The Art of Wintering Wisely – A Feminine Leadership Practice for Our Times

The Art of Wintering Wisely – A Feminine Leadership Practice for Our Times

In a culture obsessed with speed, productivity, and outward achievement, many women find themselves craving something different - something slower, truer, and more sustainable.

Especially in midlife, as we move through the profound transition of perimenopause or menopause, a new rhythm begins to emerge. One that no longer aligns with hustle or hyper-independence. Instead, it calls us inward - to pause, to reflect, to rest.

This is the essence of wintering wisely.

In earth-based, shamanic, and goddess traditions, winter is the season of the Crone. She is the wise woman, the elder, the one who no longer seeks validation from the outer world. She sees in the dark. She leads with truth.

Her wisdom is deeply relevant for women today - especially those holding leadership roles in family systems, communities, or global initiatives. The Crone teaches us that:

• True leadership includes rest and regeneration.

• Endings are sacred thresholds, not failures.

• Power is found in presence, not performance.

And perhaps most importantly, she reminds us that winter is not just a season outside—it is an inner season too. A time of renewal. Of letting go. Of remembering what truly matters.

Why Wintering Matters for Women in Leadership

In times of uncertainty, chaos, or global change, it is the women of wisdom - those who have lived, listened, and softened through their own seasons - who are best equipped to hold space.

Whether you’re mothering a young adult, leading a global sustainable development project, or guiding a team through change, the ability to stay grounded in your body and truth is what makes your leadership resilient.

When we ignore our winter, we burn out. We disconnect. We lose our creative fire.

But when we honour it? We root deeper. We see more clearly. We become the space where others can rest, realign, and rise.

What Does it Mean to Winter Wisely?

To winter wisely means:

• Listening to your body and its natural rhythms

• Embracing rest as part of your productivity cycle

• Creating spaciousness to feel, reflect, and integrate

• Honouring emotional truth without rushing to fix

• Cultivating inner clarity and creative renewal

It’s not about retreating forever - it’s about allowing the necessary pauses within every cycle, before the next rise.

This wisdom is not new. But it’s been forgotten in a culture that worships summer energy - growth, productivity, output - while neglecting the necessary descent and deepening that winter offers.

Reclaiming the Crone: A Feminine Leadership Practice

The archetype of the Crone is often misunderstood or dismissed in modern Western society. But across cultures, she has always been the truth-teller, the healer, the seer.

Reclaiming the Crone within you is a radical act of leadership. It’s choosing to lead with integrity, not intensity. With depth, not just drive. With love, not fear.

This is what feminine leadership truly asks of us: to bring our full cyclical wisdom to the table. To stop apologising for our softness. To lead in a way that nourishes rather than depletes.

An Invitation to Begin

I host in-person retreats, and online journeys to learn the art of Wintering Wisely (check my calendar). This practice is timeless. Women gather to rest, to reflect, and to reconnect with their inner knowing.

Wintering wisely is a practice you can begin right now.

Ask yourself:

• What season am I in internally?

• What do I need to let go of?

• Where am I being asked to rest?

• What wants to emerge in the space I create?

Whether you take a full retreat, an afternoon off, or five minutes of breath in silence - know that your pause is powerful. It matters. It makes you more available to what you truly care about.

Wintering wisely is not stepping back. It’s stepping deeper.

And from that place, we lead not only with vision - but with soul.