Skywatch for December posted and musings on the Solstice and 2012

Better late than never!  The complete article can be found here and here is the introduction with thoughts on the Solstice and 2012:

INTRODUCTION: WINTER SOLSTICE 2012 AND THE MAYAN CALENDAR

For quite a few years now there has been a great deal of discussion of December 21, 2012 as the end of the Mayan calendar. There is some debate about whether this is the actual date of the calendar as you will see in these articles. I personally believe, however, that the idea of the end of the world, or the end of the earthly paradigm upon which we build our lives, would not have taken hold had there not been an energy of change that is palpable and impossible to deny.

When Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008 after 23 years in Sagittarius it began to break down (Pluto) the structures of our worldly existence (Capricorn) that were corrupt and decaying. Economic systems, centers of power – until Pluto leaves Capricorn in 2023 we will see continued breakdown of infrastructure and the underpinnings of our world which no longer fit with the expanding paradigm of human existence.

Between 2008 and this year there have been a series of planetary connections that have fostered tremendous inner change (Chiron/Neptune conjunction) and outer transformation (the cardinal alignments and the ongoing square between Uranus and Pluto). You don’t have to be an astrologer to see that the world is changing and will never again be the same.

Personally, I am skeptical of the claim that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012. Mayan elders say that this is very like saying our calendar ends on December 31st. But this iconic event has become the symbol of the transformation that is taking place and for that reason it is important.

The Winter Solstice chart is not particularly significant astrologically, and will not mark a particularly powerful time of planetary energy. It IS interesting that the Solstice occurs precisely at 11:11 GMT which has numerological interest as a master number. Regardless of the trigger that we use, there is no doubt that change is afoot. We can either open to transformation willingly and allow ourselves to be repatterned into the new energy, or we can resist and become stuck in fear. The choice is ours.

MAJOR INFLUENCES FOR DECEMBER

December continues the pattern of the past few months with a relatively quiet planetary climate. The larger planetary cycle of Uranus square Pluto is still operative (the two are still within five degrees of an exact square formation), so the process of destruction and rebuilding with new paradigms continues to apply pressure on our individual lives as well as in the global arena. But other than this, there are no major planetary challenges this month.

A harmonious trine from Saturn to Chiron continues to provide us with an opportunity to diligently work (Saturn) on healing any wounds that hold us back (Chiron) so that we can release them and emerge with new wisdom and clarity. Chiron and Neptune continue traveling together as they have for the past five years or so, never allowing us to forget that we are soul beings having a human experience.

Uranus turns direct this month so its energy is quite strong now. Uranus governs illumination and ascension, as well as the type of radical departure from the ordinary and the rigid that is occurring now. If Uranus is aspecting your personal chart you will likely experience difficulty sleeping as well as a continual pressure to liberate yourself from any area of your life which is not serving your highest good.

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Full Moon Eclipse, Uranus turns direct – December 10, 2011

Full Moon eclipse December 10 2011The next few days are packed with astrological energy as Uranus makes a station (a standstill) at zero degrees Aries on the same day as a lunar eclipse.

As the planet of sudden change and shocking events, the role of Uranus is to startle us out of complacency and force us into an experience that will break through the shackles of closed-mindedness and attachment to the past.  Uranus is the revolutionary, the innovator – it also rules technology and a detachment in which reason takes precedence over emotion.

Planets don’t really change direction, obviously, but because we observe their movement from earth they sometimes appear to do so.  The outer planets generally spend about half of the year in what we call “retrograde” motion.  Planets changing direction operate in a similar fashion to cars that are making a U-turn:  before they make that U-turn they slow down, from our vantage point on earth, progressing just a degree or maybe a few minutes of arc each day until they make that change of direction.  When a planet slows down to a standstill and makes that “station” its effect is more powerful, rather like a car blowing its horn as it comes to a standstill right outside our home

Uranus is at the zero degree of Aries now, the first degree of the first sign of the zodiac.  Symbolically this is a point of initiation and action – something new is being birthed both within us, and in the world around us.  Because Uranus is stationary at that degree its energy is focused like a laser beam of intensity, inspiring a desire for change and letting go of the past and whatever is holding us back from venturing forth into a brave new world.

This is the backdrop for the lunar eclipse that occurs on the same day.  A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is Full and the Sun’s light opposes the Moon.  The Moon represents our emotions, our needs – what we need to feel secure, what we need to feel safe and loved.  During a Full Moon our emotional range may be heightened as the solar light of the conscious mind challenges the lunar instincts.  An eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon conjoin the lunar nodes, and because the lunar nodes represent our evolutionary direction there is a fated quality to eclipses and an unmasking of something crucial that is required for our spiritual development.

The emotional realm is murky and hidden in the best of times, and during a lunar eclipse the mysteries of the subterranean realm of the heart become intensified. More magical, yes, but also potentially more frightening if you are a person who tends to hide from emotional matters. This is a Gemini Full Moon, and Gemini desires above all else to communicate.  This is not a time to hide your emotions and try to absorb them into the core of your being.  This Full Moon requires communication and expression of the emotional realm so that it can be transmitted and transmuted into personal growth.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, and Uranus is considered to be the “higher octave” of Mercury in that Mercury rules mind and Uranus rules higher mind.  Uranus takes the chatter of our thoughts and converts them to intuition and insight.  In the Gemini Full Moon the Sun is in the sign of Sagittarius which is expansive and seeks the One Truth, but the Gemini/Sagittarius polarity requires that we find balance between curiosity and ideology.  Even when we think we know what is true (Sagittarius), we must always continue to learn and inquire (Gemini).

This Full Moon will appear huge as it begins to rise and will be colored by the Earth’s atmosphere.  The beauty and magnitude of this Full Moon reflects the power of this lunation which offers us the potential to see beyond the veil of our ideas and beliefs and to elevate our thoughts beyond the confines of our emotions.

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