Blessings everyone! At 4:47 am UTC, 22-12-15, the Sun will shift into Capricorn, marking the start of a new chapter on the turn of the astrological wheel. The celebrations of solstices and equinoxes align with different turnings, marking the changes of the seasons, significant shifts in the flow of energy, and of course, the Sun’s entry into the Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). The December solstice (Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer in the Southern Hemisphere) represents a pivotal moment in the shift of the balance, between day and night, between light and darkness (both of which are sacred). This is, given your hemisphere, either the day of the longest night / shortest day (or vice versa).
Astrologically speaking, there are a few exact alignments whose transformative energies add texture and flavour to the already-intense energy of the Solstice. Many of them relate to healing the wounds of disconnection between the masculine and feminine, much of which stems from violation, neglect or other form. Those of you working through the modality of ritual, ceremony, or other forms of spiritual healing may want to focus on these themes as they can yield tremendous energetic shifts in this window of time. Whilst you can, of course, focus on different things to honor the Solstice, these may be themes to consider including in your celebrations/work. Bear in mind this that is a very, very, selective focus on aspects I felt called to write on and go into depth. Those of you who are feeling vulnerable or easily triggered at this time, stop reading for a bit and check in to see if this is what you want to get into now.
Selected Alignments:
Sun (0 Capricorn) sextile Nessus (0 Pisces) :- This is a time in which the focus of our conscious awareness shines a light upon the parts of the soul which – to our eyes – may seem the most wounded and/or disconnected from Spirit. Very often, we see these wounds inflicted by sexual abuse, or significant energetic and physical violations of other kinds – anything that blocks us from the flow of Eros (intimacy). Those of you with placements near 0 Leo will feel this as a powerful Yod or Finger of Fate in which you are challenged to get deeper with that sense of vulnerability – and potential violation. The point here is to not allow yourself to be engulfed by your pain (well, I suppose you could do that if that resonates) – but here we see the energy of the Solar Lion able and willing to begin a pivotal process of healing and re-claiming that sense of sacred connection with the Universe, if you let it. Gemstones that may of of use: rhodocrosite, rhodonite, carnelian, thulite
Sun (0 Capricorn) trine Phaethon (0 Taurus) :- The focus of the Sun makes a significant connection to the energy of the rebellious, distrustful teenager, rejecting (and yet, at heart, seeking the approval of) the Father. Phaethon, in mythology, was the son of the Sun God. He did not know who his father was for much of his short life. When he did find out, he went to Good ol’ Dad and asked him for proof of his love. What’s that, you might ask? The chance to drive one of the most dangerous things in the Universe: The Sun Chariot. Despite repeated warnings, the Sun God finally caves in and hands him the keys (metaphorically speaking). In his inexperience and impulsivity, Phaethon nearly destroys the planet and has to be shot down by another patriarch, Zeus, by way of lightning strike. Phaethon dies and his wound is unresolved. In Taurus, Phaethon’s energies speak to deeper wounds of distrust and themes of betrayal by the father figure, often linking back to our most basic sense of security (or lack thereof) in this world. Those of you with bodies near 0 Virgo will experience this as a powerful Grand Earth Trine. Keep in mind the need to recognize those wounds, to heal them – and – if that works with your paradigm, to walk away from attachments to them. How you deal with that process is not mandated by stars or deities, that’s in your hands.
And – just to be clear – we’re talking about the Father archetype / energy signature – which does not necessarily mean (in a physical sense), your birth father. We carry these memories and energetic patterns down the ancestral line, and from our own spiritual paths of evolution – they do not exactly need to mirror or map the people in your personal (perception) of your story, but rather the one we weave together.
Sun (0 Capricorn) squared Hebe and the Super Galactic Center (1 Libra) :- Making a very long story very short: Hebe represents the flow of healing, sexual, magickal, emotional (call it what you like) energy, often through the archetype/body of the Maiden (often in her teenage years). Hebe, in mythology, gets seduced by an older figure and often represents unconventional pairings (in terms of age). In my work with clients, I often see Hebe represented in experiences where a young woman finds herself drawn to a much older figure representing tradition, authority and wisdom. She engages with him sexually, often later realizing the lure or hook that drew her into it. She might assume that she’s ‘in charge’ of her experience, but that might not be the case. Take for instance the teenage girl and her high school math teacher – I’m sure you can imagine how that plays out. For others, depending upon placements, it can refer to the same sexual energy, but one that is taken by force – though other interpretations are equally valid. Hebe now conjuncts the Super-Galactic Center – quite possibly one of the most powerful sources of energy in the Universe. It pulls us to do our deep dances with the Shadow, often through ‘The Other’ or ‘The Partner’. Some may be drawn to such experiences today, irrespective of physical age – think of her as an Archetype. Some of these experiences will ask you to be fully accountable for your role in the experience (that’s not an invitation to blame/shame/ etc. ), and to recognize where you did not have / did not feel you had much say in. The Sun’s powerful square to these bodies basically tells us that it’s time to think about the energetic legacy that our choices here, leave behind for others . It also makes us question the way we may subconsciously give over our power, agency and freedom to choose to those we assume as ‘in power’.
Again, this is collective work – you may never have had such an experience in your current life – and yet – what you do now, by sheer virtue of being, contributes to the collective expression / experience of that energy. Be mindful that some will be very sensitive to this current expression of energy.
Sun (0 Capricorn) conjunct Hylonome (1 Capricorn) :- Whilst you’ll feel this exact conjunction on the 23/24th or so, it’s energies are already quite strongly felt at this time. I somewhat uncharitably, but accurately, call Hylonome the ‘poster girl for codependency’. She marries a centaur named Cyllarus, a guy I kind of associate with the drunken football fan who jumps into the other teams’ stalls and punches a player for scoring against his home team. Cyllarus, whilst able to be passionate, loyal and noble (in a more balanced form), tends to go off the handle and into the extreme. He is triggered by anything that challenges his most cherished beliefs and whatever identity he feels to be a part of (whether it’s an ethnicity, tribe, nation, country, football team – that’s up to him). Cyllarus goes off and gets himself killed … with a spear through the chest. There’s a sense of rushing headlong into things without much thought, but he does it anyway. Hylonome, on the other hand, seeing her dead husband, throws herself on the spear after him. She cannot bear to live without him and consider an existence that is separate and complete within herself. This is not to say that Hylonome’s grief is any less valid, but to the say that she had a different choice she could have made. From my reading of her, she was so hard-wired to believe that she could not be without Cyllarus, that she did not stop to consider her choices and simply acted – out of an impulse born of her wound. Would she find love again? Could she live without him? etc. etc. etc. Those of you for whom this strikes a major chord, I’d suggest reading Women Who Love too Much by Robin Norwood. It’s a book that has changed many a life, including my own. The conjunction with the Sun, again, inspires us to make energetic choices with the long-term view of what legacy we leave behind for others to inherit. We also question the authority that tells us we must have a man to survive, or else.
Mars (23 Libra) opposite Eris (22 Aries) :- The exact point of this opposition passed a little while ago, but again, its energies remain strong. Here we are called to see how the Masculine can find ways of expression that both honor itself, and the Rising-Awakening-Embodiment-of-Self-and-Truth that Eris brings to the table, in the form of the Feminine. Bear in mind that we have culturally accepted codes of what ‘balance’ looks and feels like, even within spiritual circles. Questioning these codes and finding out what balance looks and feels like to you is Eris’ challenge.
One path of balance will be found through calm-weaving (a term from Terry Pratchett’s last book *sniff* ), and the other will be found at the edge of the sword (not the kind that slices through people, but through the illusions that we hold onto to make up a sense of ‘reality’).
Considering the other alignments, it seems to me that the Mars-Eris opposition holds the key to addressing these wounds. And no, there is no one way to do it. There is no ideal way to walk away from these experiences that is better than another. What I have found is that much of the rhetoric that surrounds ‘the healing process’ actually binds us to timelines, people, philosophies, that aren’t always the best for us as individuals.
Strike out, in other words, and find healing the way you need to.
It’s an incredible Solstice, energetically speaking. Bear in mind that the Full Moon in Cancer is just a few days away 😉
Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess
Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. Feel free to share for personal, non-commercial use through the FB/Wordpress ‘Share’ buttons. If you want to re-blog this for your organization, website, etc. please get in touch and request my consent first.
Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD: The Sky Priestess 