity — all of it needs protection, not exposure.
I am always amazed when I see nature poking through the snow (maybe not quite this early in Eastern Ontario), but there are signs that winter is not a time of death, it is a time of recovery and renewal. Watch the deciduous tree branches change over the weeks. It’s slow, but it is progressive.
This is how those of us sensitive to energy, neurodivergent, empathetic will survive. You may not be aware of building roots, but taking time when you need to recover is paramount. The high-energy holiday season is more than a month from being over, but you may still feel you need to take more “alone time” than usual. That is OKAY!
This is the week to:
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say no without explanation – Practice in the mirror until it feels comfortable. “Thank you, I would love to, but not this time.”
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keep plans small – Practice with 15-minute sessions of things that you have control over. (Dishes, cleaning, organising). A friend is having a birthday party with 60+ people? See the above, but within the week ask to meet them for a coffee or small lunch.
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move deliberately – Have a plan and stick to it … Although I love plans, rituals, routine, and losing myself focussed on something, but I can start doing something and my ADHD will kick in with “Oh, but bright and shiny, over there!” and, almost beyond my will, I find myself doing something else entirely. I am learning to ask “Is this necessary RIGHT now, or can it wait?”
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honour what’s tender – You. Take time for you and your relationships.
In gardening terms, this is frost-cover season.
You don’t plant and abandon.
You tend. You shield. You wait.
Whatever is beginning to rise in you now — protect it like a sacred flame.
Not everyone needs to see it yet.
Not everything needs to be shared.
Some things grow best in quiet.
Protection & Tenderness Diffuser Blend
“Frost Cover”
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2 drops Geranium (Pelargonium x asperum)
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1 drop Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
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1 drop Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)
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1 drop Frankincense (Boswellia careterii)
Diffuse when:
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you’ve said yes to something new
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you’re feeling emotionally open
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you need steadiness without shutdown
Why it works:
Geranium stabilizes emotions.
Lavender soothes vulnerability.
Cedarwood grounds.
Frankincense maintains energetic integrity.
🌱 Optional oil (if you have it):
Black Spruce — a classic for resilience and gentle strength.