Dec 19, 2025 3 min read

Week 8 - Time to Heal

I’m creating this series to guide your reflections (and my own) during the period from Samhain (October 31/November 1) to Imbolc (February 1/2). Each week I’ll share my thoughts as we descend into the longest nights of winter and provide a prompt to encourage your connection with the ancestral wisdom and earthy quiet of winter. I’ll close with a mantra and simple meditation practice to support your personal weekly journey. If you’ve been feeling drawn, as I have, to live more aligned with the turning of the season, then I invite you to travel this path with me.

The solstice is almost upon us. We're at the crux of the heaviest time of the year, yet still the light beckons us to welcome its return. This is a quiet vigil. Sitting up all night, or getting up before the sunrise to watch the horizon. The feeling of hope, lifting from despair.

I'm writing this as I follow my own perspective, fully for the first time, this year. I had hip replacement surgery on December 8th, and while I'm still a bit stiff and sore at the incision site, the exhaustive pain that's been a constant part of my life for the past six (?) years is completely gone. Just like magic. I'm not quite steady enough to be turned loose in the wild and I'm still working up the courage to climb over the bathtub into the shower, but there's a hopefulness inside of me that I thought might be gone forever.

But I'm still recovering from major surgery, listening to my healing body while pacifying my re-engaged brain. I'm walking slowly on a treadmill several times a day, while allowing myself to consider what might turn into plans for next year. I have no idea what those plans might be, since I'm still unable to focus (as evidenced in this column, with apologies), but I WANT to think about doing SOMETHING and that's a start).

Mantra: “It is up to me to heal my wounds, whether physical or emotional.”

Meditation Exercise: After a few rounds of four-square breathing, think about a wound you're carrying that you need to let go. With each exhale, picture it dissolving, making room for healing and growth. This is only the start. Physical pain requires medical attention. Emotional pain may also need to be addressed by a professional. The point of the exercise is to help you identify which issues are creating the roadblocks you want to address in the coming year.

Draw a card from your deck and look for connections to your current physical or emotional health.

I drew the Page of Wands. The staff he's holding is strong and straight, a reminder to me that I'm not quite done using a walking aid, but the difference is in the word aid. Before my surgery, my cane didn't really help, other than to ensure I made it a few steps without stumbling. The Page of Wands is looking at his staff like a partner. Together, they're off exploring, something I can't wait to do. I will, because I'm not quite there yet, but my brain is shifting into plan-making mode. It's a little rusty, but there's time yet. The shift in the darkness is almost imperceptible, but it is happening.

If you would like to know more about my ancestral connection work, my Daoist path, or my other offerings such as tarot readings and classes, spiritual guidance, and mindset mentoring, you can find more detailed information by using the drop-down menu on my website: https://the-mystics-parlour.ghost.io.

In January, I’ll be contributing to the TABI Midwinter Conference with a presentation entitled: Less is More – Complete Readings in Three Cards. The conference is free to TABI Members and you can join at https://tabi.org.uk – dues are approximately $30US per year.

This coming February, I’m presenting a workshop for the Tarot Association of British and International members (TABI). The topic is: Romantic Archetypes of the Tarot. The fee is very reasonable, with a recording of the workshop if you can’t attend the live session and all proceeds will be donated to the animal sanctuary The Misfits Coven in Pennsylvania. More information will be available on the TABI website soon and you learn about the work they're doing at Misfits Coven here: https://misfitscoven.org/

I’m also one of the 2026 WitchCon Online presenters, offering my talk on Tarot for Ancestral Connection. No special divination kits or tools are needed. Just your favorite ‘go to’ tarot deck! Register here for over 120 presentations with unlimited rewatch capabilities: https://www.witchcon.com/presenter.php?presenter=mary-du-plessis

You can also contact me via email at themysticsparlour@gmail.com and I’m @themysticsparlour.bsky.social on Bluesky and @the.mystics.parlour on Instagram.

I appreciate your continued support and encouragement.