A Remarkable Solstice
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Giving Capricorn his due
We’re approaching the finish line of a year in which it has been harder than usual to reach our goals and to plan ahead for a wildly unpredictable future. Exhausted, discouraged, even angry, we pulled ourselves into December in need of a restorative drink and a good, long nap.
But as we arrive this week at the Capricorn Solstice (Dec. 21, 2020, 2:03 am PST) – one of two days of the year uniquely designed for stopping, resting, and thinking – something new is emerging. Just when it seemed that this year’s suspended animation was a life sentence, when the darkness represented by a year of Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto in heavy Capricorn felt like it would never end – a profound shift is underway.
But, one step at a time. As the Sun enters his sign at this Solstice, let’s give old man Capricorn his due. Let him bask in some warmth and bask in our thanks and approbation. Let’s tell him that we haven’t forgotten his positive qualities; that we’re grateful for the perseverance, pragmatism, and resourcefulness that he’s helped us develop during this long year.
Your personal Renaissance
Last week, I wrote about Jupiter and Saturn entering Aquarius (on the 19th and 16th, respectively). I don’t know whether it’s the power of suggestion (and I don’t much care), but I’ll tell you, each of those sign changes made themselves powerfully felt in my little home. Jupiter entering Aquarius felt a bit better than Saturn did; but even so, I find I can handle some crazy, ungrounded Aquarius energy a lot better at this point than the depleted, tumbleweed-laden Capricorn territory of my chart.
The big news of this week is the exact conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (Dec. 21, 2020, 10:21 am PST) on the same day as the Capricorn solstice. Jupiter and Saturn come together only every twenty years, so when they do, it’s usually the most interesting thing happening in the sky. Jupiter’s forces of growth and enthusiasm uniting with Saturn’s stabilization and cautious planning (Saturn) resets the economy, the political zeitgeist, and societal trends in general.
So, this is something big. And add this: Jupiter and Saturn have not joined in an air sign since 1980 and 81 (in Libra), and before that, not since the middle ages. And the capper: Jupiter and Saturn have not made a conjunction in Aquarius since January 1405. So what we’ve got here, this week, is something quite special. We’re talking about the chance to take significant leaps toward creating a future that looks the way we want it to.
Aquarius is the sign of society, yes, but this conjunction also has meaning for you personally. Its placement in your birth chart shows where you are on the brink of a true awakening – your own personal renaissance. (This blog post can help you find its house placement in your chart. Or book a session with me to explore what it means for you!)
Rocket fuel
On Solstice Day, a First Quarter Moon at 0°34′ Aries (Dec. 21, 2020, 3:41 pm PST) issues a very powerful and particular call to action. Unearth all the goals you set to one side back in March (when there was a New Moon near this degree), brush them off, and see which ones still make sense to you. Pay particular attention to the ones that truly excite you; they’ll provide the rocket fuel to propel you along your 2021 Aquarian path.
Brick house
Before we hurdle into the wild, blue yonder, though, we have to pass a final exam: the last in a series of three squares (the others were on Aug. 13 and Oct. 13) between Mars in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn (Dec. 23, 2020, 6:44 am PST). If you’ve learned patience this year, figured out how to control your feelings, and found a way to use your the feisty, Mars energy for a good cause, all of that will make itself evident at this square.
As I wrote back in August, “Mars is insistent and impatient in Aries. It’s the big, bad wolf from the Three Little Pigs fairy tale, determined to have what it wants – and that’s pork barbecue for dinner. The pigs build houses to protect themselves from the wolf. The first pig builds his from straw; the wolf huffs and puffs and blows it down. The second builds a house of sticks, and the wolf makes short work of that one, too. But the third pig builds a house made solidly of bricks, and the wolf is out of luck.
“Pluto is a pig that builds from bricks. There is no penetrating its house. The harder we push and the stronger we blow, the less impressed is Pluto. We forget sometimes, in a year when Pluto feels like an external, punishing force, that we own Pluto in our charts. It’s the fortress, the power place. This is the first of three squares between Mars and Pluto in these signs; the next two are on Oct. 9 and Dec. 23. At this square, Mars blows at a house made of straw, and on Oct. 9 it will blow at a house made of twigs. By Christmas, we’ll have figured out how to build ourselves a cool, quiet monastery of brick to protect us from the most ferocious of wolves.”
Creating the Future
At this Solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close to each other that they’ll look like one star. Think of them as a guidepost leading us toward an exciting era of progress and innovation – if that’s what we choose to make of this moment.
If we choose that path, don’t imagine that creating a new world will be easy. It will be both harder and more exciting than anything we’ve ever done. That’s what this long, punishing, Capricorn boot camp of a year has been preparing us for.
So, take a week or two to enjoy that slight fizz of excitement building just beneath your ribcage. And rest up. Because when we turn that calendar over to 2021, it’s time to get busy creating the future.
Writing and collages © 2020 April Elliott Kent
Jen and I explore all the week’s highlights in our latest podcast episode,
061 | The Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn: We Feel Bloated!
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