Episode 213 | The Capricorn Solstice: Demanding Recognition!
This week, The Sun enters Capricorn, marking the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere; a Pisces First Quarter Moon demands action, but conditions are hazy; Mercury retrograde aspects Jupiter and re-enters Sagittarius, so supersize your goals for the coming year; Venus opposed Uranus pulls back the curtains; and April answers a listener question about how to deal with fear and anxiety about big transits to your chart. Plus: Boot camp, petrified wood, and feeling pinned under something heavy!
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Timestamps
[1:09] Mercury trines Jupiter (Dec. 18, 6:25 am PST) at 05º21’ Capricorn-Taurus. Mercury’s Sabian symbol is 6 Capricorn, Dark archway with ten logs at the bottom, and Jupiter is on 6 Taurus, A bridge being built across a gorge. The houses of your chart with Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces on the cusp represent areas of your life where you can build something new that ultimately finds success.
[3:09] Moon Report! The Pisces First Quarter Moon (Dec. 19, 10:39 am PST) at 27°35’ Pisces-Sagittarius conjoins Neptune and squares the Sun. This is the action point from last week’s New Moon in Sagittarius. Your destination may still be unclear, but the fog should dissipate by the upcoming Full Moon.
[4:35] Lunar Phase Family Cycle (LPFC). This is the First Quarter Moon in a Lunar Phase Family Cycle that began at the March 21, 2023 New Moon at 00º49’ Aries. All the other lunations in this LPFC are in late Pisces: The Full Moon on Sep. 17, 2024 and the Last Quarter on June 18, 2025. Look to the area of your chart that contains between about 25° Pisces and 1° Aries to pinpoint the areas of your chart and your life that are undergoing a process of transformation.
[5:53] Void-of-Course (VOC) Moon periods. On Dec. 19, the Moon in Pisces sextiles Pluto in Capricorn (1:03 pm PST). It’s VOC for about 1 ¾ hours, then enters Aries (2:47 pm PST). Reach out to someone influential who could be helpful to you.
[7:19] On Dec. 21, the Moon in Aries squares Pluto (5:11 pm PST). It’ll be VOC for a little over 1 1/2 hours before entering Taurus (6:50 pm PST). Set a goal for yourself and commit to it.
[8:10] The Moon in Taurus trines Pluto on Dec. 23 (10:40 pm PST). It’s VOC for about 1 ½ hours, then enters Gemini on Dec. 24 (12:15 am PST). The patience and practicality of the Moon in Taurus finds its reward through recognition or help from important and influential others.
[9:22] On Dec. 20 (11:04 pm PST), Venus in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus at 19º39’. The Sabian symbol for Venus is 20 Scorpio, A woman drawing two dark curtains aside. Uranus is on 20 Taurus, Wind, clouds, and haste. Open yourself up to new possibilities and be a little more daring and accessible.
[10:58] Mercury makes the second of three sextiles to Saturn on Dec. 21 (4:33 am PST), 02°22’ Capricorn-Pisces. This is a great aspect for reaching out to those from whom you’ve been estranged or for revisiting any ideas from around the first sextile, on Dec. 2.
[12:33] The Sun enters Capricorn on Dec. 21 (7:27 pm PST, through Jan. 20, 2024). This marks the solstice and the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun symbolizes what makes us shine; in Capricorn, that’s our maturity, responsibility, ethics, and leadership.
[15:07] The Sun and Mercury make a conjunction on Dec. 22 at 10:54 am Pacific Time at 00º39’ Capricorn. This is on the Sabian symbol 1, Capricorn, Indian chief demanding recognition. We are recognized, and we see ourselves, for what we are.
[17:22] Mercury retrograde reenters Sagittarius on Dec. 22 (10:17 pm PST). Mercury was in Sagittarius between Nov. 9 – Dec. 1, 2023. Revisit your ideas from that period. Think big while Mercury is Sagittarius. When it goes back into Capricorn, you can make ideas a reality.
[18:11] The Sun sextiles Saturn on Dec. 24 (9:28 AM PST) at 02º37’ Capricorn and Pisces. The Sabian symbol for the Sun is 3 Capricorn, A human soul receptive to growth and understanding, and Saturn is on 3 Pisces, A petrified forest. This is an opportunity for growth and understanding and another chance to reach out to those from whom we’re estranged.
[19:51] Listener Veronica asks about how to deal with fear and anxiety with big transits in your chart. Relevant episodes mentioned: Episode 168, Episode 211, Episode 171,
[26:40] If you’d like to have a question answered on a future episode, leave a message of one minute or less at speakpipe.com/bigskyastrologypodcast or email april(at)bigskyastrology(dot)com; put “Podcast Question” in the subject line.
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Writing and images © 2017-23 by April Elliott Kent
For more on this week’s planetary news, read my weekly column!