This Winter Solstice is marked by a total lunar eclipse, with the Moon close to the South Node of the Moon in Cancer while the Sun stands not only with the Capricorn North Node but also Mercury, Pallas and Pluto. These energies will come into play when the Moon is eclipsed, creating new psychological patterns that will help us meet new challenges.

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There is only one birth - and this birth takes place in the being and in the ground and core of the soul. . . Not only is the Son of the heavenly Creator born in this darkness - but you too are born there as a child of the same heavenly Creator and none other.   And the Creator extends this same power to you out of the divine maternity bed located in the Godhead to eternally give birth. . . .The fruitful person gives birth out of the very same foundation from which the Creator begets the eternal Word.   It is from this core that one becomes fruitfully pregnant.     Meister Eckhart

        Each year the Sun cycles down to the Tropic of Capricorn, leaving the northern hemisphere in the cold and the dark.   Then, it reaches the point in its journey south when it pauses and stands still.   As if by magic, it reverses itself and begins to journey back north.   But those of us back north must take it on faith that the light and warmth will return.   We have to wait.  

        The Winter Solstice marks a season of grace, faith, hope and also testing.   The Baby of Light has been reborn, but first we give birth to the Light within our own hearts as we await its outer manifestation in the Spring.   We have to give birth spiritually at Winter Solstice, deep within our own inner darkness.   Who we are determines what we give birth to.   In the midst of the hounds of winter, we labor to give birth to the divine Child of Light within.   As Meister Eckhart says, the divine power of creation is also in each of us.

        Like the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, this labor is a test of and testament to our values and beliefs about Life. This is the time to look at Life and Death and celebrate them both.   This season, especially the 12 Days of Christmas which begin at sunset on December 25th and end at sunset on January 6th, (see my dream blog for a ritual for the 12 Days of Christmas) is a time when "spectres and spirits walk abroad' and interact with our world.   We get to see if we really laid our fears and trouble to rest, or if those dark emotions are lurking "in the halls and in the bowers' to haunt our days and nights.   While this season is a time of rejoicing and celebration, it is also a testing time, when we have to make a conscious decision to embrace the Light again as we begin another year of life on Earth. It's traditionally a time of divination, as we try to foresee what the new year will bring us.

        While many people are looking forward to Winter Solstice 2012, it might be wise to contemplate the meaning of this Winter Solstice, which once again has potent planets marking the Cardinal Axis - similar to what happened at last summer's June 26th eclipse at 5* Cancer/Capricorn.   Perhaps some issues you had this summer will come up again to be reviewed and released.

This Winter Solstice is marked by a total lunar eclipse, with the Moon close to the South Node of the Moon in Cancer while the Sun stands not only with the Capricorn North Node but also Mercury, Pallas and Pluto.   These energies will come into play when the Moon is eclipsed, creating new psychological patterns that will help us meet new challenges.  

"Lunar eclipses emphasize awareness of personal matters and relationships, now doubly so since this Solstice eclipse deals with releasing old emotional patterns of a Cancerian nature. ". . .total lunar eclipse . . . amplifies our opportunities for transformation.   New pathways and options appear as old networks dissolve.   During an eclipse, the continual streams of electromagnetic energy from the Sun and Moon are interrupted, weakening the Earth's force fields as well as our own and thus making it easier to shift grids, dimensions and the configuration of our consciousness." Stephanie Austin, The Mountain Astrologer, Dec/Jan 2011

  Watch your family dynamics during the holidays.   So often, family issues originate in the Mother/Child emotional body and have to do with survival and nurturing issues - how comfortable we are with ourselves and with being "home'.    We have to heal our personal wounds so we can go on and deal with the bigger survival issues that face our world.  

This Solstice is important too because in 2011 the dance between Uranus (revolution) and Pluto (death & rebirth/evolution) intensifies, eventually forming seven exact squares between 2012 and 2015; these energies will continue to push us to demand personal, cultural and political reforms.    With these squares, we will be entering the first -"quarter phase of the 60s conjunction of Pluto and Uranus.   Echoing the Hero's journey, this is the phase of the cycle when we have to over-come obstacles, where our determination is tested.    You just have to look at the world news to understand that all of these energies are at play in the world, asking us to work with them creativity.   When Uranus finally enters Aries in March 2011, we will discover new identities for ourselves, new ways of entering into the life of the world.   This new Birth therefore, is important for us since it is our new Uranian identity that's being born in the Light.

        One way to understand what we have to do now is to entertain the possibility of making our instincts conscious by seeing them as archetypal patterns; the work is to recognize what our instincts are telling us about ourselves. Are we warriors, nurturers, inventors, artists, scientists, environmental visionaries? The Child of Light is a redeemer and savior.   S/He redeems the Dark -" brings what is still dark into the light of consciousness.   What talents and abilities are waiting to be recognized and born in that divine maternity bed this Winter Solstice?

The full Moon occurs just hours before the Sun enters Capricorn.   This Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon is not only a lunar eclipse, but also a Super Moon, swinging closest to the Earth and intensifying its gravitational pull on us.   So we might get more emotional, more dreamy, more unconscious.   It also occurs at the last degree of Gemini/Sagittarius, signs which rule how we think and what we believe about life, pushing us to resolve the full energies of the two signs with wisdom and compassion.   The Eclipse is visible in Europe, in South & North America and Japan, and is total at 8:13am GMT/3:13am EST/12:13am PST.   (You'll find more information at my astrology blog .)

Since the eclipse occurs at the last degrees of Sagittarius and Gemini, it concerns how we transform information, beliefs, and knowledge into Wisdom.   Emotions and feelings play a big part in that, and with the eclipse, we might find ourselves understanding just why we do what we do.   The more we know about what our beliefs are founded on, the easier it will be to transform what's blocking us so we can bring about real change in our cultural attitudes and in the environmental degradation we have created.  

All lunar eclipses occur on full moons, and symbolically they make us aware of what has stayed hidden in the dark.   With the Sagittarius Sun resonating to the cosmic truths (the Sun will be a few degrees from the Galactic Center of the Milky Way Galaxy) and the Gemini Moon evoking our collective knowledge, the eclipsed Moon might throw us into the darkness of our own minds and beliefs which keep us chained to wars, greed and profit above the sanctity of Life and a relational community.

        Can we let go of fear-based beliefs and too rigid ways of thinking?   Can our old collective beliefs meet the challenges that will face us in the coming years if we no longer believe them to be true?   How do we deal with the hypocrisy that is so prevalent in our society?   White western societies say that we are a peaceful civilization, but our governments still secretly fund wars.   We stand by the belief that capitalism is the best type of engine to run the world economy, but we refuse to do anything about the environmental and human costs of powerful corporate entities which only see value in the bottom line.   While we say that we need an educated population, we really mean that we should educate our kids to fit into the economy, rather than educate people to learn to think and feel for themselves.   While we say that we are a God-loving and God-fearing people, we only offer token allegiance to the fundamental rights of all people to have life, liberty and to pursue their own form of happiness.

        The Sagittarius/Gemini axis comprises the Mind and our reason -" those very qualities that supposedly make us uniquely human and god-like.    If it is true that we are approaching the end of not only a 2,000 year (Piscean) Age but also a 26,000 year Great Year,   then we need to understand how we use our minds and hearts so we can step into a new Age with clarity and inspiration.   What has the human race learned over these many centuries?   Are we better people?   Do we make more compassionate judgments?   Are we ruled by the laws of Spirit and Love?   These are some of the questions that I would ask at the end of the Piscean Age.   Have we learned the Age's lessons?   If not, how can we go into an unknown future that calls us to personal freedom and equality as well as global responsibility?  

Perhaps we are being tested now, like Sir Gawain confronting the Green Knight at Epiphany.   Can we face the challenge and let go of our old ways of doing and being so that a new "possible human' has a chance of flourishing?   We need to ask ourselves the important questions, like "Why do we continue with behavior patterns, institutions and solutions that no longer serve all of Life, but only a select few?"

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 30* Sagittarius is: The Pope, blessing the Faithful.   If we can step back for a moment and separate the symbol from the concrete, we need to ask ourselves, Who is the Pope?   The Pope is called Pontifex Maximus (in Latin literally meaning "greatest bridge-maker' ), taking on the title of the high priest of ancient Rome. The Pope's purpose is to bridge Heaven and Earth. As Dane Rudhyar says, The symbol asks of the individual: "Are you willing to live a transpersonal life as a symbol?"   As an example of what Jean Houston calls "the possible human' this last symbol of Sagittarius suggests that we have to discover our "inner Pope", so we become self-aware and individuated and so can serve as a blessing and a guide to people who also long to bring heaven down to earth.  

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 30* Gemini is: A parade of bathing beauties before large beach crowds . This image speaks to how society sets cultural standards that are rewarded and emulated by the masses.   All our values are exteriorized and we are judged by how we meet those standards, rather than by our innate inner worth, which is the subject of the symbol for the Sagittarius Sun.

With the eclipse darkening the Moon's light, breaking the energy patterns that bind us, perhaps we will finally understand on a heart level that it is time to let go of those cultural values which are shallow and self-serving, and incarnate fully our own ability to bridge heaven and earth through our unique personality and deep spiritual values.

This eclipse aspects many planets and asteroids: The Sun at 30* Sagittarius and Moon at 30* Gemini are closely aligned with the asteroids Hades, Pallas, Juno and Chiron as well as Mercury, Pluto, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Neptune.   These cosmic energies will be more potent during the eclipse, more readily by-passing the usual patterns and establishing new ones.

So let's begin with Mercury, which rules this lunar eclipse.   The messenger of the gods is still traveling backwards, moving from Capricorn to Sagittarius on Saturday, December 18th.   On Sunday the 19th, it conjuncts the Sun, picking up the new solar messages it needs to deliver to Uranus, the Moon and Neptune on Monday the 20th and to Jupiter just after the Winter Solstice on the 21st. Mercury travels over the degree of the Galactic Center at the eclipse, making his messages universal.     So we have real connection happening in our Cosmic Story.   The messages will come through.   So watch your dreams starting this weekend -" depending on your own natal planetary placements, you might be getting your cosmic instructions this Winter Solstice.

Venus arrives once again at the place where she stopped and turned backwards in October at 14* Scorpio.   She needed new lines of communication installed.   Did you work on that this fall?  

Venus is truly in her death aspect when she's in Scorpio.   Ruler of both Taurus, where new life takes form as Beauty, and Libra, where the rules of relationship are balanced with Love, Venus shines as the morning star now, the Star of new vision. But that new vision was dearly paid for by the trip to the underworld, where like her Sumerian sister, Inanna, Venus has to lay down her power and give herself over to the sorrows of unfulfilled dreams and longings and let them go.

Venus went back to 28* Libra, to re-establish a new sense of responsibility in relationships. She had to remember and regain her inner assurance of the spiritual abundance and help that is always there for us, so we can take responsibility for our part of a relationship.   If we strive to be real (Pluto), speak the truth (Pallas), love (Venus) with our whole heart and stand (Sun) in our own center, we can heal (Moon) relationships with love, humor, creativity and wisdom.

Venus leads the way into the future, since she has made the sacrifice and released old bitter memories of love and betrayal, loss and pain.   She forgives and releases.   In the underworld, you can lay down your burdens if you choose to.   If you have forgiven yourself and so others, the Venus-within-you will have come out of the Underworld reborn and renewed this day.   As the Incarnation of Love, Beauty and Wisdom, Venus/Aphrodite is the most powerful Goddess, for she is the energy of Connection, which is the essence of Love.   We all need to stay connected to our inner Self and we all need to connect with others in our lives so that we share our real joy in this season.   "The joy we take is equal to the love we make." (to paraphrase John & Paul)

The Sun opposes the Moon at the eclipse, and Uranus and Jupiter in Pisces are squaring them from 90* away, challenging the eclipse energies to integrate a new understanding of the many dimensions of reality and how they affect us into our knowledge base and our beliefs.   Opposing Uranus and Jupiter from Virgo, the asteroid Juno helps create a mutable grand cross, further pushing the eclipse energies into recognizing the need for true partnership between the sexes, where we perceive both our differences and our similarities and we respect them both.   This is helped by Saturn stabilizing the sign of Libra, bringing fairness and diplomacy to the table.   It's all about respect.

This eclipse also (trines) attracts energy from Neptune and Chiron's idealistic new vision of Aquarian wholeness and equality.   When the darkness takes the place of the Light during the eclipse, we could be thrown into chaos and fear, but if we hold true to our vision of one world at peace, if we Imagine as John hoped we would, we will come through the dark night with a clearer vision and a brighter hope than we've had in a while.   A lunar eclipse marks the end of something.   But an end is always a new beginning.  

We need to tell a new story.   That's what Winter Solstice invites us to do, especially this year with Mercury going deep into the Galactic Center. The fires of Creation await us!    Let's imagine it together. 

Authors Website: http://www.cathypagano.com

Authors Bio:

Cathy Pagano is a spiritual advisor and Jungian psychotherapist, storyteller, author and teacher.

She is the author of a book on the return of the Goddess, "Wisdom's Daughters: How Women Can Change the World".

Cathy trained at the C. G. Jung Institut-Zurich in dream interpretation, has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology in Feminine Spirituality, and is a certified Life Coach.

As an astrologer and storyteller, she weaves the Cosmic Stories written in the stars. From The Bard's Grove, she writes about emerging archetypal themes in movies and books.

Cathy works with the tools of the imagination - dreams, alchemy, myths, astrology, symbolic language, storytelling, ritual - to awaken the Soul's wisdom.



I believe that Americans are called to a higher consciousness at this point in our history. We are called on to live up to our ideals and create the country our forefathers imagined. Inner consciousness needs to be acted upon for social justice.



Cathy believes that our writers and artists must take up our responsibility to create art that inspires, teaches and heals our humanity.



Cathy writes about political, psychological/spiritual, and cultural issues.