Winter Solstice chart

Winter solstice 2009, set for Kingston, New York. Chart in Io Sprite.

Here is the winter solstice chart for later today — the Sun ingresses Capricorn at 12:46:48 pm EST. The chart is set for Kingston, New York, which is where the astrologer is sitting at the moment. Since there is no ‘world capital’ that’s an not-so-arbitrary location that works. Notably, this is the first Capricorn solstice with Pluto in Capricorn.

Today the days begin to get longer as the Sun moves northward in declination along the horizon. While we won’t begin to notice the days getting longer for a few weeks, there is a subtle shift in energy as the starry dynamo of the night begins to spin in the other direction, like a huge amusement park ride.

In our chart, Mars is retrograde in Leo (as of yesterday), Jupiter is in a conjunction to Neptune, exact to three arc minutes. Jupiter is direct and headed for Pisces, and will sail straight across Pisces to make a conjunction to Uranus in June (which will by then be in Aries). Then both Jupiter and Uranus will retrograde back into Pisces, for their first meeting in Pisces since 1334 (which takes place in September).

Venus in the solstice chart is conjunct the Galactic Core in Sagittarius. And the Moon is in late Aquarius, opposite a rarely-used point called Transpluto (listed in the Serennu ephemeris as Isis-Transpluto). Mercury is close to stationing retrograde (in five days, on Dec. 26).

The Sun is square Juno on the Aries Point (about to square Pluto, and being squared by the Sun), yet another sign suggesting that conventional relationship models are coming into focus as needing revision and update to meet our actual needs. Because Juno is on the Aries Point, this is showing up as not just the issue of any one person but a society-wide situation (I consider North American, British and European societies to be one culture, having lived in all three and noting the key similarities).

The emphasis on change shows up mostly as Juno square Pluto. We need to re-think why we have the relationship models that we do, and determine whether what we are pushing everyone else into is actually appropriate or even works as the cultural cornerstone that we make it into. We need to know that part of why our reach limits is not about us personally — it’s about the method of relationship we are taught, with no alternatives.

It’s time to create some options for ourselves.

13 thoughts on “Winter Solstice chart”

  1. Why thank you Len! I am trying to figure that out in terms of areas of my life but in time I guess I will…well I hope so! :o)

  2. I’ve had the most weird, tortured, *expensive* 24 hours I’ve had in months. Time to go cast a chart for my locale and see what’s up. Weird solstice energy, I guess, has triggered something awful inside me. Hopefully in another 24 hours I’ll be grateful for the awareness….

  3. spacesurfer – For your Mars double whammy i would call your attention to three words which exceed all of my own wisdom: less is more.

  4. BK – thank you once again for the erudition of your authoratative insights. Your knowledge of the President’s chart is exceeded only by your feel for a yod aspect (about which you are among the best).

    Mr. Evans – in 1999 all i knew about astrology was what i read from Rob Brezny and Rockie Gardner. Seems so long ago. Uranus in Aquarius. Saturn in Taurus, for pete’s sake. As aforementioned by Eric, in a Zodiac where pretty much everything is moving, the placement of an Eclipse is a stationary point that retains that aspective quality, gradually fading until the lunar nodes come around to that axis again. For the 1999 grand cross, you will recall that Mars was in a fixed water sign (Scorpio). Now it’s in a fixed fire sign (Leo) for the duration of the retrograde. Any significance would seem to emerge from the fixed quality and the change of context from Sun/Moon conjuction to Mars.

  5. Don, the answer to your question would be context specific; though I’ve been onto that in many recent horoscope columns. However, in sum, that degree is still active. It was also active in the 9/11 chart — Venus, the ascendant ruler, was in that degree for the false flag attacks that day.

  6. I am particularly intrigued on the effects of the Mars retrograde and how it will affect me as I am Leo Rising as well as an Aries…Double whammo!

    Chrismassy Regards to ALL at Planet Waves and here is to another astrological 2010

    With Love
    Spacey
    xxx :o)

  7. Does anyone know the significance of Mars turning retrograde within a degree of the solar eclipse/grand cross of August 1999; and the current opposition of the Aquarius stellium to that same point?

  8. Fe,

    Rudhyer calls Cap 20 “.. .the purest form of group-harmony, the most basic yet most difficult fulfillment of the social state.”

    Of Cap 23 Rudhyer says “The Keyword here is RECOMPENSE, i.e. a compensation for a well-done performance – a balancing of accounts.”

    The solstice chart for Washington DC is almost identical to Eric’s Kingston chart, with Aries 16+ rising and Cap 9+ on the MH. As it was less than 12 hours earlier that the healthcare bill from the senate was approved, I’d say Mr. Dane got it pretty dead on.

    Obama’s Saturn is only 4 degrees from this solstice North Node. This Mercury with the NN also trines his Ceres at 20+ Taurus and his Mars at 22+ Virgo. Hail to the Chief.

    The solstice Moon is conjunct the U.S. Moon.
    The U.S. Saturn is on the solstice descendent.
    Solstice Mercury squares U.S. Chiron (20+ Aries)
    You can’t please all the people all the time.
    be

  9. Between what you provided and these two there are three predominant notes. The martial, the natural and faith.

    In addition, the idea of the North node being forward looking while retrograde constitutes a review is an interesting, even fascinating paradox.

    Len:

    In particular the North Node looking forward while retrograde sums up the current battle over health care reform – amongst conservatives and liberals. We’re fighting with the history of our ideals in trying to come up with a remedy for the present.

  10. Thank you for the faith, Fe. Actually i have been looking at the point Mercury stations retrograde on the 26th (21 degrees, 47+ minutes) which neatly splits
    between the true node and the mean node. The symbols for Capricorn 22 are:

    Sabian Symbol: The defeated general yields up his sword but in failure he wins for his cause a dignity that is real success.
    Kozminsky Symbol: A hawk standing on a square black rock bathed in the rays of the rising sun.

    Between what you povided and these two there are three predominant notes. The martial, the natural and faith.

    In addition, the idea of the North node being forward looking while retrograde constitutes a review is an interesting, even fascinating paradox.

    Blessings

  11. I’m looking at Mercury and the North Node in the 10th House at 19-20 and 22-23 Cap, respectively:

    Capricorn 20

    Sabian Symbol: There is no service in the church but rising full and clear come the voices of a hidden choir in rehearsal.

    Kozminsky Symbol: A girl carrying a bowl of water into which are reflected the rays of the setting sun. All around is darkness

    Capricorn 23

    Sabian Symbol: The army is erect in a long faultless line as resplendent officers confer upon a private two awards for bravery.

    Kozminsky Symbol: A dog, holding a bird in his mouth, running across a field of daisies.

    Calling out to BK and Len – what could those symbols mean?

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