✨ This is the episode where sadness is honoured, our loved ones are remembered, and we allow all the feelings, however they might arise. May it be a comfort to you in the dark season.

Episode 6 includes:

* The comfort of poetry

* Thoughtful ideas for dealing with sadness in the dark season

* A candlelight meditation

* Lovely robins

* London’s last lamplighters

* Commonplace books

* Beautiful ideas for honouring and remembering loved ones, from listeners around the world

* Get ahead tips

With inspiration from David Whyte, Danni Nicholls, Nina MacLaughlin, the London lamplighters, Day Schildkret, Songbird Survival, John O’Donohue, Patricia Fargnoli and my mother’s recipe book.

Don’t forget, if you feel like seeking solace in words this winter, don’t miss my Winter Writing Sanctuary which runs from Dec 28-Jan 5. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can register for FREE here.

Take good care of your heart,Beth Xx

PS You can also listen on Apple or Spotify.

This week’s giveaway

To enter this week’s special giveaway, you are invited to leave the name of someone you love and miss, or simply a heart to acknowledge them, in the comments of the giveaway post on my Instagram. We did this last year and it became the most beautiful tribute.

The winner gets all this for themselves:

* A personalised, signed first edition of my book Kokoro: Japanese wisdom for a life well lived

* Bath House patchouli & black pepper candle

* Winter Solstice by Nina Maclaughlin

* Festive Spirit - Candlestick Press Poem Card

* A complimentary place on my short writing course Words Heal

To enter, go to @bethkempton on Instagram.

Glazed Ham recipe

* You can find Delia Smith’s Glazed Ham recipe online here

What you need to make a commonplace book

* Any kind of notebook

* Ephemera and bits and pieces gathered from your life

* A stick of glue or tape

Winter Writing Sanctuary sign up

- Register here for free (runs Dec 28-Jan 5 online)

Inspiration sale!

- Up to 50% off all my classes in my annual gratitude sale, on now here.

Links

* Ancient Embers by Danni Nicholls

* Under the Neem Plum Tree by Danni Nicholls

* London’s last lamplighters via the BBC

* Burn Something Today by Nina Maclaughlin in The Paris Review

* Songbird Survival

* Free Calm Christmas Planner (by me!)

* Poets.org

* The Poetry Society 15151

* The Poetry Foundation

* For the Love of Tiny Things essay by me on Substack

Referenced books + recommendations

* Winter Grief by David Whyte - The version shared on the podcast was from David’s Substack here. The original appeared in The Bell and the Blackbird by David Whyte (Many Rivers Press)

* Kokoro: Japanese wisdom for a life well lived by Beth Kempton (Piatkus)

* Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (Piatkus)

* Winter Solstice by Nina MacLaughlin (Black Sparrow Press)

* Hello, Goodbye by Day Schildkret (Simon Element)

* Echoes of Memory by John O’Donohue (Transworld Ireland)

* Winter Grace by Patricia Fargnoli in Poetry of Presence edited by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R Wilson (Grayson)

Images: Holly Bobbins/Unsplash

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com