Magical Mood Boosters for Midwinter

Bust through those Yuletide blues.

I just sat down to write a blog post about Yule and ran up against – what shall we call it? – ennui.

Holiday ennui, let’s call it. Yule ennui. Midwinter ennui?

Let’s just say it’s a feeling that hasn’t been a stranger to me in recent winters. I think it’s the darkness and the cold, and maybe the fact that my brain formed in the Central Valley of California and now I am high up in the Colorado Rockies…Where it’s beautiful! And idyllic. I’m not complaining. It’s just, well. There are no flowers or leaves to be seen, and the ground is icy, and sometimes in the winter I have found myself feeling a little down.

You know what juuuuuust cheered me up, though? Thinking of this blog topic and planning it out. Because now I’m holding a smoky quartz and drinking some ginger cinnamon tea, and the sun just came out from behind the clouds and started shining through the window on my face.

Here are some of my favorite simple little magical tools, ingredients, potions, and practices to help you bust out from behind those midwinter clouds.

Think of it like a magical mood-boosting menu: read through and see what calls to you.

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links.)

Crystals

Smoky Quartz

I just can’t get enough of my smoky quartz lately. It is the perfect combination of grounding and energizing, cleansing and empowering. It just feels perfect. Meditate with it, take a walk with it, or just hold it in your hand. Relax and feel its subtle magic.

Clear Quartz

Ye olde standby.

Empower your clear quartz in sunlight (i.e. hold it in sunlight or set it in sunlight for a minute or two) and then keep it in your pocket or otherwise on your person to help conjure up and bolster a sunshiny mood.

Citrine Quartz

Citrine quartz is the happiest crystal. I’m pretty sure that’s true. Right? It feels true.

Fluorite

If you feel muddled, cloudy, or fatigued, try hanging out with a fluorite to help restore clarity, focus, and enthusiasm.

Bloodstone

Did I choose bloodstone for this list because it’s green with red specks and matches your holiday decor? Or did I choose it because it will help boost your physical wellbeing and restore your sense of joy? Or both?

Both! Definitely both.

Jasper

I just think jasper is the sweetest and most comforting stone. Hold one to your belly for help with digestion, your uterus for help with cramps, or your heart for help with sadness. It’s also great for your circulation, helps shore up your immunity and physical strength, and fills you with an energetic sort of inner warmth.

Incense

Cinnamon

Cinnamon incense is one of my essentials: I burn it frequently and I always have it on hand. Why? Because it smells delicious. It’s warming and sweet. It’s relaxing and energizing. It draws wealth, it raises vibrations, it promotes self-love and harmonious romance, it bolsters the root chakra as well as the heart chakra and the crown — there are just so many things about cinnamon incense to love. Plus it just basically feels perfect at this time of year.

Nag Champa

When you walk into a New Age bookstore, are you like “Argh! Why can’t my house smell like this?”

I am here to tell you that it can. And all you need is a stick of nag champa incense.

They say the scent comes from the frangipani or plumeria flower, but it might as well be called Eau de New Age Bookstore.

I can always rely on walking into a New Age bookstore to lift my spirits. It never fails.

If you feel the same, you’ve got to getchu some nag.

Frankincense and Myrrh

The three kings were actually three magi, did you know? Magi as in magical guys. Magicians! Which is why one of the gifts they brought when they felt irresistibly called to the manger? Frankincense and myrrh.

The blend is cleansing, grounding, healing, and uplifting. It strengthens the spirit. Frankincense is solar and myrrh is lunar, so the scent of both together brings harmony because it balances the yin and the yang.

Aromatherapy

Neroli

I love the sweet, white floral scent of neroli – orange blossom – at this time of year. It gently, subtly, awakens the senses and opens the heart to love. It relieves stress and opens the crown chakra, aligning the spirit with the purest and most divine of vibes.

Lavender

Ye olde standby, essential oil version.

Lavender is ye olde standby for a reason: it’s basically an aromatherapeutic panacea.

What do you want? Calm energy? Joyful relaxation? Holistic inner harmony? A feeling that life is magical and the Goddess loves you? Lavender‘s gotchu.

Rosemary

Rosemary – with it’s bright focus and unflagging positivity – will give your gloomy mood a swift kick in the root chakra.

Beverages

Ginger Cinnamon Tea

Ginger and cinnamon are both solar, sunshiny herbs that warm the spirit and boost the mood.

Any blend with a little caffeine and these two herbs will help to set you on a more joyful course, just as they did for me (if you will recall the intro).

Here’s one idea. Here’s another. Here’s one more.

(Or just blend up your own. You’ve got ginger, right? And cinnamon? And tea?)

Mushroom Coffee

I drink this mushroom coffee every morning. And every morning, it cheers me up.

The mushrooms in there (lion’s mane and chaga) do something mystical to the coffee experience. They make it more energetically even-keeled, easier on the digestion, and more conducive to a clear/focused mind and an enthusiastic spirit. I don’t know how, but they do.

If you try this coffee, come back and leave a comment to let me know if you have the same experience.

White Russian

Admittedly, drinking alcohol is a whole other kind of holiday cheer. But every now and then, for some of us (not all), it’s just the thing. For me, a tall, frosty white Russians is the quintessential, most perfect and delicious holiday cocktail.

Here’s how I make mine:

Fill a tall glass with ice. Dump in 1/4 cup Kahlua and 2 tablespoons vodka. Then fill the rest of the glass with soy milk, almond milk, or a combination of both. Stir thoroughly and enjoy.

Simple Self-Care Rituals

Epsom Salt and Orange Bath 

When I really want to pump some sunlight into my mood, I like to slice up an orange and throw it in a warm bath with 2-3 cups of Epsom salt. Then I light some candles and maybe some incense (see above) and soak.

Rose Water Spritz

It’s so simple! Spray yourself with rose water. That’s it. And you’ll feel different: sweeter, happier, better.

At Home Mani-Pedi

Giving yourself a mani-pedi gets your mind off the daily grind. It blesses your fingers and toes with shine, sparkle, and/or color. It makes you feel elegant, fancy, pampered, and luxurious.

…So is a mani-pedi magical? You decide.

Aaaaaand blogging always cheers me up too. So thanks guys, for letting me blog atcha. My mood is boosted.

…So what do you think? Do you feel excited about any of these Midwinter blues busters? Or did they spark any other ideas you’d like to share? I always love hearing from you in the comments!