Stellar Insights: December 18 -24
Greeting the Solstice + Solstice Greetings
Here are some insights about the opportunities and challenges that this week’s astrology may offer. May they help you make the most of this moment. Should you want to see what the current planetary movements are catalyzing for you—what your here/now and near future may be inspiring—based upon your personal astrology chart, we can explore that in a Stellar Guidance Session. Speaking of, as I shared in the last weeks’ emails, if by the year’s end, you purchase a gift certificate for a session—for either someone on your holiday gift list or to be used by yourself—I will donate 10% of the proceeds to a non-profit organization of your choice. Email me for details.
Apex. Zenith.
From a to z, we have words to describe when something reaches its maximum.
There are also many c-starting words that reflect this state, including crest, climax, crescendo, crown, culmination, and capstone, among others. There are also words starting with letters that live at other places in the alphabet that capture this essence, including maximum, summit, and ultimate.
Why am I writing about pinnacles (yet another word for something at its maximum)? Because this week, on December 21, we greet the Solstice, a bi-annual moment associated with experiencing the extreme, of darkness (in the Northern Hemisphere) and light (in the Southern Hemisphere). It’s one of the sacred turnings points of the year, which inspires us to honor the transitions we experience in nature, in the world, and in our own lives. We revel in the midst of the moment, we bath in the juxtapositions, we release the old, and invite in the new.
In my book, The Complete Guide to Living by the Moon, I write about how the eight lunar phases have been traditionally assigned correspondence with the Wheel of the Year, a series of observed seasonal celebrations. This includes the Winter Solstice, which is associated with the New Moon phase. As such, consider this solstitial moment to be one in which seeds are being planted, and in which everything has promise and potential.
Each year, this Solstice occurs when the Sun goes into Capricorn, ushering in a month in which we focus upon what it means to be responsible, loyal, and reputable. We connect to the premise and experience of work and duty.
There’s an emphasis on productivity. Not even of just the “9-5 work kind” but of the type that shows up in other parts of our lives. This can really come to our attention during the holiday season when we’re focusing on socializing, gathering, decorating, gifting, cleaning, communicating, and more.
As we find ourselves and others in heightened doing mode, we may pay more attention to our relationship to productivity, and the role it has in our lives. For example, we may realize that we are addicted to work, or we don’t rally to do what we feel we should, or we don’t feel like what we create is good enough, or we judge ourselves for not doing enough, or we feel that others judge us by how we orient to our work and what we produce, etc. etc. etc.
Pay attention to any narratives you have around this subject. It can be good fodder to reflect upon as a way to invariably find more self-compassion as well as insights that can help make structural shifts in your life.
In our society which (unfortunately) places an undue emphasis on how much people work and earn, we may find ourselves tied into a depleting cycle in which we feel we must do rather than just be. During this Capricorn Season, including now doing this end-of-year holiday time, see where an overattachment to productivity may crowd out what you may really need—whether it be rest, release, quiet time, slowness, or the like. Remind yourself that you are not just your work, not just what you produce. You are much more than that. You are you, and that is always enough.
Wishing you and your friends and family a Happy Solstice! May this holiday season have us connect to more glimmer and sparkle. And may we usher in more peace on earth.
xoStephanie
Astrological Highlights
December 18: Mercury/Jupiter Trine
December 21: Sun enters Capricorn (Solstice); Mercury/Saturn Sextile; Venus/Uranus Opposition
December 22: Sun/Mercury Conjunction
December 23: Mercury re/enters Sagittarius (retrograde)
December 24: Sun/Saturn Sextile
All days reflect Eastern Standard Time (- 5 hours GMT)
Photos: Richard Jaimes and Mitchell Luo, via Unsplash