Approaching the Sun’s ingress to tropical Capricorn at 12:11 pm EDT Saturday is like reaching equilibrium, if you will have it that way. Length of daylight is very much the same from one day to the next now. Sunrises and sunsets are also in very much the same place on the horizon. That’s how it’s tempting to lament an inertia, but astrology’s implications are otherwise, especially this year.
Earlier today, the last lunar cycle of the year culminated when the Sagittarius Sun lined up with Earth and a Gemini Full Moon. As if to make it an emphatic peak, the Galactic Core was included in today’s Full Moon alignment.
Also today, Uranus (a planet associated with change) resumes direct motion after five months of apparent regression back through Aries since July 17, 2013.
Based on the Gemini Full Moon and Uranus’ pivot forward, it appears that you are not being stuck with inertia. It is instead as if any and all trends have gone nearly as far as they can go. It is even as if a turning with the Capricorn solstice has already started. In the meantime, however, it would be a good idea to sit with the solar equilibrium until the Sun turns on the horizon as well, and starts setting further and further north again. You would be in good company with the ages if you do.
Cambridge scholar Dr. Margaret Pearson’s recent and historic translation of the I Ching noted in her comments to hexagram 26 how “China’s earliest rulers closed the mountain passes” during the Capricorn solstice. She goes on to imply that rather than make for a halt to progress, the royal decree instead contributed to the advancement of all by honoring “the season for turning … to find a better way.” Just as it was then, so it can be for you this week.
The key is to encourage your own turning. You can start by witnessing the Moon’s reflection diminish in the nights to come. As you do, rather than see the waning lunar light as an the encroachment of darkness, turn your perspective around and try seeing it as a return towards an eventual and auspicious renewal, with a New Moon on Jan. 1, 2014.
By the same token, even though you can’t see Uranus without a telescope, you can follow it on an ephemeris. Or, you can plot Uranus as a transit to your natal chart as it gradually advances into Aries, and into another of its historical square aspects to Pluto in Capricorn (the next in the series is April 21). Regardless of how you track it, the solar system’s outer arbiter of abrupt historical turns is an ally now. Uranus is your ally now, sharing its own days of pause before progression with your optimum time for finding equilibrium before some progress of your own — if you will have it.
That’s how it comes down to you. You and your free will make you capable of either turning with the universe or against it. Perhaps some of what remains of this week can be applied to thinking about that. Perhaps your thinking will help you find a new equilibrium inside that will, in return, help you to find a better way to be with everybody and everything else. It’s worth a try. Sure beats shopping.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
suria: It is also for me (indeed, all of us) to appreciate and be grateful for you. Congratulations on your having found what you were hunting for.
Thank you, Len.
Had to go on a hunt. With arrows for my bow and kindling for my hearth. ‘Not the dream, the prayer…not the dream, the sacred song.’
The good news – found it! An old prayer from a deep place with a clear vision that brings me to a new equilibrium.
Now some time for pause and breathing into the solstice.
Blessed be these days of warmth and wonder.
With gratitude and appreciation.
Lunesoleil, Chief Niwots Son, be, wandering_yeti, DivaCarla, Bette Loreen, vince, and aword: It is with humility and amazement that i read the assembly of your comments and exchanges. In sum, your collective contributions have not only far outshone my meager offering of service, but redeemed it. My gratitude cannot be measured, but i sincerely hope you will accept it as sincere.
awordedgewise- How fun to be enjoying a parallel course of growth. Congratulations on your positive shift, beats shopping every day.
Thank you, Len. I especially appreciate your quote from the I Ching translation. The ‘closing the mountain passes’ is inspiring and useful. I like to think I’m getting better at turning with the Universe i.e. creating rather than de-creating. And that absolutely beats shopping.
Chief Niwots Son, Your recurring dreams reminded me that I too, had a shift in a long-time recurring dream very recently. Mine was also about school (and although I have taught college, unlike you, I do not currently teach). My recurring dreams took me back to high-school where I found myself unable to find my classroom, my locker, my books, missing class, missing exams, etc. (In real-life I was an A student, so this is clearly interior landscape). The recent dream, however turned that all around; I was “back on track” you might say. Interesting to hear about your similar inner work. Thanks for reminding me of the updated dream!
P.S. One dream in the early series was less recurring however; it was when the school burned – I often dream “predictive” dreams, so was only a little surprised to find it had actually burned. I often wonder how the heck I’m supposed to tell the difference between “inner work” dreams and stuff that’s “really happening” 🙂
I am ready for this peace and inward recharge Len.
Beautiful
thank you
vince
The Solstices have long been deeply felt events for me; they occur on my nodal axis, Winter in my 6th house, Summer in 12th. In June, I try to be out in the country for the first sunrise in Cancer. Like DivaCarla, I can see the Winter sunrise from my window.
Both feel very private to me, perhaps in part because I’ve never really had anyone intimately involved in my life who has regarded the Solstices as anything deeper than “first day of winter”, & “first day of summer.” Plus, the houses in my chart where they occur are not exactly social.
December where I live has been snowy & bitterly cold thus far. I keep a bird feeder plus offer a small heated space & warm food to some homeless cats who keep my neighbourhood rodent-free. But there have been few days when I could comfortably take walks, my favourite exercise.
It is withdraw/within time, for reading, my art projects, reflection, tasks of cleaning/organizing, staying well outside of the “festive” season consumer frenzy. Among my inner tasks is chasing down some toxic family messages which have constrained me for far too long. Transiting Chiron in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer, trine my holds-onto-baggage Scorpio moon are welcome energy.
Happy Solstice to all. I shall light a new candle on Saturday to welcome the Light.
The Sun standing still at the Cap Solstice is so much more poignant than the Cancer Solstice. I think it is because I can see it rise and set in my southern view. The winter sun and I keep company. When it is farther north in summer, it is obscured by woods, and rises over a mountain. The long days and short nights of summer tell a different story than the endless nights, and pale days of winter. Time to drop into ceremony. It pulls me in and down. See you when the Sun heads north again!
Mr. Angst battles: Was it the full moon? Mars entered my rising sign, trine Moon. Mr. Angst is my oldest practice, older than Tai Ji, older than music, older than deep breathing, one of those family traditions that started its installation programs while I floated in the womb. Like Rome he gets up again and again. Ah well, he seems to be getting weaker. There have been moments of feeling truly alive. “Warm hands, cold heart” someone recently said to me. Nah, it’s warm inside its ice cave. Melting slowly.
Hey, I was in too big a rush to feed the birds to proof that last reply. Eris is at 21 Aries, not 28. Stay tuned, there may be more mistakes. . . . .
Full of Wonder are what your thoughts are regarding the season’s astrological gifts Len. Had not the time to study the solstice “in depth” until this offering today prompted me to. My very ill friend (who seems to have lost faith in his recuperative powers since his 3rd surgery) not only will have the Sun conjunct his natal Chiron (0 Capricorn) and sextile his natal Sun (1 Pisces), but I see the solstice Moon at 17 Leo will conjunct his natal Pluto also. In addition, solstice Moon sextiles solstice Ceres (18 Libra) which trines his natal Mercury. Yeah, that’s right his natal Mercury opposes his natal Pluto. This gives me encouragement that all this nurturing (Moon and Ceres) will have a payoff soon.
You see the solstice Moon and Ceres also have a positive effect on his natal Neptune in Libra, because transiting Ceres is exactly conjunct it on December 22. This much I was aware of, and that along with transiting Neptune moving to 3 Pisces (over a degree past his natal Sun), had prompted me to tell him (and his wife, neither of whom put any stock in astrological blather) that he would notice an improvement on or just after December 22. His main problem is his inability to take in nourishment. . he just can’t keep anything on his stomach. In my totally, TOTALLY, unqualified opinion, it has to do with (what I think is) his sense of being undeserving and perhaps a (totally unjustified) sense of guilt.
You just can’t imagine my joy right now Len. There are other astrological considerations (like Mars entering Libra for example) that have fueled my belief that much of his problem is psychological and will pass (if he can stay alive long enough), and it has tested my faith in my own ability to understand the language of the Universe. Oh, what a relief it is! (plop plop, fizz fizz)
The Winter Solstice chart’s Eris at 28+ Aries retrograde is moving closer to the U.S. natal (Sibly) Chiron (20+ Aries) who opposes the U.S. Juno (20+ Libra) and remains in it’s exact sextile to the U.S. Mars (21+ Gemini) who squares the U.S. Neptune (22+ Virgo) promising no let up in government discord. What DOES have the promise a winter solstice accords us is it’s Uranus (8+ Aries) just direct( and super potent) in it’s sextile to the U.S. natal Uranus at 8+ Gemini. This is the degree (area) where the last Pluto-Neptune conjunction took place, so a lot of history (and the possibility of transformation) will be riding on this sextile aspect as we near the next trans. Uranus square trans. Pluto in April you spoke of. Expect an unexpected breakthrough because, in addition to the excitement of Uranus, the solstice Vesta (14+ Libra) is EXACTLY conjunct the U.S. Sibly Saturn! A crossroads of fixed nodes (transiting north in Scorpio and south in Taurus with the U.S. Sibly north node in Leo and south in Aquarius) gives this Solstice chart a feeling of destiny.
Wishing good things from this Full Moon to all.
be
There’s this recurring dream I have had for years involving the part of my professional work that has me in front of the classroom in the role of teacher. In the dream my beloved students are doing everything but paying attention to the lesson at hand, riotously disrupting the class. Finally the other night a new dream came through- my students were kind, loving, attentive and supportive in class (which is how they mostly are in real life). Yet knowing my dreams are indicative of my inner landscape, I feel I have turned an inner corner which is signified by the new dream. Now I am excited to test drive the new perspective.
The Full Moon this morning was being chased towards the hills by bright Jupiter, as the sun, late these days, was taking his time waking up. Best of all I can look up at the sky and know where my mid-heaven is among the stars and wanderers.
Len- you mention the sun setting further North, well here is a tale of its Capricorny rising further North on the horizon. Observing the solar rising in the East at this time of year we notice that after some days of rising in the same place, one morning the Sun has moved to the left for it’s rising. In our modern calendar this rebirth of the Sun occurs on December 25th, and I needn’t tell you that all kinds of Myths pivot around this date, because of it’s astronomical/astrological significance. All Sun God myths have a common point of origin, and one only need watch the natural world to understand the ground of human myth making.
Wishing everyone Happy Holy Days. 🙂
Hello Len
It has posted almost the same time me my comment on the article on milk and you your article on the winter solstice
I wish you an excellent full moon 🙂