Breaking in Our Shoes
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Bold Action
E ach time Jupiter enters a new sign, we receive specific instructions about how best to broaden our horizons. The instruction as Jupiter enters Aries (Dec. 20, 2022, 6:32 am PST) is succinct and to the point: Take bold action.
Taking action requires courage. Here’s a good rule of thumb, while Jupiter is in Aries: The scarier something feels and the more impossible it seems, the more likely that it’s the right course of action.
Jupiter gives us a new pair of shoes and says, “These will feel a bit tight at first, but once you’ve broken them in, you’ll wonder how you ever walked in anything else.” And when Jupiter is in Aries, his advice for breaking in those shoes goes something like this: “Here’s a sledgehammer – give ‘em a good smack, and you’ll be amazed how much better they feel!”
With Jupiter in Aries, don’t take no for an answer. Embrace challenges. Break in those shoes. Do impossible things.


No Place to Go But Up
At the winter solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun enters Capricorn (Dec. 21, 2022, 1:48 pm PST), reaching its lowest point in the midday sky. Energy and spirits can be low, too. We’re headed for the finish line, and as we look back over the calendar year, we may be tempted to chastise ourselves for what we haven’t accomplished.
At the Capricorn solstice, there’s no place to go but up. Over the coming months, the Sun will begin its gradual ascent, eventually reaching its highest point at the summer solstice.
Fittingly, we make resolutions at this time of year. To what heights might we climb in the year ahead? Meanwhile, it’s dark and cold, and we light fires and candles and plug in sparkling lights to remind us that it won’t be this dark forever.
I think many of us are feeling the need for some light at this Solstice. Things have felt pretty dark for a while, and it’s really nice to be reminded that everything is part of a cycle, and that the light is on its way back.
Wake Up Call
There are lots of ways to wake up. Some involve jarring, blaring alarm clocks or earthquakes. Others involve a lovable pet who wants breakfast, or a snuggly, amorous partner who wants you.
I point this out because Venus, the planet of money and partners, is trine Uranus, planet of awakening and unexpected events this week (Dec. 22, 2022, 1:48 am PST), and that can sound a little scary. But the aspect between them is a harmonious trine, which sounds more like a kitten jumping on a bed than an earthquake. You may see pleasant developments in your personal relationships, as you and your partner rediscover the spark that brought you together. Or there may be a financial windfall (or, admittedly, an unexpected setback), since Venus also rules money. But if you responded to the creative wake-up call of Venus square Uranus last month, this should be the moment when those actions begin to bear fruit.


A New Year Awakens
Just over the threshold of the Solstice lies a New Moon at 1°32’ Capricorn (Dec. 23, 2022, 2:17 am PST). Regardless of what the calendar says, the Capricorn New Moon is the best time for making resolutions, or at least plans.
In this New Moon chart, the Sun and Moon are square Jupiter, the planet of stretching ourselves open. The Sabian symbol for the New Moon degree is Three stained glass windows, one damaged by bombardment. I like to imagine that the Sun and Moon in Capricorn are the two windows that are intact, and Jupiter in explosive Aries is the one damaged by bombardment!
Jupiter insists that we give ourselves over to new adventures, but in Aries and in square aspect to the New Moon, we can get a bit carried away. That said, we don’t often think of Capricorn as adventurous, but the New Moon and Jupiter indicates that we may be willing to take the kinds of risk that can lead to real growth in the new year.


Faith and Reason
The heart may be somewhat disillusioned this week, but the mind saw the truth all along. Mercury’s sextile to Neptune (Dec. 24, 2022, 5:17 pm PST) has some advice to offer us for the new year ahead. Advice like the classic sign posted behind the counter of a small shop: “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.” Or, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!”
Neptune is the ruler of faith – but faith works best when it’s hung over a well-reasoned, clear-eyed framework. We have to use common sense, learn what we can about a situation, and reason the matter through before we grant ourselves the luxury of faith. In this, Mercury in pragmatic Capricorn excels.
But as Neptune reminds us, reason isn’t everything. I’ve studied astrology fairly diligently for nearly half a century, and it’s proven a reliable guide to understanding myself and others. But that’s not why I love it. I love it because it supports my faith that the universe is meaningful and that there are connections between what happens in the heavens and what takes place on earth. These aren’t things that can be proven, but that doesn’t matter. For all the astrological techniques and theories I’ve explored over the years, faith is the underlying factor that makes sense of it all for me.
As Mercury and Neptune harmoniously usher in the new year, there’s an opening in the wall that separates faith and reason, and a common hymn book that lets them sing together in the choir.


Writing and collages © 2017-2022 April Elliott Kent
More about this week’s highlights in the latest episode of my podcast!