Every Winter Solstice, December 21, the darkest day of the year, I do a practice that clears the past twelve months, heals the unwanted emotions I created, and sets the tone for the next year.
This practice helps me navigate the winter with grace, and the next twelve months with courage. As you know, I don’t easily embrace the cold, the snow, and the frosty days. My Brazilian blood craves spring. So, I gently bribe myself with tea and mindful practices.
There is no better season to enjoy a cup of tea brought to the perfect temperature (my tea connoisseur friends will vouch for this). I let the aroma soften the edges of the chilly days and remind me that winter has its own kind of beauty and wisdom.
On the days leading to the Winter Solstice, one of the most powerful days of the year, I prepare myself for renewal by shedding the past and everything that lingers but shouldn’t. I make space for new beginnings, for expansion to come, for releasing excess, and for embracing the darker months as a sacred invitation to hibernate and go within. The solstice is not about rushing forward; it’s about pausing long enough to acknowledge where you’ve been so the next chapter can rise with clarity.
I learned many decades ago that this reflection matters because what gets celebrated gets repeated. So, I answer eight questions before doing the Medicine Wheel Practice.
Many people focus on failures and disappointments, hoping never to repeat them.
But the opposite is true.
What gets celebrated, gets repeated.
I am not alone. I once met an amazing photographer, Dewitt Jones, whose work is devoted to celebrating what is right in the world, moments of beauty we often overlook.
When we honor our efforts, courage, and growth—even in imperfect seasons—we teach our nervous system that progress is safe. We condition our awareness to welcome success and train our minds to venture toward our dreams. The result? The setbacks stop looking like failures and begin to reveal themselves as teachers. Reflection allows us to reframe: not what went wrong, but what this season has shaped in us.
Before setting new intentions, it’s powerful to witness the year you just lived.
Before setting new intentions, it’s powerful to witness the year you just lived.
8 Questions to Close the Year on a High Note
I use these questions to witness my greatness, the divine hands we were often taught to ignore:
1. What did I accomplish in 2025, even if no one else noticed?
2. What are my top three highlights from the past year?
3. Looking at the goals I set, what would I have liked to have reached, and why does that still matter to me?
4. What lessons did this year teach me about myself, my boundaries, or my capacity to grow?
5. Which challenge ultimately made me wiser or more compassionate?
6. Who am I deeply grateful for, and how did they support my journey this year?
7. What can I celebrate today about the last twelve months—right now, exactly as they were?
8. What am I ready to release so I don’t carry it into the new year?
Now, it’s your turn. I recommend writing your answers in a journal or on loose paper you can later release through fire during a Medicine Wheel ritual. This is a practice I’ve awakened at 3:30 a.m. to do at the moment of the Winter Solstice. There is something profoundly freeing about letting words meet flame, the candle, the sage, the stones, and the seasons, allowing insight to remain while heaviness dissolves. (Learn about the Medicine Wheel)
Embrace the Winter as a Sacred Pause
As the light slowly returns, may you enter this season lighter, clearer, and more trusting of your inner wisdom. May winter become not something to endure, but a sacred pause that restores you from the inside out.
Wishing you a warm, reflective, and inspiring holiday season and an expansive New Year ahead.
PS: 2026 arrives under the energy of the Year of the Fire Horse, a cycle of movement, courage, and aligned momentum. The invitation is not to rush, but to move with purpose and heart-led clarity. I’ve shared a gentle guide for those who wish to explore this energy more deeply.
Curious to go deeper? Visit my book page and discover which reflection, guide, or journal might support your next season of growth.
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