By Jen Romanowski
As the year winds down and the days grow shorter, the natural world invites us inward. Trees shed their leaves. The air cools and stills. The long stretch of darkness between Samhain and the winter solstice asks us to pause, reflect, and listen to what’s stirring in the quiet. For many, this descent into the dark season feels like a sacred time of restoration. Yet for those walking the path of recovery, or supporting someone who is, it can also be a time of challenge.
The darker months often bring both beauty and burden. While the world outside sleeps, our inner worlds awaken with memories, emotions, and unfinished business. The holidays can stir grief, loneliness, or anxiety, especially when old traditions were once centered around alcohol or numbing behaviors. Even those who have been steady in recovery can find themselves navigating familiar shadows. The season asks much of our spiritual fortitude, to hold the light within even when the world outside feels dim.
The Spiritual Challenge of the Dark Months
Every season has its teaching, and winter’s lesson is stillness. We are reminded to rest, to conserve energy, to look within. But when we’ve spent years running from pain or filling silence with noise, stillness can feel uncomfortable. The quiet becomes too loud. And sometimes unbearable.
Those in recovery often learn that healing isn’t about escaping darkness but learning to dwell in it safely. The descent of winter mirrors this process. There’s wisdom in the turning inward, but there’s also risk. Too much solitude can slip into isolation; too much reflection can become rumination. The challenge, then, is to navigate this season with mindfulness, honoring the darkness without losing sight of the light that guides us home.
For Those in Recovery: Staying Connected to the Light
1. Create rituals of light.
Each evening, as the sun sets early, light a candle or turn on a soft lamp intentionally. Let it symbolize the spark of your spirit, still alive and glowing. Surround yourself with gentle reminders of warmth, cozy blankets, a small altar, favorite music, or photographs that reflect hope. These simple acts anchor the heart and help re-train the mind to associate darkness not with despair, but with peace.
2. Stay connected to your community.
Darkness thrives in secrecy, but recovery thrives in connection. Create a plan for the season, attend regular meetings, reach out to your sponsor or mentor, or join an online group if gathering in person is not possible. Even sending a message that says, “I’m thinking of you” can re-ignite the sense of belonging that addiction once tried to take away.
3. Honor your body’s rhythms.
Shorter days and colder weather can impact mood and motivation. If you find yourself tired, slow down rather than shame yourself. Nourish your body with warm foods, stay hydrated, move when you can, and get sunlight whenever possible. Treat your body as the sacred vessel that carries you through this life. Compassion for your body is compassion for your recovery.
4. Practice gratitude and grace.
The season of giving can sometimes trigger feelings of lack or pressure to appear joyful. Counter this by consciously cultivating gratitude. Keep a small journal where you list three things that bring you comfort each day: a kind word, a hot cup of tea, or the sound of laughter. Gratitude doesn’t erase pain; it balances it, helping us stay oriented toward life’s goodness even in shadow.
5. Ask for help before you need it.
The earlier you speak, the lighter the burden becomes. If you notice signs of struggle, such as increased cravings, restlessness, or a desire to isolate, please reach out. It takes courage to admit when your light feels dim, but remember: asking for help is an act of strength, not a sign of weakness. Recovery is never meant to be walked alone.
For Loved Ones: Holding Space Through the Shadows
Those who care for someone in recovery also feel the weight of the dark season. Watching a loved one wrestle with their demons can bring fear, frustration, or helplessness. Yet your presence can make an extraordinary difference.
1. Notice without judgment.
Be mindful of small changes in mood, behavior, or energy. You don’t have to diagnose or fix — simply acknowledge what you see with compassion. “You’ve seemed quieter lately; how are you feeling?” can open doors that silence might close.
2. Offer presence, not pressure.
Sometimes the most healing thing you can do is simply be there. Sit together, share a meal, or go for a short walk. Avoid demanding explanations or forcing cheer. True presence says, “I see you where you are, and I’m here.”
3. Invite light in together.
Engage in gentle rituals as a family or friendship circle: cook nourishing food, share stories by candlelight, decorate with symbols of warmth, or volunteer together. Acts of creation and service remind everyone, especially those in recovery, that light is most powerful when shared.
4. Encourage professional or peer support.
If you’re worried, encourage them to attend a meeting, connect with a counselor, or revisit a spiritual practice. Offer to go with them if appropriate. Recovery strengthens when their community surrounds it.
The Promise of Return
In every tradition, stories of darkness end with renewal. The winter solstice brings the return of light; the seed that sleeps beneath the earth will one day bloom again. The same is true for our inner lives. The shadows we face in these months are not punishments but invitations to deepen our faith, expand our compassion, and trust that the light will always return.
For those in recovery, the dark season is not a setback but a sacred teacher. It reminds us that healing is cyclical, not linear, and that even when we feel furthest from the sun, something within us is still growing toward it.
So as you move through these winter months, let the darkness become your ally. Rest when you need to. Reach out when you feel alone. Tend the small fires of connection and love that sustain you. And when you light your candles at night, whisper this truth to yourself:
“I am the keeper of my light. Even in the longest night, I do not go out.”
Jen Romanowski, a.k.a. Sunshine Witchski, The Pink-haired Sober Witch, has been practicing witchcraft and spiritual healing for over 25 years. She is a spiritual advisor, recovery mentor, and founder of The Sober Witch Life movement. Visit soberwitch. life or text 313-595-4148 for guidance in your recovery. Or check out Amazon for her newly published book: Sober Witch Life: A Magickal Guide to Recovery.
