A trip to the Haven Shop to prepare for winter.
Tonight,
You are magically transported into a winter storybook,
Where your inner child has a chance to play as you build a snowman and connect with the unique energy of the winter season.
When the story is over,
I'll offer you a short,
Sacral chakra meditation to foster joy,
Creativity,
And a renewed sense of adventure.
Take a few moments now to wind down for the night.
This is your sacred time to give your body the rest and replenishment it deserves.
Scan for any tension in your body,
And on your next inhale,
Hold your breath and squeeze your muscles in those areas as tight as you can for just a few seconds.
On your exhale,
Release your muscles and mentally track the tension melting out of your limbs.
You can repeat this as many times as you need to settle your nerves and feel still.
It's perfectly okay to feel some twitches and itches as you settle in for sleep.
This is your body's natural way of releasing any resistance you picked up on your path throughout the day.
Feel yourself becoming more relaxed and cozy with every cycle of breath that you take,
And know that from here on,
The only thing you need to do is relax and enjoy tonight's story.
You've brought in the last of your outdoor furniture,
And traded your lawnmower for the snowblower in the shed.
You've canned some veggies,
And made jams from your harvest,
Changed your bedding over to flannel sheets,
And brought out your warm slippers and robe from the closet.
You've done just about everything you can think of to prepare for the upcoming winter months.
All that's left to do now is stock up on reading material and tea to get you through the snowy nights ahead.
So you decide to take the familiar short walk to the Haven Shop to do a bit of shopping.
The beloved gift shop and apothecary has an extensive library,
Not to mention a wide variety of magical brews for your every need and intention.
There is a nip in the air,
So you bundle up in a hat and scarf.
The cold weather feels refreshing after having spent so much time of the day indoors.
Snowdrifts line the street,
And you pass children at play,
Forming snowballs in their mittened hands and making snow angels in their yards.
Their giggles make you smile.
It's been a long time since this weather-inspired play for you.
You'd almost forgotten that wintertime carries its own special kind of magic.
When you arrive at the shop,
You find the closed sign hanging on the door.
That's disappointing,
You think.
You look through the glass of the oversized bay window to see if you can catch a glimpse of anyone inside.
Surely these are regular business hours.
You spot the resident black cat,
Layla,
Keeping watch from her place on the windowsill.
You bend down to her level and place a finger against the glass in greeting.
In return,
She presses a tiny black paw against her side of the window,
Mirroring your actions.
You absentmindedly ask the cat where the two witches have gone off to.
Layla immediately runs off,
Surprisingly agile considering her age and size.
She returns not a moment later,
With her human companion in tow.
Aurora,
The healing witch,
Unlocks the shop door and welcomes you in.
We're just going through some new inventory,
Aurora explains,
But please come have a look around and make yourself at home.
My sister and I will be in the library if you need us.
You thank the friendly witch,
Step inside,
And head straight for the tea selection on display at the front of the shop.
As you shake off the cold,
You feel a wave of gratitude to be inside,
Cozy and relaxed.
It's rather nice having the store to yourself.
Even when it's quiet,
The shop still feels alive with energy.
You can sense your vibration rising just being in the cheerful,
Nurturing space.
You choose an Echinacea-Ginger-Elderberry blend to fortify your immune system,
And a Harvest-Orange-Spice tea to accompany your baked goods.
A cloth,
Drawstring bag of dark chocolate-sea salt-hot cocoa mix catches your eye last,
And you scoop it up for a luxurious winter treat.
Happy with your selections,
You head toward the old wooden counter to check out when you see a bright,
Golden light coming from the library doorway.
Curious,
You peek into the room and see that the light source is coming from the pages of an oversized,
Vintage book that Jadis,
The Nature Witch,
Cradles in her arm.
When she closes the book,
The light is snuffed out.
She sees your surprised expression and laughs.
Jadis explains that sometimes the books that are sent to them are special,
And need to be tested before they're put out on the shelf for customers to enjoy.
Today they have an especially large shipment to catalog,
Which is why they've closed up early.
You picked the right day to stock up on reading material,
Jadis smiles,
Extending her arms and looking about the overfilled room.
That's funny,
You don't recall saying anything about looking for a book to read.
Your eyes scan the library.
In addition to the hundreds of titles that span from floor to ceiling on shelves,
All sorts of books are piled high on the table,
In neat stacks on chairs,
And more still in boxes that cover the floor.
Some look unassuming and modern,
Others ancient and mysterious.
Aurora makes her way down from a ladder,
Where she has cleared the top shelf for some new arrivals.
She has a small,
Hardcover book tucked under her arm.
As an added security measure,
Aurora chimes in,
We ensure the enchantments in many of these books can only be activated when the reader possesses the proper talisman to go with it.
This book,
For example,
Pulling the one from under her arm,
We've paired with these.
Aurora retrieves a pair of soft mittens and a mug with the word love on it from a nearby shelf.
One of our more brilliant ideas,
I must say.
You and Jadis laugh in unison at Aurora's self-satisfaction.
So,
Do you have time for a winter wonderland adventure?
Aurora asks,
Eyes twinkling,
Of course you can't resist.
You live for the witch's magical enchantments.
They always seem to give you exactly what you need.
The sisters guide you out of the library,
Back through the main shop,
And into the common room.
You make yourself cozy in an oversized easy chair by the fireplace.
Layla follows closely behind and claims the chair next to you.
Curling up into a furry black ball,
Paws crossed to form a pillow under her chin.
While you relax into the space,
Jadis prepares a cup of the cocoa you selected in a love mug,
And Aurora offers you a blanket for your lap,
Along with the gloves.
You slip them onto your hands.
They are warm,
And ever so soft.
Aurora then hands you the adventure book,
And the sisters leave you to enjoy,
Setting off to continue their chores in the library.
The book is untitled,
With no image on the cover.
You have no idea what it's about,
But holding it in your hands gives you a good feeling inside,
That you recognize as a spark of childlike wonder and anticipation.
When you open the book to the first page,
Your mind's eye springs to life,
Transporting you to a snow-covered clearing in a pristine forest.
It's as if you're truly there,
Fully immersed in the scene.
You find that you're dressed perfectly for the weather,
And a picnic basket sits on the ground beside you.
You open the lid to find a top hat,
Scarf,
A carrot,
All the supplies you'd need for building a snowman.
How sweet.
The snow is heavy and dense,
Perfect for rolling out a body.
You start with a small snowball,
And roll it forward across the earth,
Collecting more snow as you go,
And smoothing it out to make a large,
Round base.
Once satisfied,
You repeat the process for the center body,
Making this one slightly smaller.
You'd forgotten how physical playing in the snow can be.
Your arms and legs grow heavier with each step you take.
Once your second big snowball is complete,
You lift it up,
Using all your strength to set it on top of the base.
The soft,
Buttery gloves the witches provided keep your hands toasty as you shape the snow to your liking.
As you work,
It occurs to you that there's something deeply soothing about using your hands to bring a creation to life.
You feel more present and lighthearted than you have in quite some time,
And proud of your work,
Too.
You repeat the process one last time,
Rolling out a third snowball for the head,
Forming and smoothing out the clean white snow to make the perfect shape.
You step back and admire your work,
Breathing heavily into the crisp winter air.
Now it's time for accessories.
You walk toward a cluster of evergreens,
And come upon a couple of discarded branches,
Perfect for arms,
And some pine cones that will serve nicely as eyes.
Finally,
You spot a scattering of acorns that you can fashion into buttons.
You set them into place before returning to the picnic basket to retrieve the carrot nose and scarf,
And you find colorful gumdrops that will create the perfect smile.
Last,
You retrieve the top hat from the basket and place it on the snowman's head.
Your creation has come together beautifully,
And it's more satisfying than you could have anticipated.
You are reminded that winter is a time of renewal,
Self-nurturing,
And initiation.
It is a sacred season that offers cleansing and clarity if you take the time to acknowledge its beauty.
A sense of appreciation washes over you for your strength,
Resilience,
And your ability to create wonderful things from the bare minimum.
It's amazing what you can manifest when you give yourself permission to go with the flow and be light when you are connected to your best self in this way.
You wield powerful magic that brightens and enriches the world.
You peel off your gloves and add them to the ends of your snowman's arms for a final touch,
And as you do,
A flurry of wind kicks up,
Scattering snow all around you.
Through the squall,
You could swear you see the snowman wink at you and broaden its bright,
Candy smile.
Impossible.
You hold a hand to your face and close your eyes to shield yourself from the snow.
When you open them again,
The air is still.
You are back in your cozy chair in the shop,
Fire crackling away,
Book resting in your lap.
Wet gloves and a steaming mug of cocoa sit on the table beside you.
You wrap your cold hands around the cup and take a deep sip of the sweet,
Velvety drink.
You gaze into the fire and enjoy the tingling sensation as it warms your face and body,
And your mind wanders back to your magical little experience in the forest.
It has enlivened your spirit,
And you feel excited for the fun adventures that winter holds.
Bring your awareness now to your sacral chakra in your lower belly.
This is your energetic home for your sense of fun,
Play,
Joy,
And adventure.
You are a creative being,
And you deserve time to indulge in light-hearted activities simply for the sake of having fun.
Visualize a glowing orange ball of liquid light flowing outward from your sacral chakra in all directions.
Downward,
Filling your legs and feet,
And upward,
Blanketing the core of your body,
Arms,
Hands,
Neck,
And head.
This liquid light is gently infusing you with motivation and new ideas that will usher pleasure and enjoyment into your life.
Now,
Allow these sacral chakra affirmations to wash over you and carry you into deep,
Restful sleep.
Inspiration is always flowing to me.
I feel energized and excited about my life.
I am a passionate person with many interests.
I give myself permission to follow my curiosity.
I add my unique,
Personal touch to everything that I do.
I connect with my inner child often.
All is well in my world.
Good night.
