This Sunday is the Capricorn solstice, marked this year by the Capricorn New Moon. It’s an energetic chart — though not so much in the vein of the cultural excess (and the reminder of lack it creates for some people) that marks this time of year.
Photo by Amanda Painter
The Sun leaves Sagittarius for Capricorn at 6:03 pm EST Dec. 21: the day of the solstice, which in the Northern hemisphere is the shortest day of the year. Winter begins here in the Northern Hemisphere, along with the days (gradually) getting longer (with the opposite true Down Under.
The Moon enters Capricorn shortly thereafter at 8:25 pm EST. Just eleven minutes later, at 8:36 pm EST, the Sun and Moon conjoin for the Capricorn New Moon.
Capricorn is a cardinal sign, associated with taking initiative in your own life, just like cardinal signs begin seasons. The Capricorn New Moon and solstice chart has some incredible energy for beginnings. Partly that’s due to fully half the sign-ruling planets being in Capricorn Sunday: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Pluto and Venus (plus asteroid Vesta, which does not rule a sign).
Having all those planets there emphasizes the past (a Capricorn theme) — specifically, tearing it down (thanks to Pluto) and initiating new structures (thanks to everything else in the sign).
Or to put it more gently, since I know many people are in a lot of pain and truly struggling with Pluto’s effects, this chart is about re-framing your narratives about the past and how much you let your past define you. Mercury right near the New Moon looks like some solid intention setting around that theme, and solstices are a natural time to set intentions for the season.
Venus is close to Pluto (about two degrees away), putting it in the Uranus-Pluto square, which is still exact to the degree. Whatever you initiate or put into motion with the solstice must be aligned with your deepest bedrock of values — even if it’s shifting — because your choices will ripple out into the wider world.
A grand fire trine adds some fuel to this solstice and New Moon chart. (It features Ceres and Pholus in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Leo, and Eris in Aries).
A balance of order, chaos and nourishment is at play any time you feel swept up in making dynamic changes. The grand fire trine suggests you embrace what feeds your spirit and take heart in the face of your challenges. Avoid getting stuck in the parts of yourself that feel cast off (for example, whatever Pluto in Capricorn is pushing you to release).
The grouping of planets in Capricorn Sunday is an image of who and what you have around you in this process: your support structure, your network. Everyone you know is working through some challenge or another. If you are feeling alone and lonely this holiday season, please remember that we’re all experiencing this astrology together. There are resources available in most communities to help make that idea more tangible; if you yourself do not need them, consider helping those who do build the connection.
Amanda: The way you combine a widely inclusive perspective with an astute and sensitive sense of interpretation in this piece today just blows me awaaaaaaay. Thanking my lucky stars for you once again.
I agree. Thanks for all you both do.
Always love your tree shots Amanda, this one’s a beaut. I’m thinking about all these new cycles between Pluto and whoever – Venus on Satur (n)day, Moon, Mercury, Vesta and finally Sun on January 3rd – is the Universe’s way of fortifying our backbones for this holiday season conjunct the 6th Uranus-Pluto square. One of the best of the Capricorn characteristics is fortitude. Being able to endure the challenges you mention is hard enough any time, but the holidays is Challenge on speed.
This way, these 5 separate cycles can support us throughout the coming year, each planet taking a piece of the 6th square onto it’s own shoulders; kind of a community effort among the personal planets and Vesta. Vesta has a lot in common with Saturn/Capricorn regarding endurance and fortitude, and these conjunctions spread out over the 2 week period will each have a different perspective or approach to working with or absorbing the outer planet energy.
Like Santa’s elves, they will work as a team with Pluto and Uranus, getting things ready for the 7th and final square in March. Each has a special talent (Mercury the mind, Venus the heart, etc.) and they all will have cycles with one another; intermingling squares, trines, sextiles, quincunxes, oppositions, as well as with Pluto and Uranus. It is imperative that as many of us as possible get this lesson and spreading it out into intervals of non-overwhelming proportions just might be the key.
The double emphasis on this maneuver (New Moon and Solstice) is augmented by the grand trine you mentioned it appears. How very handy has it been that transiting Jupiter has lingered so long at the same degree, influencing and powering up this same degree for 40 days and nights; 22+ Leo. . .
“In A Circus The Bareback Rider Displays Her Dangerous Skill” reads the Sabian Symbol, to which it’s Keynote adds: “The audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence.”
As you put it so clearly Amanda, “this grouping of planets . . (symbolizes) . .your support structure, your network”. Transiting Jupiter will return to this degree just in time for the U.S. Solar Return next year. We will need it. We need each other.
be
Barbara – I love the idea of each of the planets taking some of the 6th square onto their shoulders. What a powerful way of parsing out some very complex energies, themes and events. Thank you!
“A balance of order, chaos and nourishment is at play any time you feel swept up in making dynamic changes. The grand fire trine suggests you embrace what feeds your spirit and take heart in the face of your challenges. Avoid getting stuck in the parts of yourself that feel cast off (for example, whatever Pluto in Capricorn is pushing you to release).”
I love this Amanda, it speaks volumes to me right now. As a fire sign trying to find her spark, I’ll be immersing myself in what feeds my spirit!
Thank you
Thank you Amanda (and Be). What a perfect picture relevant to the astrology and this season!
It’s been a long journey these two plus years of struggle and perserverence in making it through the Pluto Uranus squares. A lot has fallen away in the process, we’re coming through completely changed. I think the question will now become how do we preceed from here when we’re so used to working hard making our life happen when it now longer works this way. It is clearly a time to be open to receive. How do we do that when we’re so used to equating the energetic of effort to happiness?
As with the Moon Sun conjunction this Soltice a new method (Saturn) of being, of foundation is born in Capricorn. Mercury will aid through using our pointed intention sourcing through Venus our hearts desires and endevors flow. In wholeness, Vesta brings secred strength. And i know detachment is a valuable component, now is certainly not of control. Vesta also helps with discernment and our boundaries keeping our own valuable energy in the flow. This New Moom is,a celebration a time of learning to receive, as we move into experiencing a new path of joy means and brings.
Sending Solstice blessings to everyone at planet waves
Barbara Koehler and P. Sophia: thank you both so mush for your valuable additions to this piece. You’ve teased out some threads that weave in to support and elaborate on this astrology just perfectly — especially the idea that in having these faster-moving planets spread out their conjunctions to Pluto over a couple weeks, we may get a chance to fortify ourselves through the final Uranus-Pluto square.
Sounds like a great plan to me — how generous of the universe to think of it for us! And very generous of you to share here what you see in the chart.
Beautiful, Amanda. I feel it all, and it helps to have you draw the pictures down here that the sky is painting up there, and within. Blessed Solstice, everyone. We have been given a special one this year. My response? open my legs and say Yes!, and cease striving for a day or two, to let it all in.
Awesome, Amanda! I’ve missed your astrology writing lately; it feels right, having your perspective here, sort of rounding things out during what feels like an “all hands on deck” moment.
Thank you Amanda. I’m resonating with the phrases “what is my deepest bedrock of values “, and “who and what do I have around me in this process”.
Sunday night I’ll join a solstice celebration with my best friend and my new lover. We join a healing ritual, healing for each of us individually, and for the planet.
These are my external support structures and network as I move forward in joy, for that is where I seek to bring the light back in.
Solstice Blessings!
Thank you for your compassion Amanda
My song story has recently achieved clarity as the most recent pieces to the puzzle that came through last August settle in and reveal their parts more fully. I cultivate these songs to serve my tribe. They came through me to give to others through their performance. I know appreciation for musical kung fu still exists cause I’ve encountered it here and there. Now new seeds of intention crystallize along with the SunMoon cycle so powerfully aligning with the SunEarth tropical rhythm. For us in the north it’s already at the bottom. It’s only up from here.
A story synopsis: A Wanderer sets upon the path of an underworld journey to heal his connection to his world. Throughout the songs he encounters a series of dream symbols that first lead him to find the child in his heart and then lead him to the wise teachers that show him how to free the child and heal the arrogant dragon of the Red King. The goddess found missing at the beginning, driven into hiding by the Red King’s hordes of abusers Isis adopts many guises that ultimately lead the Wanderer and the Red King together with the Child to give birth to a new male archetype that can stand in respectfully reverent equality with a strong woman without even trying to dominate her. More or less. This is the overall story that open mic appearances chop into 7-15 minute pieces.
Apropo Capricorn: these songs not only draw upon threads going back to my lyric journals from the early 90’s but the first songs began coming through in 2008. I didn’t learn to play any of them live until I began guitar devotions again in 2013. This is the back story and long gong fu- gong fu means time, work, devotion- that the current music industry no longer supports. I’m channeling my part of the Uranus Pluto square not only into these songs but into music as a gong fu path, craft coming back into the wreckage of music-for-sale.
And this:
Pink Floyd left their anti-hero Pink in the ruins of the Wall with no idea how to help him. This story sprouts further downstream where Tai Ji and Aikido masters are beginning to appear with regularity in Western Culture. When the Stained Glass Box crumbles it’s just the curses coming undone and the guides appear to lead the destruction into rebirth. This story doesn’t leave the listeners in Hell like The Wall, but shows a way out.
Albeit, Roger Waters was a head-fuck for The Wall and The Final Cut, but the cat not unlike the ‘other’ masters of reality managed to take us in to get out.
The reality of ‘Pink’ was that the cat held the world in order to glimpse himself. I think the children at the end of “The Wall” flick, as well as the final vocals on the album, give “some” sort of direction for any human individual to take.
..I dig what you’re sayin’, continuance and all, ..just had to defend my buddy (Floyd) and all the truth in feeling that Roger (and crew) conveyed.
..Find some cat with a track recorder and fuck around.. I’d like to hear it.
Take care man,
Jere
Sincere thanks Amanda for your compassionate advice. Suffering the sudden loss of a close family member that was relatively young and who has always been part of my life I have been immersed in ‘past narrative’ & with the grief has come the unravelling … deconstruction … every word of yours has given support & strength to the reconstruction.
I loved reading every supporting comment too – useful, beautiful & funny. Totally glad to be Here & Now with you All.
I shall light a fire early & burn it late & make my intentions clear with Love & Light.
wandering_yeti, is the difficulty that there isn’t a universal way out, that there may be a way through in each situation and knowledge of it has often to be won: no hero arrives to save you so what is possible.
What are you in the middle of, what does it mean, and how do you come to grips with it, or avoid it, or sidestep it. What is to be learned, what do you not know, what is the meaning in it. Is redemption of the ‘enemy’ integral to the success or ‘failure’ of the outcome. What does it mean to be ready.
What if the story has no happy ending, then what is ‘the way of losing that is also a way of winning’. Or as you say, perhaps if you step outside the winning losing dynamic and just be in every moment each moment takes care of itself. If you meet each moment creatively does that compost everything in the end.
xxxp
or this?
Dec 24, 2004
Taurus – Weekly
You may feel like you’re in strange territory but if that’s true you have plenty of support while you’re there. The opposite of old is new and for all the energy you’ve put into resolving the past and setting yourself free you now get the reward of an entirely changed outlook. What you go through the next few weeks is evidence of how much the world can change when you change your mind. Yet if that’s true prepare for world after world to arise before your eyes because that’s how fast the inner changes are dawning. It’s really as if you’re being born again every hour.
(and for everyone – a new beginning, a new freedom with the solstice and saturn into Sag
xxxp)
There is no end. The story goes on and on. I only choose to leave the listeners with healing and not leave them in Hell cause that’s the story I got. Eventually the new state becomes the old state and the story continues. I don’t mean to diss on Pink Floyd, only to distinguish between the stories. There’s no universal way out of course. I’m telling my story, not the story of somebody else. I discovered martial arts and meditation and also riding a bike and changing my eating habits and now find myself healthier than I’ve ever been. When I started my musical path I more often felt like Pink: broken down into little tiny bits. That part exists in my story too, but it’s in the middle instead of the end.
I don’t believe any process leaves a being in Hell forever. That’s a dirty lie spewed forth by greedy Romans pretending to be shamans so they could assimilate the part of the shaman and make him say whatever the emperor wants. So I chose to have the end leave the listeners joyfully.
It’s not as though my story doesn’t go through Hell, but it doesn’t leave the story there. It goes to the Upper World for a few songs and then comes back into the Middle World of people and things. It shows how joy can be recovered by older humans who didn’t have such an easy time growing up. If the artists only tell tales of crash and never of recovery then the people don’t have any models to inspire them to greatness. There’s enough crash stories to fill many libraries. What happens after the crash? Another turn of the Empire’s Hell crank? Maybe. But it’s my story and the story I received follows a different thread.
Redemption of the enemy: the Red King’s essential core can’t be destroyed, but it can change its clothes. Kinda like Mars joined with the Sun in an astro chart. Is it essential? I don’t know, it’s what’s happening to me. The Red King’s tyrannical point of view is destroyed, his tyrannical practices stop but his essence as the passion of life, his Eros joins together with the other two, something the Tyrant will never do since every other being is a threat to the Emperor’s sole rule. It’s a threat because unless you’re Infinite Space sole rule is bullshit. It takes a lot of violence to give a lie the semblance of life. Is it necessary to redeem the enemy instead of just killing him? Go ahead and kill him. He’ll just pop back up again and you’ll just have to deal with it until you do integrate him. Is the Heart necessary for human life? Child: Gut Mind Wanderer: Head Mind Red King: Heart Mind.
No one shows up to ‘save’ you: of course not, but others certainly show up to help. No human is an island but a node on an interconnected web of sentient beings. Without my teachers I might have stumbled upon the techniques I now use, but probably not. They didn’t save me, but I couldn’t have saved myself without their teachings. Or anyway I didn’t even if I could. Maybe the Great Goddess Isis is just a projection from my human head. I think that’s a harder concept to swallow than just letting her be an independent being that millions of humans and perhaps other-than-human relate to.