Advent offers a way to align ourselves with nature at a time when modern life often speeds up. In Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf tradition, the four weeks of Advent (4 Sundays leading up to Dec 25) are far more than a countdown to Christmas. It is a gradual journey through the mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms. This gentle progression helps create inner order and a sense of grounded readiness to receive the inner light of Christmas. Each week invites a different quality of attention, helping us slow down, reconnect with nature, and enter Christmas with warmth and reverence.
This simple guide walks you through the practice week by week, but please keep in mind that this is nothing more than a personal practice, each person encouraged to adapt it to their unique family and feelings.
Lastly, this guide was written from a Universal standpoint, not affiliated with any specific religion.
Does This Relate to Skincare? You Are a Skincare Brand.
Healthy skin does not begin with products. It begins with the whole human being. Stress levels, sleep patterns, emotional balance, digestion, breath, sunlight, and connection to nature all influence the skin more than any single formula can.
Our skin reflects our internal landscape. When the nervous system softens and the body lives in rhythm with Nature instead of being overwhelmed, the skin responds. Calm inside becomes calm outside.
This is why we share seasonal practices like Advent. These four contemplative weeks support nervous system health, emotional steadiness, and a sense of seasonal alignment. They strengthen the inner climate that supports true skin health. One of the more superficial side effects of this deeply meaningful inner work is brighter, more harmonious skin.
Week One
The Mineral Kingdom
Stillness, structure, grounding.
The mineral world holds the oldest memory of the earth. Stones, crystals, mountains, and shells help develop quiet, patience, and inward steadiness. What would it feel like to be as still and quiet as a stone?
Practices
• Create a small altar with stones or crystals
• Tell stories to children or friends of mountains, caves, or the forming of the earth
• Sit in silence for a few minutes each night, like a stone
• Feel the ground beneath everything
Week Two
The Plant Kingdom
Growth, unfolding, renewal.
The second week turns attention to the plant world. Roots, stems, leaves, and blossoms teach us about reaching toward the light, rhythms of expansion and rest.
Practices
• Add greenery, herbs, or flowers to the altar
• Tell stories of trees, forests, or transformation through connection to the plant kingdom
• Take a walk and observe winter plants
• Reflect on hope and growth, with the faith of a mustard seed.
Week Three
The Animal Kingdom
Warmth, movement, feeling.
The third week honors the animal world. Animals carry instinct, sensitivity, and early soul life. This week invites compassion, courage, and right relationship with all beings.
Practices
• Add small wooden, wax, or felt animals to the altar
• Share fables where animals reveal character or truth
• Observe pets or wildlife and notice their gestures
• Reflect on warmth of heart, the warmth between man and dog, horse and rider
Week Four
The Human Being
Selfhood, consciousness, responsibility.
The final week prepares the soul for the birth of higher consciousness. In this view, the human being chooses freely to unite the earthly and the spiritual through moral action, compassion, and inner work.
Practices
• Place a small human figure or a simple candle in the center of the altar
• Tell stories of kindness, courage, the nativity, and aspirational humans
• Reflect on the year. What wants to be renewed? What wants to be born? What is being birthed inwardly?
• Hold quiet expectation for the Christmas mystery (the deeply interior, spiritual reality behind the material, modern holiday of Christmastime)
Many people enjoy lighting a beeswax candle each night during this practice.
In Closing
By Christmas Eve each of the four kingdoms has been honored. The home fills with growing light, with the inner world prepared during the darkest moment of the year. This slow movement through mineral, plant, animal, and human becomes a way of tending not only the space around us, but most critically, the soul within. As always, the body receives this care, including the skin, which quietly reflects the harmony we cultivate inside. We are then better able to greet the world and spread our inner light and warmth.
If a skincare ritual is something you are interested in, then this is a perfect opportunity to start. These Advent practices can easily be integrated with an evening skincare routine. The quiet of candle lighting pairs naturally with the slow application of oil. A few deep breaths while caring for your skin can mirror the contemplations of the week. The whole practice becomes a way of tending both your body and the soul.
