We felt the earth harden under our feet, freezing the prints of paws and claws and boots until Spring. Cold began to penetrate muscle and bone. Dark blankets of snow clouds moved in to cover the Earth. In the natural world, life in Winter is muted and quiet. Activity is at a minimum as plant and animal life are at rest, conserving the natural resources of food, water, and heat.
Life slows almost to a stop.
It hides and goes underground. The seed sleeps. Winter calls us to the depths Winter in our human, Western world is a bit more complicated than what I've just described. In particular, Winter shows us how each seasonal phase contains aspects of other phases in the cycle. In Winter, our calendars fill with school events for the children, office parties, family gatherings, and religious celebrations.