Spinning Light and Other Jedi Tricks

Why I let go of January first as the start of my New Year, and how I embrace Winter’s deeper timeline.

Soul Sibling,

Each year this way of being gets better.

It’s been three years since I let go of January First as my New Year. Last week, I felt that familiar tug with a bossy to-do list whispering that I was behind. I didn’t linger there long and reminded myself: You are exactly where you need to be.

I close my eyes and return to a winter meadow on a mountainside, standing like a White Poplar. Tall, steady and rooted. Winter is mine for three months, from Solstice to Equinox. Five more weeks of tending to my roots.

"Blue Feather."

That’s wiser me, speaking to the wobbling parts.

"Remember Jedi Blue Feather; it's Winter! You’re doing more than enough. You are enough. Integrate all of your work and travels from the past year. Tend to your roots. Learn how to spin light.

Enjoy music, books, and long walks.

Listen to Beyoncé’s albums: LEMONADE and RENAISSANCE.

Embrace Doechii's grammy award-winning rap album, ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL.

Sit and meditate. Dance with silence.

Move your body.

Draw, doodle, and enjoy unstructured art. Focus on your work plate without building new offerings or dismantling current ones.

Leap into your living space and declutter, hang/frame art and reimagine spaces. Nest! Widdle down to the essential."

I love the way she talks to me—my wiser self.

I'm learning to listen.

A fifth-grade girl asks me this week, “Why are you called Blue?”

I pause before answering:
“I’m the only one of seven in my nuclear Smith family with blue eyes.”

What I don’t say:
“I’m also the only queer one and only one who didn’t vote for Donald Trump.”

She smiles; I smile too.

Like three feet of snow blanketing a winter mountain scene, I embody a grounded-ness and safety and surrender to relief.

***Limited first edition print: ‘Where Calm And Hope Intersect (Borders’ from $60. Inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's 'The Beyond’ (1972). Romance With Rainwater: Alexander Smith (2024)

My winter rhythm of waiting, starting a new year with the reawakening of Spring, reminds me of words from Katherine May.

I read them weeks ago on a Friday night across changing winds. To be exact: December 20, 2024, Winter Solstice’s Eve. I saved her full expression in a note on my phone titled: “An Incantation for Winter.”

I settle deep into the light as I sift essential portions of her words, to hold like a lighthouse guiding me into an eventual Spring; and yes, my New Year!

"Do the sun’s work while it rests.
Keep it alive in fire and candlelight, in song and silence.
In the dark of Winter, we make the light.

Time slows to treacle.
Lessons of deceleration, of contemplation,
Of contact with life’s still heartbeat.

Life above ground hangs in suspension (and chaos).
In subterranean darkness, we tend to the roots.

The year dies softly as it sleeps.
We cradle its rebirth.

May I allow the sun to rest.
May I allow time to fall still.
May I discover what flourishes in the quiet margins of the year."

—Katherine May

Now these words are my blueprint for spinning light.

One of my roots and MidWinter traditions is the launch of Wise Circles. This will be my third year hosting these powerful gatherings.

What if group therapy and a soul-nourishing listening circle fell in love with a writer’s retreat, then moved into a cozy mountain cabin full of cashmere blankets?⁣

Meet my signature offering, THE Wise Circle.

Wise Circle is a five-week (or six-week), small-group experience designed to nurture healing and growth within a supportive and intimate space. With me as your field guide, this program integrates mindfulness, therapeutic practices, and spiritual exploration—including movement, music, meditation, writing, and drawing—to cultivate deep self-awareness and emotional resilience. Through guided practices and heartfelt sharing, participants experience a compassionate environment where vulnerability is honored and meaningful connections emerge.

The first of four begins Tuesday, March 4. There’s plenty of time to get your ducks in a row, to make the decision and join me as we hold space for Winter’s wisdom and the tender edge of Spring’s return.

I published a new podcast episode this week that I think you’ll love.

May you allow the sunny parts of yourself to rest. May you make time, in the quiet margins of each day, to fall still, and wait.

Yours Bluely,
Alexander Blue Feather

NEW PODCAST EPISODE DESCRIPTION:
As winter lingers and the first whispers of spring stir beneath the surface, how do we honor this in-between season? In this episode, Alexander Blue Feather reflects on Imbolc, the Gaelic festival marking the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. He explores the themes of rest, renewal, and the quiet work happening beneath the surface—both in nature and within ourselves. Drawing from Katherine May’s wisdom and his own creative practices, he invites listeners to slow down, tend to their roots, and embrace small rituals of light and stillness. Plus, updates on Wise Circles, new watercolor prints, and the music that’s been carrying him through this season.

Mentioned in this episode:
🩵 Imbolc and the art of honoring winter’s pause
🪶 Katherine May’s reflections on midwinter
❄️ Music as a companion in silence and transformation
🥏 Small rituals to welcome renewal
🐬 Updates on Wise Circles & creative offerings

Tune in and join this journey of deep listening, reflection, and gentle awakening.

Listen where ever you get your podcasts!