Here in the Inbetween

Boxing Day morning.

I rise, make tea and indulge myself in a little silence and written contemplation before the festivities continue.

I light a candle, step out of normal time, take my journal and pen and slowly connect with myself.

This time between solstice & New Year - this strange time-warpy, liminal space- holds such possibility for pause. My beloved Amanda Arrowsmith and I had talked about the 13 nights ritual - something our Tik Tok algorithms had pointed us toward as we get more witchy and introspective - her explanation of the 13 magical nights is here and covers the ideas and practices beautifully.

Liminal spaces can feel hard to navigate. We often hold a deep need for certainty and clarity. Inbetween, undefined spaces can seem uncomfortable and provoking. We want to KNOW.

In my world, I have had to learn to “not know” sometimes, to stay curious, to not rush to act or conclude… I understand, cognitively, that this can lead to better outcomes… and still, the practice of hanging out in uncertainty is not for the faint hearted.

In a world where nuance is quashed under click-bait attention-grabbing headlines and voices clamour for easy answers to complex issues, liminality is not currently in vogue.

Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to these slow practices. They feel deliciously counter-cultural right now. A warm wander in the messy morass of future possibility and personal history. 12 minutes of daily writing to connect to All That Has Been, All That Needs To Go and All That Might Be… 12 minutes of best guess and unpicking narratives.

I come out of my writing fugue with more answers than questions

As I look back over 2025, sift through the lessons and the upsets, the wins, the losses, the joys and fears, I find a way into the new year that is not filled with shiny resolve, but infused with informed intent… my heart feels fuller & warmer in that space… less likely to quail at the journey ahead.

I am here.

Today, that’s enough.

So here’s to 12 nights of writing and a 13th to carry forward into 2026. As I walk my soul 6 steps out of 2025 and 6 steps toward 2026, I find my feet and my ground somewhere in this liminal space and I am fortified.

#writeNights #reflection #12nights

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About Me:

I’m Julie Drybrough – Edinburgh-based writer, speaker and Master coach practitioner. Founder of Write Nights online writing community & writing retreats (see more here - come and join us!!!) and fuchsia blue ltd – a Organisational Change Consultancy - I work with people & organisations to improve conversations, relationships & learning.