25/12/2025
Dear Friends,
I wish everyone peaceful celebrations, Merry Christmas and sending my love to those who grieve.
The time between the Festive season and the year ending, invites to dwell a little deeper during our 12 days of Christmas ... traditions changed from where it originated: it was a Pegan tradition with originally 13 days after the winter solstice, taking the long dark nights and a thin vale between the worlds. Of course, the tradition we just passed the summer solstice and that makes it a different story all together. Embracing change, merge old with new, see how one thing starting grows into another - nothing ever stays the same!
What do I make of it today?
As the year began, many of us planted seeds through intentions. Now, as the summer comes to full swing, those seeds begin to bloom. Early fruits have been harvested, and it’s a good moment to pause and reflect: Do we see blooming around us what we hoped to grow? Are these the growing fruits we imagined?
Summer, a time of fullness—bright light, strong emotions, long afternoons.
But that same light may also cast long shadows.
Times become uncertain and we often tend to cling to what feels familiar: our beliefs, our circles, our sense of safety and identity.
Fear can quietly pull us away from what feels different—ideas, faiths, or ways of living.
We see these shadows reflected in the world, as conflicts elsewhere reach our own doorsteps. As recent events still sit heavy in our hearts, many of us can feel a clear “before and after” in our lives as things may never be the same.
Moments like these invite us to go inward and grow love—especially toward those who think, believe, or live differently.
We’ve lived through deep divisions before, here and across the world.
Some of what began then is now taking stronger shape in how we live and setting priorities.
The question on my mind is: how do we balance safety with freedom?
This summer, I choose to nurture loving-kindness. I don’t need to agree with friends, family or anyone for that matter, to stay connected and don’t expect others to agree with me either.
Difference doesn’t have to mean division.
More than ever, I choose to anchor in love rather than fear, in unity rather than separation— what I hope to seed for the new year is a quest of finding pathways to end war in hearts and minds, especially when love feels difficult.
I will take the reflective season to explore how this could look like – how can we use the energy of the year of the horse to work full horsepower with hand and heart on growing love?
With love and light to all
Kerstin