WELCOME!
Yule: We Are Light

Come in, come in! I’m so happy you’re here. The season of Yule (pronounced YOOL) is upon us! It all begins with the Winter Solstice, which is celebrated by people all around the world and marks the longest night of the year. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice falls on December 21st. This ancient holiday honors the return of the sun and highlights themes of rebirth, active hope, intention-setting, illumination and enlightenment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  • Story of the Season: a Homily for the Winter Solstice (audio & PDF)

  • The Great Wide Open (video)

  • In the Studio (video)

  • Collaborative Alchemy Podcast: with Myriam Loeschen

  • Fuel for the Fire: Writing prompts, links, reading lists, Spotify playlists, etc.

  • Further Connection: Community Zoom call (link)

NOTE of ENGAGEMENT:
Please do not share the link to this page with others. This content was created just for you. Thank you for your respect and understanding.

 
 

PART ONE: Digital Content

Seasonal Focus: Joy Practice

In my part of the world, there is a damp and lasting darkness that happens during the final throes of November. Yes the days are growing shorter, but it’s more than that. All autumn color has seeped away, revealing the charred brown and black of earth and the bruised gray and sepia of sky. The clouds roll in for weeks at a time and the mud and mess of early winter covers tires and boots and dogs and floorboards. 

Then one day in early or mid-December as sunlight circles the drain of the year, the sky opens up and delivers light in the form of snow. What was once a blanket of dank decaying leaves transforms in an instant. Fresh fallen snow is a wonder to behold, not merely for its shocking whiteness, but for the light it reflects. The little bowl of our valley sheds its cave-like personality and becomes a mirror for the heavens.

As light begins to return to the valley, I give thanks for the darkness. I give thanks for the creeks as they ice over, thanks for the howling Coyotes prowling the foothills, thanks for the feisty birds elbowing each other at the edge of my neighbor’s bird feeder, thanks for the hearth that heats the bones of my home, and I give thanks for all the silence that surrounds me. I wonder if these winter gifts were what the composer Issac Watts was referring to when he wrote “repeat the sounding joy.” Let’s all share the gifts of our grateful hearts as we dive into our creative work this season. Then might we truly deliver joy to the world.

Calling You Home — A Homily

This is a great place to begin. For each of the eight bundles that make up the Creative Alchemy Cycle, I write a seasonal story to set the container for the bundle. These homilies are my way of practicing alongside you and using the creative alchemy tools to create my own work. You can download a copy using the button below and/or listen to the audio.

 
 

The Great Wide Open

My creative process always begins outside. This is where I weave the outer landscape with the inner one. Pine Valley is covered with its first layer of snow. Follow me down to the Powder River to catch the last glimpses of the water flow before it ices over. Then we’ll walk through the Wallowa foothills along Pine Creek and marvel at the conifers.

In the Studio

After viewing The Great Wide Open, let’s head into my studio. This is where I metabolize, incubate, and process all the elements which make up my current state of creative alchemy. We’ll chat about your care packages, build our seasonal altar, talk about themes of this season, and create two botanical paintings to honor the wonder and magic of Yule.

 
 

Collaborative Alchemy Podcast

Collaborative Alchemy is a series of conversations with artists, thought leaders, activists, farmers, educators, creatives, and other polymaths where we tell our stories, expand our histories, and hold space for new ways of being. This season, I’m re-sharing a conversation with facilitator and coach Myriam Loeschen about releasing perfectionism, appreciating the beauty in the cracks, and the healing power of silence. We also talk about how Myriam weaves her creative passion for cooking and nourishing food into a powerful framework for working with clients and groups. Listen in as we discuss what it means to be wounded, worthy and honoring a life in process. More about Myriam HERE.

 
 

FUEL FOR THE FIRE

Writing prompts and further exploration, links, reading lists, spotify playlists, etc. Click on the images or buttons below to view, visit, or download.

 
 
 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Invitations for Further Connection

CREATIVE ALCHEMY COMMUNITY CALLS occur a week or so after each holiday. These gatherings are recorded (usually) and posted right here the day after. Sarah will send a reminder email to Patreon subscribers the week before and the day before each gathering.

NEXT CALL:
Sunday, December 31st, 2024 from 10:00am — 11:00am
Come celebrate and spend an hour in community on the final day of the year!

We’ll be meeting at this link:
https://zoom.us/j/98405687741?pwd=bXo2R25QUDI5UVIwdTNvZEViY1ZGZz09
Meeting ID: 984 0568 7741
Passcode: Alchemy

Please also consider joining Myriam Loeschen and I for NOURISH YOUR YEAR, a virtual creative workshop happening on January 28th!

 

Gratitude.

“And if they tried
to match the whirl
of my fingerprint,
they’d learn my true
identity is galaxy,
close cousin to the fern,
and sister to the nautilus.
They’d learn I’m most definitely
guilty of Fibonacci.
I leave evidence
everywhere—tiny
invisible swirls,
reminders that I,
too, am hurricane,
eddy, whirlpool,
and sunflower head.
I have been marked
like the pinecone,
spiraling out from the center,
and there’s nothing
I won’t touch.”

— Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer