Letter 12: Winter, The Bladder, Warming Herbs, & Ice Magick

This week I am excited and grateful to be talking about the new month we have entered into, December, and all about the correspondences of Winter. As we discover these, we will also dive into the body part that relates directly to the winter season and holds an emotion we all experience during the darker months, the bladder and fear. During our journey this week we will find out what specific things might get stuck in our bladder and why, as well as how to cope with the fears that may be surfacing as we continue to experience a heightened and emotional season. I also will dive deeper into the world of herbs and holistic remedies that we can all add to our daily routines during the cold months and which specific herbs can bring you warmth and comfort. On the opposite side of the spectrum, as we don’t want to neglect the weather that the Earth is offering and experiencing, I will speak more on how to utilize Ice Magick and what that means and looks like for us in practice. 

So let’s get right into it!

December settles us into quite the liminal space. A time where the Earth and many of her creatures alike are beginning to rest and slow down and hibernate or have actually already gone into hibernation. Western society is quite the opposite of this natural occurrence, and this is where we begin to be separated from what this season is trying to truly show us and offer us. This is a time for inner reflection, hermit mode, and really releasing or storing away the things that are necessary to bring along with us into the next new phase. We really are right on the edge of our reawakening that occurs in Spring, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically! 

On the other side of the spectrum though, it is important that I mention it is also a time for depletion, loss of motivation, low energy levels, broken boundaries, and low confidence as well as fears and anxiety. We must try to remember though, that even though it is westernized, we are in the time of year that is supposed to be represented by peace, community, joy and the like. Try not to take it all so seriously this season with all the events and gatherings that you may be committed to. Remember your boundaries, your self-care, your energy blocking crystals, and whatever else you need to get you through the tougher times that take a toll on your mental health! Christmas, Yule, and New years are not worth losing sight of your own inner peace. 

Winter is represented by the element earth, the pentacles in tarot, moonstone, quartz and labradorite crystals, animals like the bear, the white owl, and red cardinals, and of course things like dream work, the blue lotus herb, pine, citrus, and so many more things. This season is really about seeing all your accumulations of hard work and all the things you have overcome or established through the year. Use any of these items when creating a winter themed altar! 

Though the season is represented by goodwill, warmth, and wholesome things, it is both easy and common to have a negative experience especially during winter months. The lack of sunlight combined with daylight savings throws your inner clock or your circadian rhythm off, and lowers the amount of serotonin your body produces, making you more adept and susceptible to negative emotions and thoughts. Though, many of us experience this type of feeling all year long and have a lingering sense of discomfort, fear, and anxiety. Which is why the season of Winter is also represented by the Bladder. 

The bladder is the counterpart to the kidneys, but since I have covered those before I wanted to speak more on the bladder as its own. The bladder is the yang part to the kidneys, which represent yin energy. The bladder is the part of the urinary system that actually stores and releases everything passing through the kidneys. Being represented by masculine energy, it can be highly affected by external factors. Physically, it is very innervated, meaning that it is made up of a lot of nerves and nerve endings and can become easily aggravated, depleted, and sensitive. Emotionally, this is where your energy is stored. This area stores your fear that is passing through your body, if you can imagine when people get scared sometimes they might pee their pants or when children have problems with bedwetting it is usually caused by fear of something.

Speaking more on fear itself, it is a Chinese medicine practice that states that one's emotions become stored in specific energy centers. If you have bladder issues, either it being too sensitive or having trouble with releasing, it can almost always be linked back to fear during shadow work. In “Feelings buried alive never die” by Karol K Truman, she states the following are also linked to bladder problems.

• Disharmony in relationships

• Unable to release things or ideas that are no longer needed

• Lack of order or obsessed with order

But, in my opinion it can also be related to fear that stems from a masculine energy in your life, or feelings of fear about survival or stability. As I stated earlier, there are ways for everyone to cope with their own fears, and you will learn more about your own specific needs during your journey. If you haven’t had any luck yet or haven’t started looking yet, some things I found to help me cope while I was learning to make anxiety and fear more manageable are crystal healing, energy work, emotion code, EFT (youtube Brad Yates), foot zoning, meditation, and among other things. I unfortunately can’t dive much deeper here because it would simply take too long. If you are really struggling to manage fear and anxiety and haven’t been able to find the root of it, you can always reach out to me for more resources, or if it is more severe you should reach out to someone you trust, or make an appeal to the universe to show you the right path to your immediate healing.

Moving on, we spoke about the bladder for a while because fear, and anxiety have been a big part of my journey and I have a lot to share on the topic. Now let’s get into our witchy practices we can add for some magick during the winter season!

My mom is a master herbalist at the holistic shop I work at, and she has taught me quite a bit about herbs and some of it I have retained! Warming herbs are a commonly known one, because in our society a lot of people deal with inflammation and circulatory issues. Some great ones that come to mind are Ginger, Turmeric, and Cayenne. There are of course others like cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. If you have ever had chai, look at the ingredients because most of those herbs are warming ones! Warming herbs play an important part to our self-care rituals during the winter, not only because they help us to take time out of our day for self maintenance, but because they also help us to reignite the fire in our bellies and find motivation where we are lacking. They allow us to step into a place of doing, whereas our western society demands that we keep moving even during the stiff and cold months where we don’t want to! They also help us to keep our stagnant internal bodies flowing freely so our external can do the same. A great way to incorporate these warming herbs into your life is of course as a supplement, if you take capsules they can get right into your belly and help you to feel the fire there, or you can take a tincture and it gets right into your bloodstream that way. 

https://drchristophersherbshop.com/blogs/news/extractsvscapsules

There are more witchy ways to use herbs though, and that is by creating a relationship with them by using them in teas, cooking with cayenne or black pepper, adding them to smoothies, using Ginger essential oil in the bath, or making golden milk! Golden milk is a turmeric drink that you have probably heard of, it’s just coming off the tail end of its internet craze, so I recommend finding a recipe or using this one from Anima Mundi apothecary. https://animamundiherbals.com/blogs/blog/enjoy-a-golden-moon-milk-latte

We are nearing the end of the newsletter now, so here is my witchy practice that you can take into your book of shadows, your repertoire, have under your belt for a rainy day, or share with a friend. We have talked about winter then back to fire and now we are going to talk about Ice Magick! I recently posted on my instagram that this was a good way to stay connected during the winter, but I realize that I didn’t really go into details, but since you are subscribed to my newsletter you get all the special details. 

When I reference Ice Magick, I am referring to the practice of utilizing actual ice, or snow or even cold water to use in spell work. Many people use the elements in their practice because it only makes sense that connecting with the Earth helps us to connect to our truest intentions since we are also from the Earth. 

Ice and snow are used in magick when one wants to slow down the speed of something in their lives. If you feel you are unready for something, if you are getting kicked out of your house, legal matters, anything like that big or small, you can use ice magick to slow down the course of action. Ice is also used for creating boundaries with people, simply write someone's name down on a piece of paper, put it in a container with water and set it in the freezer! I also mentioned that as it starts to snow you can set intentions. Imagine the snow as a form of covering you, protecting you, protecting your space, and giving you the right nourishments to be renewed in Spring. Have fun with it, there is no right or wrong way to use any type of magic as long as you have good and pure intentions. I could give you a specific spell to recite and do as I say, but that takes the beauty out of being able to play with the earth and the energies around you to see what works and what doesn’t. 

Thanks so much for joining in this week! I hope the information finds you well and you are able to utilize it to your best intentions. Also, December 22nd, there will be no newsletter. I am taking a holiday break for Yule and Christmas!