Slow Magic: growing seeds of attention in the dark
Slow Magic: growing seeds of attention in the dark
I have been (slowly) carfting the prompts we will be using for the upcoming Slow Magic: winter solstice writing sanctuary. (Sign up is now open.) Being in these dark, magical, underground writing spells is its own invitation to remember that this time of year is a space of cultivation and the devotion of tending. The season invites us into a deep, reflective space—one where darkness is not something to be feared, but nurtured. This is a time when the earth in its hibernation teaches us what it means to slow down and honor our own impulses toward retreat. Yet in a month filled with the hustle of holiday preparations, deadlines, and celebrations, it’s easy to lose sight of these quieter invitations. We are surrounded by messages urging us to do more, buy more, celebrate louder—but the magic of this time asks us to listen, be still, and grow something unseen, like seeds beneath the frost.
What would it feel like to step away from the pressure of doing? To instead cultivate a daily writing practice—a slow magic of tending to your awareness, attention, and inner life? Slow Magic, a writing practice rooted in the art of attention, offers just that. It is a devotion to yourself and to the cycles that shape you.
Winter Solstice: A Season of Darkness and Seeds
The winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, marks a threshold. It is a time of rest, renewal, and reflection—a reminder that life, like nature, moves in cycles. Just as the earth pauses to gather its energy in the winter months, so too are we invited to slow down and turn inward.
Seeds, those tiny vessels of life, lie dormant underground during this time, gathering strength unseen yet richly real. There’s a hidden patience in their stillness—a reminder that not all growth is visible. What happens when we give ourselves the same space to quiet, to reflect, to be with our experience as it is, to grow something essential within us in the dark of the night, word by word by word?
The question becomes: What do we want to nurture in the dark?
The answer can’t be rushed or forced. Instead, we are called to listen attentively to what is already stirring within—our thoughts, emotions, memories, and questions. Writing, when done slowly and with intention, becomes the perfect practice for this act of care. We don’t have to know all the answers or any answers. We show up. We offer our attention to the world within us and the worlds around us. We write word after word after word. We make magic this way, writing as a way of listening.
The Art of Slowing Down to Our Innate Rhythms
In a world that moves so fast, the idea of slowing down can feel counter to what we know and even rebellious. Yet slowness isn’t about neglecting responsibilities or withdrawing from the world. It’s about reconnecting with your own pace—your innate rhythms, which often get lost in the noise of busyness and the worlds of have to and shoulds. Slowing down allows you to return to that which matters to you, to know and name that which matters to you, to to hear that still voice.
When we give ourselves permission to slow down, we create the conditions to notice. To notice what it feels like to inhabit our bodies. To notice what thoughts are keep roaming around inside our head, wanting out and onto the page. To notice patterns in the worlds we live in. To notice what is right here, in this now and the the next.
A writing practice rooted in attention is one way to cultivate this slowing. It is not about productivity or performance; it is about presence. In the same way that nature honors the season of dormancy, writing becomes a way to rest with our inner world. Slow Magic encourages this kind of intentional slowing, inviting you to step into a daily rhythm that nurtures attention and care.
Honoring Cycles and the Importance of Rest
The natural world gives us permission to rest. Trees drop their leaves. Animals hibernate. The earth itself enters a period of dormancy. Yet for many of us, December becomes a whirlwind of activity. We are encouraged to push through exhaustion, celebrate constantly, and fill every moment with doing.
But what if we allowed ourselves to honor the cycles of the year and of our own bodies? What if we treated this time not as a sprint to the finish line but as an invitation to rest, reflect, and recalibrate?
Slowing down through writing allows us to align with these cycles. We don’t need to resist the season; we can lean into it. Just as the darkness of the solstice holds the promise of future light, the pauses we take in our writing practice are not empty—they are fertile ground where new insights can emerge. Slow Magic helps us remember that these cycles of activity and rest are not obstacles but essential rhythms of life.
Writing is often thought of as a creative or intellectual task. But when approached through the lens of Slow Magic, it becomes something more—it becomes an act of care. Every time you put pen to paper (or fingers to keys), you are making space for yourself. You are saying, My thoughts matter. My inner world is worth tending to. A daily writing practice builds a relationship with yourself over time, a way of listening and attending to your own experience. And in a season where the world often pulls our attention outward—toward gifts, gatherings, and goals—writing becomes a way to gently pull our attention back inward, toward the quiet parts of ourselves that are waiting to be heard.
The Slow Magic winter solstice writing sanctuary begins December 7th and runs through until the solstice on the 21st. Together we can step out of the hustle and choose to rest and write as an act of care and devotion, taking the time to tend to what matters and show up for own longing to offer attention to what is alive, nurturing those seeds in the dark.
Tending Your Own Attention in a World of Distraction
We live in a world that constantly pulls at our attention—notifications, obligations, and endless distractions. It can feel overwhelming, as though there’s never enough time to slow down, never enough space to simply be with ourselves. And this is also true: attention is a gift we can choose to give ourselves, every single day.
When we engage in a writing practice that honors slow time, we are reclaiming our attention. We are choosing to be present with our own experience, even if only for a few minutes each day. In doing so, we cultivate a deeper relationship with ourselves and the world around us. We begin to notice the subtle shifts—the way morning light moves across a room, the awareness of what lives underneath the outrage, the taste of hunger, the questions that arise when we sit quietly long enough to hear them.
Through Slow Magic, we grow these seeds of attention with care and patience, trusting that the practice itself is enough. There’s no need to rush toward a particular outcome. The magic lies in the process, in the daily act of showing up to the page and seeing what unfolds.
An Invitation to Practice Slow Magic This Winter
This winter solstice, may you honor the cycles of life and the rhythm of your own heart. May you find magic in slowing down. And may your writing practice be a place of refuge, care, and deep connection with yourself.
All are welcome to come join me.
For more on Slow Magic and how to cultivate a daily writing practice that nurtures attention, visit Slow Magic. Our writing sanctuary runs for two weeks, from December 7th-21st. Writing prompts come Monday-Friday, where we can write our ten things a day, writing our way to 100 things this solstice season. Let’s grow our seeds of attention in the quiet of the dark together.