December hosts 18 dynamic aspects: three ingresses, three
squares, two conjunctions, two
direct stations, two beginning shadow
boundaries, two new Moons, one
full Moon, one opposition, one ending
shadow boundary, and one retrograde
station. Energy patterns continue
to sustain network cooperation.
As you contribute to another's
activity or interest, they, in
turn may become able to "pass it on"
until it comes full circle and
you receive support or assistance from
a completely different source.
This type of energy pattern may
transpire in a physical way, but
is much more likely to operate on
subtle levels, such as a spiritual
or creative plane. Growth has been
possible within the use of established
modes, however a shift takes
place in mid-month to a more future
oriented direction. This pattern
may abruptly change to a more traditional
or classical model that
will last through the 21st of February.
It may appear to be
retrospective, and cautious, but
it will give us time to stabilize
and re-evaluate our resources.
12/1 New projects based on positive ideals will most likely
succeed. Persuasive arguments
based on rational thinking and
emotional needs tend to invite
cooperation. The bringing together of
innovative changes to a topic
that comes from the heart can become a
popular incentive, and can
attract a large support group. West coast:
your personal presence is needed
to prove your belief in your
projects; east coast: enlist
the support of powerful allies, perhaps
from an academic background.
New Moon 9:31 Sagittarius; west coast
7:01 AM, east coast 10:01 AM.
12/3 Using your mental processes
and your will power, you may take
charge of your health and well-being.
Recount all the questions of
the past two weeks, and the
answers to your dilemmas during that time
will begin falling into place
within the next three weeks. This is a
good time to gather all your
experiences and see where they may lead
you next. Mercury turns direct
6:24 PM, 24:44 Scorpio. M/P
Sun/Jupiter.
12/4 This is the beginning
of a dancing fixed T-cross * with Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn that surges
on 12/12 and crests 12/27. Mind and
motivation may be joined to
accomplish your goals. You may be
presented with a new goal,
or simply a clarification of the original
one. Don't be concerned if
decisions don't come easily right now; by
early February things will
have fallen into place. Be patient. Mars
Rx opposes Jupiter 4:47 PM,
8:25 Taurus/Scorpio.
12/7 Pay attention to the underlying
principles in all situations
that require your creative
involvement. Many details will go through
a metamorphosis after March,
but the concepts upon which they depend
will remain stable, and you
will be prepared in case confusion
ensues. Jupiter BSB 2 PM, 8:59
Scorpio (shadow cycle completes
10/2/06).
12/9 Keep in mind that this
year's Pluto contacts can support very
specialized creative potential.
Follow your heart's desire in an area
that nourishes your dreams,
and clarifies your place in the universal
flow. Pluto BSB Noon, 24:04
Sagittarius (shadow cycle completes
12/24/06).
12/9 Today, we give pause in
our hectic processes and concentrate
on our earlier objectives.
Are they still valid given the additional
information received in the
past month and a half? Recall your
previous position/condition
on the first of October, when Mars turned
Rx, and know that the steps
you take now are an integral part of that
process. Continued difficulties
in making decisions now show that
more information may be needed.
Gather all the data you can
especially this month, and
during January a more solid position can
be formed. Mars turns direct
8:04 PM, 8:14 Taurus.
12/12 Take care not to scatter
your energies. It may seem like you
are miles away from your heart's
desire, but taking an objective look
at your goals may keep you
from trying to live up to others'
expectations. You may feel
as though justice has not been served; yet
it may be too soon to see the
final outcome. Keep your values beyond
reproach. Mercury enters Sagittarius
1:16 PM.
12/15 The value of independence
and freedom may be under attack in
both personal and public areas.
Personal responsibilities may tax
your time and your energies.
Find time to renew your energies, and
keep your health in mind when
making a commitment. Venus enters
Aquarius 8 AM conjunct Chiron.
12/15 Hectic projects that
you may have begun without proper
preparation may yet be salvaged.
Reevaluate your involvement. It may
be better to release the energy
and take another path. Take time out
of a busy lifestyle to employ
a perspective that supports resistance
to illness or fatigue. This
may mean a program of meditation or
exercise, joining with others
in spiritual pursuits, or taking some
time to be by yourself. West
coast: your work and health come first ˆ
enlist some assistance ˆ rather than seeing yourself as
indestructible; east coast:
invest in education ˆ perhaps a self-help
course, or hearing a lecture
by someone you respect. Or, take a fun
trip and enjoy yourself. Full
Moon 23:48 Gemini; west coast 8:15 AM
east coast 11:15 AM.
12/15 Power plays abound. A
contest of wills can drain your energy,
unless you define your limits,
and make them known to others. That
which you put in place now
will have long term effects. Sun conjoins
Pluto 8:09 PM, 24:18 Sagittarius.
12/16 This is the second step
in the dancing fixed T-Cross *. Mars
has an investment in this process,
since he turned Rx at the degree
(23 Taurus) on which Jupiter
and Saturn began their cycle
(conjunction on May 28, 2000),
renewing the sensitivity to that
planetary pair and that degree.
Jump in your "way-back machine" and
see what was going on for you
back then. Some were becoming aware of
new ways of evaluating the
principles upon which our laws and rules
are based. Now, we are challenging
our unconscious choices of
materiality in our present
lifestyles. The next step may be to find a
spiritual base that we can
relate to. Jupiter squares Saturn Rx 9:15
PM, 10:45 Scorpio/Leo.
12/18 Use your intuition in
dealing with last minute changes. A
crisis in consciousness can
result when emergency situations arise.
Keep your wits about you, and
get help if the situation requires more
than you are capable of. You
may be trying to do too much in a small
amount of allotted time. Mercury
squares Uranus 5:10 PM, 7:18
Sagittarius.
12/21 Now is the time to make
sense out of the mental and
organizational problems of
the past month. Revisit all the issues,
and look at them from different
perspectives. Ascribe each issue to
an archetypal model, and the
answers will become apparent. Mercury
ESB 10:21 AM, 10:56 Sagittarius
(shadow cycle began 10/25/05).
12/21 This is a time of idealistic
vision supported by practical
approach to reality. Problems
lend themselves to resolution through
the application of spiritual
principles. West coast: support of
ideals embodied by kindred
groups sustained by your efforts and those
of your colleagues; east coast:
travel, advanced education, or
philosophical organizations
may be supported by peers and
philanthropic interests. Sun
enters Capricorn ˆ Winter Solstice. West
coast 10:35 AM, east coast
1:35 PM.
12/24 Creative genius: the
use of ordinary minds in extraordinary
ways can be evoked. A process
of transformation is available to
anyone willing to put aside
traditional methods, and look at creative
routes to love, nurturing or
the arts. Revisit the past month, and
gain a new perspective on these
topics. Venus turns Rx 1:37 AM, 1:28
Aquarius.
12/27 This is the final step
in this fixed dancing T-Cross * that
started December 4. Out of
a desire to adjust to a more unrestricted
approach, decisions you make
now may enable positive transformations
to take place. Mars squares
Saturn Rx 4:07 PM, 10:10 Taurus/Leo.
12/30 Half-way between the
attachments of the past and the promise
of the future, we find an opening
to a new beginning. Optimism and
far-sightedness can overcome
depression and shortsightedness if one
is willing to suspend traditional
materialistic thinking and open to
the potential of spiritual
or moral conviction. Embracing the holiday
season or looking forward to
the promise of starting over with a
clean slate can help. West
coast: gain the perspective of child-like
ideas and romantic adventures;
east coast: involve yourself with the
joys and activities of family
life, or new surroundings. New Moon
(Blue Moon) 9:32 Capricorn;
west coast 7:12 PM, east coast 10:12 PM.
12/31 There may be significant
changes coming in your life path.
Understanding your place in
the world, or finding an issue that makes
you feel vital and essential
can be what you need to find your
center. Mercury conjoins Pluto
3:17 AM, 24:52 Sagittarius.
? Note: What with retrograde motion, Jupiter and Saturn will
dance into two more squares
in the same signs in 2006 (the last one
making a T-Cross with the position
of their last conjunction. And
Mars will be doing his dosey-dos
around both of them. So this square
dance has more dimensions to
come, and is a real important ingredient
in all of our lives.
DECEMBER SYMBOLISM 2005
December, originally named for the tenth month in the Roman
calendar, was dedicated to the Roman goddess, Vesta (December 5)
(Greek: Hestia), the goddess of virtue, purity, and the fire of
the "Mystical Hearth of the Cosmos", which symbolizes the eternal
present. This honored the sanctity of the home by making each
household a shrine to the goddess. December is filled with sacred
festivals, as many early religions celebrated the birth of the Sun-
Son (Apollo, Dionysus, Frey, Helios, Horus, Jesus, Mithras, Osiris)
at this time of the year. The Roman celebration of Saturnalia, and
its ancient myths and rites honoring the first Father of all peoples
and gods, even including Adam, as ruler of Eden. Also honored this
month are Pallas Athene (December 4), wisdom warrior; and Ceres
(December 13) (Greek: Demeter), Goddess of Motherhood and Mother
Earth: She who nourishes seeds in darkness; three of the four
goddesses for whom the first asteroids were named. The fourth of the
quartet of asteroid goddesses, Juno (Greek: Hera) is honored on
January 1st.
Porphyry, Neoplatonist philosopher and astrologer, born in Tyre about
234 AD, developed one of the oldest quadrant methods of house
division. He was a scholar, and a protégé and biographer of Plotinus,
and presented Plotinus' teachings in the form of the Enneads (six
groups of nine). In December there were tributes to Porphyry, whose
name means "purple", the color of royalty.
December 6 is St. Nicholas's Day. St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra in
Lycia, Asia Minor, during the fourth century. He's credited with
saving three sisters from lives of ill repute by throwing bags of
gold into their house (some say down the chimney) to provide for
their dowries. In many places here and abroad, children still hang
their stockings by the chimney or place their shoes by the window for
St. Nicholas to fill with presents and sweets on the eve of his feast
day.
This story reminds us of the Roman myth of the three Fates, the
sister goddesses who are honored at the Winter Solstice, the
beginning of the year for the Sun. The Fates are also known as
Parcae, (Greek: Moirae; Scandinavian: Norns; Western Europe: Wyrdes;
Indian: Niyati). The first Fate, Decuma (Greek: Clotho, Scandinavian:
Urd) was the "spinner" who bore the distaff and spun the thread of
life. The second Fate, Morta (Greek: Lachesis, Scandinavian Verdani),
was the "apportioner", who measured the thread against a special
rod,
for the length of life), and the third Fate, Nona (Greek: Atropos,
Scandinavian: Skuld) called "The Inevitable", it was she who snipped
the thread at the end of life. These goddesses were also invoked at
the birth of a child to mete out its destiny.
Of December's two gemstones, turquoise is one of the first gems ever
to be mined, and is found in arid and semiarid lands ˆ desert
environments of many countries. Colors range from green to blue. A
third century myth states that turquoise is said to protect a rider
from falling off his or her horse. American Indians believe turquoise
takes its blue from Heaven, its green from the Earth. Traditionally,
the turquoise is a stone of success and prosperity. An alternate
birthstone for December - the zircon - is sometimes called
an "imitation" diamond. In ancient times, it was said to heal
disease, and to bring sound sleep to the wearer. In 14th century
Europe, it was worn to protect the wearer from the black plague.
Zircons come in many different colors; the most prized being red. The
red of the zircon and the green of the turquoise remind us of
traditional Christmas colors.
December celebrations include the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary on December 8. Mme. Blavatsky reminds us that She is not
original with the Church of Rome, but is remembered in every culture,
including the early Christian Collyridians, who made sacrificing
cakes to honor the Virgin goddess. She is also known as the Mayan
Mother - Astraea, goddess of Justice, and the Virgin of Guadalupe in
Mexican lore. December 8 is also the Buddhist holiday, Rohatsu or
Bodhi Day; it is the day that the Buddha achieved realization.
Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Jewish Holiday of Lights is an eight-day
celebration of hope and faith that starts on December 26th (at
sundown on December 25th). It is a time used to reaffirm beliefs and
to be thankful for successes and achievements. The lights of
astrology, the Sun and the Moon support the integration of personal
ideals into practical, every-day living.
December 16 is a celebration of Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom. It is said
that when she is discovered within, the idea of a Divine Feminine
principle triggers an upsurge of creative spirituality will overcome
outmoded dogmas and orthodoxy. Jung presented the Divine Feminine in
four interrelated aspects of western archetypes: Eve ˆ the fertile
Earth mother; Helen of Troy ˆ the inspirational romanticized Earth
mother; Mary ˆ the spiritual virgin Earth mother; and Sophia ˆ the
wise woman, the indwelling spark of the WorldˆSoul.
Advent, the four-week spiritual preparation for Christmas began on
November 27, and each Sunday is set aside for special Advent
ceremonies. This emphasis on spiritual matters is shared by nature
religions in preparation for the return of the Sun, which begins at
the winter solstice. The word advent means "the coming." It begins
on
the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and marks the beginning of the
Christian year. Advent is a time to celebrate the Light in the midst
of darkness. Christmas, the celebration of the nativity of the Christ
Child, symbolizes the return of the Light to the world, and the gift
of Life.
Jalal al-Din Rumi, also known as Mevlana, meaning "our guide",
Persian Sufi poet and mystic was born 9/30/1207 in Balkh, Persia (now
Afghanistan), and died 12/17/1273 in Konya (now Turkey). His doctrine
advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity
and awareness through love. To him and his disciples, all religions
are more or less true. Looking with the same eye on Muslim, Jew,
Buddhist and Christian alike, his peaceful and tolerant teaching has
appealed to men and women of all sects and creeds. He is honored on
December 17 each year.
December 23 is the blank day in the Celtic calendar that has no
ruling tree, called "The Secret of the Unhewn Stone." It is a day
symbolizing time and timelessness ˆ between the end of the old cycle
and untapped potential of the new.
Winter Solstice, or Yule (12/21/2005) is associated with the
completion of the out breath of the year; the pause of midwinter; the
longest night of the year. Yule, celebrated by the ancient Goths at
the time of the winter solstice in honor of the Sun, and by the
ancient Norse (Iul ˆ meaning wheel) as the beginning of the Great
Wheel of the Zodiac, the Wheel of Life, at the time of the turning
point when the Sun is reborn to the world.
The Yule log, cut traditionally from the ash-tree, Yggdrasil (the
world-tree, whose roots were knotted in Hell and its boughs supported
Heaven). This Tree of Life sheltered the Norns, another example of
the triple-goddess: Urth (the past), Verdandi (the present), and
Skuld (the future) who lovingly tended the tree. In Norse tradition,
the festival of Yule (December 26-January 6) assigns 4 days to each
of the Norns to honor the turning of the year. New Year's day, the
middle of this period has become a day when we remember the past and
plan for the future, making resolutions to better our lives, and
invoking the assistance of these triune sister goddesses.
December 31 is the Scottish New Year's festival of Hogmanay,
named for a solar giant who was magically divided into two giants,
Gog and Magog. He was portrayed as the spiritual guardian of London.
The associated shamanic ritual transforms the negative vestiges of
the old year into a positive offering.
"∑You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.
You
would adjust your conduct and
even direct the course of your spirit
according to hours and seasons.
Of time you would make a stream upon
whose bank you would sit and
watch its flowing. Yet the timeless in
you is aware of life's timelessness,
and knows that yesterday is but
today's memory and tomorrow
is today's dream. ∑But if in your thought
you must measure time into
seasons, let each season encircle all the
other seasons, And let today
embrace the past with remembrance and
the future with longing."
On Time, from The Prophet by
Kahlil Gibran
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