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Winter Solstice Healing: A Personal Reflection

12/24/2014

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Late on the night of the Winter Solstice, I took a walk to clear my mind and reflect on the events of the day. Having had the privilege of leading a group of phenomenal women in embarking on their own Solstice journeys just hours earlier, I lost myself in the music of Tchaikovsky as I made my fast-paced trek around the neighborhood. With my mind endlessly buzzing with future possibilities and last-minute holiday to-do lists forming in my head, I was quite "checked out" from the sacred energies waiting in the space between breaths for me to accept an invitation to stillness. 

After I had my fill of forward motion and crowded thoughts, I stopped in the yard to enjoy a moment of peace. I found myself standing in a thick patch of snow, and suddenly, I was enraptured by the stark silence and no-thing-ness all around me.  A layer of clouds stretched across the atmosphere, covering the endless swath of stars that surround us on this planet we call home. For the first time all day, I truly felt the silence and the stillness of the Solstice penetrate my bones. I had guided others in connecting to this stillness within themselves, and finally I was there, alone in the brittle night, experiencing the depth of these profound energies myself. 

I was struck by how naked I felt, how vulnerable, alone, and insignificant I perceived myself to be in the vastness of the Universe and piercing dark of the Earth's annual turning point back to light. And as I stood there, allowing the starkness of winter and the essence of All That Is to swirl around and through me, I began to weep.

I can't quite place why I was so emotionally overcome that night. Perhaps it was the stress of the day or the inevitable lack of sleep that sets in before a big event; maybe it was the combination of hopes, dreams, and aspirations I hold deeply in my heart along with the indescribably intense desire I have to make those dream a reality (and the very human anxieties of "how" and "when" and the fear that I may not have enough years in my life to give birth to them all); maybe it was the sudden sense of profound love I experienced in that moment from my Angels and Guides and from Mother-Father God. In retrospect, I imagine it was a combination of each of those things, all brought to the surface by Saturn's travels through the final degree of Scorpio and the prominence of Capricorn energies now.

Saturn is the bringer of life lessons learned over time, the planet that heralds the ends of cycles and the subsequent new beginnings that arise from necessary endings. The ringed planet is necessary in teaching us how to manifest and bring our dreams to fruition, but the shadow side of Saturn and Capricorn is crippling fear, self-criticism, doubt, pessimism, harshness, and an inability to see beyond the physical constraints of "reality". As many a veteran astrologer has pointed out, when Saturn passes over 29 degrees of Scorpio, fears rise to the surface; our insecurities, the monsters in the shadows, the fear of lack or abandonment or "not good enough". These feelings are indeed rising in the collective and within our individual lives, coming into our conscious awareness so we can heal and release them on our journey into the future. As Saturn moves into Sagittarius on December 23, we will have an opportunity to define our personal truths and learn lessons in building our big dreams from the ground up. But first, we must move through the final lessons of the Scorpio's penetrating waters so we may embrace the new cycles of learning more fully.

As I cried that night, I made my way to the backyard and noticed a small maple tree. It was a tree I had passed many times before without much thought, but tonight I felt particularly drawn to its presence. I drew nearer, placing my hand on its slender trunk. I felt an affinity with this tree that looked so much like I felt: small and insignificant in the face of external challenges, barren and exposed, with no guarantee of survival through the winter (but a great likelihood that in the end, it would grow to stand even taller and stronger). With my eyes closed, I allowed love and light to flow to this leafless little tree from my heart center, feeling its roots as my own as I called on the energy of Gaia and the beautiful golden light of Shamballah at her core to ground me. The shimmering auric outlines of faeries and the Elemental kingdom became clearer to me, and in the barren winter night, I went beyond the illusion of coldness and lack - all concepts connected to Saturn and Capricorn's shadow - to a place deep within that is always ready to support us with abundant warmth and light. 

When life appears bleak and our future is uncertain, there is a need to go deeper, to go within to a place where the abundance of the Universe is always available to us. It is from this place that miracles of manifestation can occur even in the most seemingly dire circumstances. During any winter, and particularly this winter with an abundance of planets in Capricorn and Saturn preparing to enter Sagittarius, we have an incredible opportunity to heal our fears, reconstruct our views of ourselves to reflect our true talents and potentials, and to begin building the lives we have imagined one choice at a time. 

I plan to spend time outdoors connecting with the energies of Mother Earth throughout the winter months to maintain more of a connection to her life-giving energies when the earth appears cold and bleak in the darkness. And even though the course of my future is uncertain and many of my dreams have yet to manifest, I can always visit the small tree in the backyard as a reminder (just as Capricorn and Saturn impel us to do) that the longest-lasting most meaningful things in life are those we build over time with patience, perseverance, and self-love and compassion to smooth the process.

By healing ourselves and tending to our dreams with dedication and care, we can all be the light as the world awakens from the illusion of separation. We add to the love and light that flows through the Earth plane at this time when we stay the course and nurture ourselves, aiding powerfully in the Conscious Creation of Heaven on Earth. May your winter be blessed, and may you experience the vibrance of Shamballah and Divine Light available to all at this sacred time. 

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Winter Solstice & New Moon in Capricorn: Birthing Our Dreams From the Stillness Within 

12/19/2014

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We are quickly approaching the Winter Solstice on December 21, a sacred time of year when new energetic portals for awakening the very structures of our DNA and sacred life missions are more accessible to us. It is a time of great inner and outer stillness, of reflection on the past year, and a time rich with cosmic potential for exploration of our soul’s desires. This solstice is especially significant, as it coincides with a New Moon in Capricorn, making a profound depth of peace and vision-seed planting even more available to us in the void from which all potential is birthed into form.

This year's Solstice/New Moon combined event is the beginning of a powerful cycle of manifestation and conscious creation that we can connect with for powerful results in 2015 (the last time a Winter Solstice coincided with a New Moon was in 2003, and the next will be in 2033!). Themes that are central to Capricorn such as dedication, commitment, and realism will all play out in the many planetary connections that are grounded in this sign for the new moon.

Stellium in Capricorn: Getting Serious in Career, Relationships, and Life Purpose

The Sun ingresses into Capricorn for the official First Day of Winter at 6:03 P.M. EST; the Moon joins the Sun at zero degrees Capricorn for the coinciding New Moon at 8:26 P.M. EST. Since Capricorn is a sign that centers on putting in the effort to make our dreams a reality, we will be supported in birthing our inner visions in profound ways over the coming year. This weekend and the days that immediately follow are an ideal time to create a quiet, meditative space to explore inner dreams and visions...and then make a list and action plan to see those dreams through to completion! Capricorn and Saturn impel us to review facts, stick to a plan, and endure any trials or hardships we might meet on the path to achieving our goals with strength and composure. 2015 will be a year of building dreams from the ground up, and will be especially auspicious for career and "life mission" types of endeavors. The birthing pangs may be uncomfortable, but Saturn teaches us that the work is well worth the satisfaction of seeing our long-term goals through to completion.

Perhaps the most significant energies woven into the existing New Moon themes are those brought by the stellium of Venus/Pluto/Mercury in Capricorn. Expect issues around relationships, money/shared resources, secrets, or deepening of commitments in personal and business partnerships to take center stage. These issues, in addition to possible lower-vibrational expressions of jealousy, manipulation, or power struggles began around December 17 and will continue through the Solstice. The asteroid goddess Vesta is also involved here, calling us to examine our interactions with others/our own values and material resources to align them with choices that benefit our whole selves. With Saturn at the final degree of Scorpio, honest assessments of needs and wants in relationships will bring necessary endings and subsequent new beginnings.

Venus and Pluto also form a sextile to Chiron, the asteroid of wounding and holistic healing. With Chiron in the deeply empathic sign of Pisces, the opportunity for deep healing in relationships of any kind will be available now; this aspect could open the doorway to sexual healing or healing that results from merging with the right people in any way, shape, or form. We might also experience significant changes in our relationship energies and approaches during 2015, since Capricorn deals with structures and organization. However, discrimination would be wise here; Pisces may pull us into destructive choice patterns for the sake of escapism rather than truly spiritual experiences that bring healing. We may experience victim/martyr consciousness as a result of these aspects, as well as the release of buried emotions that have held us back until now. Allowing feelings to surface without judgment for the sake of inner cleansing will clear the way for a greater integration of self.

Uranus, Mars, and the Nodes

Uranus stations direct at the Solstice, giving us the drive and innovative vision to take radical action in all areas of life (especially in career and partnerships)! Venus adds her partnership/money/aesthetics-centered energies to the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square, bringing the likelihood of profound and empowering awakenings in these areas. Mars also forms a sextile link to Uranus and the nodes, igniting our impulse for action that frees us from constraints of the past. We are moving into greater alignment with Cosmic Consciousness, and the unprecedented astrological patterns at play act as catalysts to move us forward on our journey into love and Oneness on Earth.

Saturn in Sagittarius

As Saturn’s time in Scorpio draws to a close, feelings of fear, restrictions, cynicism, and self-doubt are surfacing for many. This provides an opportunity to examine our deepest doubts and shadow to embrace the truth of our own worth and goodness more fully when Saturn moves into Sagittarius on December 23. We will all have an opportunity to define and crystallize our truth – and act in full alignment with those truths – and can turn big dreams into reality by taking advantage of this powerful placement.

Key Questions for Contemplation
  • Am I willing to set aside sacred time and space to for rejuvenation and to explore my deepest desires now?
  • What dreams and visions are emerging from the stillness within me? Am I willing to explore and honor them, trusting that the Universe supports me in making all choices that are aligned with my Highest Good?
  •  What practical steps are necessary to manifest my dreams into being? How can I take regular, consistent action to see long-term goals through to completion?
  •  Am I being called to release a relationship/relationship patterns that no longer serve me? Am I being called to deepen relationship connections for a higher purpose at this time? Am I willing to merge with others in forming powerful partnerships to further my own growth and evolution and aid in the collective growth and evolution of Human Consciousness?
  • Am I being called to bring a greater depth of healing into my life? If so, are there others in my family, circle of friends, or community who can assist me in this process?
  • How can I liberate myself from past limitations to share more of my authentic self with the world? Am I willing to begin releasing feelings of insecurity, fear, and self-doubt to step more fully into alignment with my truths and life purpose?

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