The days have been brightening a bit here in Pennsylvania, now that the sun is inching back to center, and the paralyzing deep freeze of the new year has lifted for the moment.

But spring is still a ways off, and you know that last dreary month and a half of winter can be a bitch.

Winter. The water element. Cold, dark, and always sinking to the lowest point possible. This is useful in its ability to nourish our roots, and to store vital energy for the coming spring, but it can also lead to feelings of depression and stagnation in an unbalanced state.

This time of the year and its attendent downward energy is ideal for going within, minimizing activity, exploring dreams, and replenishing vital reserves.

But like any body of water cut off from its source, it can become stagnated. Ever feel like that on a cold bleak winter day?

In the Five Element Cycle, the dynamic in which each element has a particular nurturing or controlling relationship with another, Fire is one element that can bring Water back into balance when it gets to be too much.

Sunshine, warmth, laughter, relationships that lighten the heart... all of these are Fire associations and complementary to the Water element when it gets too heavy. A small dose of upward and outward energy (in wise moderation, because it is still wise to store up our resources), as well as engaging with whatever you consider to be your Source, can revitalize you and get the stream flowing again.