January can be a tender month, especially for those in recovery or those standing at the edge of it. The world is loud with declarations of change, promises of transformation, and demands for improvement. For someone healing from addiction, trauma, or long patterns of self-abandonment, that noise can feel overwhelming, even dangerous.
But there is another rhythm available to us. One that lives quietly in the space between Yule and Imbolc.
This time of year exists as a threshold. The longest night has passed, yet spring is not here. The light is returning, but slowly. In recovery, this in-between space is deeply familiar. We often find ourselves here after choosing change but before knowing how to live it. It is a season that asks not for action, but for attention.
Why Desire Matters More Than Resolutions in Recovery
Rather than resolutions or goals, this season invites us to listen to our desires.
Desire in recovery is different than ambition. It is not about proving worth or achieving an outcome. Desire is quieter. It often shows up as a feeling rather than a plan. I want to feel safe in my body. I want mornings to be gentler. I want to stop disappearing from my own life.
For many in recovery, traditional goal setting can trigger old patterns of perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, or shame when things do not unfold as imagined. Desire, on the other hand, asks nothing of us except honesty. It allows us to name what we long for without demanding that we know how to get there yet.
Planning as a Form of Care
This is where planning enters, not as pressure, but as care.
Planning in recovery is not about forcing change or locking ourselves into expectations. It is a form of orientation. After addiction or trauma, many of us are relearning how to imagine a future at all. Planning gently helps the nervous system feel grounded. It reminds us that we are allowed to think ahead without punishing ourselves if the path shifts.
Preparing the Soil Before We Plant
I often think of this season the way gardeners do in winter. Nothing is being planted yet. The ground is not ready. But the planning matters. What might we want to grow when the time comes? Where would it thrive? What conditions would support it? Is the soil depleted or compacted from past seasons of overuse?
In recovery, the soil is our nervous system, our emotional body, our environment.
Before we try to grow something new, we tend the ground. That might look like adjusting daily rhythms, so rest is possible. It might mean seeking out support, whether that is meetings, therapy, spiritual community, or trusted companions. It might involve learning skills we were never taught, like emotional regulation, boundary setting, or how to sit with discomfort without numbing it.
None of this is failure. It is preparation.
Gentle Questions That Support Recovery
During this season, it can be helpful to ask gentle, grounding questions, not as assignments, but as points of curiosity.
What feels possible for me right now.
What drains me that may need to be softened or released?
What kind of support helps me feel safer?
What does nourishment look like instead of improvement?
These questions do not require immediate answers. In recovery, clarity often comes slowly, and that is not a flaw. It is wisdom.
Imbolc and the First Signs of Readiness
As we approach Imbolc, the energy begins to shift. Traditionally, this is a time associated with the first stirrings of life beneath the surface. In gardening terms, it is when certain seeds can begin to germinate, especially those that need cold to awaken.
Recovery mirrors this truth beautifully. Some forms of healing only emerge after long periods of stillness. Some resilience is built quietly, without visible progress.
Not all growth looks productive. Some of it looks like staying sober for one more day. Some of it looks like telling the truth to yourself. Some of it looks like resting without guilt.
Devotion Over Discipline
Imbolc does not demand that everything bloom at once. It simply reminds us that readiness arrives in its own time. When we have honored the pause, when we have tended the soil with patience, the next step often reveals itself naturally.
This season between Yule and Imbolc teaches us devotion over discipline. It shows us that recovery is not something to conquer, but something to tend. Planning, when done gently, becomes an act of devotion to our healing rather than a demand for transformation.
If you find yourself here, in this quiet space of becoming, know that it is enough. You are not behind. You are not failing. You are listening. And in recovery, that may be the most powerful practice of all.
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.
