Drover’s Inn, Scotland

Magickal Winter Solstice wishes from my heart to yours! Today is one of my favorite times of the year and it felt like the perfect day to share my announcement. This day is a celebration of the longest hours of darkness, but also a rebirthing of the Sun, which mirrors the same within us – as within, so without. This creates an energetic portal for regeneration and inward focus that can lead to insightful guidance on the months and year ahead. Winter Solstice reminds you of the light that you are regardless of circumstances and that this truth of your essence will always be even in your darkest hours.

For some reason, the photo above is one of my most favorite from our trip for its symbolism and transporter effect. I took it while we were at our last stop on the day tour in Scotland at Drovers Inn, which was established in 1705. This is an 18th century original stone lodge and pub that has been welcoming travelers for over 300 years to include infamous outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. I could literally feel the step back in time of old tales and mystique while we enjoyed refreshments by the log fire and holiday decorations. The photo feels like I am a time traveler entering into another time period and with the dark decor and early darkness outside, the illuminating candlelight felt like the flame of warmth and inner truth within being reflected without.

A perfect mirror for today’s Winter Solstice AND the perfect symbolism for the turn of events my journey is taking right now.

Solstice and Christmas decor on our mantle – perfect illumination reflections

It couldn’t have been more perfect to be exploring castles and magickal faery lands of Scotland for the Full Moon this month, to be in such rich historical settings alongside such progressiveness (i.e. vegan being normal in the UK) during an astrologically potent month of change, and immersing in Stonehenge’s energy within days of the Solstice.

The energies experienced were perfect reflections and nurturing support to me and what I needed right now. And the essence of what I was surrounded by and walked among was telling of what is possible.

The trip came together quickly and without far-in-advance planning, so I always know that things like that are an act of flow and alignment. Having a Winter holiday was a perfect way to anchor in the change of seasons and a new turn my path is taking.

I went through very soft, subtle shifts while away, but powerful nonetheless, and they have been reflected in the interactions that have taken place with synchronous encounters, as well as dream insights, and continuous strings of confirming or guiding experiences. I love that things are more gentle and flowy these days instead of the more dramatic ways things used to happen for me.

Outdoor Christmas tree down our street – magickal spirit of the holiday season

I knew and stated clearly on the trip what I needed to do next. My thoughts and senses building up to it became anchored. And upon returning home to our Winter Wonderland here in the mountains, the beautiful holiday lights and magickal spirit of the season continued to remind me what I needed most and would be essential for the year upcoming.

I hope you enjoy this rendition of a Christmas classic by Lee Harris and Narada Wise – one I used to sing so much as a child and performed in the church choir when I was only three years old. I so love that Lee is going deeper than ever into his musical gifts this year. I love singing and the music of the heart. There was so much caroling on our trip that we got to engage in and it reminded me how vital this aspect of myself is.

Please take a moment to be with the beauty and simplicity of this song set against the silence and wonder of a beautiful snowscape. Winter is pure, refreshing enchantment to the soul.

So, that leads me to my announcement that I am going to be taking a personal sabbatical for several months. I’ve done this once before for a three-month period when I was transitioning from life in our home in Costa Mesa to life on the Magick Bus RV traveling around.

There is a lot transitioning in our lives right now and the beginning of 2020 feels potent for life changes. I’ve also been feeling a very deep pull to go within even more and be in my own experience. And, my book is calling for me to complete it once and for all and that will be my only focus during this time outside of personal life things.

This is about taking advantage of the windows presenting themselves and following what I need to stay true to myself and what feels most important to me. Once again, I’m in a mode of needing to pull back from everything, as my contracts are done and promises I’ve made when I was given a new lease on life a few years ago need to be fulfilled that will take all of my time, effort, focus, and courage to break through any fears surrounding things. I also want to spend personal quality time in ways that I need right now only with myself, Astrid, Dave, loved ones, Nature and the Cosmos.

I have had two different urges pulling at me and this satisfies both so that I can see where the next part of my journey and life feels most nurturing to continue as.

What this personal sabbatical means and looks like on the outside is that I will basically be going underground (or underwater since I’m a Pisces) for a while – to start that looks like three months and I’ll assess how things are going at that time if I extend that or feel ready to surface again. That entails no blogging, being off of social media, not answering questions through my contact page or messages in general, etc. It also entails my not being engaged in anything other than what I mentioned above – so no more Intuitive Guidance sessions, etc.

I will still keep The Magick Rabbit Etsy Shop up for now. Since the holidays are concluding soon, orders will slow down and just shipping out packages seems manageable to me right now to have in the background since it will be sporadic and not excessive. However, if I feel something shift with that, I will close the shop and place an announcement on the shop page of temporarily being away on sabbatical.

Right now I’m feeling that this sabbatical will begin on 1/1/2020, but if something shifts I may start it sooner. In the latter case, I will make that announcement here so that my friends and readers know.

Originally I felt the potential that I would start it today, but felt that it would be better to ease into that and since I hadn’t given notice, it would allow for time to respond to any last minute messages from anyone.

But today’s Winter Solstice feels like the perfect potent portal to anchor and declare this next stage for me – a time of going within and shining my inner light to guide me through the unknown and the vast new possibilities.

I’d like to conclude with this other favorite photo of mine from our trip. It’s of enchanting Inveraray Castle of Argyll, Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell.

This image, for me, encapsulates so much of what I’m feeling from where I stand now and what I see and feel as potentials ahead – the kingdom where faerytale stories come to life, magickal journeys are possible, mystery and romance are everyday muses, adventures of chivalry into soul courage take place, and the unknown path opens into delightful surprises…

Inveraray Castle, Scotland – Faerytale portal where time has stopped