“Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The Sun appears to hold still for three days around the Solstice, on the fourth day we see a noticeable change, a rebirth of the Sun as it climbing earlier and sets later, promising us that warmth and fruitfulness will return to these northern climes. Most all our spiritual traditions run with this metaphor and celebrate this natural promise that we can survive the darkest times by the light we share with one another and the light we touch within. Especially when times are hard, like they are this year, it’s good to hope, to know, that we can survive the existential winter and blossom again.
Serious and funny, lighthearted and angst ridden, this is a complex holiday week. A cheerfully collective Venus in Aquarius dances over a very thoughtful conjunction between the Sun and Pluto. Let’s enjoy the glowing moments and nourish our roots with traditions that take us back, in the Capricornian tradition-to our foundations, our family histories and the histories of our chosen spiritual traditions. We have work to do at our roots, remembering, healing, and slogging through the karma together.
Most of his week is sweet and useful, as long as we don’t get lost in the past or in the concerns for the future, and do reach out to connect with people who might be sad or lonely. This Pluto-Sun conjunction can be inspiring where we have a sense of purpose, and depressing where we don’t. A dispersing energy can make it hard to keep our possessions nearby, so let’s track important items carefully, have fun with the treasure hunt for missing items, but accept the lessons around letting go if something we value decides to reposition itself permanently.
Friday can be fast paced and mobile, good for getting where we need to go as long as we stay organized. A New Moon in Capricorn over Christmas weekend brings us into the gifts and joys of Capricorn. We return to our roots, but need to relax the control issues. Forget making it a perfect holiday, just let it be; seek gratitude and it will feed the soul.
Forgive people moments of distraction as the process feelings that waft through the soul. It is easy to feel suddenly alone in a crowd, alone amongst beloveds, and feel the Capricornian illusion of separation, and feel sure we’ll never be understood. Some may get controlling and brittle at this point, and push people away when they really need a hug. We can breathe through this feeling and hold ourselves gently, and be there for our inner child, for our tender souls. Reach down and feel our souls’ roots nestled in Spirit and feel the mountain-like strength of soul, the Capricornian gift.
Jupiter stations on Sunday and makes it tempting to overdo; we may want to be more generous and notice what we do not have in abundance. Let’s share what we have and know that will be sufficient.
Early next week an Aquarian Moon encourages us to not get too close and personal, but instead work the web of our community and play together; talk over a potluck, reconnect with high school friends, support our allies. The web of community will feed us if we strengthen it. Later in the week our more intimate relationships have a chance to deepen and the real conversations ensue. Events or memories will repeatedly ask us what matters and challenge us to get deep not mean, get real not controlling, and be there for each other in tangible ways.
Friday, Dec 23: Morning is funny, thoughtful, scattered with melancholic undertones. It is a good travelling day, we multi-task well, once we ease past a midmorning moody impatience as the Sagittarius Moon squares Mars. If we keep organized, and the afternoon brings efficiency to help us enter a holiday weekend with loose ends tied up. Evening is irreverent and funny; laughter is stress relief when we care too much about what others think as the Moon semi-squares Venus. Watch a self-indulgent streak, and bond over mutually-confused feelings.
Saturday, Dec 24: The New Moon in Capricorn brings us competence, history and a moody grip on reality this active morning. Relax. Yes, we have what it takes to assemble a toy train set, if we are so lucky, but let’s put people ahead of performance, and let ritual and traditions serve our connections or let them go. What seems like a good idea to us, the obvious thing to do next, may not be so for another, so let’s work companionably rather than try to manage others, particularly this morning as the Moon squares Uranus. Around dinnertime, as the Moon conjuncts Pluto, take a moment out to formally notice what and who we are missing for this year’s holidays; honor, respect, and release. Let feelings well up and spill out this evening, keep the schedule loose and close to the heart.
Sunday, Dec 25: Let this be a fun day, not a perfect day. Honor the wisps of melancholia that waft through, the waves of regrets or unfilled wishes, but don’t hold on to them; let them go and make the most of what is here and now. Notice a tendency to get into a feeding frenzy on food or gifts; slow everything down. Be late if needed. Savor and make memories. If sad, be of service; every bit of helpfulness is healing in both directions, just check to see what is truly helpful before getting busy. If a relative is manipulative, speak gently to their fear.
Monday, Dec 26: Watch the cranky thinking as Mercury semi-squares Saturn, notice a temptation to make judgments and use them to distance oneself emotionally from uncomfortable situations. Take a moment out and drop into the heart instead. Enjoy a slow morning; transportation and communication improve as the day wears on and the Moon enters Aquarius. Pull out board games, ladle soup at a soup kitchen, or gather with friends for a “worst present contest” later, find a good excuse to gather supportively and let people off the hook personally, let the community do the healing.
Tuesday, Dec 27: Now the real conversation begins, people relax and get real with one another in honesty if not intimate way. Build understanding by telling real stories, toss a provocative but not divisive topic on the table and chew it over. Politics and philosophy may keep landing in the middle of the room, chew on them respectful of the present interpersonal politics. Also notice the communications going on heart-to-heart underneath the words, which may be far more intimate than the conversation. Enjoy the company as the Moon conjuncts Venus and sextiles Mercury.
Wednesday, Dec 28: We may want to please too many people and succeed pleasing none, or just generally feel over extended and need to pull in our antennae to reacquaint ourselves with our souls and our inner circle of friends and family as the Moon conjuncts Neptune, enters perceptive Pisces and trines Saturn. This is a day for dreaming by the fire, for visions and compassionate action. Serious decisions are on the horizon but now just need to be felt and dreamed upon.
Thursday, Dec 29: Watch what we do today; our actions are very revealing while the Sun conjuncts Pluto. Feelings are close to the bone, nerve endings are close to the surface- a great day to dream and seek purpose, and hard day to take insensitive people’s projections. Be in the moment and make the day work; do not think we understand the future from this vantage point. Energy level may be low, prioritize rest and kindness. Some event or memory of event wakes us up and stimulates a reevaluation. Feel the collective mind working over real problems in dreamtime, and send love and support to all.
Happy return of the light to you, may your holiday season be warm and renewing.
Starcodes 