By Jen Romanowski
As the wheel of the year turns toward Yule, I always feel something shift inside me. The long nights stretch across the sky, and the stars seem sharper in the cold. The world becomes quieter, as if the Earth herself is pausing to listen. There is a stillness in this season that invites us inward. And for those of us on a recovery path, this time of year can become one of the most powerful mirrors we stand before.
What the Darkness Reveals
The dark half of the year has a way of revealing what we’ve been carrying. Old patterns, old fears, old versions of ourselves we thought we had outgrown. As the sun reaches its lowest point and prepares to rise again, I find it to be the perfect moment to pause and look honestly at who I’ve been this past year, not with shame, not with judgment, but with a willingness to see where I have drifted away from myself.
Recovery asks us to return to who we are. But so often we learn to survive by abandoning ourselves. We learn to care for others before we care for ourselves. We learn to avoid conflict, to swallow our truth, to stay in relationships or patterns that keep us small because it feels safer than being alone. These behaviors once protected us. They were our shields. But every shield eventually becomes too heavy to carry.
Letting Go Through Honest Reflection
Yule gives us a sacred pause. A threshold. A moment between darkness and light where we can lay those heavy things down.
This is why I use this season as a time of reflection. I sit with the questions that ask me to tell the truth:
Where did I ignore my needs?
Where did I silence my intuition?
Where did I continue to pour energy into connections or habits that no longer nourish me?
Where did I shrink myself instead of showing up fully?
These answers can feel tender, but they are essential. This is the work of rebuilding trust in ourselves. Trust isn’t restored through promises or intentions. It is rebuilt through honesty, consistency, and aligned action. By acknowledging the places where I drifted away from myself, I am already beginning the journey back.
Welcoming the Returning Light
Yule marks the return of the light. The days begin growing again, slowly but surely. And as the sunlight begins its slow climb, we are invited to choose what we want to grow with it. Just as the Earth uses this season to rest and dream beneath the soil, we are being asked to dream for ourselves.
The wishes we whisper now begin to gather momentum as the sun strengthens, carrying our intentions toward the season of Imbolc. That is when we plant the first seed of the life we want to cultivate.
The Guidance of the Winter Sky
I encourage you to pay attention to the sky during these long winter nights. The stars shine longer now. The darkness is not here to swallow us but to show us the places where we still have space to grow. Stillness holds a kind of guidance that noise never can.
When I think about the year to come, I don’t think in terms of resolutions. I think in terms of alignment. What do I want to call back to me? What do I want to strengthen? What kind of relationship do I want to have with myself as the light returns?
Recovery as a Cyclical Journey
Recovery is not a single event. It is a rhythm. A cycle. A turning of our own inner wheel. We grow, we fall back, we rise, we learn, we shed, we try again. The seasons themselves remind us that change is natural and inevitable. Nothing stays frozen forever. Nothing stays in shadow forever. Light always returns.
And we return with it.
At Yule, I encourage you to choose one wish for the coming year. Not a long list. Just one sacred wish that represents the next version of yourself that you are ready to welcome. When the days grow brighter, that wish grows with them. When Imbolc arrives, you can plant the seed with intention, knowing it has already been warmed by the returning light.
A Yule Ritual for Release and Rebirth
What You Need
A small candle
A piece of paper
A fire-safe bowl
A quiet space
A willingness to be honest with yourself
Step One: Reflect
Sit in silence for a few minutes. Breathe. Let your shoulders fall. Ask yourself:
What am I ready to release from this year?
What patterns no longer protect me?
What relationships or behaviors have dimmed my inner light?
Write down whatever comes.
Step Two: Release
Light your candle. Hold your paper gently, reading the words one more time. When you feel ready, place the paper in the fire-safe bowl and let it burn. As the smoke rises, imagine the heaviness leaving your body.
Step Three: Wish
On a fresh piece of paper, write one wish for the coming year. One thing that feels aligned with who you are becoming. Fold it and place it beneath the candle.
Step Four: Witness
Sit with the candle for a moment and look toward the sky, even if only through a window. The light is returning. Let it remind you that your wish will grow with it.
Step Five: Close
Thank yourself for showing up. Extinguish the flame and keep the paper somewhere safe until Imbolc.
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.
