There is something in the air that is magic during the Winter Solstice. The Solstice holds special meaning for me and it is a time when we celebrate the coming light after a winter of early darkness. I try to shed off the bustle of daily life, impersonate a bear and hibernate. We celebrate the coming light with bringing the outside in with our Yule Tree, decoarting with lights and lighting candles. A bonfire is always in the cards for us with the solstice and whether we celebrate together with friends or a cozy duo of ourselves, the magic is certainly felt.
A bonsai in training, dressed up for the season.
Being a creative individual has taught me so much about the ebbs and flows, and today's pressure of always outputting creative content. It is important for me to create, to let the magic out through my hands, whether that is through my metalwork or other mediums. When there is an ebb in silversmithing ideas, other mediums arrive at the forefront. I try not to let the pressure to output take hold, instead finding outlets.
My creativity and love of plants have found my soul tending to bonsai and learning all the ways the trees speak. Close to my home is a local group that gets together once a month where we converge and talk all things Bonsai. There has always been a part of me that wanted to learn the art since I was a young one and saw the beautiful trees of bonsai. How grateful I am to live in a community full of groups that are able to get together to speak of the subjects we hold dear.
This year's end, we met up and were tasked with decorating our bonsai's for the holiday season. I had never thought of decorating a bonsai before and how much joy this simple task brought. I learned so much, about the negative spaces of the trees, where they may need trimming or where the branches may grow, just by adding a few baubles.
As I gathered my supplies; a pre-bonsai yew, a cauldron pot, stars, and twinkle lights. I had all these on hand and in my ornament box a tiny wilderness rider. I had felt a few Amanita mushrooms and adorned my tree.
I feel I was whisked away to a tiny portion of a magical forest and it sparked much more creativity within me than I had imagined it would! I love this small pot of magic and it will probably last longer than the holiday season.
A tiny cauldron of magic.
Now, these trees are definitely not Bonsai, but 'bonsai in training.' They cannot be classified as bonsai as they are not in the realm of that yet. I am certainly in the beginning stages of learning. There is so much potential and possibilities in every tree.
Small pomegranate on a pre-bonsai.
I cannot convey with these small words how much joy this potted tree has brought to me. Seeing it light up with timed lights at night and the leopard wrangler illuminated by the starry limbs. I want to live among the moss and lichen and gather every bit of magic I can.