by Robert Wilkinson
In this article we’re going to cover more significant factors in the Northern Hemispheric Winter Solstice chart. As I promised, this article includes a ritual I do every year at this time that helps me let go of the old and welcome the new that I want to see in the next year! Yes, it’s fun!!
First, more on the Solstice chart. This sketch will be brief, since this Solstice falls just before the Full Moon, where I go extensively into the various astrological factors in play. Part 1 is already up, and parts 2 and 3 are on the way.
The Sabian Symbol for the Ruler of the Solstice
Saturn, ruler of the Sun and Pluto, is at the 11th degree of Capricorn, "A large group of pheasants.” In the original Jones notes published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this symbolizes “latent richness of natural resources brought out through selective processes,” “capitalization upon opportunity,” and “luxury.”
We are told in the Astrological Mandala this degree is one of “the refinement and propagation of aristocratic values by means of which (we) participate in the evolution of life toward ever more perfect forms of existence.” He says this is about refining “the crude to the subtle, from the rough and ugly to the beautiful.” Here “the wilderness is turned into the gardens” of those who have the means to create “beautiful forms.”
He continues by stating this symbol “shows us how (we) can cooperate with nature in creating beauty and elegance by capitalizing on skill and opportunity.” This symbol is said to be in the Span of Illusiveness, Act of Capitalization, and the first degree of the Individual-Mental level of the Scene of Crystallization.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this degree is about ”the social ritualization” through which our personalities “maintain and refine” our “particular characteristics,” and the common self-expression that endows us with a “fundamental inner certainty” and our “convenient outer reality.” He states there is “an emphasis on the reduplications and multiplications of every facet of existence, so that the continuous variations come to dramatize an infinite potential inherent in the whole.”
He offers the keyword of ILLIMITABILITY. He states that when this degree works positively, it is “a tireless pursuit of every personal aspiration<’ and we are told it’s “sustaining, critical, efficient, specializing, and spiritual-experimental.”
So Saturn, backdrop for the Light/Life of the next 90 days, rules from its own sign, and adds to the Light of Capricorn the quality of opening to new ways of bringing beauty out of wilderness, and refining some of our characteristics to see our natural potential. Be selective how you add and subtract from things and qualities to coax out the richness of form.
The Moon
The Moon is at 19 Gemini, making it a Gibbous Moon at the Solstice. This phase is focused on searching for a revelation that always seems just beyond its reach, questing and questioning, associating all it can to find that revelation. This is the last phase before the Full, and so very growth oriented, ready to contribute what it can to society.
The Lunar Sabian Symbol for the 19th degree of Gemini is “A large archaic volume” According to Rudhyar’s notes from the Marc Jones class, this degree is one of “Reserve of collective knowledge and wisdom beyond true individual self-expression” and “deference to past experience.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he says this degree involves "contacting the all-human planetary Mind underlying any cultural and personal mentality.” He states this degree shows us the way to the “primordial revelatory Source,” where we can find symbols of “the archetypal processes at the root of all Earthly existence.” These are exteriorizations of “archetypal knowledge and wisdom” which contain “seed ideas from which the human mind grows” producing forms of culture.
He continues that this symbol shows us “the technique by means of which the human mind can uncover the foundations of its nature and acquire what might be called seed knowledge, the knowledge of the structure of cyclic and cosmic manifestations of life on this planet.” He says it falls in the span of Restlessness, and it’s the fourth degree of the actional level of the scene of Exteriorization in the Act of Differentiation. So the Light is of a technique to find and use “seed knowledge” that has been externalized before now.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the degree is one of “the ultimate indestructability of experience, so that any path once traversed may be taken again with a greater ease and a broader self-discovery.” He says that we are assured “illimitable resources in wisdom,” and can make this manifest in what guides us through practical experience.
He continues that this symbol shows us “the past always provides an illumination of the present, and (we achieve) best as (we culture) a real sense of obligation to (our) own roots.” He offers us the keyword of BACKGROUND. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “a special capacity for the recovery of prior advantages or the effective disentanglement of present involvements.”
So we enter a time of “reflected and captured form” through intense mental and emotional activity where we externalize ideas, or find seed ideas that have been externalized, that can help us get to the core essence of a thing. This is a type of “distributive action,” with the power of ideas and propaganda shaping those seed ideas into social forms.
Other Factors
Because Saturn ruled the Light of the Season, efficiency and pragmatic thinking and planning will yield great results. There will be intense revelations coming to all who have planets near 8-12 of Sagittarius, Aries, and Leo and 18-22 Capricorn. This is due to the powerful Mercury and Jupiter both novile Pluto.
There is a powerful water quality due to Venus in Scorpio and both Mars and Neptune in Pisces, so learn to feel the tides and which way they’re moving so you can know when to move with it and when to move in a different direction. Though Venus is semisquare the Sun, it makes very productive aspects to Neptune and Pluto, with a favorable Lunar biquintile promising seed knowledge and understanding to those who learn to see “the world of the 5 senses and the mind as the playground of God and Soul.”
Mercury and Jupiter are both square Neptune, showing our need to stay clear about the big picture, not drift or get needlessly detached, and know what role we’re to play in any given situation. Of crucial importance is the biseptile made from Mercury to Mars, accelerating our growth, as is the Moon square Mars forcing us to get a practical plan that works. Again, I will explain more in the next two Full Moon articles.
Given what’s happening in this Solstice chart and the fact that many will confront very important choices at a major “fork in the road of destiny” because of Mercury biseptile Mars, I will again offer you something I’ve given you in past Solstices. It’s a few lines from my favorite song, "Two Different Roads," (check it out when you're done here!) written by Capricorn legend and music pioneer Michael Nesmith:
You might think that I'll wait, but he who hesitates is lost, this is not just a game,
It's the problem of creation and only meditation can make your mind and age the same,
I know, 'cause this all happened once before....
So even as you open to new truths and life adventures thanks to Jupiter in Sagittarius, keep it grounded, stay in touch with what you’re experiencing on the deepest levels of your existence, and keep your information up to date. Be led by your feelings to seeing the Divine Play and flow in each moment, and then allow yourself to accelerate your growth into personal power. Move from feelings into a greater perspective or a broader set of ideas, and then act. We’re all going deeper, connecting on a vaster level within and without, and now will find the knowledge we need to claim our part in the larger Life.
Humanity continues on its voyage into unknown zones of human experience set into motion about 6 years ago. We may be living in a very volatile and conflicted era, but it’s also the birth contractions of a new era. The old ways do not yield easily or quickly, but the greater “Field of Collective Awareness” gets stronger by the day, and those who learn to tune into that collective Field can feel their separateness slipping down the time stream. Those who have trained are already accustomed to moving more easily through 4D and 5D reality, and so the transformation probably won’t be as jolting for some as for those who haven’t trained in spiritual practices up to now.
The collective field is becoming more dense, and we who have been striving to live in higher awareness of our Oneness and connection to All-That-Is are finally at the threshold of seeing the dawning of a new Age. It may take years or even decades to see the concretization of the New Era, the externalization of the Spiritual Fellowship of Brother and Sister Masters of the Wisdom, as well as know which part of the New Group of World Servers we’re here to work with and within, but make no mistake, the advent of the adventure in consciousness is NOW!
On a final note, in the Northern Hemisphere the Winter Solstice ushers in a season dedicated to "seeds in latency," those that will sprout in March when the light force is stronger, the ground is warmer, and Spring is on the way. Whether in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres, the Solstices and Equinoxes are special points in the year cycle, marking the end of one season and the beginning of the next one. They are great for getting clear about our resolve, and what we want to see made manifest in times to come. And now for the ritual, after a message from our sponsor!
Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend
Because Saturn plays such a large part in any December Solstice chart, if you haven’t gotten your copy already, please get your copy of my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. By making friends with our inner Saturn, we are led to a greater spiritual maturity and effectiveness in our world which fulfills our higher purpose for being alive as Spirits in the material world.
Saturn gives us the power to take command of our lives and destiny. If Saturn represents all that limits us and holds us back, it’s only because we must master those lessons so we may become spiritual adults and fulfill our purpose for being alive on Earth and come out of fear and any sense of victimization or powerlessness.
It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and as you read each chapter, you’ll understand how your life lessons gave you the power to steer your destiny as you moved through karmic experiences and turned the patterns from negative to positive. There are chapters helping you understand major points of choices and change, both past and future, and use the crucial points of transition in your life to steer your life into your Higher Purpose and destiny.
This is a book you will reference many times, and each time you re-read it you’ll find undiscovered gems of insight. Over time you will throw off everything which holds you back from becoming your Higher Self, fulfilling your purpose for being alive on Earth! If you don’t have a copy, please consider ordering one today! You can go to the Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend page on Amazon and this should be all you need to order your copy. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.
Now for the fun part!
This brings us to the ritual I mentioned at the beginning. Whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, there is a special ceremony I do each year that yields some fairly spectacular results. This is not a very elaborate ritual, but it's very powerful in its simplicity.
The Solstices mark points of transition from an old "half year" of the Sun moving South or North (depending on where you are on the Earth) into the opposite direction. In the Spirit of this "coming or going," I first take a moment to note what has left my life the past year while saying goodbye on deepest levels. This creates space for that which is more appropriate to my evolution and well-being.
Then I make a list of everything I want to leave my life in the coming year, and A) find a disposable object associated with each thing (or person, or personal habit) I want to see leave, or B) I draw a picture that represents those things, people, or habits. Then I burn each individual picture in a fire, one at a time, while saying goodbye to each of those. (I make a duplicate list to check the next year to remind me of what I wanted to see leave.)
I also make a list of things I want to see come into my life in the coming year. I try to make it realistic, but also allow my imagination to bring forth what might be or could be, even if improbable. After all, it's supposed to be fun! I play with possibilities, and write them down, without getting hung up on specific forms. This is about content more than form.
Then I draw pictures symbolizing those things, and burn them, one by one, in a fire, welcoming in those better things than I've known up to now, putting it up and out into the "Spiritual atmosphere" so that Divine Mother can bring it forth in the coming months. I also make a duplicate list to check the next year.
Over the years I've done this ritual, I find very often that every single thing I want to leave actually does leave. And, I usually see most if not all that I want to appear show up in the following year. Even when one or both lists falls short by a thing or two, overall I've seen great progress year after year.
It's also very interesting to note how my lists have changed over the years, with some concerns falling away and new things presenting themselves according to my intention. And sometimes, when I have not received what I thought I wanted, it became clear why it wasn't good or necessary for me to have that which I thought I wanted.
To answer a question asked in previous Solstices, yes, you can do this ritual at any point before, during, or after the Solstice. Even if you can't do it on December 21, just find a time, clear your head space, make your lists, and offer your burnt sacrifices to Father Time and Mother Earth. A sincere desire to eliminate the old or welcome the new is sure to be heard by the Cosmos, since you and Cosmos are inextricably linked through all time.
So in this time of transition from the old year into the Winter of the new, take a moment to note what has left your life the past year, thus creating space for that which is more appropriate to your evolution and well-being. And if you feel like doing a Solstice ritual, whether this one or another, open to your greatest good and highest possibility of happiness, and you just may find a measure of that in the coming year.
As "they" say, Mahalo, Aloha, Namaskarams, Aum Namah Shivaya, Happy and Merry Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmastide, Joyous Christ Mass, and Happy New Year!
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
"A sincere desire to eliminate the old or welcome the new is sure to be heard by the Cosmos, since you and Cosmos are inextricably linked through all time." Amen brother!
Posted by: Ale Tarallo | December 21, 2018 at 09:30 AM
Thank you my friend, Amen. Happy and Merry Days!
Posted by: Mel | December 21, 2018 at 08:50 PM