All Times Pacific: Astrology Report Dec 18-Dec 25
Friends, as we approach the end of the third year of the pandemic, and the chaos it is causing socially, economically and politically, it’s natural that many of us may be feeling deeply fatigued and frustrated. Drought and other extreme weather events remind us how fragile our societies can be. It seems that even apparently superficial moments all have overwhelming ramifications. For example, many are enjoying Artificial Intelligence toys, the first in what will soon become a tidal wave of AI. Yet these amusements, in the areas of illustration and of writing, have shaken artists and writers who can see that the “fakes” are so good they threaten their livelihoods.
Here near the end of Pluto in Capricorn it’s natural that apprehension and pessimism should reign. We’ve been in and we’re still in an astrological dark night of the soul. This is the nigredo stage in alchemy: putrefaction. It can be valuable to view the world through this unforgiving lens as it can help us appreciate the moment, and it can encourage us to live more mindfully, and to plan more realistically. As Anais Nin wrote, “Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”
Sunday Dec 18 only lunar aspects are exact. Moon square Pluto in the afternoon and moon entering Scorpio one minute after 7:30 PM may indicate deep issues surfacing. Over sensitivity caused by prevailing conditions could lead to conflict, but there is the potential for healing if we can listen. Watch out for shadow projections by self or others. Take it easy as we are in the dark of the moon.
Mon Dec 19 Venus square Chiron is exact in the morning. Venus inconjunct Mars is exact in the late morning. Mars sextile Chiron is exact in the afternoon. As mentioned last week this grouping suggests a public health problem. With covid exploding in China it’s logical to expect surges worldwide. We are still waiting to see how the more problematic variants will fare. Venus square Chiron can indicate healing in the areas of relationships and artistic creativity, finance and fashion, but Chiron usually begins healing with a crisis. In our lives we can make time for beautiful music, art, people, and all Venusian activities. By making the effort we may find greater well being. Venus inconjunct Mars can be difficult in gender relations as men and women can seem to be going in different directions. It’s important to make room for both sets of expectations. If we ignore one it is likely to erupt in a way that may impact health. Mars sextile Chiron could be good news for us, such as the virus isn’t surging as strongly as expected, or good news for the virus, which it has proved to be in the past. It makes sense to be cautious, especially at the beginning of the week.
Tue Dec 20 Jupiter enters Aries at 6:32 AM. A new Jupiter cycle begins. Sagittarians may feel a sense of relief and even rebirth, although the sense of things coming to end may hangover as a fourteen year Jupiter cycle ends. The last time Jupiter was here was January 11, 2011. For all of us it’s a good time to reflect on success, optimism, honor, generosity and joy. Have our definitions changed? What can we learn from the opportunities we should have or should not have taken? Think of it as a fresh start. What will you do with all that you have learned? This Jupiter cycle lasts until April 2034. For those with prominent Aries placements this could be a lucky time. Don’t languish in a rut, but also don’t aggressively or impulsively leap forward. Look for the doors that are opening.
Wed Dec 21 the Winter Solstice arrives as the sun enters Capricorn at 1:48 PM and the days begin to grow longer. Sun square Jupiter is exact in the late afternoon. We’ve got a little more than three more months of unadulterated Pluto in Capricorn left. But then comes the Aquarian spring. Pluto in Capricorn will return to dominate most of the year but we will see glimpses collectively and individually of what Pluto in Aquarius may have in store for us. It‘s not unusual when Pluto approaches a new sign to see foreshadowing. The recent breakthrough in fusion is an example. So is the Respect for Marriage Act. Medical breakthroughs just around the corner will astonish us, as will AI as it permeates our surroundings and our activities.
Intellectuals worry that we will be facing a society like that depicted in the original Star Trek episode “The Cloud Minders.” Elites with artificially prolonged life spans and augmented bodies lording it over the miserable shivering masses of troglodytes who are still needed for forms of labor robots and Artificial Intelligence can’t handle. But given that Pluto in Aquarius in the past occurred during the French and American revolutions power to the people also promises to be a prominent theme. And we can see the foreshadowing of this in Iran and in the protests in China that caused the change in the covid policy there.
Thu Dec 22 Venus trine Uranus is exact less than two hours after midnight. This is the aspect to focus on this week. It can breathe life into your relationships, your creativity, your finances and all other Venusian activities. Try new things. New tech can be especially liberating. One warning. This aspect can lead to risk taking as the urge to experience something or someone new, or to try something different can inspire erratic actions. We’ve got too many astrological cross currents. Be free but be mindful. Surprise someone you love with a gift, a creation, even a compliment that can have a healing influence.
Fri Dec 23 Chiron is stationary direct at 1:31 AM. Capricorn new moon is exact at 2:17 AM. The Chiron station again emphasizes potential crisis in public health. This could exasperate the usual surge caused by family gatherings and travel. Pay close attention to the messages your body sends you now. Making small adjustments can help you avoid bigger troubles down the road.
Sat Dec 24 Mercury sextile Neptune is exact, an aspect of inspiration for creative people, especially writers and editors. Dreams and psychic presentiments may lead to inspiring conversations. Moderate intoxication may help us relax, surfacing deeper levels of thought and memory. For the sober meditation, story telling, and mystical reverie may have similar results.
Sun Dec 25 only lunar aspects are exact for Xmas. A potentially healing moon sextile Chiron in the early evening could make Xmas dinner a memorable experience. But moon square Uranus will build strength as the evening approaches midnight so watch out for irritation, detours and avoid unnecessary risks. Here is a Christmas quote for you from Charles Dickens, “Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!”
When we go back home to the other side our experience there is said to depend on our experience here. What Elizabeth White used to call “gelatinous souls” are people who never developed virtues. We are said to be like travelers in a foreign land who can’t speak the language, read the signs, or understand the culture we have suddenly found ourselves visiting. What do we have? Our courage, our kindness, our faith in what Manly Hall called “the rational soul of the world.”
As personal and collective tragedies pile up with Saturn and Pluto still at the helm, can we develop faith in life itself? Can we live believing if we need help the right help can be found? Can we find inside ourselves the thrilling strength and vision that we long for and search for out there instead of in here? Wise men have said that the living are always learning how to die. How to enter that radical freedom with an openness, a readiness, a goodness, and a faith in the processes of the soul, that gives us the exhilaration of freedom rather than leaving us to haunt the rooms that no longer hold us.
So for the holidays I remind you again of the Secret of the Golden Flower. The lower soul, occupied in creating and sustaining the body, claustrophobic in the obstructed universe of sense and organs, can grow to fear and hate life. It wants to escape the burden. The world seems a threatening place, a relentless reality, rolling on without concern for the small lives that make it up. The lower soul feels vulnerable, frail, and abused in a merciless universe.
But the higher soul, free of the processes and limitations of the body, loves life. It knows that life is a passing dream. That nothing is permanent here. With a sense of wonder the overwhelming creativity of the world can be appreciated in each moment. Even dark times then take on a beauty and a wisdom that permeates the ever changing symphonies of life. How to get to the higher soul consciousness? Lower and higher soul are the same soul. Breathe. Put your mind on your breath. Slow down and breathe deeply, so slowly that you cannot feel the intake or exhale. Don’t suppress thoughts, let them pass. That is how we reverse the light. Wishing you happy holidays.
