December 21st ~ 28th
Eternal by RaJewel
It is the season of the birth of the Sun: the coming back and bringing into fructification those seeds and plants needing Sun energy for their growth and expression ~ but it is more than that, because behind the Sun, as behind every single body, there is spirit, there is life, and there is intelligence. ~ Robert Crosbie
The seeds in Winter: At the Solstice this year we stand on a precipice, looking back at what once was, and looking ahead to what will be. This year the Winter Solstice is accompanied by a rare Full Moon at 0º of Cancer. This Full Moon is a peak time of year, with Capricorn ushering in the Winter Season, and Cancer Luna warming our hearts and souls. The Solstice on December 21st is one of the 4 Cardinal Corners of the Solar Year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac there have only been 10 Winter Solstices coinciding with a Full Moon since 1793. The next one won’t be until 2094. So break out your pagan Yules, and celebrate the rebirth of the great Horned God, by offering prayers to the New Born Sun, on this the Winter Solstice.
Yuletide begins on December 21st and lasts thru New Year’s Day. December 21st is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Sun appears to stand still. After this day the Sun will pause, and then gradually make its way back North again, bringing the return of the Light. In the darkness before the dawn, we are confronted with our own soul journey, searching for that ephemeral light that serves as the seeds to enlightenment. Whether we seek this light through ritual, religion, community, prayer, parties, holiday lights, candles, love, and embracing the wonders of nature: this time of year also symbolizes hope for renewal, for rebirth, for wisdom and light.
This year the Solstice squares Chiron in Pisces, and will trine alternative Uranus. For the next quarter of the year we will be exploring those underlying wounds that have been dividing us and drawing societies, families and communities apart; while looking hopefully to the future for alternative solutions to problems that previously seemed insurmountable. The square to Chiron begs us to lick our wounds, face those problems we’ve been avoiding, and deal with them once and for all. The trine to Uranus dares us to plant seeds of renewal, growth and positive change. And so we stand in anticipation of what may be. Change and resolution are in the air.
The Solstice on the 21st is also accompanied by an exact conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter this year. Mercury then approaches a square to Neptune next week in anticipation of the Jupiter/Neptune square of 2019. This is also a repeat of the Mercury/Neptune square that brought in the last Mercury retrograde station on November 16th. The good news is that this is symbolic of a grand vision for the future gradually unfolding. The question is whether or not that vision is realistic and/or achievable. Mercury/Jupiter seeds the sort of conviction that comes with a good dose of Sagittarius optimism and good humor, and dares us to grow and expand our expectations and hopes. Is it real? Is it possible? Will it stretch you beyond the limits of your known universe? And can you actually see yourself doing this? Something awesome this way comes.
That which ye sow ye reap. See yonder fields! The sesamum was sesamum, the corn was corn. The silence and the darkness knew! So is a man’s fate born. ~ Edwin Arnold (The Light of Asia)
If you wish to get a glimpse of the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction on the Solstice, wake up 1 hour before dawn, and look towards the Eastern Horizon. There you will see Mercury (the brighter planet) closely aligned with Jupiter. This is a star well worth wishing upon.
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: