Winter holidays can be a time of mixed emotions for people, particularly if you miss someone who has passed away. The good news is that those who have died may be closer than you think.

Family ornaments and other cherished heirlooms can create their own magic and energy during the holidays. This year, things became lively in my house when I hung my parent’s ornaments on the tree and added other items from their collection to spruce things up over the holidays. Lights came on. Lights shut off. Bulbs blew out. Unidentified things went “bump in the night.” A snoopy stocking hanger kept jumping off the shelf until I put Snoopy on a low shelf. Cool breezes blew against us. Daily, I feel as if something is lightly touching my arm, and the sensations are not limited to the house.

The Altar is Aglow

During a Christmas Eve church service, I felt a tingling sensation more than once on my left arm and right side of my head. I watched a blue streak shoot across the church sanctuary from right to left. I felt something kick the back of my foot beneath the pew bench. All I could think was, “Well, that was mighty aggressive!” When I feel unusual sensations in other places, I make a point of looking around to find the source. There was a lady in her 80s near the front of the church. I sensed she was feeling lonely. A few minutes later, a young woman came up the aisle and stood beside her, and the lady relaxed.

Winter Solstice Offers Change

Winter Solstice on December 21 marked the longest night of the year. It is a time of renewal, rebirth, and release. If emotions bubble up during the first few days of 2026, realize it is your body’s way of releasing old thought patterns or memories that are no longer helpful to you as you transition into the new year.

You Are Not Alone

We are never truly alone in this life as we have angels that are assigned to each of us at birth. Also, ancestors, guides and loved ones are around us at times as well.

Consciousness shifts after death beyond the physical to a more loving state of being. After all, love is all there is on the other side. There is no room for “negative” human emotions. People tap into this limitless loving consciousness during Near Death Experiences (NDEs), offering us a glimpse of what to expect beyond this life. The Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia studies the possibility of consciousness beyond death through the review of NDEs.

“A 2023 Pew poll found that 83 percent of Americans believe people have souls or spirits in addition to their physical bodies, while 74 percent believe there are some things science can’t possibly explain.” – The Washingtonian

Connecting with Loved Ones

Having a Near Death Experience is not the only way to connect with people who have died. You can connect through other means such as meditation or dreams. Experts recommend you “trust your vibes,” by getting out of your head to feel sensations in your body instead. Hello Magazine suggests you “pull your belly into your spine, blow out and exhale, breathe in again and open your jaw to sigh or yawn, then smile.” This process connects you to your body.

If you feel a presence or tingling on the skin or scalp, you are likely clairsentient. Clairsentience means that you receive psychic insights through a tactile sensation (touch) or through the emotions. Here are tips from Keen to determine if you are gifted in this way:

You pick up vibrations from people, places, and objects
You take on energy from other people
You feel physical sensations

What Do Clairsentient Sensations Mean?

If you feel like your arm is being touched but no one is there, it’s possible you are being nudged by the universe to pay closer attention. The sensation could mean the following, per Wisdom of the Spirit.

Awakening of Kundalini Energy
Connection to higher consciousness
Presence of spirit guides
Chakra activation
Spiritual downloads
Alignment with purpose
Energy sensitivity (around others)
Healing energy activation during healing sessions
Connection to nature
Release of emotions
Synchronicity confirmation
Protection from guides

Signs a Spirit is Present

If it is a spirit that is reaching out to you, he or she may do so in a number of ways. Do you see things out of the corner of your eye and take a look again, only to see nothing out of place? Do you hear music or words? Do you smell perfume or other odors that are not typical? Someone may be trying to reach you. If someone is present, you may experience:

A heaviness in the room
A change in temperature
A sudden energy rush
A rise in the throat or drop in the stomach
A warm, cozy feeling

Make the Spirit Connection

Making meaningful connections with friends and family who have died may seem challenging at first. However, if death is simply a release of the physical body in order to enter a state of love, then prayer and meditation are two ways to reach outside of yourself and connect. If you are not comfortable with the idea of meditation or prayer, there are other ways to connect with deceased friends and family. You can create a memory space in your home containing things that remind you of the loved one. You can write letters, which can also help you process grief. You can create rituals through art, music, or other means. (This writer makes Christmas cookies for neighbors.) You can assign signs to the loved one such as the meaning of specific animals that show up repeatedly in nature (for example, red cardinals), via dreams and through personal symbols. For more ideas on the subject visit realitypathing.com.

Looking for Guidance in Your Life?

If you are looking for clarity, have a question, or you would like to know what is ahead for you in your life, reach out and connect with PsychicLifeAdvice.com on the contact page. I look forward to hearing from you!