On Thursday, December 21, around mid-day there will be an astrological event of maximum planetary relevance: The Solstice, from the Latin 0 (sol sistere), “Stand Sun”.
Year after year, the solar star, source of energy and life of our system, passes through one of the elliptical points farthest from the equator, marking two key moments: the solstices of winter and summer, on June 20 or 21 and on December 21 or 22 of each year.
On solstice days, the duration of the day and the altitude of the Sun at noon are highest (at the summer solstice) and lowest (at the winter solstice) compared to any other day of the year.
In the summer solstice of the northern hemisphere, the Sun reaches the zenith at noon over the tropic of cancer and in the winter solstice it reaches the zenith at noon over the Tropic of Capricorn. For the Southern Hemisphere, exactly the opposite, being December 21 the shortest night of the year, the first day of summer, after which the days will be increasingly shorter.
In addition to being an astronomical phenomenon that delimits the seasons and organizes human life, the birth of the Sun is celebrated in most ancestral cultures around the world, such as the New Year.
In the northern hemisphere, during the solstice of December the Celts and Romans celebrated the triumph of the Sun over the darkness with bonfires. Later the Catholic Church on that same date, December 25, Christmas, the birth of Jesus, granting him the same symbolic character of reborn hope and light in the world and thus correcting at the same time the meaning of the pagan holiday previous, called Sol Invictus.
While in the Andean zone during the solstice of December the towns celebrate the Capac Raymi, which is the beginning of the Inca year. In Mexico, the winter solstice is directly related to the birth of the new sun and the birth of the child Mexi Huitzilopochtli, the Mexican deity that initiates the collective awakening of consciousness.
Also the famous bonfires of the Festival of “San Juan” come from pagan festivals before Christianity, which were later assimilated by the Church, to celebrate the path of the Sun.
This is how throughout the history of humanity, each culture re-signified the phenomenon of the rising Sun according to its own patterns and symbols, but always assigning to that day in particular an important role in the vital renewal of consciousness, hope and the triumph of light over darkness. Astrology is not the exception.
For this sacred language, the Sun, the ruling planet of the Leo sign, is self-consciousness, it is the organizing axis of the “Self”, which makes center, from its individuality and creative self-expression, giving life and movement to the rest of the system. The sun is King, but even this is a function that implies certain responsibilities for the rest of the stars. Where the Sun sets, there is light, clarity, but also the ego and identification, “I am Virgo,” will say any person as a natal presentation. Also in the horoscope people look for what happens with respect to their Sun. This happens by the magnetic power and the identity function of the Sun in the letter, with which we easily identify.
What are the particularities of this Solstice?
Although this phenomenon happens annually, we will have some relevant astrological aspects this year that will mark the characteristics of this period and also of next year.
Mercury retrogrades from December 3 to 22:
Mercury is the planet of communication; it also governs the relationship with our brothers, neighbors and companions. Areas of learning and commerce, that is to say of multiple exchanges of sign information, are identified with Mercury – Hermes Trismegistro. Like this god whose feet are winged and carries messages at full speed between mortals and gods, Mercury moves fast! That is why it is retrograded 3 or 4 times a year. This is his last retrogradation of the year and involves certain complications. As it is in Sagittarius, legal, academic, travel, and political issues will be hampered. The sensation that prevails is: “I do not have all the information”, “things do not flow”, tedious legal procedures, budgetary crisis, ideological disillusionment, bureaucratic obstacles. Important: read the fine print.
Another interesting curiosity this month is that on Sunday, December 3, the day when it began to retrograde, the full moon was in Gemini – the sign of Mercury and the Sun in a square with Neptune – deceptive appearances, unclear ideas, strong states of daydreams and failed acts to the surface. These aspects also speak to us of the constant bombardment of information that is useless if we do not give it a meaning, but instead we take it to action.
This feeling of blockage and confusion will end on December 18 – new moon in Sagittarius, key moment, to days of the Capricorn Solstice. The strong alliance between these two signs, govern our institutions and social-collective ideologies, and allow us to develop justice, responsibility, coherence and commitment, give meaning to our actions, and articulate our individual destiny to serve the world. Good time to consider new work forms, revalue our jobs and rethink our goals. Celebrate the conquered struggles, the concrete projects, the steps taken and the way accomplished, never in vain because it brings learning.
The solar new year will be blessed by a Trio of water between Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces, until January inclusive, which calm us in moments of despair and tell us: “Everything that happens is learning”, but also: “Beware of the excesses of the parties “.
Another aspect of strong influence on the new cycle inaugurated by the Solstice but regent for the whole new Gregorian year is a Stellium in Capricorn between Saturn, Venus and Pluto, to which the Sun adds since December 21. Great period of concretion and progress where it seems that the stars are aligned, literally, to facilitate what we have been planning for some time: it can be life as a couple or concretion of a career, the construction of a home, the recognition of an institution. These are the possible manifestations that account for our process, our struggle, our ability to sustain an activity, a project, a goal, a link.
The classic stress of the end of the year is added to the Capricorn influence of demand and self-evaluation: What did I achieve? Or communication problems. Keep in mind during this Solstice and subsequent festivities the need to build – day by day – stone by stone – without self-punishing for unfulfilled expectations – valuing every moment and always from love. If something teaches us the Sun, in its cycle is that the lighting is a construction of every day.
