Today, we’re exploring the intersection of mystery and neuroscience, what Lara J. Day and I call Magic. We explore the 13 Sacred Nights ritual, an ancient winter solstice practice: what it is, how it works, and how its magic can shift the way your brain and nervous system perceive the world.
Today, we’re exploring the intersection of mystery and neuroscience, what Lara J. Day and I call Magic. And when I talk about magic, I don’t mean illusion or fantasy. I mean the felt sense of aliveness that arises when we attune to the unseen layers of reality: synchronicities, symbols, and the subtle ways life communicates with us when we slow down enough to listen.
To help us dive into the magic that opens specifically at this time of year, I invited a special guest: Lara J. Day, author of the 13 Sacred Nights Oracle and creator of Neurogenic Qigong. Lara is on a mission to reclaim the hyper-commercialized holidays and return the Soul to the Solstice.
In this episode, we explore the 13 Sacred Nights ritual, an ancient winter solstice practice: what it is, how it works, and how its magic can shift the way your brain and nervous system perceive the world. Lara shares 17 years of personal experience with the practice, along with stories of synchronicity, prophetic dreams, animal symbolism, and why this ritual has become one of her greatest teachers in cultivating presence, awe, and deep attunement with the unseen world.
If you want a more intentional, soulful way to envision and plant seeds for 2026, you’ll want to listen before December 21st. Lara shares exactly how to prepare, what to expect, and how to work with the energies of each sacred night beginning on December 24th.
Inside the Episode:
(00:00) How do we define the experience of magic in everyday life?
(03:32) Why magic is a natural neurobiological state
(05:07) The origins of the 13 Sacred (aka Holy) Nights ritual
(09:55) Solstice as the New Moon of the solar year
(13:20) Understanding the practice and structure of the 13 Sacred Nights
(20:32) Receiving and blueprinting your next year during the Sacred Nights
(25:43) Symbolism of animal signs, dreams, and repeated Oracle cards
(36:04) What it means to co-create with the future as a creator with agency
(41:01) Darkness as a teacher and Sacred Nights as a nervous system reset
(47:14) How to live with the practice throughout the year
(52:40) Small structural habits to weave the sacred into daily life
(56:05) Reclaiming holidays and rituals in modern life
Connect with Lara J. Day:
Lara has a one-year program coming up that kicks off with the Sacred Holy nights practice + a year of accountability and support to watch in community how each of our blueprints unfolds. She also has a beautiful oracle deck called the 13 Sacred Nights.
Website: http://www.larajday.com
Instagram: @larajday
Facebook: @larajday
TikTok: @larajday
Join the Revealing Wisdom Collective with Anne-Marie:
If this episode awakens something in you, I’d love to support you more deeply with awakening your power to build the life you long to live through the Revealing Wisdom Collective, my new membership devoted to nervous system coherence and power reclamation. We open our weekly sanctuary on January 13, 2026. https://www.revealingwisdom.com/collective
Connect with Anne-Marie Marron:
- If you have a power reclamation story to share or questions, please send them to Ask Anne-Marie https://anne-mariemarron.com/ask
- Find Anne-Marie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/anne.marie.marron/
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Anne-Marie Marron 0:09
Hello and welcome. You're listening to the power reclamation show where we explore the mysteries, heartbreaks and resiliency of the human experience together, we'll focus on rewilding ourselves through raising consciousness and dismantling domestication. This is a collective journey of challenging hierarchical systems of power over as well as our own personal conditioning and limiting belief systems. This show is about embodying the power of love, presence and our own inner authority. Today, we're exploring a theme that lives at the intersection of mystery and neuroscience, something called Magic. We're going to talk about what it looks like, how it works, and why practices like the 13 sacred nights can shift the way our brain and our nervous system perceive the world. And when I talk about magic, I don't mean illusion or fantasy. I mean the felt sense of aliveness that arises when we attune to the unseen layers of reality, the synchronicities, the symbols, the subtle ways life communicates with us when we slow down enough to listen. And what's fascinating is that this isn't actually Woo, even though it could appear that way when we enter states of awe, reverence or ritual, our neurochemistry literally changes from a nervous system lens magic is what actually makes the body shift out of survival mode and open into oneness and wonder. So the biological and biochemical cocktail reorganizes us towards possibility. So dopamine will rise when we feel something meaningful, serotonin and oxytocin will increase with a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. And the default mode network this part of the brain that sort of loops in overthinking and striving and a lot of self reflection that can get more quiet, and even the vagus nerve, which signals safety, allows us to perceive subtlety instead of threat. So magic, in many ways, is a form of neurobiological coherence. It's basically a synchrony between the seen and the unseen, the inner and the outer worlds, and it's really less about believing in something supernatural, and it's really more about inhabiting this receptive state where guidance, coincidence, insight, become more perceptible and more meaningful. So practices like the 13 sacred nights help train this receptivity. They open this seasonal portal into deeper listening and moving us from this place of control into communion, from even hyper analysis, into receiving. And when we allow the invisible world to participate in our decisions and in our reflections, life can start to feel very enchanting. It brings us basically to a place where we're more in attunement with what's happening around us, this deeper intelligence that runs through us and mirrors itself back to us everywhere. So in many ways, the magic we experience, literally, is the magic that we are. So today, my guest Laura day, we're going to be exploring the history and the heart of this particular practice, how she works with these 13 sacred nights. She's got a program and books and a very cool Oracle deck that we'll talk about and so without further ado, Laura, welcome. Very glad to have you.
Lara J. Day 3:32
Thank you. Anne Marie, so happy to be here, and that was such a beautiful introduction. I just resonated so deeply with so many of the things that you know, you just shared, yeah, what stood out for you? Oh, this idea that that the mysterious or the magical is really not something so out there, and that as we begin to attune to it, we we learn to bring it into our reality as something that is just, quote, you know, normal, yeah, part of this reality that we've just been tuned out to or missing out on or oblivious to, but that it's not necessarily supernatural. It is quite natural, and we're just, we're just beginning to bring it in to our reality in a more aware and awake way.
Anne-Marie Marron 4:15
Yeah, I love that you plucked that out. It does seem like there's, you know, in previous years, I've wanted to share this with some of the the executives that I work with, and I found myself hesitating because, and I've done that a lot in my career, because I want to make sure that they it feels accessible, but I feel like I've started doing it, and it's been amazing. What happens when people actually see this as just a way of paying more attention, right? It's really like partnering with the UN like partnering with the unseen. So I think it would be really cool to because I definitely want to hear about your journey with all of this. But maybe we could start with, is this related to some kind of religion, like, what? What's the history of these nights? Yeah, and bring us up to speed of like, where they're from and who they're for,
Lara J. Day 5:07
yeah, well, I'll tell you what, what I dove into when I asked that question recently, because, and then you can maybe elaborate on on your experience, because I know you also are a longtime practitioner of of the sacred night, through the holy nights. But you know, i this will be my 17th year doing the practice, and I only know that because I remember that I learned it the year my daughter was born. Otherwise I would be, you know, like when did How long have I been doing this? But I could remember, because she's 17, and it was the year she was born that I learned it from Damaris, our shared teacher and mentor. So I self published an Oracle deck five years ago to help guide folks through this practice, in response to myself just falling in love with it all those years ago, it completely changing the way that I, as a California native, was moving through the season of darkness in the mountains of Colorado, you know, with this long snowy winter and and then also in response to, you know, being a new mom and having this beautiful, precious baby and wanting to to mark and celebrate and honor these traditions in a way that had more meaning and felt more special, and was not just commercialism and materialism and the hustle and the bustle and the franticness that you know, so many of us are tiring of, and so, so I self published five years ago, and and that original version of the Oracle deck was quite successful within my own little circle, but I was picked up by publishers a year ago, and they suggested and asked, well, wouldn't it be wonderful to have a history section, you know, I think we, we think folks are quite curious, and we're quite curious, where did this come from? And I thought, wow, I've been doing this practice for, I think it was 15 or 16 years at the time, but I actually have no idea what its really deep roots are. I just, you know, took it from Damaris and ran with it and fell in love with it and made it my own. And so I really dove into the history of Winter Solstice practices and and the roots of all these traditions and and the roots of our Christmas traditions on a side rabbit hole that's also quite fascinating. And I've now, you know, read 32 books on the history of all of our holidays, and that's quite a fascinating dive as well, yeah, but the winter solstice has been honored as sacred and special and mystical, and this portal of opportunity and the veil is thin between worlds for as as you know as far back as we can peer into Human history, and we know this because of ancient sites, ruins of ancient sites such as Stonehenge and Newgrange and Chaco Canyon and New Mexico and Nevena Playa and Egypt and archaim and Russia, and they're just every single continent go sex circle in Germany has these, these ruins of sacred sites that were clearly built with care and precision to capture the first rays of the sunlight on, you know, the morning of the winter solstice, and likewise, the summer solstice and the equinoxes and the cross quarter days. But these cultures were very in tune with nature. They were living in communion with nature as a part of nature, in relationship with nature, with the movement of the sun and the moon and the stars and the cosmos, and very much knowing their place within the greater cosmic picture. And so So, so we can infer that these moments, these turning points in the year, were very important. And again, we see it reflected in in on all the continents, and, you know, virtually in every in every culture. And because they they were themes that arose from their relationship with nature, although they were, you know, completely different cultures and varying traditions, the same themes were arising over and over again. And it was the conquering of light over darkness, the rebirth and the return of the light, you know, specifically with the winter solstice, right? The, you know, Triumph of life over death, right? This was the return of the warmth and the life giving sun. And so the word Solstice actually means sun standing still, or soul sun. And then sistere to stand still is where the Latin came from. And what happens is that we have the winter solstice, the longest, darkest night of the year. And after that occurrence, the sun appears to stand still on the horizon for three days. And in ancient times, this was a shadowy time when it was uncertain whether or not the sun was going to return. So it's appearing to stand still on the horizon for three days. Days. And you know, these people who depend on the warmth and light of the sun are wondering, is it going to return? Are we going to triumph over darkness and death once again in this cyclical way of living? And on the third day, the sun then would incrementally begin to, you know, continue in its southward trajectory and and every day there would be a little more light and a little more light and a little more light. So this is why we begin the practice of the sacred nights, not on the actual Solstice itself. We have that's the the marking of the beginning of the practice, and we have those three days to prepare while we have this cosmic pause holding us, you know, giving us a moment to get our ducks in a row and to think about what we personally want to bring into the new cycle of seasons, what we want to co creatively give to this, this imprint, this blueprint that we are co creating with the Divine and and then Again, on the third day this the light begins to stream back in. And I like to think of it as it's as if we're we're capturing the tip of the fractal that is going to continue to bloom and unfold in untold beautiful ways throughout the remainder of the cycle. And so so all these cultures around the world, again, had their own variations on this theme of light conquering darkness. You know, life conquering death, the cyclical nature of of life continuing. You know, the the snake eating its own tail, and so. So that's that is, in essence, where this practice came from. Did I find a direct historical line, absolutely not, you know, and even, yeah, and I asked Damaris about it, you know, like, where did Steiner get it? Because, of course, she learned this practice from the anthroposophic community and Rudolph Steiner. And it's like, Well, where did he, where did he get this practice? And, you know, he himself was drawing from cosmic downloads, and this history of all of these mystery traditions and schools that that were again tapped into, these cosmic mysteries, cosmic patterns, you know, the mathematics of the universe and and how humanity is a part of all of that, right? But he did not give a specific structure, like, you know, game board directions on how to do the 13 sacred nights. And so hence you have all these various traditions, even within the world of anthroposophy, that do the practice in their own way, and with a little slight tweaking here and there. And of course, as you know, one of Damaris most wonderful gifts is her ability to take something quite esoteric and complicated and complex and and to be able to distill it down into something that you know many, if not most, if not all of us can, can can grab on to and and take it and run with it and incorporate it into our modern lives, and so, so that is a little bit about What I uncovered about the history of the practice. I did include a history in the new, you know, elevated edition, this evolved version of the original that that goes into some of the just a handful of these practices and different cultures and how they've celebrated the season of darkness, mid winter and the winter solstice.
Anne-Marie Marron 13:20
Oh, interesting. So the book actually talks about the variations of how different it does. Okay, yeah, yeah. Thing that I like about the practice is it feels like once you know the essence of why you're doing what you're doing, there are, you can make it your own. It's like an intuitively guided process of being in relationship with, yes, the practice itself. So, okay, thank you. So I have to go back to
Speaker 1 13:44
the My brain is like, Wait, literally, the sun suspended itself. Like, what does that mean? Is that, were they in Alaska? Like, what are we talking about? No, is that more metaphorical?
Lara J. Day 13:55
No, no, this is absolutely what happens after the solstice on or around. Sometimes it's the 20th sometimes it's the 21st after that longest, darkest night of the year, the sun does appear to pause on the horizon, and it just has to do with, I mean, I don't know. I'm questioning the nature of our entire reality these days and what we've been taught and told, and I just don't know what's up or down or, you know, my I have landed in a place of, I know nothing but, but from our perspective, the sun appears to stand still after the solstice and then after that third day, which would be, you know, when our when our first sacred night falls at sundown on the 24th so the beginning of the cycle is always in the darkness. It's the womb of winter, right? A child is first you know that spark is first born, the zinc spark in the in the womb, in the darkness. A lot of people who are indulging in co creative journaling practices tend to do their journaling and their their intentioning in the new moon of the lunar cycle. So sometimes I. I will mention, or I think of you know, this greater solar arc, the winter solstice is like the new moon of the solar cycle, right? So we always start in the darkness, and and, and so it's the same way with the sacred nights. We start in the darkness. We start at sundown. And each 24 hour period is from darkness to darkness, from sundown to sundown.
Anne-Marie Marron 15:18
Great. So I feel like that's a perfect segue, just to go in and explain to people what is the practice? Yes, and then we'll see where that takes us. But let's lay a foundation so people kind of know what the framework is, yeah.
Lara J. Day 15:30
And like we already mentioned, there are many variations on this practice. Again, Steiner, he really just spoke to the nature of midwinter and the season and and, and this theme of, you know, just like the seed that descends deep into the soil and into the mother and into the earth in order to gather strength and nourishment for the coming cycle, when it would sprout in the spring and bloom into its full expansion in the summertime, And then, you know, in the fall, there's this richness and this falling away and this withering, that that same process is mirrored internally in the in the human heart and mind, right? And in our in our internal human psyche. So, so we're planting our dream seeds in the fertile soil of the darkness. We're gathering nourishment. We're gathering the spiritual tools and the spiritual nourishment that we'll need for the coming cycle, so that our little seedlings of thought and inspiration can sprout in the springtime. And then in the summertime, we are living the dream that we planted in the womb of winter, in the radiant darkness, in the field of infinite possibility, the zero point of the year, you know, in the in and then in the fall, you know, again, this richness harvest time, we're perhaps thinking about what we want to keep for the coming cycle, what we want to throw on the compost pile, reflecting on the year gone by before diving back in for another cycle. So the way that that I learned the practice from Damaris, and maybe I've made it my own a little bit along the way as well. But the way that it's taught in the Oracle deck is that the practice begins on the winter solstice. We have those three days of cosmic pause to prepare, meaning you are just thinking about, Okay, what do I want to bring into this window? What is the imprint that I want to offer for the coming cycle of seasons, winter, spring, summer, fall. You know, maybe you want to have a certain person in your life so you make sure you have their contact info. Or maybe you you pre arrange a coffee date or whatever it is, or a hike or a walker, or maybe you're just planning on reaching out to them through text or email or a phone call during that 13 day window. If you want to cook more, maybe you're getting your recipes in order, or maybe you want to meditate more, and you need a new meditation cushion, you know, whatever it is, just kind of the logistical things to get your ducks in a row so that when the sacred nights actually arrive, you're not needing to do any of that busy work or that hustle, and you're just kind of ready for that deep, inward dive. So those are the three days of pause, and then the first official sacred night falls at sundown on December 24 and carries through until sundown on December 25 so when I say sacred night, I am referring to that entire 24 hour window, and that first 24 hour window, darkness to darkness, sundown to sundown is a reflection or a foreshadowing of the entire cycle of seasons to come. So the new year. And with my deck, I have divided the deck into three themes or categories. I have animal cards, gem or mineral cards, and then herb cards. So I I draw one card from each category, one animal card, one herb card, one crystal card that first night, and those three cards I take as my my guides for the entire coming cycle, sort of the overarching themes that will be holding the entire year for me that I'll come back to over and over again. And then each of the following 12 nights, or 24 hour periods, is then a reflection of the 12 calendar months. So sundown, the 25th to sundown, the 26th is a reflection of January. Sundown, the 26th to sundown, the 27th February and so on. And so each of those 12 nights, you're then shuffling the entire Oracle deck together, all the cards, and just drawing one card each of the 12 nights that will act as sort of further insight. It's like a little reset, a refresh. Every month, you sort of get to reflect on the month gone by, and then shift your gaze and pivot towards a new theme, a new guide, you know, something new to to just sort of chew on during that month, that cycle, and you do want to shuffle the entire deck together for each of the 12 nights you don't leave the cards out. That's a real common question. The reason for that is that very often you'll draw the same Oracle Card. Card numerous times within the 13 day window, despite the mathematical odds. And that only makes sense from a logical point of view, because we often have themes that show up in our lives that last more than 30 or 31 days. So so it's very common, and people are always surprised, like, oh my goodness, I've drawn this card four times, and it's like, well, yeah, that's up for you. You know, that's, that's a friend who's just hanging around, and you're going to be working, working, working with, with that theme. So, yeah, that's the
Anne-Marie Marron 20:32
quick, yeah, thank you. And so I, I think that's really important. The first, I hadn't actually known the solstice to the 24th period is the preparation. It's kind of like preparing for a birth of some kind. Yeah, and that the first so just for listeners, is to repeat that the 24th to the 25th is for will be for the entire year, 2026 and then each continuous night will be for each month. And let's talk about the different things you can do, because there's your beautiful Oracle deck, which I hope people will check out. It's the 13 sacred nights Oracle deck and what, let's just riff for a minute of like brainstorming for people of other things that they could use as their guide in addition to an Oracle deck throughout this time, yeah.
Lara J. Day 21:18
Well, so I should also clarify, too, that during this window, and this will help that make more sense. Like, what would I actually do during these 13 nights? We're doing two things. The first thing is that we're receiving right and, well, okay, what does that mean? Well, it means simply getting Ultra mindful. It's like a boot camp in mindfulness and simply paying attention to your outer world and your inner world. So you're journaling during these 13 you know, days and nights, everything that's happening externally and internally that might look like just writing down the random happenings of your day, even though they don't seem profound or important at the time later in the year, you will laugh out loud. It is goosebump inducing, how these seemingly random moments during your 13 nights you know, somehow line up with the way that your life is unfolding give you some insight, help you walk through some challenge with more grace, more perspective, more understanding, more peace, at least maybe more acceptance that. Wow. You know this is challenging, but here I wrote about it in my journal, and so it's clearly there's some greater order or meaning going on here. So, so, so you're just getting present and and what I love about this practice, and I don't know how it's been for you, Anne Marie, over the years, but in such a sneaky way, because it's such just a delightful, magical it can be playful, you know, holiday ritual that you just, you just love to return to year after year. And yet, in retrospect, I can really see how, more than any other practice, the 13 sacred nights has strengthened in me, my ability to walk through my daily life more aware of and awake to the conversation that we are always having with the divine, whether you know we're aware of it or not, because it's a 13 day practice. So this isn't your 10 or 20 minute morning meditation, or even if you're doing a deeper dive, it's not even a two hour meditation, it's a 13 day meditation. So you begin to hone your ability to to to again, walk through your whole 24 hour day aware of the sacred, walking in the sacred and in in that conversation and and paying attention to your internal world of thoughts and emotions, and that inner dialog that you're all with, that conversation that we're having with the divine. So it's just been profound for me over the years of how it has shifted the way I move through my life. So that's the receive bit, right? And then the second piece is this co creative piece where we are planting our dream seeds and the fertile soil of the darkness and so well, what does that look like again? The things that you're wanting, the inspirations that you're having for the new cycle, rather than just writing down a list of new year's resolutions, you're actually doing those things during the 13 nights. So you're creating some momentum, you're getting over that inertial inertia hurdle. And you are, in fact, offering this very physical it's like a stamp or an imprint that just impresses right into this window of time. And it's as if there's a riptide of energy moving through and it just gets swept right into your future in the most magical way. So, so we are again. We're receiving, we're receiving downloads that might look like simply paying attention and journaling. Ideally, it would be wonderful, you know, if we can sit in silence, you know, during each 24 hour window and simply. You know, ask and center, what is here now? What is here for me now, receiving in that glassy Lake and center the reflections from the Divine, from our higher self. You know, drawing the oracle cards is another tool. And you know, maybe there, if, maybe throwing the I Ching, you know, whatever your your tools are, maybe having an altar, yeah, all the ways that you perhaps already have a relationship with the sacred, with ritual, you know, maybe you're spending extra time in nature. You're paying attention to animal behaviors. The animals get real. Yeah, they get they get real mischievous during this window, which always is surprising and just wondrous, yeah.
Anne-Marie Marron 25:43
So I yeah, I want to maybe we can throw out some things that have occurred in our lives with this. So I love how you just broke it down into receiving, and then that, that image of imprinting, like a stamp, the dream. So let's start with the receiving because one of the things that I always do is I track animals, especially during the holy nights, or sacred nights. And it was three holy or three years ago, I think now, but I kept pulling the owl card, and I checked them outside too. And then I and I pulled it January, February, March, April, and then I didn't pull it again. And what ended up happening that year is that my mom got sick in January, and I started going to see her. You know, she was in Florida, I'm in Colorado, but I was going frequently every single month, and then I was the one to support her through her death and give her the morphine and be there. And that happened in April. Didn't see the owl again. And then I had the bat for the next month, which was May, and that's all about rebirth. And I could just feel like those are the kinds of magical things. Like I was like, Why do I keep getting the owl, which is, you know, Native American, it's about death. So I wonder if you could speak to something in the receptive side, and also elaborate a little bit more on how you're imprinting, like ideas for people about this imprinting
Lara J. Day 27:09
phase, yeah, yeah, receiving. I mean, just endless stories, right? But what? What, you know, a handful come to mind. I mean, the year of my divorce, I drew Star Sapphire, which is all about the nature, you know, our relationships heating up in either positive or negative ways, depending on how we channel that energy and and the nature of reflection within relationship, and this idea that all the things that drive us crazy about others are reflecting back to us. Some, you know, some, some wounded part of ourself that needs to be accepted and seen and witnessed and and likewise, all the things that we admire and cherish and love about others are also, you know, already active and internally, you know, there and awake and so, so I drew that in the year of my divorce. And if that wasn't a really like appropriate and heavy dose of medicine, I don't know what would be. You know, just kept me really,
Speaker 1 28:02
really upright.
Lara J. Day 28:05
And, you know, and then, gosh, there was a year when I did not know this during the holy nights, but we later in the year, we sold our house and we moved into a travel trailer. We downsized from, you know, a home, 1500 square foot home in Colorado, into a travel trailer. And in California. And that year for my overarching theme, or was it the, actually, the month, it might have even actually been the month that we moved, I think it was. I drew squirrel from Jamie Sam's medicine deck. Yeah, and, and she talks about how, you know you've, you've, you've gathered too many things, and this is a good time to, like, downsize, get rid of, you know. So there's sometimes, there's things that are just, like, logistically so lined up that it's just funny, yeah, you know. And then there are, there are often ways that the cards and again, or your Journal notes line up in a way that's much more metaphorical. So I always like to let people know as well that this practice is meant to be helpful. It's never meant to be a curse, a voodoo curse, or, you know, a no SIBO kind of a thing. So inevitably, I have folks calling me every now and again or every every year, saying, Oh, my goodness, this awful thing happened during the sacred nights. Does that mean that my whole coming year, or such and such a month in the new in the coming year is just going to be awful, and the answer is, No, we, I say, don't strangle the mystery, right? Because we just don't know how these things that happen during this window are going to serve to guide us later on. So that information that's offered is always a gift. It's always, always, always a gift, and it's always and only meant to be helpful. So, so that's an important reminder. So, so sometimes it is just jaw dropping, the way that things line up word for word, and then sometimes it's this much greater, more metaphorical still. You know. Goosebump inducing, but in a way that you couldn't have preconceived and so, I mean, what are some other examples? There was a dreams are also very important to track during this time, your actual dreams that you're having at night. In fact, I always reestablish, get more regular about my dream practice a month or two before the holy nights fall, because I know that if I keep pen and paper by my bedside, and I start getting more regular about remembering my dreams, that by the time the holy nights roll around, I'll be, you know, swimming in my dreams in broad daylight. So but it takes some practice, you know, you have to sort of, it's, you know, it's like carrying that dream over the threshold from the subconscious sleeping realm into the waking is tricky business, you know. And so it's slippery, and it slips through the cracks, and you think you're going to remember it. I won't forget. And then if you don't write it down, an hour later, it's just gone, you know. And so dreams can be very telling. I had a dream. I've had so many prophetic dreams during the sacred nights. But there was one year where I dreamt, and this is an example of something that that could feel a little spooky, if you didn't, you know, just hold it in this place of surrender and remembering that it's always a gift. But I had a dream during the sacred nights that somebody had passed, somebody had died, and my then husband and my daughter and I were all in mourning, and we were grieving the loss of this being or this you know, I didn't in the dream, I woke up I thought it was a human but in the dream, there was this very, very clear knowing that there was choice that the being who had taken off had chosen to do so that there was wisdom in that choice, and that it was a choice, that it wasn't, you know, a life that was taken against anybody's will or anything like that. And then there was also this feeling of a continued connection to the bright light of that soul. And it was just so clear in the dream that that light was still with all three of us and was very present and had not gone anywhere, and that we were, that we were still just so connected, and so so that happened during the sacred nights, or the holy nights. And, you know, I'm not gonna lie, I was a little spooked, like, oh, okay, but, but again, always just coming back to, it's just a gift, whatever is offered here as a gift. And later in the year, the month that corresponded to that sacred night, our little dog was taken by a coyote, which was devastating, but it was so incredibly helpful for myself and for my daughter and for my, you know, my husband, to have the message of that dream. Yes, that you know that there was wisdom in this choice and that she chose to go, she wasn't attacked against her, you know, there this was in the design. And so it was really soothing. It was really comforting for all of us. I did have another dream years later. This was another moment where I, I, you know? Well, you know how you some dreams just seem garbled and random, and then there's those dreams that just are, like, clearly, night school, yes, you know, and there's, yeah, they're so clear. And it's just, it's like, you know, so and loud and vibrant, and you wake up and they're right there. So I had a dream one sacred night that my brother had passed, and I woke up literally ugly crying, like physically sobbing, and he's been on a long downward spiral. So he's it's a complicated story and life for him. And I'll just say, right now he's still with us, but I woke up just sobbing, and over the passing of my brother, it's like, it's like the dream was so real. And I actually reached out to Annie, did? I did? Yeah, because I was like, What do I do with this? You know? And my brother wasn't doing well at the time, and and she just again, reminded me, you know, this, whatever is offered, it's always a gift. It's not a curse. You know, what will be, will be, and whatever we are being shown is only an ever meant to help and to guide and, you know, and so, so I just took that into heart. I won't say that it didn't make me nervous until that month passed in the new year, but he was fine. He did not, you know, he didn't pass and and I definitely approached our relationship very differently that year with just a lot more gratitude and and love and attention and, you know, just not taking it for granted, not taking him or our relationship for granted. And so it was, it was an extremely positive, you know, gift. And I kind of, and I, you know, after that, I was like, you know, that was kind of intense. I don't need, I don't need it in that format again, like it could be more gentle, more more gently, please. But what a gift, right? I mean, just the way that that it helps me really appreciate and love my brother that year was special. I love so and he needed it. You know, he was gone through a lot so well,
Anne-Marie Marron 34:58
there's something about that particular. Particular experience that I think highlights what you were saying is the mystery speaks in such non linear ways. So that was actually potentially the messaging was really you couldn't have known until you lived through the month, but it was or the year even, it was so much more about as to your point being engaged and in gratitude and more present with him as a being who's going through whatever he was going through, right? And, yeah, that is kind of what I feel like, what this is sometimes, just these Wake Up Calls, present, be present. Be present for this person. Be present to this thing. So beautiful example. And I wonder if we could shift now and talk about the second part of this, which was like stamping in the dreams. Stamping, yeah, you even talked about in the preparation like there's someone that you want to spend more time with, or, you know, I even think about business offerings in the world, or anything that we want to see more of, that there's this preparation time, and then there's the holy night. So can you share a little bit more about that phase?
Lara J. Day 36:04
Yeah, so, I mean, it's one of my favorite parts of this practice, because I really get to think about, what are my favorite things? What are the things that bring me joy? So, so again, you know, this practice is delightful. It can be playful, it can feel good, which is the same way that I practice. You know, I approach my Qigong practice. It's like we practice because it feels good, because we love to engage with the divine and the and the, you know, radiant energy all around us in this way, not because we're militant and disciplined, you know, but because it's delightful and playful and and so, so, so, so, what a wonderful opportunity to sit down and brainstorm about all the things that bring you joy and fulfill you and help you feel nourished and happy and and make sure you do them. You get this, you know, excuse to do all your favorite things during that 13 day window. So I'll spend more time in nature. I spend more time at the beach. I I, you know, I reach out to all my friends that I adore and love and don't spend enough time with. And you know, if you are wanting, let's say there could be some challenges. Let's say you live in a cold climate and you're wanting to do more gardening during the new cycle. Well, maybe you're just, you know, flipping through seed catalogs or researching what plants are going to do well in your area, you know. So sometimes it's just the tip of the hat if you can't physically do that thing, or maybe you want to do more cycling. But again, you live in a cold climate, so maybe you're researching routes that you that you want to cycle Come Come cycling season, or, you know, whatever it is, but you are just leaning into, in a very real, physical way, the activities, the things, the practices, the people that you want to be more present in your coming cycle. My daughter and I live by candlelight every sacred nights we don't turn on the lights at all for the whole 13 days. You know, good lights are my favorite non toxic candle. I also like pure beeswax, but so we do that, which just candlelight is like a warm bath for your nervous system. You know, if you ever spent an evening by candlelight and then you flip on the lights, that's when you really feel how jarring that artificial light is to our system. And actually, Damaris said, years ago, I think it was the first year of my training with her, she said the electric light bulb is has was the most damaging invention to the human energy body. And I didn't really, I mean, I don't know if that still holds sway with like 5g and everything else, but we've advanced
Anne-Marie Marron 38:40
quite a bit, attacking our cellular structure,
Lara J. Day 38:44
but I didn't really it didn't really fully land at the time, until, you know, maybe five years ago, I really started shifting my circadian biology and paying attention to the rising and the setting sun. And now I really get how damaging artificial light is to our circadian biology and health and rhythm. So, so, so just, you know, that's just a little seed that I'm planting. If you want to try not turning on any lights at all during the sacred nights, I find it just absolutely nourishing and beautiful and and delightful. I'll make a playlist of feel good tunes, songs that just lift my spirits, and and, and we turn them on every night, my daughter and I, and we dance around to our feel good, 13 sacred nights, you know, song list in the candle light, you know. And then, and then, you know, whatever the other things are I get, you know, I get more regular about my practices. I again time in nature is really big for me. I really make sure that I get to the ocean, that I always want to spend at least one night up in Big Sur. I have the blessing of living close to Big Sur. And, yeah, yeah, I know the energy there is just wow. So, so those are some of the things that that, that I do, but it would be. Unique to every person who engages in this practice.
Anne-Marie Marron 40:03
You're bringing up an interesting thing about the light, and that is so true. And I because I think of these nights as time to reset our nervous system, but that's in the time of the year when some people feel the busiest. I was with a client the other day, and he said he's like, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. And he said, because you don't have, you don't have all these lists and gifts and pressure and all you just show up and you eat and you like, cook together. And I was thinking about how stressful the holidays are for so many people. And so two things on that. One is like, I like to hold these sacred, holy nights as a time for a reset in the nervous system. But it can be very challenging when things are really full. So I wonder if you have any comments on that. And then the second question is, have you ever tried in the candle to also be tech free and blue light free? I mean, clearly, blue light is a phone, but yeah,
Lara J. Day 41:01
that would be easier if I wasn't, you know, like sharing this practice with the world, and now leading zoom classes. It's actually so ironic because I'm out there, like preaching stillness and then because of the nature of my offering, but it's okay. I'm here for it. I'm stepping into the role and what's being asked, and it's clearly a divine assignment. So here I am, but, but, yeah, you know, if we pay attention to what nature is doing during the peak of winter, the trees have shed their leaves. Animals are slowing down, hibernating in darkness, plants and grasses and seeds have receded deep into the earth. Everything has this feeling of conserving energy and drawing energy inward. And then here we are in our northern hemisphere, modern culture, shopping, compulsively overindulging in sugar and alcohol, which is taxing the body as opposed to conserving energy. We are jam packing our calendars, as you noted, it is the busiest time of year for most folks, you know, we're flooding our lawns with with, you know, false LED lighting, which is just like a slap in the face to the darkness. Like this resistance, right? Like no, we will not go inward. We will not be still. We will not wrap ourselves in the cloak of the radiant darkness, you know, and we are just it's been hijacked the true gift of this season, which is the radiant darkness we've been fully distracted from. And I like to think about how you know, if you were to light a match in broad daylight, it's kind of underwhelming, but when you light a match in the darkness, it's so clear where the light is. And so we have this opportunity. We are we are being hugged by the darkness. We're surrounded by darkness. And we have this opportunity to get quiet and to get still the season itself. The elements of nature are supporting us in this quiet, still, inward dive where we will have an opportunity to witness the internal Spark, right? That flame, that internal flame, and so, so, yeah, I don't remember the original question that
Anne-Marie Marron 43:13
is beautiful. I think that there's such a beautiful part about the practices that we all decide what elements feel important each year. So I was, you know, I think I was thinking, when you said the candlelight, I was thinking to myself, I wonder what it would be like if I committed to not being on my phone at night. That feels really hard, but I can imagine what it would do for my nervous system. And I can imagine so, I think all of these are just choices around even if we're really busy, I think that's the seed I want to plant right now. Where are those few minutes in the day where we can be in the darkness, even if that's closing our eyes for a few minutes, just to activate that deeper listening that can help us notice what we're receiving?
Lara J. Day 43:59
Yeah, and I will say too that, you know, you don't have to throw the baby out with the bath water, like I mentioned at the very beginning, regardless of what your current traditions are. You know, this isn't an either or it might be some people, I have many friends and people who've picked up the Oracle deck and they're just done with the traditional mainstream holidays, and that's fine too, but, but if you have traditions that do feel nourishing or that you're not ready to let go of, that's perfectly fine. And we still have a Christmas tree, you should I'm looking at it right now. I have this big, giant baby blue, it looks like Cookie Monster, you know, fake Christmas tree that my daughter picked out years ago that she loves. And we have this wonderful ornament collection, and a lot of them are passed down from my grandmother, you know, and and so. So I still do that, but I walk around during the holidays like I have a sacred little secret in my pocket. And even if I'm out in the world shopping or doing some of those more mainstream holiday activities, I am anchored in a. Much deeper place internally, and I'm noticing the twinkle in everyone's eyes, and I am feeling as if I'm walking with God, you know, and in in God, and it's just a different, what's the word? I don't I don't know. It's just a different, different internal position, you know, that I'm holding in relationship to that time, even if I'm still still out doing some of the the more usual holiday activities and and some of it I've the practice has given me permission to let go of, you know, the external lights around the house, that was a dreaded yearly chore for me. I mean, the tangled strands and the ladder, and my arms would get achy and all the clips. And then there was that one spot that we couldn't reach with the nail, and I just hated it every year. And I, you know, and I finally was like, why am I doing this? I don't this is not just, you know, I can pick and choose the things that are nourishing to me and the things that are not. And so this practice really has, it's given me the the permission to curate the holiday season this, this winter solstice season, in the way that works for me.
Anne-Marie Marron 46:11
Personally, I love that, yeah, because I think about, you know, the when you were talking in the beginning about this time of darkness, and I think about how magical the lights are at this time of year. And so just figuring out the thing that brings us joy, which I think goes back to whatever that is that lights us up, is changing our brain chemistry and really doing a lot of the nervous system work of bringing us into a state of joy, which changes so much inside and outside. So so we've got a map here, and if people want to find your Oracle book, I'll have the links and everything about you in the show notes, and I want you to talk about your program in a moment. So we've got this arc of the days, the preparation phase, then the 13 sacred, holy nights, and then the year begins. So what do you do? You've got, you've got your journaling, you've got, you know, each day in its own special place, or however you've done that. What's your practice throughout the year? Then of revisiting, how would you guide people?
Lara J. Day 47:14
Yeah, and this part is so important, because so many people tend to do the 13 day practice itself. And then they forget about their journal. And yeah, and you have create. You have co created, hand in hand, personally with the divine, this beautiful roadmap and and so it's so sad to forget about it for the remainder of the year. And so, you know, it's, I mean, time and time again, my journals have proven to be more insightful than my, you know, my very best friend, the best therapist I ever had, like, better than, you know, the most expensive astrological reading you can buy. It's like your own crystal ball. I mean, it's just incredible. Yeah, it really is and so. So what I do is, at the end of each month, I take a moment I read over, you know, whatever I wrote in my journal, the card that I drew for the month gone by, and I just notice, was there anything that lined up? Was there any synchronicity that I didn't notice as I was moving through the month, because I will also refer to my journal anytime life gets challenging, or even if there's something unexpected and joyful happens, I kind of always refer back to my I keep it close, I keep it available. I keep it it's always, you know, on the kitchen table or somewhere really accessible, on my desk. And even if I go on a trips or things, I take it with me, and so it's always with me, and it's always there as a reference and, and, and the beautiful thing about referring to it frequently is that you begin to witness time and time again, these synchronicities. And every time you witness a synchronicity, it concretizes your faith in the unseen and in the mystery and in this greater order. And you know, it feeds upon itself, because the more you experience it, the more you believe in it, and the more you believe in it, the more it happens. And so it really is this beautiful process of growing your faith, right? And not that that blind trust. It's a faith built on lived experiences. And so, so I again, when I'm going through the month, if something is up that feels a little crazy, I'll refer back to my journal. Oh my goodness. What did I write about? What's the card that I drew? You know, can I glean any insight or perspective from my journal? And then also I take it's this wonderful. It's like a bookends to each month. So you get this opportunity to kind of reflect back and then pivot and reorient to, okay, now I have this new guide and what's on the horizon, and, Oh, isn't this a delightful theme to live into? And you get this little preview, well, what did I write down in my notes? And you know what's what's coming and and so it's this really beautiful rhythm and way of. Of moving through your year with with more magic, more guidance. It carries the thread of the sacred throughout the entire year for you.
Anne-Marie Marron 50:08
Yeah, I love that. So I've had to put in my calendar a date at the end of the year where I just do a holy holy night, sacred nights review. And that's and I think that that's what you're speaking to. If those of you who might be trying this for the first time, it's kind of nice to have a little structure around it so it doesn't get lost throughout the year. Because you just said it so beautifully, I think this practice just amplifies once we recognize and acknowledge the synchronicities. I really, truly feel like more, either more happen, or I just become aware of more. And I think it's a little bit of both. Yeah, I do think there's an energetic field that will just start generating new opportunities. And I've also seen that with the seed planting where, you know, I think often so much of our cultural conditioning has potentially minimized or even devalued something like this, because it's so Woo, woo, which is a way of dismissing just this innate depth of listening and agency with this higher intelligence that's moving through our body. It's in everything outside, you know, like I said earlier, and so I appreciate you sharing kind of how you do the integration throughout the year. And I just wanted to add for any listeners, it can be really nice to have a structure in the calendar to just make it as another sacred date, like you would a holy night. But it only has to be like half an hour, yeah? Like rereading, revisiting, yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah. And even my daughter this last year, she goes, Mom, why don't you? She writes her we have, we still live with paper calendars. I love it.
Lara J. Day 51:53
I'm very analog. Like, if I could get a car where I could, like, roll the windows down, you know, she goes why you should write at the top of each month the the Oracle card that you drew. And it was like, Oh, that's such a simple, simple, easy, brilliant thing to do. I don't know why. I didn't think of it myself, but, but yeah, just little, little things like that can keep you on track. Can keep you reminded. I also was thinking it would be fun. You know, there's those little clips that that people put pictures in, or even, like a triple picture frame that has a spot for three. You could put your, your yearly cards, ooh, in a frame like that, you know, and then just set it on the mantle or somewhere, so that you're just kind of constant, or your altar, if you have an altar, but just sort of constantly reminded of what your guides are. So there could be little things like that, yeah.
Anne-Marie Marron 52:40
So your, your deck is absolutely gorgeous. So if people want to play with this, whether they've done it or not before, your your card again, your your link will be in the show notes. I would love for you to share a little bit before we close, about this program and anything else that you're doing. If people want to take a deeper dive or be guided in a container around, yeah, yeah.
Lara J. Day 53:03
So I am. The last handful of years, I have taught a guided experience during the sacred nights, the 13 nights themselves. And so we meet on the winter solstice and then the third, sixth, ninth and 13th sacred night. So we meet live on Zoom, and we we do a little bit of Qigong. So if Qigong is not something that interests you, then this might, this container might not be for you. We do move and get into our bodies and do a little Qigong practice, and then sit in center and experience what it is to discover that internal, glassy lake where we can receive downloads and reflections from higher self. And then we will do a little bit of journaling together, draw our oracle cards together, and, and that's sort of, you know, within the container of the 13 nights. And then there's a program there. So I have a meditation that's pre recorded for each of the 13 nights that we're not meeting live. So that's, yeah, that's that program which I have led for the last three years, it's been very well received. I had a little resistance. Initially, a lot of people, when I first self published the Oracle deck, were asking for, you know, a live, guided course. And I was like, I wrote the book, like, what? I just go do the practice, you know? But, but I finally leaned in. And then, of course, I was reminded of how magical coming together is and gathering, and how magic is amplified when we come together in numbers, exponentially, right? One plus one is not two. When it comes to human consciousness coming together, it's always exponential. There are always shared themes that bubble up in the group. And, you know, one person might mention something, and then somebody else, oh, my goodness, I had that too. And so you get this beautiful cohesiveness, and the magic is just amplified. So that's been lovely. And then this year is the first year that I am extending the container throughout the entire year, so we will gather during the 13 sacred nights as we have and. And on Zoom. And the Zoom recordings are always recorded for those who can't, you know, be present for the actual time, and then we'll meet once a month throughout the remainder of the year, to, you know, to to just like you're saying, to have some kind of structure to keep us on track, to keep us reminding ourselves, to to notice the synchronicity, to reflect on the month gone by, to prepare for the month ahead, you know, to be in that container of community and all the richness that bubbles to the surface through just gathering together. And so that I'm offering that this year. I'm not making any promises about offering the year long, you know, course, in future years, but But this year, that's what I'm up to. And so if you feel called, all the information is on my website, which is just my name.com, so Laura J day.com, yeah,
Anne-Marie Marron 55:49
and I will also have that in the show notes for anyone that wants to research that a little bit more. Yeah. Wow. What a beautiful experience to connect with you and talk about something that we both love so much. And is there anything else that you would love to say about it before we close?
Lara J. Day 56:05
Yeah, you know. So, so as a closing thought, this last year, I've really gone deep again into the history of all of our holidays, and it's a tangled, messy history, but essentially, they have been consciously rebranded numerous times over by those in power or those seeking more power in order to steer and manipulate the behavior of the masses. And so, you know, here we have landed in this place where we are sleepwalking through these traditions, not having any clue where they came from. And we are, in essence, it appears, worshiping, shopping sugar and alcohol and commercialism and materialism. And you know, this is important for two reasons. One ritual is so so powerful. It is this moment where we collectively pause within any given culture or society, and we all direct our attention in one way, and we engage in similar behaviors, and we're all in agreement, right and and if you believe, as I do, that that human consciousness is divinely creative, that in and of itself, is massively powerful. We are literally co creating reality when we all pause and direct our attention in one way. But then, in addition to that, we are informing the upcoming generations. Hey, Mom and Dad are taking work off. You're getting out of school. You know? We're doing this ritualistic thing. This is what we worship. This is what's most important about being human. And so we are informing the younger generations about, you know, this is how you be the best human in this society. And right now, like I said, we are teaching our children that what's most important is consumerism, materialism, shopping, sugar and alcohol. So if we can just pause and, you know, in a lot of the podcasts that I've been on, I've been, I've been divulging a lot of the history of our holidays and where they all actually came from. And so if we can acknowledge that this wasn't an organic happening, we didn't end up here by accident. We have, to some degree been spoon fed, you know, these traditions for manipulative purposes, then we can sort of wake up and rediscover our agency and take a moment to pause individually and collectively and decide how we want to mark these sacred turning points in the year, and what do we want to worship and what is most important about being human? And I just think that it's time for a bottom up rebrand, as opposed to top down,
Anne-Marie Marron 58:54
and say, say something on that. So bottom up as opposed to top down. Just for listeners, what do you mean by that?
Lara J. Day 59:01
I mean that each one of us has the opportunity to decide how we want to do this. What's what's most important? What? What nourishes us again? What like, like the sacred nights, what brings me joy? What, you know, what brings me more vitality and more connection with myself and with the other humans all around me, and with the divine, beautiful?
Speaker 2 59:20
Yeah, now I'm so curious about all the history of the holidays, so we'll have to have another conversation at some point
Lara J. Day 59:26
after, after the sacred nights this year, after I make it through this season, I'm gonna write the book reading that. That's my next adventure.
Speaker 2 59:35
Yeah, wonderful. Laura. Is so wonderful to have you here. Thank you, blessed. Holy Night. Sacred nights to you. Enjoy your your cookie monster Christmas tree.
Speaker 1 59:48
Love to see a picture of that.
Speaker 2 59:50
Yeah, I hope to connect again soon.
Lara J. Day 59:53
Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for reaching out. Just really lovely. So good.
Anne-Marie Marron 59:58
Yeah. I. Hope you enjoyed the show today. If you want more, you can subscribe to this channel. This will automatically cue up the next episode for your listening. If you have a burning question or topic you want to learn more about, please send an email to ask Anne Marie. The direct link is located in the show notes, and please leave a review. This keeps me inspired and focused to bring you more. If you want to learn more about my work as a power reclamation guide, leadership coach and organizational culture consultant, you can visit my websites in the notes, thank you again for joining today.