Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
6 Things To Do On Your Winter Break

6 Things To Do On Your Winter Break

Last updated on: December 12, 2019 at 11:30 am by John Beckett

6 Things To Do On Your Winter Break 2019-12-12T11:30:59-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Do you get a Winter break?

A lot of us do. Schools are closed, which means teachers are off. Every place I’ve worked in my professional career has been closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Retail, restaurants, and hospitals never close, but for many of us, if we save a few vacation days, we can take off for a week or more.

What are you going to do on your Winter break?

Most of us have family obligations of one sort or another. Even if we don’t, or if they’re brief, there’s a tendency to spend our free time doing the same things we do on weekends or evenings or whenever it is we’re not working.

Adults in our society have very little truly free time. So when we find ourselves with a few days, let’s make the most of them.

These are six things I like to do on my Winter break.

1. Review the passing year

I started writing year-end reviews my first full year after college. I was used to getting grades on a regular basis that told me how I was doing. Without that feedback I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything, that I was drifting aimlessly.

My format hasn’t changed much over the years. I look back at my journal and my calendars and make a list of all the significant things that happened. Most months have two or three entries, but some have five or six and some have none.

I assess how I did in key areas. For me, those are physical health, mental health, professional, financial, social, and spiritual. I look back at the goals I set and see how well I accomplished them. I summarize major successes, major failures, and the year as a whole. And then I give the whole year a letter grade, A to F.

The year-end reviews help me recognize what I’ve done well, and they keep me from forgetting about the areas where I really want to do better.

2. Set goals for next year

Once you see how you did this year, it’s time to think about what you want to do next year.

One of the reasons abandoned New Year’s resolutions are a cliché is that so many people set goals based on what they think they’re supposed to want, rather than what they actually want. Or they set goals for things they want without considering that they don’t want to do what it takes to get them.

My best goals have been specific as to the desired outcome but flexible as to how they happen, and they’ve been something I really wanted.

Last year I wrote Target Selection: The Key To Effective Magic. The process we use to determine the most appropriate magical targets works just as well when trying to set mundane goals.

3. Go some place new

One of the biggest advantages of a few days off is the ability to do something you don’t ordinarily do. Getting out of a rut in one part of your life brings benefits to other parts as well, and there’s nothing as good for getting out of a rut than travel.

Let’s be honest – travel can be expensive. But you don’t have to fly to London or drive to the Florida Keys to get the benefits of going some place new. Spend a couple days in a state park. Rent an Air B&B in a town an hour away. If overnight travel isn’t possible, make a day trip to a city park, or visit a museum you haven’t seen yet.

My biggest regret in life is that I didn’t travel in my 20s and early 30s because I thought I couldn’t afford it. I didn’t have the money for a big overseas trip, but I could have done some smaller trips. And while I can still go to the places I missed, I can’t get those years back. Go somewhere while you still can.

4. Organize your bookshelves

This is pretty high on my list for this year. The open bookshelf I created in 2013 (has it really been that long?!) is now packed. And it’s not in any sort of order. I know roughly where things are, but finding a book I haven’t touched in a year can take a bit. I need to move some books down to the secondary shelves and others onto my “ready reference” bookcase. But before I can do that I have to clear some space on it.

I’d like to get another bookcase, but I’m out of wall space in my office. Probably the best option is to get rid of some of the not-books that take up bookshelf space.

But I’m not getting rid of any books. Books are wealth.

5. Perform an overnight or multi-day ritual

Most Pagan groups move their high day rituals to the closest Saturday. If we didn’t, our attendance would be greatly diminished, because most people have to get up and go to work or school on weekday mornings.

Having a few days off makes performing a lengthy ritual far more manageable. You can be up all night with a fireside vigil, then get caught up on your sleep the next day. Or two or three – the older I get the longer it takes to recover from sleep loss. Perhaps there’s a ritual that doesn’t require your constant attention, but requires prayers and offerings at regular intervals. Do the ritual now – you don’t have to be at work tomorrow.

If you need me to tell you what might be in a multi-day ritual, you probably don’t need to perform one. They’re uncommon, and not just because they’re hard. But if you have a need, or if you’ve always felt like you should do an overnight vigil, now’s your chance.

6. Watch the movies you’ve been wanting to see

I often rant about people who spend all their limited free time in front of the TV. It can be a terrible time-waster. On the other hand, movies and TV shows are the epics of our time. And even if they’re not epics, good movies and TV shows can be inspiring.

What have you been wanting to see that you keep putting off?

Maybe a Star Wars marathon before (or after) you go see The Rise of Skywalker? Binge-watch The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina? (season 3 starts January 24!). Maybe some movies to inspire your magic? You could do far worse than a Lord of the Rings marathon.

Whatever you’ve been wanting to watch, sit down and watch it while you’ve got some free time.

However long your Winter break, I hope it’s relaxing, recharging, and rewarding.

This post was inspired by Astrea’s Magic To Do On Vacation: Easy Witchcraft To Make The Most Of Your Time Off.

Spiritual Practice

Christmas break

Christmas vacation

New Year's resolutions

Previous Post

December 10, 2019

Strategies and Tactics for The Storm

Next Post

December 15, 2019 Winter Solstice and the Pagan Restoration

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will do what?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rejoice Prophesy Worship Sing