When Hibernation Is Necessary
It has been a while. I know. And I want to acknowledge that.
I haven’t been posting on LinkedIn like I used to. And I didn’t send a holiday email like I intended to. And yet—please know this—you have been on my mind and in my heart. So many of you. So often.
I’ve been sitting with a lot, ruminating on what to say and when. How to re-enter the conversation in a way that feels real, relevant, or in any way helpful. And I’ve realized something: this has been a necessary time of hibernation for me.
When I first learned that 2025 is considered the Year of the Hermit in Tarot, I cried tears of relief. Because I had been wondering what was wrong with me. Why I felt the urge to pull inward, to pause, to sit in the quiet rather than push forward with boldness and urgency. And it turns out—nothing is wrong. In fact, something is very right.
What I learned is that the Hermit invites us to look within for the wisdom we need, rather than seeking answers in the whirlwind of outside voices. It’s the year of the introvert, of quiet power, of deep reflection. I learned too that sensitive and empathic people (she raises her hand) may find themselves withdrawing—not to disappear, but to recalibrate. To listen to the questions emerging from within.
I have been immersed in this. In my own inner work. In my parenting, which feels more tender and raw than ever. A poem I recently discovered, The Bear, captures this feeling exactly—the way my skin feels lifted, how exposed and attuned I am, how harrowing it is to face the raw truth of this world with my little ones standing beside me.
And through all of this, I’ve begun writing again for the first time in decades. Starting at a young age, perhaps 10 or 11, writing was an integral part of who I was and what I did in this world. Then after college I dropped it like a millstone. How arcane poems were. How impractical. And I didn’t want to be in touch with myself anyway. It was easier not to go there.
Now writing again – in the company of brave, loving women – has become a way back to myself. My true, unvarnished self.
In my writing group, I find I’m ready to take in all of my truth, to touch my wounds tenderly, and to speak out loud what feels forbidden to say.
It’s FIRE blazing bright in a crucible.
And it’s exactly what I need.
So I don’t have any answers to speak of at this time, but as always I have coaching questions, which I pose to myself as much as to you:
In what areas of my life do I need to hibernate, to reflect, to recalibrate?
How might I gently and lovingly create space for this?
How will I know when the time is right to awaken and emerge?
And what do I want to bring forward then?
To me, this time in our history for me has felt like a rude awakening – a sudden and unpleasant jolt. But someone in my orbit recently offered the idea of this time as a great awakening, and I loved that.
What if this could be a time of deep clarity, of emerging with new strength, of moving forward with thoughtful, purposeful action?
I am still sitting with all of this. But I want you to know—I am here. And I would love to hear from you. How are you navigating this year? What wisdom is surfacing for you?
