The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

About The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

🎄A beautiful seasonal Substack publication by Beth Kempton (bestselling self-help author and host of the UK's #1 favourite Christmas podcast)🌟 intended to be a lantern leading you through the darkness of winter ❤️ (Nov-early Jan only) calmchristmas.substack.com (https://calmchristmas.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Oct 2020

Latest episode

1 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jan 2026

   🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 9 ✨Joy to the World✨

   ***Please note the silence in today’s episode is intentional to accommodate a series of journalling questions!*** Happy new year friends! The final episode of each season of this podcast is always a bittersweet moment. Christmas is behind us, we are deep in winter now, and a new year is upon us, with all its promise and possibility. I hope today’s episode eases you in thoughtfully, and leaves you hopeful about the year ahead. It includes: * My favourite poem to read as a new year begins * Twelve potent journalling questions (with silent writing time in between each one) * Some thoughts on things to plant at this time of year * An invitation to head outdoors, whatever the weather * A special recipe from Great British Bake Off Finalist Christiaan de Vries (https://www.instagram.com/christiaan.de.vries) * A few ways to stay connected in the year ahead, if you’d like that With inspiration from Max Ehrmann, Susan Coolidge and Christiaan de Vries (https://www.instagram.com/christiaan.de.vries). You can listen on iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-calm-christmas-podcast-with-beth-kempton/id1537869969), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3iOSsewJQRmRCw8Kg1ryjk) or here on Substack (https://calmchristmas.substack.com). Thank you so much for journeying through the festive season with me this year. What a joy it has been. I hope you have enjoyed this 'winterlude’ as much as I have. Don’t forget to subscribe so you get notified when The Calm Christmas Podcast is back next November. Until then, I hope to see you on my other Substack @Beth Kempton (https://substack.com/profile/177613742-beth-kempton). ✨Wishing you a light-filled 2026✨ Beth Xx Lovely things for you * ❤️ Our final giveaway on Instagram @bethkempton (https://instagram.com/bethkempton) (The prize includes a personalised signed copy of my book The Way of the Fearless Writer (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Fearless-Writer-Ancient-flourishing/dp/0349433054), a Made of Stars journal by Meera Lee Patel, a goals journal from Mal Paper, a Midori sticky note pad to capture your ideas for the new year, and a complimentary place on my online class Do What You Love: the life-changing e-course (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/do-what-you-love-the-life-changing-e-course-2026-7/). * ❤️ MOON+SHADOW - a beautiful one-day virtual winter writing retreat taking place on Sunday January 11, 2026. This is FREE to all members of my private writing community SoulCircle (https://bethkempton.substack.com/p/soulcircle-my-beautiful-gentle-paid). If you aren’t a member yet you can join here (https://bethkempton.substack.com/subscribe) (choose Monthly to try it out or Annual to get a lovely discount). If you are already a member you don’t need to do anything. I’ll be sending out more details soon. * ❤️ Join me for a gorgeous live seven-week deep dive writing and Substack immersion INK+FLAME (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/ink-flame-live-jan2026/), which begins on January 26. You can get 30% off if you register here by January 12 (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/ink-flame-live-jan2026/). * ❤️ You can get a huge 30% off ALL my writing and personal development classes (or 50% off bundles of inspiring classes to guide you through the year) in my gratitude sale (on here until Monday January 12, 2026 (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com)). Other links * Desiderata (https://allpoetry.com/desiderata---words-for-life) by Max Ehrmann (https://allpoetry.com/desiderata---words-for-life) * New Every Morning (https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/new-every-morning/) by Susan Coolidge (https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/new-every-morning/) Ingredients for Christiaan De Vries’ Fluffy Pancakes * Your usual pancake ingredients (here’s BBC Good Food’s Easy Pancake Recipe (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes)) * Raisins * A bit of rum * Butter * Icing sugar Image: Holly Bobbins (https://substack.com/profile/192921244-holly-bobbins) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com (https://calmchristmas.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   27 Dec 2025

   🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 8 ✨The Deer's Cry✨

   Friends, I hope you had a lovely, peaceful holiday, or indeed, whatever kind of Christmas you had hoped for, and if you didn’t, well it’s done now, and you enjoy a quiet few days ahead and then a shiny new year. I always feel mixed emotions at this particular time of year, sad that Christmas is over, relieved that all the work of Christmas is done, and hopeful that everyone enjoyed as best they could, given the circumstances, and also secretly delighted about this sacred pause that I call ‘The Hush’ and love so very much. For many years now, I have sensed something very special about these precious days between Christmas and New Year. It’s as if some kind of portal opens up. January will be here before we know it, but until then, let’s stretch these days as wide open as we can and meander for a while, giving our minds and hearts a chance to assimilate and process all that’s happened over the past 12 months and plant some seeds for the year ahead. This moment is that fleeting pause when time bends and magic hovers between the book ends of the season. We must and we should are abandoned in favour of ‘Shall we...?’ and ‘We could...’ Spontaneity and softness become the order of the day. This is a precious time to breathe deeply, savour moments with loved ones or alone. Feel the world slowing for just a while. It’s a time for reflection and releasing, meandering and dreaming, and today’s episode is all about that. It includes: * The special magic of this time I call ‘the Hush’ * An amazing story of manifestation, which began on this podcast * An invitation to speak your dreams aloud * A beautiful wintery visualisation * A potent question to guide you beneath the surface of things * Lots of love for deer * How to make a vision board * A delicious soup recipe from Mark Diacono (https://substack.com/profile/7812683-mark-diacono) * Some goodies for you * A gentle could-do list for the week ahead With inspiration from Ryokan Taigu, Calexico, Blackdown Shepherd Huts, Fog Chaser (https://substack.com/profile/42958032-fog-chaser), Laura Pashby (https://substack.com/profile/92022222-laura-pashby), Shaun Davey, the Natural History Museum, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Mark Diacono (https://substack.com/profile/7812683-mark-diacono) and Kate Trenchard. You can listen on iTunes/Spotify or here on Substack. Wishing you peace and joy for these in-between days, Beth Xx Lovely things for you * The Winter Writing Sanctuary (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/winter-writing-sanctuary-2025/) FREE seven-day gentle writing class, starts Monday December 29 (join here (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/winter-writing-sanctuary-2025/)) * Moon + Shadow one-day virtual writing retreat on January 11 (join from anywhere, FREE to all paid subscribers/members of my SoulCircle private writing community. If you are not a member yet you can join here (https://bethkempton.substack.com/subscribe)). Books mentioned * Chasing Fog (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Fog-Finding-Enchantment-Cloud/dp/1398527017/) by Laura Pashby (https://substack.com/profile/92022222-laura-pashby) Other links * Hear the Bells (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ztQc42e0g) by Calexico * Blackdown Shepherd Huts (https://www.blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk) * A Peek Inside the (Tiny) Hut that Words Built (https://bethkempton.substack.com/p/the-tiny-house-that-words-built) (essay by me) * The Deer’s Cry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_gsq4fd8Rg) by Shaun Davey * A Simple Carol by Matt Evans Fog Chaser (https://substack.com/profile/42958032-fog-chaser) (60 minute version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlUup6dZ5Gw)) * Reindeer at the Natural History Museum (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/colour-in-collection-reindeer-eye.html) * BBC Wildlife Magazine on the difference between deer and reindeer (https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/reindeer-vs-deer-whats-the-difference) Ingredients for Mark Diacono’s Cauliflower and Sage Soup * Two teaspoons of coriander seeds * Two teaspoons of cumin seeds * One tablespoon of butter * One tablespoon of olive oil, and more for the sage * Two onions finely chopped * Two garlic cloves finely chopped * One medium to large cauliflower chopped into three centimetre or one inch cubes * 1.2 litres or two pints of hot water * 12 sage leaves, * Curry powder to serve * Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com (https://calmchristmas.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   23 Dec 2025

   🎄🎧Season 5 Episode 7 ✨Driving Home for Christmas✨

   There is a moment of silence that occurs every year somewhere between the dawn of Christmas Eve and the setting of the sun on Christmas Day itself. A moment we all have experienced at least once in our lives, maybe more than once. It can silence a great city like London or New York, and it can bring stillness to our hearts, whoever and wherever we may be. That moment of silence is unlike any other. It offers the promise of new beginnings, of the clean slate of New Year, and it incorporates the breathless expectancy of Christmas Night itself, when a familiar figure enters our lives and changes them briefly. - The Winter Solstice by John Matthews Welcome to Christmas Eve Eve and to Season Five, Episode Seven, Driving Home for Christmas. To me that feeling of expectation on the cusp of Christmas is about the feeling of time folding in on itself as all past Christmases and hopes for future Christmases collapse into a single moment on the cusp of Christmas itself and anything - even magical things - seem possible. This cosy episode includes: * Christmas Eve traditions from listeners around the world * A special memory of the Budapest Christmas Market * Thoughts about gathering * Taking a moment for gratitude * Giving ourselves grace * A delicious mocktail recipe * The simplest Christmas craft project * A special Christmas story * Our final get ahead tips * A Christmas message for you With inspiration from John Matthews, Clement Clarke Moo1515115re, Chris Rea, Fiok, the team at Pentire in Cornwall, Sara Starling (https://substack.com/profile/200595998-sara-starling) and Kings College Cambridge. You can listen on iTunes/Spotify or here on Substack. I would like to dedicate this episode to Chris Rea, whose classic Driving Home for Christmas inspired the title, and who sadly died yesterday, December 22, aged 74. I’ll be back on December 27th with Episode 8, The Deer’s Cry: Welcoming the Hush. Until then, may you have whatever kind of Christmas you want and need this year. Beth Xx Lovely things for you * Winter Writing Sanctuary (https://dowhatyouloveforlife.com/product/winter-writing-sanctuary-2025/) (join for FREE here, runs Dec 29-Jan 4 online) * Giveaway with a prize worth over £700 on my Instagram @bethkempton (https://instagram.com/bethkempton) Here are some Calm Christmas Podcast listener recommendations you might enjoy: * Cosy reads for the dark season (https://substack.com/@calmchristmas/p-179436974) * The only Christmas movie list you’ll ever need (https://calmchristmas.substack.com/p/the-only-christmas-movie-list-youll) * The Ultimate Gift Guide for Writers (https://substack.com/@calmchristmas/p-181214145) (including some last-minute ideas!) Books mentioned * The Winter Solstice (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Solstice-Sacred-Traditions-Christmas/dp/0835607690/) (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Solstice-Sacred-Traditions-Christmas/dp/0835607690/)by John Matthews * The Night Before Christma (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Before-Christmas-Clement-Moore/dp/0552569887)s (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Before-Christmas-Clement-Moore/dp/0552569887) by Clement Clarke Moore * Christmas, The Bubbling Toad and the Gift (https://thebubblingtoadstories.com/listen-to-the-stories/) by Sara Starling (https://substack.com/profile/200595998-sara-starling) Other links * Driving Home for Christmas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKAmBAGy1_A) by Chris Rea * Fiok stationery shop, Budapest (https://www.instagram.com/fiokshop/?hl=en) * How to make a Christmas tree from music manuscript paper (https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/94857135897454554/) * Snowflake templates on marthastewart.com (https://www.marthastewart.com/266694/decorating-with-paper-snowflakes) * Pentire botanics (https://pentiredrinks.com) * Carols from King’s (https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/carols-kings) / A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/festival-nine-lessons-and-carols) Ingredients for mocktails Pentire Seaward Eastern Fizz (https://pentiredrinks.com/blogs/serves/pentire-seaward-eastern-fizz) * 50ml / 2 oz Pentire Seaward * 25ml / 1 oz fresh lime juice * 20ml 0.75 oz agave syrup * 3 cucumber slices, muddled * 3 mint leaves * soda water A Winter Wonder (easiest Christmas cocktail ever) * Your favourite gin or non-alcholic botanical equivalent * Your favourite tonic water * Ice * Slice of clementine * Sprig of rosemary Image: Holly Bobbins (https://substack.com/profile/192921244-holly-bobbins) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com (https://calmchristmas.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

271 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

396 ratings

Contact The Calm Christmas Podcast with Beth Kempton

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Small Ways To Live Well from The Simple Things

• 

  As the Season Turns

• 

  Law of Attraction Changed My Life

• 

  The Kirsty Gallagher Podcast

• 

  Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

• 

  Outsiding