As I sit in my study looking out the window at the snow falling to the ground from the sky, I’m reminded of the many February days I spent complaining about the long nights and short cold days of winter. Today however, I’m giving thanks for the wonder-filled moments that soothe my soul and prompt my imagination in awe of the fertility that lies dormant in the ground and in every living thing. I’m called to remember the gift of quiet days and the power of rest. For me, this is the genius, the creative activity that takes place in February when it appears that nothing significant is happening. . . .

It’s been said that every gardener knows the miracles lying under the clouds of winter.  That every child wonders at the seeds waiting to sprout, at the invisibles miraculously appearing from the warmth of more light bringing awe and delight. In this moment, I’m loving winter and awakening to the genius, the distinctive character and spirit of this month of February. As we long for more light, the seeds, roots and bulbs quietly wait for the promptings of Nature to awaken them. The gift of new life is on its way. The genius, winter’s attending spirit filled with power, is again endowing us with its mystery.

This gift of new life, forever cloaked in mystery, is an annual sign to us of Nature’s genius that few understand or take notice of. It simply happens one day, while busy making other plans, we notice the shoots on the trees, the flowers in the breeze growing with ease while buds open for all to see. In these moments, epiphanies can happen as we experience the grace of what some call the Godding process. Here, in these precious moments, we can awaken to the genius of winter in February. 

Freezing cold winds, hard ground, snow and ice broadcast what appears to be death everywhere in the north country. It blinds our outer eyes to the miracles of dormancy and hibernation.  We forget the necessity and genius of slumber, sleep and quietude. We forget Nature’s rhythms of coming and going, ebbing and flowing, darkness and light, loving in the midst of our dark nights. We forget the genius that manifests creativity and the power of receiving and giving. We forget our own natural rhythms.

The Spirit of Life invites us to rest and relax into winter, into the spring of genius so we may receive food for the journey and strength to meet the new days. We’re invited into another season of growth and change that we may rearrange our soulful selves in alignment with the balance of creation. It’s a call of awakening to manifest powerful creative activity within our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual lives. Having repaired the past and prepared the future, we gracefully flower into the next season of soul for ourselves, each other and the whole of creation. Welcome home. . . .

• When you awaken to your winter complaints, stop and recognize the wonder that’s at work in Nature to bring forth generosity and verdancy for you and all of creation. Awaken to your part in nurturing and sustaining Nature’s balance.
• Find a way to discover the genius, the gift, the unusual capacity that winter has to invite you to slow down and appreciate the gift of Life in February. Notice how slowing down helps you open the mystery of Life cloaked by the cold, snow and ice.
• As you uncover the mystery in this season, what are you discovering in you?