The 12 Nights: When Reality Becomes Mutable and Dreams Seed the Future
- abstractalmegan
- Dec 17
- 3 min read
Creating peace on earth, one dream at a time.
Have you ever noticed how the last twelve days of the year feel... different?
Like reality isn’t quite operating by the same rules as it does on, say, a random September 3rd or May 24th? There’s a reason for that. You’re not imagining it.
You’re experiencing what ancient Northern European traditions knew as Rauhnächte, the 12 nights at the end of the year. This is a period that is literally “out of time,” when the fabric of reality becomes more mutable, more dreamlike, and more responsive to conscious intention.
Liminal Time Is Not Danger, It’s Opportunity.
Modern interpretations often paint liminal times as “dangerous” or full of “dark energies.” But that’s our ego talking; afraid of change, afraid of the unknown, and afraid of the vast field of possibility.
What liminal really means is this: anything can happen.
Think crossroads, openings, and the darkness of the Mother of Mutability where nothing is fixed and the tapestry of life is still being woven. Liminal space isn’t necessarily something to fear. If you know how to work skillfully with consciousness and energy, this is a massive opportunity.
Our ancestors understood this. Rauhnächte means either “Smoking Nights” (from rauch, meaning smoke) or “raw nights” (from rau, meaning raw or rough). They recognized this as a time when reality becomes more fluid, more responsive, and more unpredictable; exactly what you want when you’re ready to break through stuck patterns! They burned sacred herbs to purify their spaces, invoke plant wisdom, and create energetic support for the transformative work of these nights.
These were also known to be times when our dreams could predict the year ahead, the twelve nights corresponding to each of the twelve months of the coming year. Our ancestors kept dream journals. They paid attention to omens and the weather, they performed divination, and most importantly, they seeded the year to come with their best intentions.
When We Dream Together in Liminal Time, We Create.
I had my own spiritual awakening during these twelve days back in 2020; when my life became re-enchanted with synchronicity, and I began to really understand the true power of intentional dreaming. Since then, I’ve heard the same story again and again: people pinpointing awakenings to subtle energies and energetic turning points to this exact time of year.
There’s a reason for that.
When we enter liminal space with skill and mastery, for example, with the consciousness tools I’ve spent years studying through Zhineng Qigong and intentional dreamwork, we can do something profound. We can actively participate in dreaming our lives and our collective future into being.
When we do this together, in a group field, the power amplifies exponentially.
This is why I’m offering the 12 Nights of Dreaming Challenge as a free gift to anyone who feels called to join.
We start Saturday, December 20th (Winter Solstice eve) and continue through January 1st.
Each night corresponds to a month of 2026. Each night we’ll:
Dream with a shared intention
Learn about smoke magic and ritual
Work with a specific plant ally
Share our experience with other friendly dreamers in a Telegram group
Over 220 people have already joined (my guess is we’ll be over 300 by Saturday). This will be a powerful dreaming field!
No prior experience is necessary to join. I’ll be guiding the simple practices and holding the container with care. Beginners are absolutely welcome. This will be a playful and fun experience where we can practice working with cosmic energies of what is to come in a wise and grounded way.
Each morning I’ll send out the dreaming intention and simple instructions for that night. The practice itself should take no more than 5 minutes at night and 5 minutes in the morning (most of the “work” is done while you sleep!) At the end, we’ll gather in community to weave our dreams together into a collective oracular vision for 2026: information, guidance, and predictions for the months ahead.
This Is How We Seed Peace on Earth.
Or any other “impossible” dream.
The ancients understood what we’re remembering now: consciousness and intention shape reality, especially during liminal time. These twelve nights are our chance to practice that ancient art together.
We start Saturday night.
For more historical context on the Rauhnächte tradition, I highly recommend Imelda Almqvist’s beautiful exploration of its ancient roots.
Comments