Our Sun transits in the Galactic Center from December 17th to the 22nd. Known in the Vedic tradition as Vishnunabhi, the Navel of Lord Vishnu, the Galactic Center spans from about two to seven degrees of sidereal Sagittarius. This center is the source of cosmic light and creative power for our whole Milky Way Galaxy including the solar system in which we live. Our Sun is recharged and rejuvenated through an “energetic upgrade” when it transits here, just in time for the New Year ahead.
Winter Solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere December 21, 2020 at 10:02 AM UTC (5:02 AM EST). This is the shortest day and longest night of the year when the Sun’s power reaches its lowest point. At the solstice, the Sun will appear to stand still for three days. During this time, the Northern Hemisphere will experience its “spiritual rebirth,” the rebirth of the Light.
At the Winter Solstice, we move into the Vedic Uttarayana half of the year, when the light will gradually grow stronger leading up to Summer Solstice in June. This is the most fruitful half of the year for establishing anything of material or worldly consequence. All of this is of course reversed in the Southern Hemisphere which celebrates Summer Solstice in December and Winter Solstice in June.
Astrologers employ a wide variety of horoscopes to forecast upcoming world affairs and events, which encompasses the branch of astrology known as “Mundane Astrology.” One horoscope I like to use is the one for the Winter Solstice. The basis for this chart in Vedic astrology is in the Nārada-saṁhitā (Jyotiṣa-grantha). This chart will tell us something about the next year and especially the first half of the year.
(Please note that I am a Vedic astrologer and use the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri ayanamsa, and here below I have posted North and South Indian charts as well as the sidereal wheel chart):
I calculated the chart for Greenwich England on the Prime Meridian when the solstice occurs at 10:02 AM December 21. This chart reflects some themes ahead for the global collective consciousness and the world at large. The ascendant is at 7 degrees+ sidereal Capricorn in Abhijit nakshatra, the 28th intercalary nakshatra of Lyrae-Vega between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana nakshatras. Its longitude starts from 06° 40′ and spans to 10° 54′ in sidereal Capricorn i.e. from the last quarter of Uttara Ashadha to the first 1/15th part of Shravana. Its span is approximately 4° 14′ (4.2277 degrees). It’s traditionally used mostly in Muhurta (Vedic Elective Astrology), and is generally considered auspicious for business, health and healing, and travel.
Venus in Scorpio is prominently crowning the chart, conjoined the MC (midheaven/madhya lagna) and the red super-giant Antares, the “rival of Mars” in the heart of the Scorpion. Antares reveals an aspect of the cosmic order that brings death and rebirth, and it corresponds with the Guardian Angel Raphael whose name means “God is a healer.” Venus symbolizes the planetary heart chakra which reflects outwardly as societal harmony and prosperity, or the lack thereof when this chakra is muddied and blocked.
The Venus-Antares conjunction can certainly shake things up. More specifically, this combination may suggest civil strife in many parts of the world. Astrologer Nick Anthony Fiorenza brilliantly describes his take on Antares, and what he says speaks to what I feel we can look forward to in 2021:
“Antares demands we ‘take a stand’ for our truth against the established conditions of our personal lives and against the established order or authority directing our lives when those conditions and that authority are no longer in our best interest nor supporting our evolutionary freedom. When there are rebellious or terrorizing forces assaulting the established order, this reflects the need to realize that the established order is no longer supporting in ways truly nourishing to the needs of the people, and requires some type of reform ~ reform that if denied, may result in some level of, otherwise unneeded, destruction.”
The ascendant is conjoined the fixed star Altair (Alpha (α) Aquila), a pale yellow star in the neck of the Eagle (Aquila constellation). Altair represents the Thunderbird of the ancient Greeks. Astrologer Bernadette Brady associates Altair “with boldness and action, but this boldness is also connected to human relationships and caring. It carries the divine fire of inspiration, which transforms into determination, the ability to achieve through risk-taking or through dogged determination. This is a star of action and strength and so will naturally lead to action rather than inaction. At the same time, this quest for action is not just for its own sake but also to serve others.” (Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars, p. 18)
For me personally, the message is clear that Altair calls in Eagle Medicine for the New Year ahead. This is the “power of the Great Spirit, the connection to the Divine. It is the ability to live in the realm of spirit, and yet remain connected and balanced within the realm of Earth. Eagle soars, and is quick to observe expansiveness within the overall pattern of life. From the heights of the clouds, Eagle is close to the heavens where the Great Spirit dwells.” (Jamie Sams, Seneca/Choctaw, and David Carson, Choctaw)
It’s synchronous that the epochal Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, occurring on the Winter Solstice, is also rising in this solstice chart (see above solstice charts). That is, Jupiter and Saturn are closely conjoined the ascendant, a noteworthy point of emphasis that reinforces the theme of this conjunction as an overriding pattern now and during this coming year. Here are the charts for the exact conjunction set for Greenwich on 12/21/20 at 18:20:25:
This Jupiter-Saturn conjunction marks a time to establish important new commitments, a process that sets the stage for not only the next year but also the next 60-year cycle in society. Chiron is conjoined the midheaven in Pisces in the ninth house, indicating the need to transform ideological paradigms that no longer serve us, and to face and heal our individual and collective shadow in order to create more prosperity, unity, peace, and harmony.
Yet, Jupiter and Saturn are setting in the seventh house conjoined the descendant, suggesting a great deal of international conflict and societal discord ahead of us. At a deeper level, the conjunction in the seventh house represents the same theme mentioned above about Chiron and the need for healing, but it emphasizes the prime issue at hand which is the importance of personal responsibility.
The last time we had a similar conjunction was in 1961, and here are the charts for this event set for Greenwich on the prime meridian:
Just as occurred in the early 1960s, now this conjunction also represents a tumultuous period in history which leads to a break with the past and tremendous chaos and contention within the social, economic, and political fabric of the world. It points to a great deal of anxiety and disillusionment as much of the world is in a broad state of change.
The charts for the conjunctions in 1961 and 2020 have many differences, as well. The one in 1961 ushered in a progressive era of cultural “awakening,” as Neptune conjoined the ascendant in Libra (“utopianism”); and as Uranus conjoined the midheaven in Leo (“cultural revival, revolution, and civil disobedience”). This conjunction in 2020 looks to be much more about the great need and potential for planetary unity and spiritual healing.
APOD: Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge (2020 Dec 15); Illustration Credit & Copyright: Sebastian Voltmer “Explanation: It’s happening. Saturn and Jupiter are moving closer and will soon appear in almost exactly the same direction. Coincidentally, on the night of the December solstice — the longest night of the year in the north and the longest day in the south — the long-awaited Great Conjunction will occur. The featured illustration shows the approach of Saturn and Jupiter during November and December over the French Alps.”
The December 21 epochal conjunction may be best understood when we consider the synergy of dharma/purpose with karma/power (Jupiter and Saturn) merging exponentially in the sign of Capricorn, where a “new cycle of effort is inaugurated. Effort, strain, struggle, the fight with the forces native to the underworld, or the strenuous conditions entailed by the tests of discipleship or initiation – these are distinctive of experience in Capricorn.” (Alice Bailey, Esoteric Astrology).
As Jupiter and Saturn conjoin in Capricorn, they herald a powerful new cycle of manifestation that will bring vast changes in many areas including politics and government; real estate, farming, and land management; concerns about international borders and immigration; business and finance; law enforcement; and disease management.
For each of us, the conjunction marks the beginning of a new cycle in which to strengthen our discipline and work hard to overcome restrictions in our development. This new year ahead, and especially the first quarter of 2021, will be a very good time to re-structure and re-focus our intentions and efforts. We should stay grounded and remain realistic and practical, and at the same time, must not be afraid to “shoot for the stars” in order to fulfill our aspirations and achieve our goals.
I wish a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous 2021 to all my readers. Thank you for being here, with love and light from Juliana