Part 3: The Sacred Potency of Midwinter - Working with Ancestors and Divine Guidance.
A Shift in Focus
In the previous blogs of this series, we've explored the mindset blocks that surface during the festive season—the people-pleasing, perfectionism, co-dependency, and fear of judgment that emerge when we navigate our role as social creatures. We've looked at how consensus reality and societal expectations can jar against our authentic values and sense of self.
That work is vital. It helps us understand why this season triggers us and gives us tools to reframe those patterns.
But there's another dimension to this season that we haven't yet explored—one that moves us beyond our social conditioning and into something deeper: our relationship with natural energies and the Divine.
The festive season isn't potent only because of what society has layered onto it. It's potent because of something far more ancient and fundamental: the natural world itself.
And here's what shifts everything: instead of just defending ourselves against that potency, what if we learned to leverage it?
The Natural Potency of This Time of Year
The festive season falls during winter in the Northern Hemisphere—a time of deep, natural significance. The winter solstice, around December 21st, marks the shortest day and the symbolic return of the light. This isn't a modern invention or commercial construct. It's a natural phenomenon that has been observed and honoured across cultures for thousands of years.
There's wisdom in recognizing this. The solstice is a turning point—a moment when the earth itself is shifting. Day by day, the light returns. Life, which appeared to be dormant and sleeping, begins its journey back toward growth.
This natural cycle carries its own energy.
Many spiritual traditions speak of the veil between the worlds being thin at certain times of year. While Samhain (Halloween) is often named as one of these liminal times, the winter solstice holds its own significance. As nature itself is in transition, as the boundary between darkness and light becomes fluid, there's something about this season that makes it easier to access deeper spiritual connection.
For those of us who work with ancestors or guides, this time of year often feels more accessible. Not because we're making it up or imposing meaning—but because the natural world itself is creating the conditions for proximity. The season evokes memory. The gathering of family and community, the storytelling, the reaching back to traditions and rituals passed down through generations—these aren't arbitrary. They mirror what's happening in nature: a return, a remembering, a cyclical coming home.
Why Ancestors Feel Closer Now
If you've experienced loss, grief, or have ancestors you wish to honour, the festive season offers a natural opening.
This isn't about forcing connection or performing spirituality. It's about recognizing that this time of year—with its emphasis on cycles, memory, and the turning of seasons—creates a natural resonance with ancestral energy.
The winter solstice itself speaks to cycles. Day and night, death and rebirth, darkness and light. These are the themes ancestors understand intimately. They've lived through seasons. They've experienced transformation. And many spiritual traditions teach that ancestors are always present, always ready to support us—they're simply waiting for us to create the conditions for dialogue.
The festive season is one of those conditions.
So if you have loved ones in spirit, if you want to honour those who came before, if you're nursing grief during a season that feels heavy with absence—this is actually an ideal time to build that relationship consciously. Not as a burden or a should, but as an act of spiritual alignment and remembrance.
The Energy Exchange: Learning from Ritual & Offering
I have a particular memory from childhood. Christmas Eve, leaving out mince pies and sherry for Santa. A carrot for Rudolph. The magic of waking to find them gone. The gifts that had appeared.
That wasn't just a charming tradition. It was an energy exchange. And it taught me something profound about how spirit works.
I gave an offering. I made space for something magical to enter my home and my life. And in return, I received. The act itself—the giving, the belief, the participation in something larger than myself—created a tangible shift in my experience.
As adults, we often dismiss these rituals as quaint or sentimental. But the spiritual principle underneath them is universal, regardless of what traditions we grew up with or celebrate now.
Santa, in that context, wasn't a literal person. Santa was a collective spiritual entity—a manifestation of generosity, magic, and the principle that the universe (or the Divine, or Spirit, or whatever language resonates with you) wants to bestow gifts upon us. Santa was reverence and wonder made interactive.
And that same principle applies to any spiritual practice—whether your traditions involve Santa, or ancestors, or other spiritual figures or deities that hold meaning for you.
When you leave an offering for an ancestor. When you light a candle with intention. When you create a space in your home dedicated to spirit—you're participating in the same energy exchange. You're saying: I see you. I honour you. I'm open to dialogue.
And spirit responds.
This isn't transactional bargaining ("If I don't leave an offering, I won't get what I want"). It's not about deals or conditions. It's about creating a relationship. It's about acknowledging that there are forces—ancestors, guides, divine energy—that are always wanting to draw closer to us, to support us, to make themselves known.
The offering, the ritual, the intentional space—these are invitations. They're how we say yes to that closeness.
Creating Sacred Space: Practical Spirituality
If ancestor work and spirit dialogue feel new to you, starting simply is key.
Create an altar space. This doesn't need to be elaborate or perfect. A small corner of your home—a shelf, a table, a windowsill—is enough. Gather natural elements: stones, greenery, pinecones, dried flowers. If you're working with ancestors, you might place a photo of someone you wish to honour. A candle. A glass of water.
Make an offering. This could be:
A candle lit with intention
Fresh water or tea
Flowers or greenery foraged from nature
A handwritten note or letter expressing gratitude or sharing what's in your heart
Food or drink (the traditional approach, if it resonates with you)
Simply your presence and attention
Set an intention. This might be:
"I honour those who came before me and ask for their guidance"
"I'm open to receiving comfort and wisdom from spirit"
"I welcome ancestral protection and support into my life"
Or something entirely personal to you
Notice what unfolds. Pay attention to synchronicities, dreams, unexpected moments of connection or comfort. Spirit communicates in many languages. Sometimes it's through direct knowing. Sometimes it's through signs. Sometimes it's simply a shift in how you feel—a sense of being held or guided.
Manifesting Through Divine Dialogue
This is where the potency of the season becomes a tool for transformation.
As we discussed in the previous manifesting blog, this time of year naturally lends itself to making wishes and setting intentions. But it goes deeper than spotting synchronicities or playing manifesting games (though those are wonderful too).
When you build a conscious relationship with spirit—through offerings, through creating sacred space, through honouring ancestors—you're establishing a dialogue. And from that dialogue comes guidance.
This is different from forcing manifestation. This is about attuning yourself to the wisdom and direction that wants to come through. It's about asking: What do I need to know? Where should I place my energy? What's the next right step?
Many people find that divination practices—tarot, oracle cards, intuitive readings—become more potent and clear during this season. Why? Because the veil is thinner. The signal is stronger. Spirit is more accessible.
Building Tangibility and Proximity
Here's something essential: spirit wants to become matter.
Spirit doesn't enjoy remaining vague or distant or theoretical. It wants to make itself known in tangible, felt ways. It wants to comfort you. It wants to guide you. It wants the relationship to feel real.
The more you build these dialogues—through offerings, through journalling synchronicities, through noticing signs—the more definite this becomes. The proximity grows. The guidance becomes clearer.
You might start by simply feeling a sense of comfort or peace when you sit at your altar. That's proximity beginning. Over time, as you deepen the practice, you might receive clearer direction. Intuitive knowings. A sense of being guided toward certain choices or conversations or opportunities.
This isn't something you need to force or achieve through effort. It unfolds naturally as you create the conditions for it. And this season—with its natural potency and the opening it creates—is ideal for beginning or deepening this work.
A Practice for This Season
If you're new to this, here's a simple starting point:
Choose one ancestor or spiritual guide you want to connect with. This could be a grandparent, a loved one in spirit, or simply the collective energy of "those who came before me."
Create a small altar space. Dedicate it to this relationship. Include a photo if you have one, a candle, something natural from outside.
Each day, light the candle with intention. Speak to them. Share what's on your heart. Ask for guidance. Listen for the response—it might come as a feeling, a thought, a synchronicity, or simply a sense of being held.
Notice what shifts. In your mood. In your clarity. In unexpected moments of connection or comfort.
Journal what unfolds. The more you notice and acknowledge these moments, the more tangible they become.
And if you want support in deepening this work—if you want to receive direct guidance from spirit about what's asking for your attention during this potent season—an Intuitive Energy Review with me can help you access that clarity with precision and grace.
Midwinter Meditation to Draw Closer to Spirit
Stayed tune for the next blog post!!
Ready to Go Deeper?
If you're ready to receive direct guidance from spirit about what you need to know as you move into the new year—aligned, grounded, and supported—an Intuitive Energy Review can help with that clarity and precision.
And if you're looking for a truly unique gift for someone in your life, there's nothing quite like offering them the gift of spiritual clarity and divine guidance. Festive Gifting Vouchers for Intuitive Energy Reviews make a powerful, meaningful offering during this season.
Closing
Your Spirit support team is always reaching toward you. Always looking for ways to draw closer. Always ready to make itself known and tangible.
This season—with all its natural potency and ancient significance—is one of the most accessible times of year for that meeting to happen.
So light a candle. Create a space. Make an offering. And notice how the proximity shifts.
The magic isn't something you have to create or force into being. It's already there, waiting for your invitation.
And it's already yours.