We have probably all experienced that most New Year resolutions fail fairly quickly. But why? As I see it, there is one crucial reason: wrong timing. The date January 1st is an artificial construct, with no correlation to the movement of the stars, the planets, or the changes of the seasons. Thus setting our goals at the beginning of the year is as good or bad as making a to-do list on any other day. Living in the world ruled by Western civilization, we’re so used to the Gregorian calendar that we no longer question this time measurement system, named after Pope Gregory XIII (1502-1585), who introduced it in 1582.

The transition from December to January in the Northern hemisphere happens when our souls explore the realm of Feelings on their annual pilgrimage. In the Southern hemisphere, the souls commune with nature and the Spirit worlds while bathed in the strong Summer sun. In the Autumn, the souls contemplate the realm of Thinking, and in Spring they travel through the regions of the Will.

To give any resolution a proper chance to materialize, we would need to start implementing it with a fresh Will at the Spring Equinox: around March 20 in the North, and around September 20 in the South.

But then what do we do in January? Rudolf Steiner ponders:

“The Winter will arouse in me

the Summer of the Soul.”

(From Verse 30, The Calendar of the Soul by Rudolf Steiner, trans. Ruth & Hans Pusch)

And then in a Verse 41 for the mid-January, he continues:

The soul’s creative might

Strives outward from the heart’s own core

To kindle and inflame god-given powers

In human life to right activity;

The soul thus shapes itself

In human loving and in human working.

~ Verse 41 by Rudolf Steiner from The Calendar of the Soul
(trans. Ruth & Hans Pusch)

The Sun’s energy was stored in the Soul during the radiant Summer. And now the seeds of Light are bursting open to sustain us during the Winter’s cold. Don’t embark on mindless rush ahead. Yes, go onward with your projects and new ideas, but at a steady, sustainable pace. We’re in the middle of Winter after all; Spring is still more than two months away.

Between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox we’re invited to tune into the Sun within us. If you’re inspired to make any New Year resolutions, let them be about tending to your personal fires and cultivating meaningful human connections. In the long, chilly nights, create space for cozy get-togethers with friends and family, for an intimate cuddle with your lover or spouse, for immersing yourself in a good book. Open your inner chambers and share your experiences in person with another Soul, or with yourself in a pretty notebook.

You may cringe at the idea if your relationship with a loved one is estranged. Oh, trust me, I hear you. I know how painful it is when you are full and ready to share, yet, you’re surrounded by hostile hearth-deprived mansions. Try not to despair. And please, don’t shut the doors and windows to your own heart.

The wisdom of the heart

and Soul’s creative force

stir the dormant seeds in me:

Awakened and inspired,

I re-create my human self

in compassionate action.

~ Soulful Spark 41 by Marta Stemberger

No, you cannot change the other person, no matter how much of your brightness and warmth you flow into their direction. You may melt some of the ice away, only to encounter a fortress of stones and barbed wire. If the other person isn’t willing to deconstruct their self-created structures, you could kill your body and Soul to no avail. It’s sad, and extremely painful, especially if the person is your dear friend, close family member, or a beloved lover or spouse. But all you can do is be compassionate, and let go of any expectation for the outcome. Beware: Don’t allow the raggedy vortex of another suck you away from your true self and destroy your fire within.

The kiss will wake up the Sleeping Beauty only when s/he is ready to awake.

Our key responsibility as human beings on the Earth right now is to continuously work at keeping our inner flame alive while diligently deconstructing personal myths and fears, notions we’re accustomed to, opinions without which we think we’ll be lost. A challenging process. Proceed gently and be patient. The rewards are far-reaching.

When our boundaries become breathing, permeable veils, replacing any impenetrable walls, then we can truly connect with fellow human beings. When your Soul’s hearth is fueled purely from your Highest Self, sustained by the forces of Light, Love, Life, then you can radiate genuine compassion to heal yourself, others, the Earth, and beyond.

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Over to you, dear Soulful Reader:

HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE THE HEART-TO-HEART CONNECTION WITH OTHERS?

I invite you to share your thoughts + impressions below.

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Treat yourself to insightful name analysis…

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