Winter's Edge: The Grandeur of the Soul

Welcome to Winter’s Edge and to Part One of a seven-episode series on how to care for your soul during the long dark of winter. In this opening teaching, I explore “the grandeur of the soul”—the first of seven soul-care themes drawn from Francis Weller’s newest book, In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty. Together, we look at why winter is the perfect season to tend the inner life, how the night sky has served for centuries as a metaphor for our own vastness, and what it means to remember that our soul is far more expansive than the small identity we navigate the world with. I share three star-filled memories—from childhood nights on a Lake Powell houseboat, to psychedelic desert trips during my drug years, to a profound sober night in Monument Valley, and finally a recent pilgrimage to Idaho’s Dark Sky Reserve with my father’s ashes. These stories ground the teaching: when we look into the night sky, we are glimpsing the immensity of our own soul. Drawing from John O’Donohue, I also teach why genuine soul work cannot be approached with neon intensity or psychological force. The soul is shy, sacred, and secretive. It requires candlelight, softness, shadow, and hospitality—not striving or spiritual hunting. You’ll learn: ❄️ Why winter is the natural season for soul work ❄️ How the night sky serves as an ancient mirror for the soul’s vastness ❄️ How modern life shrinks us into the “boat of self,” and how to reclaim our larger identity ❄️ Why the soul prefers subtlety, spaciousness, darkness, and quiet welcome ❄️ How awakening the soul invites destiny and meaning to meet us in new ways ❄️ A writing practice from Francis Weller to help you experience your own grandeur I close by reading my personal writing from Idaho’s Dark Sky Reserve and offering an invitation into Winter Wise Circle, my signature 6-week soulful listening and writing community for early 2026. viralmindfulness.com/wise-circle-winter-2026