May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.

J R R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

There was a time, pre-Peter Jackson’s trilogy, when The Lord of the Rings existed only in book form and, from 1981, in dramatised radio form. I was 13 when it was first broadcast weekly in 30 minute episode form. I started with Episode One, The Long Awaited Party, and finished six months later with The Grey Havens. Every week at either Sunday lunchtime or a Wednesday evening I sat, tape recorder at ready, and taped the episode. Out of 26, I missed only one.

I rather suspect in modern day parlance, I was a bit of a nerd as a teenager: I preferred medieval romance to modern rom com, Lord of the Rings to Danielle Steele and fantasy/science fiction to any other form of literature. I’m a lot broader in my reading now, but I think my time in Narnia and Middle Earth was very beneficial. I learned to be alone with my imagination, and to handle solitude well. I have no fear of being alone, because even in the darkest place I know an unquenchable light surrounds me.

When I was a teenager, the religion of the two men whose imaginations shaped me most never mattered to me. C S Lewis, as a Christian apologist, was probably a lot more overt in his spiritual imagery, while Tolkien sort of flew under the radar as a Christian. And yet, so many of his images or allusions have a spiritual aspect that only now begins to make sense to me.

The quote today, given to Sam by Galadriel, is one I find makes sense to me when given an extra layer of religious symbolism. What is faith except belief in a light that will never expire? Jesus refers to himself as the Light of the World, the Gospel of John is so overt in using Light as a symbol and we use light in th ereal world as a sign of prayers in so many religions.

May you find a Light in the Darkness, whichever faith/support system you end up with/in. Find that solitary light that carries you through.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. Lent is a season of rituals and resets. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier. Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written during covid year, but has useful advice on celebrating when times are hard anyway and Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas is a short e-book on keeping Christmas simpler, easier and better for you, your waistline and your budget. It even includes 25+ suggestions for self-care activities over Christmas, as simple as sipping tea, keeping a list journal or lighting a candle. Bigger is not always better for Christmas.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of spring/summer.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash. I’m using it from now until January as a real reminder of the power of light. I loved the simplicity of the shot, the focus on the one candle, the reminder that there are many lights out there if we open our hearts to them and the combination of candle and nature in creating a cosy Christmas.