Solstice: Soil and Sky

We arrive at the Winter Solstice, the great turning of the seasons. The twinkling night lights begin to dim. Our bellies are a bit fuller and rounder from weeks of encouraged indulgence. Sagittarius knocks out on the couch after a wild ride. Capricorn, bearer of winter, steadily surveys the scene. 

Traditionally, Capricorn serves to ground and steady us, building the foundation that will nourish us as we officially enter the coldest, harshest season. Yet this year, the Sun’s entry into Capricorn is a bit different, for it marks not only the Winter Solstice but also coincides with the Great Mutation, the catalyst of a new era.

Throughout 2020, Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto jostled in Capricorn. Ruled by solidifying Saturn, Capricorn is known for its industrious, practical, and frigid discipline. In Capricorn, these planets do not fear offering hard lessons, heavy weight, and somber transformation. Capricorn’s role is to remind us of our responsibilities, serving as the designated driver of the zodiac that holds us accountable to all that must be done to maintain our material selves and a functioning society. This year, we have been regularly reminded of our responsibilities. We have been reminded that we desperately need diligent, dignified systems of healthcare, economics, compassion, and justice to keep our world in working order. And we have been reminded that we have a long way to go in building them with integrity. In many ways, the Sun’s entry into Capricorn is a mild presence after Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto’s sheer and unyielding might -- 2020 as a whole, in many ways, has been a cold, hard, and bitter winter that has tested our optimism and endurance. 

This solstice marks larger astrological transitions than we have not yet known in our lifetimes. As the season shifts, so do Jupiter and Saturn. Uniting in Aquarius on the same day as the solstice, the celestial union of these two social planets marks its own turning point: the Great Mutation. Saturn and Jupiter meet in the sky every 20 years (an event called a Great Conjunction), and for the past approximately 200 years, they have conjoined in earth signs. During this period, we have been focused on earthly matters such as land, money, resources, industry, and material production. 2020’s conjunction marks the beginning of a new cycle. For the next 200-ish years, Jupiter and Saturn will come together in air signs, prompting us to consider the immaterial realm -- ideas and ideals, relationships and exchange, and technology and communication. In essence, our orientation moves from the soil to the sky. In Aquarius, Jupiter and Saturn encourage us to look towards a more visionary, collectivist future and remind us that we must do the work to build it. With these planets in Aquarius, we must also be conscious that ideas can fail us; we must be wary of dogmatic rhetoric, the material consequences of dominant ideologies, and oppressive and inflexible groupthink. 

Then, what can we do with this solstice and this season? At its best, Capricorn plans for the long haul, activating stoicism and endurance amidst challenges and putting all of Sagittarius’ philosophical learnings into real-life practice. When chaos ensues, Capricorn holds it down; you hold it down, too, wherever you have Capricorn in your chart. With Aquarius, we are able to see futures that we could never have imagined, and we have the opportunity to advance progressive and community-oriented structures -- I think of mutual aid and collective efforts towards racial equity -- that govern our world. We can embody solidity, strength, and resilience, building the foundation that will allow us to leap and fly into the future. Keep going -- and go beyond.