Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice - Spirit in the Seed

"If you shut up truth, and bury it underground, it will but grow."

—Emile Zola

This week begins with the Winter Solstice — the Sun's entrance into the sign of Capricorn on Sunday. Capricorn's ruler, Saturn, has been quite active over the past few months as it makes a last pass through the sign of Pisces before rejoining Neptune in Aries in February. Both Capricorn and Pisces are tightly aligned in their pursuit of truth — material 'truth' (Capricorn) and spiritual 'truth' (Pisces). Of course, it is Sagittarius that is the sign that is most associated with the pursuit of 'truth'. It is in Capricorn that Sagittarian 'truth' is codified, producing laws and rules that must be followed. Through Capricorn's attempts to proscribe the truth to which we must adhere, our individual perspective — our personal truth — may be buried beneath the structural weight of 'The Law'. Capricorn often seems to encourage us to 'fall into line' and follow the established rules. We may then expect to maintain or elevate our position but the price of this success is usually the sacrifice of our individual 'truth' — our unique perspective. However, the highest spiritual imperative of Capricorn is to protect the essence of our individual truth within the hard outer shell of the Winter's Seed — Spirit in its most concentrated form, protected by the hard shell of the seed casing: Spirit in the seed. Through Capricorn, we recognize the need to protect our deepest truths and insights until the time is right to reveal our insights to others. In Pisces, Capricorn's rules lose their meaning and purpose — a higher 'truth' must be found. Saturn's transit through Pisces and the extended Grand Water trines to Jupiter in Cancer and the parade of planets through Scorpio, since late October, have slowly dissolved Saturn's restrictive hold on 'established truth', helping to free us from the constraints of 'conformity', and are now beginning to allow our individual truth to finally begin to emerge. It is this higher truth, carefully ensconced within Capricorn's hard shell and finally revealed through the action of Pisces that will begin to 'sprout' under the influence of Aries. And that, of course, points to the coming Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries in February — now less than two months away.

Broadly, this week's activity shows off the determination indicated by last Friday's Sagittarius New Moon (December 19, 5:43 PM PST 28° Sagittarius). The active but extremely weighty atmosphere of the Winter Solstice emphasizes the challenge of holding on to our individual perspective and personal sense of truth in the face of challenging restrictions. Idealism and impulsiveness dissipate. Carrying the heavy burdens that seem to manifest this week alone may seem inevitable but, in fact, cooperation and partnership is the best way to avoid collapsing under the burdens that we feel. What is perhaps the most notable trait of Capricorn is the determined, lasting endurance, symbolized by the Mountain Goat. It is that endurance that comes forward as the Winter Solstice signals a profound shift away from uncertainty and 'thoughtful consideration" towards tangible, practical action. Venus arrives in Capricorn midweek and quickly begins to rip away any unworkable idealism inspired by the past few weeks of Sagittarian optimism. However, with objectivity we will recognize that letting go of what is no longer relevant will allow us to focus more directly on what we can actually achieve. We will still carry the essence — the kernel of truth — within us that we are carefully protecting, even if we are not able to fully manifest or convey our perspective to others. As we reach the 1st Quarter lunar phase at the end of the week, activity accelerates and we begin to find the tools that we need to advance towards our goals with practical efficiency. Mercury, left alone now in Sagittarius, trines Chiron in Aries on Saturday, tempering the heightened imperative for action with a powerful sense of compassion and empathy. The Mercury-Chiron trine provides us with a bridge between the insight gathered in Sagittarius and the imperative to put that insight to work through the initiative of Aries Ultimately, this helpful interaction allows us to let go of any overly idealistic aspirations as we begin to work towards achieving what is actually achievable. Mercury and Chiron are also encouraging us to share our truth with others as opportunities are opened to us. Next Saturday's Cancer Full Moon (2:03 AM PST 13° Cancer/Capricorn) will find the Sun in a slowly developing conjunction with both Venus and Mars in Capricorn, further bolstering our individual integrity while maintaining the endurance and determination that is available to us this week.

Sunday's imperatives show us the importance of sharing our individual truth — our individual perspective — with those around us in a way that is meaningful. Carrying the weight alone may seem to be required but, in fact, cooperation and partnership is the best way to avoid collapsing under the burdens that seem to be felt. Personal power is quite strong on Monday. However, without some degree of detachment, we can feel 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' — free expression vs. keeping the peace. Individual uncertainty reaches a crisis point on Tuesday. The trap is believing that we need to convince anyone of anything. Both breakthroughs and breakdowns are possible on Wednesday. The more objectivity that we can maintain, the better we will do at recognizing what is important and what is not. Thursday's atmosphere is remarkably subdued — we aren't inclined to push very hard in any direction. At least, there are indications of a relatively smooth, hospitable, social environment and a great deal of endurance to deal with any undercurrent of discomfort. Any hint of impulsiveness seems to dissolve on Friday, replaced by the powerful determination to establish at least some degree of stability. However, the determination to make practical headway remains. Saturday's initiatives are long lasting and well-grounded, signaling a precipitous shift away from thoughtful consideration, soul-searching, and uncertainty. Essentially, this feels like it's Go Time!.