by Robert Wilkinson
The 2015 Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice/Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice happens 8:49 pm PST, 11:49 pm EST on December 21, 4:49 am Greenwich, on Dec 22, 2015. This is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the longest in the Southern! In the North the Solar force will begin to get longer and stronger, a welcome relief for those of us who need lots of sunshine to keep our dispositions equally sunny. The Winter Solstice is a special time for me, where I do a specific ritual every year that yields great results. I’ll explain after we discuss the Solstice chart.
It has been put forth over the centuries that the charts done for the Solstices and Equinoxes give snapshots of what we can expect during that season. In this article, I’ll offer you some insights about the Solstice chart, and discuss how this Solstice relates to the very important past Winter Solstices that were conjunct Pluto at the Galactic Center, since those profoundly impacted how we will experience the major shifts happening at this Solstice.
Today is the last day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, the last day of Spring in the Southern. If you’re wondering how I reconcile the seemingly opposing energies between the hemispheres, when you’re done here please take a look at The Mirroring of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere Year Cycles in Astrology. It may help readers “down under” see how the important points of seasonal change, though opposite in physical manifestation, actually have similar challenges at each point of shift.
There is an old tradition that offers us two times when "the year begins," one at the Vernal Equinox, the other at the Autumnal. Perhaps that tradition came from explorers who saw the seasons flip between the Northern and Southern, going from the beginning of warm to the beginning of cold as they moved up and down the latitudes.
This is an excellent time for looking at what has ended, what is emerging, and making decisions about how we want to live in 2016. We up North have now reaped the harvest of what we've done and not done, and can figure out how we want to claim our power in 2016. In the Southern latitudes, you've finished your "Spring planting," and will now see how these labors will come to fulfillment over the next 90 days.
Whether North or South, keep following through on the emergent archetypes you've already begun to live, since this is the time to embrace personal power in some public way. Regardless of where we live, what follows explores elements we all can expect to experience over the next 13 weeks.
As mentioned, the charts for the Summer and Winter Solstices provide guideposts for what will follow in the 90 days after those points in time, just as charts for the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox each show what will follow in the period after those points in time. In this chart, the biggest factor is a very powerful Grand Earth Trine made by the Moon at 18 Taurus, Mercury at 19 Capricorn, and Jupiter at 23 Virgo! Very grounding, very practical, and offers us the chance to clear out dark corners of our mind and purify our consciousness by letting some fresh air into our view and understanding.
Obviously, since the Sun is the key to the Solstice, the aspects it makes are extremely important. In this December 2015 Solstice chart, the Sun makes only one forming aspect, a very obscure 11th harmonic aspect which I’ve termed trielftile, to Jupiter. This means a major theme of the next 90 days involves making leaps of faith to overcome some form of duality in our lives.
There are a host of strong aspects in this charts besides the Grand Earth Trine. We find Moon opposed Venus, triseptile Mars, and quintile Neptune, and Mercury sextile Venus, square Mars, and novile Saturn. Continuing, Venus is sextile Jupiter, biquintile Uranus, and septile Pluto, Mars is semisquare Saturn and binovile Pluto, Jupiter is binovile Saturn, Saturn is trine Uranus, and Uranus is square Pluto.
The novile, binoviles, and trinoviles should all bring things to a form of spiritual realization and/or rebirth wherever they fall in our charts. Venus making sextiles to Mercury trine Jupiter boosts harmonious productivity and brings a deeper honesty to circumstances. There may be conflicts as a result of increasing pressure, but just follow your conscience.
Because Venus is septile Pluto, it shows the greater global destiny will hit another fork in the road over the next 13 weeks because the Grand Irrationality is brought back into play. Those who want to know more about this long term configuration bringing bizarre conditions these past 22 years, as well as which signs are involved, can find more in any New or Full Moon article.
Moon triseptile Mars is another thing entirely! This shows the need to cultivate cooperation wherever this falls related to the houses these rule, and this aspect should precipitate a mental cleaning that helps us pay karmic dues while restoring a balance in our social-emotional realm. Most affected are those with planets or angles near 16-20 Taurus, 8-12 Cancer, 29 Gemini-3 Cancer, 21-25 Libra, 12-16 Sagittarius, 3-7 Aquarius, and 25-29 Pisces.
So What’s Been Going On Before Now?
In a brief nod to what “brought us to this dance” in years past, the conjunction of the Sun with Pluto was exact or very close back when Pluto was exactly conjunct the Galactic Center between 2006-2009. This set some extremely long wave energies into play on our Earth, and marked a huge renewal for the next 250 years, mas or menos. We are now solidly launched into that new Era.
The Sun square Uranus was close or exact on Winter Solstice 2010, 2011 (exact!) and 2012. So the seed forms created by the Sun and Pluto when they powered up the Galactic Center energies for the next “season of the Millennium” back in 2006-2009 were moved into revolutionary newness by Uranus in the first sign of the zodiac since then.
Due to the square energy from Capricorn to Aries, we have been constantly shown the greater collective need to bring forth positive Cancer and Libra energy, which is what we’ve been working on between Winter Solstice 2006 and now. Consider these 9 years as our metaphoric “6 Days of Creation,” with off-again, on-again Cardinal T-squares all along the way as testing points for how well we’ve mastered these energies.
Other Factors
This is the first December Solstice with Saturn in Sagittarius! Welcome to many changes of season to come with Saturn in Sagittarius. This will help us open to new Sagittarius energies where we have Sagittarius in our charts. So this is the first season of Saturn in Sagittarius leading us to restructure our lives wherever we have Sag in our charts. (Yes, you may find some interesting information by putting the Solstice chart on top of yours, and see where those transits fall.)
Saturn ruling the Sun is a primary dispositor influence, and so Saturn always plays a big part in the December through March season. Saturn has four forming aspects; a novile from Mercury, a tight semisquare from Mars, a binovile from Jupiter, and a trine to Uranus. The novile and binovile are spiritual aspects, and shows a lot that we’ve been waiting for will finally come forth in the next season, or alternatively, some things will be on hold for another season. It all depends on what these planets rule and where they fall.
All in all, the Grand Earth Trine will stabilize and harmonize a lot! Moon is exalted in Taurus, bringing a certain stable determination and enjoyment as we clear out old “musty dark corners of being,” and follow any sense of self-dissatisfaction into a purified mind. Moon trine both Mercury and Jupiter opens up the connection between our feelings, our lower mind, and our higher mind. This is a “steady as you go” type of energy. Show your expertise based in prior training, and be discipline and pay attention to detail as you secure practical conditions.
In a final reflection, the North Node in Virgo is also the first change of seasons with it in that sign. It shows us that our line of growth and development these next 90 days involve finding ways to refine our expression while learning how to experiment to make areas of our lives work more effectively. We’re now at the beginning of the NN in Virgo era, so pay attention to details and cultivate Divine Discernment so you know what’s important and what’s not important.
Enjoy digesting the information in this article, and I’ll post part two soon!
As "they" say, Mahalo, Aloha, Namaskarams, Aum Namah Shivaya, Happy and Merry Solstice, Happy Hanukkah (slight return!), Merry Christmastide, Joyous Christ Mass, and Happy New Year!
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
Hi Robert, Thank you for all the information. I'd be very grateful if you could give an example of "making a leap of faith to overcome some form of duality in our lives". I've been thinking this over and ended up going all over the place trying to find some meaning. Also my natal chart has Venus at 23 Virgo, MC at 19 Cap with Asc at 15 Taurus - when a natal chart chimes in with the Grand Earth Trine you mention - does it just add extra oomph for a new beginning? 2nd Saturn (more of a friend than foe now) Return started recently too! Everything feels switched to off at the moment. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Posted by: Ann | December 21, 2015 at 02:26 AM
Saturn in Sagittarius is transiting my first house while Jupiter and the North Node are traveling through the 10th. These are the two houses where I hope to make the most radical changes It's been a long time coming and I hope it arrives as I am physically and emotionally spent.As a Cardinal sign with Saturn 2ND return followed by the 12th and finally crossing the ASC, I am desperate for some good changes.
Posted by: Linda | December 21, 2015 at 03:06 AM
Great information as usual. Ready for part 2.
Thanks Robert and blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | December 21, 2015 at 03:23 AM