In 1872, Victorian poet Christina Rossetti felt inspired to write "A Christmas Carol," a long poem that describes the world's terrible winter before the birth of Jesus. Read the first verse aloud to get the feeling:
In the bleak midwinter,
frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on
snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

But while our winter may be cold, it is not bleak! We know the planet is naturally spinning into its season of rest. Many animals need to hibernate. Many trees need to store up their sap. Many plants need to refresh their roots. The land itself needs to rest before everything wakes up again. Instead of suffering in the cold, let's acknowledge it and celebrate it as our ancestors did. Cast a circle to bless the land and the plants and animals in their resting time. Now feed the birds and start planning your Saturnalia.