Solstice Greetings

Monday December 21st 2015
John Atkinson Grimshaw

A lane by moonlight — John Atkinson Grimshaw

Velvety magic at the winter solstice. Light of the Sun swallowed, we spend a long night of darkness, but there is comfort in the night’s embrace. Even in these modern times, we can turn out the electric lights and gather round the fire, letting the dark cushion our backs.

We are in a womb with walls woven of stories and histories, feelings and ideas, memories and dreams.

We bind together in this Capricorn time, through our traditions — invented and evolving — and this year, the Full Moon on Christmas Day, will bind more tightly ties of blood or emotion. This is a tribal time. You can embrace that knowingly. You can choose your tribe, or intentionally .

The holiday season started early in 2015 — and with deeper joy. The joy of survival, and maybe already a surer, sounder knowledge of who we are both personally and tribally. This sense of identity will become clearer with the trine from Saturn to Uranus in 2016 and 2017.

2015 has been quite a year. Indeed since 2012, we, collectively and individually, have been wrestling with huge energies. The square of Uranus and Pluto — which became exact an astonishing seven times — challenged everyone. This may have been quite personal — illness, career highs or lows, relationship endurance tests — or you may have been caught up in one of the historical tidal waves that has swept the globe in the past few years. And speaking of tidal waves, the overwhelming power of the Neptune-Jupiter opposition in September is still unspooling. Indeed even the first three weeks of this month have been a battlefield.

But now the Solstice, a calm centring, a gathering in of energy. The turn of the year’s wheel from misty autumn to icy winter, from mutable Sagittarius to cardinal Capricorn.

The Sun enters Capricorn tomorrow morning. Sunrise is at 8.04GMT. Here is a handy website which will tell you which streets in your city are aligned with the solstice lines. (Oxford is not on the list, sadly.) You will be able to see the sunrise from them. Here is a nice article about the solstice.

Capricorn is the sign of the shaman, the sign that connects matter with spirit. There is an enormous amount of energy here now — Pluto (power), Pallas and Mercury (intelligence) and the Sun (life itself). This is transformative energy over the next few weeks. Look to where it is in your chart. Use it wisely.

Wytham Woods -- December

Wytham Woods — December

 

 

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  1. Abby says:

    Thank you so much for posting that photo of Wytham Woods. Brought back treasured memories of a visit — to the tiny Wytham church, quaint thatched cottages, and the charming White Hart — with the love of my life, alas.

  2. Eva says:

    Could you please say more about Capricorn as the shaman? Would you see any connection to the 6th – 12th house axis, as in matter and spirit? I know Cap. is linked with the 10th but what you said gave me the idea. I’ve been wondering if the sea goat could in fact embody the resolution of the Neptune Saturn square, as in finding balance between rock and water.

    • Christina says:

      That’s an interesting question and I’d need to marshall more evidence to answer it thoroughly. The shamanic quality of Capricorn is intrinsic to the sign — the tail in the water and the feet on the mountain. Here is a link to start you off http://www.oxfordastrologer.com/2012/01/how-adele-is-a-shaman.html

      But to call it the shaman’s sign is really my own instinct about Capricorn — often a much maligned sign. I think it deserves a full post.

      I think that is a fascinating idea: to resolve the Neptune-Saturn through Capricorn.

      As you say, Capricorn’s house is the 10th in the natural chart, and I do feel strongly that Virgo and Pisces are 6 and 12 respectively, but in the spirit of your idea, what is the relationship of 6 and 12 to 10? In fact, 10 trines the 6th and sextiles the 12th, so providing an outlet for the opposition.

      I think you are on to something.

  3. jamma says:

    This is fun — most of my little town is aligned with the Winter Solstice Sunrise … Unfortunately it’s raining cats & dogs, so no visibility. But I’m going to save the map for the Summer Solstice Sunset! … Ta!

  4. Eva says:

    Thanks, I really like your unorthodox take on Capricorn. Seems to tap into its mythological origins, the tail in the water. It’s not something that gets acknowledged in public much (maybe as it counters the public expectations of the sign? or because it’s unconscious?) but more often stays hidden and private (the Cancer axis?) I have Moon, Venus and Sun, conjunct in Capricorn in 6th and the usual descriptions don’t tend to match my experience of it.

    I’m also interested in the 6th as the house of alchemy, one of the goals of which is bringing spirit to matter and matter to spirit. Also the Sun and Moon conjunction as a marriage of the conscious and unconscious.

    My Cap. Sun is countered by Cancer rising with the lunar nodes from 10th to 4th. Jupiter in Gemini (12th) opposite Mercury in Sag. (6th). My chart seems to be a lot about paradoxes and reconciling opposites.

    Thanks for the link, I’ve looked through your archives and found a lot that resonates with me. The Land of Counterpane as a 12th experience is brilliant 🙂

  5. Joan says:

    Such lyrical prose, and so fitting for the celebration of Christmas even for us in the Southern Hemisphere (this week 36.7C, a record). Thankyou Christina.