Solstice Greetings to All!

2016 Winter Solstice (Summer in the Southern Hemisphere) arrives on December 21 at 10:44 Universal Time at 5:45a Eastern Time and 2:45a Pacific Time.

For more information on the science of the Solstice visit Earth Sky and for interesting Winter Solstice traditions around the world, check out Crystalinks

There is comfort in the fact the Winter Solstice arrives as it has since the dawn of time. The yin-yang cycle of the return of the light is here as the days gradually begin to lengthen.  This is the day when the Sun enters Capricorn and marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest in the Southern –  the exact moment when the wheel of the seasons turns which is why I chose Tammie Lee’s photo, a wonderful representation of this cycle of the natural world.

The chart for the exact moment of the Solstice gives insight into patterns and trends emerging for this new season.

At every December’s solstice the Sun is stationed at O degrees Capricorn.  Capricorn is  a solid, stable, mature earth sign ruled by Saturn. This year Mercury is in Capricorn too, but is moving backward and stationed only 2 degrees away from Pluto in his long term Capricorn journey. Capricorn is the sign most closely connected to ‘real world’ affairs of State and corporate power. Mercury = communication and his retrograde phase so near potent transformation agent Pluto at the Solstice is an accurate indication of how the powers that be in the world are  hesitating (stunned!)  and backing up to take stock of the unexpected change in the balance of power resulting from Donald Trump’s election win. Another brick knocked down by Pluto’s relentless scourge of worldly power structures as they scramble to decipher what this all means.

Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is in high-spirited fire sign Sagittarius as if trying to lighten up ‘so very serious’ Capricorn. Saturn in Sagittarius says change is good and if we don’t get the hell out of Dodge periodically we become stagnate stone statues. Saturn is entering the last year of his Sagittarius visit and in the Solstice chart reaches out with an exact trine to change agent Uranus in fellow fire sign Aries. Trines = ease and flow, and this active trine speeds up structural transformation to the max. Uranus is retro at the Solstice but turns direct on 12/29 to take the solstice message from Saturn and run with it!  Mighty Jupiter in airy Venus-ruled Libra is tightly opposite Uranus and forms a tense T-Square to Pluto and Mercury challenging us all to maintain balance in the face of this rapid change. This T-Square also repeats the Cardinal squares which were majorly active over the last few years.

The Moon relects the mood of the public and the Solstice Moon is in Libra too and also forms a square – hers challenges the Capricorn Sun. Libra is the sign of balance and a Libra Moon square Capricorn Sun at the Solstice indicates how out of balance people feel now in the midst of such major structural upheaval.  Helping out is Venus in Aquarius who beams out nicely to Jupiter with an airy trine. Venus always has our back and in Aquarius the sign most capable of rising to the 20K perspective she says, “Stay calm and take care of your own personal vibration which ultimately helps the world make more positive change. ” We should all listen to her advice!

Mars = action and is in early degrees of watery, laid-back Pisces at the Solstice. Mars in Pisces easily swims through all the swirling cosmic currents in the river of life which helps us here below navigate change more gracefully too. Mars in Pisces will meet up with mystical Neptune as 2017 begins and will create a major challenge to Saturn (more about this in January’s issue) but in the Solstice chart drifts lazily along inviting us to relax more too.

Wounded healer Chiron has something to say in the Solstice chart as he forms an exact 90 degree square to Saturn. Chiron’s symbol looks just like a key, appropriate to Chiron’s function as a healing key opening up to higher dimensions. Chiron is in Pisces now and his square to Saturn in Sagittarius invites us to rise to the challenge of these rapidly changing times by slowing down to follow the Piscean path of trust and faith in spiritual currents, which may be unseen, but are leading us toward a more perfect world. Sounds like a good plan.

Overall the challenges in the Solstice chart are not heavy ‘squish you under the boot’ ones as was the case in other years, in fact they can be easily managed to become positive strengths.  The main idea is to avoid getting caught up in the belief that the worldly changes so visible to all are negative and taking us down the wrong road. The Solstice chart invites you to relax more, like settling into a yoga pose, and when you do the tensions ease, the toxins release and you are more able to rise to a higher vibration where you realize all is as it’s meant to be.  We are all connected on our beautiful blue planet and as one person shifts from fearful beliefs to love based ones, it helps shift our entire reality. To repeat the advice Venus in Aquarius wants us to follow,”take care of your own personal vibration which ultimately helps the world make more positive change”. Carlos Castaneda born a few days after the Winter Solstice himself sums up well the energies of this Solstice when he said, “The aim is to balance the terror of being alive with the wonder of being alive.”

Wishing you bright Solstice Blessings filled with the wonder of being alive!

IMAGE NOTE: The wonderful ice circle photo was taken by my friend Tammie Lee at the north fork of the Flathead River in Montana. I was so pleased she let me use it! It’s such a perfect image for the Solstice and I love the overlapping orbs too. Here is what Tammie said about it,  “This circle of ice was circling, such a wonderful thing to see and watch.” Tammie said there was a river otter hanging out in the circle too. She didn’t get a photo of the otter in the circle, but she got this amazing one. You can view and purchase more of Tammie’s photos at spirithelpers.net

Here is that river otter!