Today is the first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The word solstice means Sun standing still. For us in the Northern hemisphere it means that we have reached the day where the darkness has reached it’s peak. After today the light begins it’s return.

This particular solstice has been much anticipated as it has also been determined to be the end of the Mayan long Count and the start of the 14th baktun. (A baktun is 144,000 days long). There is some disaggreement as to whether this is really true. Picking a day out of thousands of years has a great potential for error. Yet it almost doesn’t matter, because we are co-creative and if enough people believe something we can create a turning point.

Astrologcially, The Sun’s ingress into the sign of Capricorn is a significant time, especially now as the Planet Pluto has been in the sign of Capricorn since 2008. While the Sun moves through Capricorn, all themes ruled by Capricorn become illuminated and with the planet of Death and Rebirth also in Capricorn, this is a time of bringing forth the shadow side of Capricorn. Capricorn is about power and authority. Ruling the 10th house of public persona, politics, government, hierachical structures, banking, money, corporations and socially accepted mores. The idea that power lies outside of us, is a Capricorn ideal, Father God that resides in heaven, whether benefic or judgmental. These ideals are patricarchal, and so the idea of ‘Father knows best” is also up for evaluation.

Within the chart for the Solstice is a relatively rare configuration called a Yod, or the Finger of God. In this configuration which is made up of three or more planetary bodies. In the Solstice Yod, which first developed the second week of December and has been influencing things since and will be active into January, we find Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter. Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scoprio are in a waning sextile to each other. Waning aspects are objective as information is shared with people in society and deals with our relationship to each other. Saturn deals with what is working and what is not and Pluto deals with bringing forth the shadow, or those parts we prefer not to look at.

The third point in this Yod is Jupiter retrograde in Gemini. Jupiter is what we believe to be true, in Gemini it deals with contrasting ideas. The two sides of a story, if you will. The fact that Jupiter is retrograde points to the sense of review and revision.

So what is God pointing to? In our interactions in society what ideals and beliefs are working and which are not? And how do we transform our beliefs in such a way that we can work together to heal our shadow.

We are waking up. The Mayans do point to this time as a time of Awakening. Yet before we can walk in the light, we must heal the darkness. We are on a journey to en-lighten-ment. And it’s a journey we’re all taking together. So release the darkness and shine bright. We are lighting the way for each
other!