The Winter Solstice Full Moon and Big Life Decisions on the Mercury – Jupiter Grand Finale
It’s been a busy week here and, with the astrological mood of the moment, it looks as if another busy one lies ahead.
The Year Ahead
I’ve mostly been focusing on writing the year ahead reports. These have been more time consuming than expected, but also very interesting. Even after all these years of doing astrology it’s still fascinating to explore the workings of an individual horoscope. Astrology never ceases to amaze me. As I said last week, it becomes all the more intriguing when we get past “does this work?” to “how come this works?” which is a far more intriguing question.
You can order your personal 12 months ahead report at any time, click here for details
Looking at the general trends ahead for each sign is also a source of information and guidance. If this interests you, then look no further than my colleague Sally Kirkman, who is brilliant at writing for the Sun signs.
See https://www.sallykirkman.com/ or click here to find out more about her expertly written 2019 Horoscopes eBook and how to order your own copy.
If you want to see the sign and degree of the planets in your own or any other natal chart, so you can check these against the signs and degrees important this week, here’s the link to Astrotheme. Enter your data into the boxes provided:
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php
The Astrology Blog 17 December 2018
All times given are stated in GMT
This week it’s the Sun shining into our lives, with two more aspects to make whilst travelling through the end degrees of fiery Sagittarius. Then changing sign – and then immediately opposing the Moon. Here’s the sequence:
Wednesday 19 December
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Sun 28 Sagittarius square Chiron 28 Pisces 12.02
Thursday 20 December
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Sun 29 Sagittarius trine Uranus 29 Aries 16.22
Friday 21 December
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Sun ingress Capricorn, the Winter Solstice 22.24
Saturday 22 December
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Full Moon 1 Cancer 17.50
Sun square Chiron
The square to Chiron is by far the most complex. I personally know two people with planets at 29 Pisces – which is also the position of a Fixed Star called Scheat, symbolically connected to suffering or loss. Both people have sad situations that can’t be remedied.
Chiron relates to physical or emotional wounding, so this square from the Sun, who is the life force, reflects a crisis point.
Chiron symbolism
Chiron symbolism also seems to connect quite strongly with the issue of acceptance. At a more general level, even if you’re not familiar with someone else’s horoscope, keep an eye out for the wounded soul in your life.
Chiron, in his role as the wounded healer, may well also be about the lesson of replacing fear with love.
Chiron and John Lennon
This made me think of John Lennon – IMAGINE. If we could always manage to do that, especially as Chiron finishes his journey through the end degrees of super sensitive and imaginative Pisces. Pisces correlates with the 12 House of the horoscope, the realm of loss, suffering and traditionally “the Vale of Tears”.
The flip side to Pisces symbolism, sign of mutable water, is being swamped with emotions – finding everything impossible to contain, including the spiralling into paranoia or overwhelming vulnerability.
I looked at John Lennon’s chart and his Chiron is 0 Leo opposite his Moon in Aquarius:
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/John_Lennon
When any planet is at 0 degrees it gains extra power and is often a hallmark of a famous person. The iconic song Imagine is captured in his natal opposition of Chiron in Leo (the individual) v Moon in Aquarius (the nation, the collective).
This man knew what a gigantic shift there would be in the collective consciousness if we stripped it all back to love. All of us.
Sun trine Uranus
The Sun’s last aspect while in visionary Sagittarius is of a totally different nature.
Uranus is at his slowest retrograde, but now appearing to stand still in readiness for turning direct again in the first week of January. He’s only one fifth of a degree away from that turning point (which will be at 28.36 Aries).
As these Solar aspects are only one day apart, it does remind us however that Chiron and Uranus are themselves currently in semi-sextile, ie one degree apart. This is a minor aspect but worth noting when two slow moving planets are involved. If there’s a link in this chain it feels like a huge wake-up call after sadness.
Uranus in mythology
In mythology Uranus is the sky god and he rules all that comes “out of the blue”. He rebels against hierarchy and traditional rules. His nature is innovative, explosive, sudden, unexpected, erratic or unpredictable.
With Uranus poised for that major turning point in Aries, sign of the individual, there is definitely a message about how life really is too short and that it’s never too late to start afresh. If you’ve been caught up in any stuck situation, then circle midweek, for events that could signal the breakthrough.
Sun ingress Capricorn
Every sign is a direct contrast to the preceding one. Sagittarius is all about the future, optimism, learning, travelling, being footloose and fancy free.
Capricorn is all about duty, responsibility, the work ethic, pessimism, shouldering the grown up jobs and operating by the “shoulds” of life.
And with this Winter Solstice coinciding with the Full Moon, within hours of the Mercury – Jupiter conjunction in Sag (see below), then this contrast is likely to feel especially strong.
Full Moon in Cancer
But the illuminating Full Moon brings many things full circle. And the general themes at the moment point to progress and things moving on, in that “at last” way.
So dilemmas between your work and personal issues may require even more of a juggling act than usual, but there are opportunities being presented. Our job is not to get too distracted, and to tread the path that we know is right for us.
For some, events unfolding in these last two weeks of the year will bring a matter to full stretch and engender stronger and clearer resolve for how we want to start the next year.
What else is Happening this Week?
Venus is now back up to full speed after her somewhat tortuous retrograde journey. She is now travelling through the second half of Scorpio, her traditional sign of detriment.
However, just because a planet is in detriment doesn’t mean that it’s all bad! Venus in Scorpio is brilliant for witchiness, self empowerment, alternative health remedies, psychotherapy and a deeper understanding of all things emotional or sexual.
And I’m sensing that we might see more of these helpful characteristics as Venus has only more aspect to make before changing sign (7 Jan). It’s a harmonious trine to Neptune, strong in his own sign of Pisces – that falls just before the Winter Solstice:
Friday 21 December
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Venus 14 Scorpio trine Neptune 14 Pisces 17.13
This is a beautiful aspect for love, romance, care, compassion and imaginative work.
Also note that currently Venus and Mars are in what’s called a “mixed reception”. That is, Venus is in Scorpio which is Mars’ sign, and Mars is in Pisces which is Venus’ sign of exaltation.
In other words, even though they’re not in exact aspect with each other at the moment (and won’t be until mid January when they’re both in their next signs of Sag and Aries respectively) it’s as if they’re helping each other out and working as a team.
There’s a sympathy between them as the reception means that they can “receive” each other. They can swap places and operate with greater effectiveness.
In terms of “as above so below” look at how this might translate into events or exchanges with another person. Swapping roles, sharing skills, stepping into someone else’s shoes, being in someone else’s home for a while, maybe for Christmas.
Look at how you can receive or give help that is in fact a two-way street of generosity and mutually beneficial.
The final Mercury – Jupiter union follows on immediately to firmly underline the messages of the Venus – Neptune alliance:
Friday 21 December
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Mercury conjunct Jupiter 9 Sagittarius 17.38
As Mercury has also recently been retrograde – going backward and forwards – this conjunction is the third and final one of a series of three.
As with Venus, whose journey we looked at last week, it’s been another long drawn out complex picture. This involved moving in and out of two different signs and making a series of three contacts to another planet.
For Venus the dance partner was serious Saturn, but at least Mercury’s is jovial Jupiter!
Here’s the Mercury – Jupiter sequence:
- Mercury conjunct Jupiter 27 Scorpio – 29 October (1st conjunction)
- Mercury entered Sag for the first time – 31 October
- Mercury turned retrograde at 13 Sag – 17 November
- Mercury conjunct Jupiter 4 Sag – 27 November (2nd conjunction)
- Retrograde Mercury re-entered Scorpio – 1 December
- Mercury turned direct 27 Scorpio (same degree as the first conjunction with Jupiter) – 6 December
- Mercury entered Sag for the second time – 12 December
- Mercury conjunct Jupiter 9 Sag – 21 December (3rd and final conjunction)
- Mercury “out of shadow”, returning to 13 Sag, the degree at which he turned retrograde – 24 December
In one sense this is a case of the classic two steps forwards, one step back.
Or you may feel as if you’ve been going around in frustrating circles for far too long, especially if you have degrees or angles at or close to any of the degrees in the above sequence. But, again, there’s the “at last” messages coming through loud and clear, especially in connection to Sagittarian themes – education, law, long distance travel or longer term plans, personal freedom and rights, and “the right thing” to do.
Wherever you’ve been “umming and ahing” the picture will clear, decisions can be made, puzzling matters are suddenly straightforward or someone else’s decisions or life events will have a positive knock on effect on your own.
Until next week, Carpe Diem
With love from Greece
Joanna
