Winter Solstice officially blows into 2019 at 11:19 pm Eastern Time for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing with it the longest night and shortest day of the year. As the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky we welcome in Capricorn season, winter, and a proverbial as well as literal descent into darkness.
Capricorn, the cardinal earth sign intertwined and associated with this Solstice energy, holds pronounced importance this year. Cardinal is derived from the Latin word cardo which means portal, chief point, or hinge of a door. Cardinal signs open up the doorways to seasons- Aries opening Spring, Cancer opening Summer, Libra opening Fall, and Capricorn opening Winter. As we cross the threshold to the energy of Capricorn season we are reminded to embrace the darkness and walk bravely into the cold.
As the Sun enters Capricorn, it joins Pluto, Saturn, Ceres, the South Node, and Jupiter in the sign of the sea goat. This heavy concentration of Capricorn energy intensifies with the Sun’s influence as the Sun amplifies what it touches and shines a spotlight of sorts on a more serious and grounded energy. Consider these Capricorn keywords (from my free workbook on navigating Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn which you can download here) when thinking about this Solstice, Capricorn season and the many planets currently in this sign:
If you’ve ever seen those nature specials where goats are maneuvering up those steep cliffs you can literally see their determination, despite possibly stumbling, to make it to the top of the mountain. They keep going. They push on. If the work is hard to get to the top it doesn’t phase them. They soldier on and embrace the journey. They boss up to manage each step with precision as they know that is what must be done to reach the mountaintop.
It’s no coincidence that the energy of Capricorn is associated with the 10th house- the highest place in an astrological chart. To get to the top, one must be committed to excellence. A commitment to excellence means being disciplined, practical, ambitious, careful, and determined. Capricorn reminds us that our hard work pays off when we’re committed to doing what needs to be done.
Capricorn also reminds us that stepping into our darkness is a natural part of our journeys. Every year our experience with seasons reminds us of nature’s cycles and our connection to them. There is a season and time for everything, including one where things must die, be restricted, and be conserved. Winter’s shorter days, longer nights, and colder weather meant life or death to our early ancestors for it put into perspective whether they had done the appropriate work in the preceding seasons. Did what they planted, tended to, and harvested render enough crops to sustain them once the cold came? Would there be enough to last them until Spring?
Proverbially, we are tasked at this time with figuring out if the seeds of intention we planted back in Aries season, tended to during Cancer season, and harvested during Libra season are good to last us until Aries season comes again. Whether we like it or not this can mean we are more prone to conserving and restricting in order to hold on to what we need to survive our dark times.
For some people this is a time to go into isolation or hibernation; to gather oneself in solitude. The very fine line that exists between solitude being healthy and helpful and it being depressive and painful is especially pronounced as the Sun in Capricorn squares Chiron in Aries. How can we go into our darkness, endure the cold that awaits there and come out on the other side refreshed and healed? How can we deal directly with our wounds in the darkness so that when the light is shining again there are no scars?
The amazing reminder here is that as the Sun in Capricorn at Winter Solstice reaches its southernmost point, it also begins to slowly rise. The longest night gives way to days beginning to slowly get longer. The light is slowly beginning to creep in. This is symbolic of a dark night of the soul being the bottom we need to reach the top; it being darkest before dawn. We are reminded at this time that if we sit with our darkness a little longer and endure the cold our reprieve is coming. We will bask in the warmth of the light again. Dark times surely won’t and don’t last long.
So what is here for us to find in the solitude and quiet of our darkness? What blessings are within in the blizzard? The discovery of our inner tenacity, strength, reserve, resilience, and drive that keeps us pushing forward. The stellium of planets and points in Capricorn is working us hard with a purpose. The heavier the weights we are able to lift the stronger we become. What weight needs lifting off of you? How strong are you about to prove yourself to be? Be bold and brave enough to find out.
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