Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 11: Look Up!

The world seems to turn in on itself during winter. The green world withdraws its energy and becomes mostly dormant, animals hibernate and the short hours of daylight and cold weather can make staying at home seem like the best option for humans. 

Yet conversely, the skies above us seem to expand their horizons without the obscuring foliage of trees. The sun, lower in the sky, casts long, beautiful rays to caress the land. And as days shorten, both dawn and sunset become more accessible. Instead of hunching against the elements, look up! The winter skies are beautiful, and often far more changeable and colourful than the anodyne blue skies of summer. Within an hour you may see blue change to dove grey, to charcoal, to mother-of-pearl, to peach, to scarlet. There are a multitude of cloud shapes and sizes and textures. There are rainbows and storm clouds and bright, clear sunlight. Make the most of this endlessly changing beauty while you can. The best bit? You can even enjoy it through a window, from the comfort of home! 

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 11

Look Up!

Remember to look up periodically during the day to enjoy the ever-changing big skies of winter. Snap photos of the beauty you see. Write poems inspired by the interplay of dark and light, sun and rain. Read the symbols you see in the skies. Try manipulating clouds with your mind. Be dazzled by swirling murmurations of starlings, rooks, jackdaws or even pigeons. Learn the names of star constellations. Watch the night skies for meteors. Follow the phases of the moon.