Wallace Stevens ends his poem The Snow Man with
“…For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And nothing (himself,) beholds
Nothing that is not there and nothing that is.”
Here in the Midwest this year we have had plenty of time to listen in the snow. A whole season dedicated to hibernation is a gift that not many creatures have (unless you are a bear); nonetheless, winter can be an invitation to slow and listen.
Gluggavedur is the Finnish term for “window weather”- those opportunities to be inside looking out at something beautiful. Acknowledging the times when you have choice to do that keeps winter fresh with offering repose and rest. Then there is a tandem energy of “hibernation bravery” — times when you feel compelled to get out there and be in the elements. Maybe you are not a big snow person, but even shoveling your sidewalk gets you fully into the experience of winter.
Whether you are hibernating, or braving the elements, we wish you a season with a bit more ease and inward restoration. May the Giver of all seasons find you here and meet you while you listen with a “mind of winter.”
Way Opening Workshops 