Monday, December 21st, 2020, provided us with a whirlwind of celestial activity rarely seen. This was the official first day of winter and the day greeted us with the Winter Solstice at 5:02 am EST in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun appears at its’ most southerly position-as low in the sky as it can get. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, and this new season brings a transition of energy as we begin to return to the light. 

I talked about the Winter Solstice and its significance in last week's blog. In the afternoon of December 21st, I spent time in deep meditation and wrote out a long list that included: things that I'm grateful for, prayers for my loved ones, and my intentions for 2021. My church, St, Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Picton, hosted a Winter Solstice Celebration. Many of us walked the labyrinth on the church's property while reviewing our thoughts, and later released them into a bonfire. I've never acknowledged or participated in any solstice festivities, so this was a first, and it was magical. It's been a while since I felt so present and connected to the earth.

The Winter Solstice happens once a year and is a very auspicious day for many cultures. This already exciting day ended with an extremely rare, immense and global event involving Jupiter and Saturn's alignment known as The Great Conjunction. The last time this pairing occurred was in July 1623.

This union occurred shortly after sunset, and unfortunately, I was unable to see it. Apparently, Saturn appeared smaller and faded to a much brighter Jupiter. Though they looked close together, Jupiter and Saturn were more than 730 kilometres apart. Earth meanwhile was 890 million kilometres from Jupiter. I cannot fathom these numbers.

I know very little about astronomy except that my sign is Gemini and it is usually apparent to me when Mercury is in retrograde. Still, I'm curious about the cosmic significance of the events of December 21st.

I did some research and was taken by this:

"The Great Conjunctions happening in earth signs these last 200 years has pushed our focus towards ambition, big governments, and big business. It has made us focus on material wealth and possessions, and creating and building tangible things for the future. The Great Conjunctions now switching to air signs will give us a focus towards the collective, and a more community-based approach. Humanitarian efforts will be important, and technology will be favoured." (1)

This may seem like woo-woo because focusing on this celestial event's metaphysical outcomes lacks any scientific explanation. I get this, but I also feel that everything is energy and maybe, just maybe, this event is giving the universe some much needed high-frequency energy with a focus on each other and community. How refreshing, given what a trying year 2020 has been.

When I think of celestial movement and galaxies, I feel so small, like one particle of many particles in a particle of dust kind of small. However, I don't feel insignificant. I feel part of something galactic, cosmic, mystical and much larger than myself, like when I stare at the billions of stars on a clear night. I also hope to find ways to feel genuinely connected with no separation-this being the spiritual significance of December 21st, 2021.

Warmly,

Anita

Resources:

1) foreverconscious.com