Insights for the Month of Capricorn

December 21st
Winter Solstice: Capricorn begins; 12:11 PM EST
Venus stationery, retrograde
Astrology is a study in correspondences. ‘As above; so below’ is the great direction. It is interesting to notice that the eight phases of the year are akin to the eight phases of the moon with the New Moon corresponding to the Winter Solstice and the Full Moon to the Summer Solstice. The equinoxes are like the waxing and waning quarters of the Moon. The cross quarter or mid-season points relate to the Moon phases as well: Crescent to Imbolc (Groundhog day) in early February, Gibbous to Beltane (May Day) in early May, Disseminating to Lammas or Lughnesadh in early August and Balsamic to Samhain  (Halloween) in early November. You can also find this correspondence in the course of a day with sunrise equating with the New Moon, noon with the first quarter Moon, sunset with the Full Moon and midnight with the last quarter.
The Great Round teaches us many things as we live, aware or unaware of the cycles unfolding around us. The New Moon as of each month as well as the Winter Solstice once a year teach us that all endings lead to beginnings. That life goes on, in fact it grows on. Waxing and waning energies are the prototypes for life forces that have no beginning and no end.  There is a kind of cosmic kindness in the constant reminder that light returns, and life renews itself.
Even climate change doesn’t alter this.
This is what all the fuss is about.
May the blessings of the solstice be felt by all.
Venus does not go retrograde on every solstice. Just this year. There is much to say about this but brevity is the soul of he internet. Keywords for Venus are value and pleasure: For Capricorn (at its best) “the right use of resources”. This journey which lasts till January 31st is a time to evaluate the right use of resources. It is a major theme which humanity is deeply embroiled in and will be for years to come. Coming on Solstice only emphasizes it. Capricorn teaches us that experience is the best teacher. What experience are you having at the moment that needs to be evaluated from the perspective of how you use resources – your own and the planet’s?

December 24th
Sun sextile Neptune
Mercury enters Capricorn
Body and soul. It’s the perfect combination. The soul of the world embodied in the gifts we give to one another: Gifts meant to celebrate the light in you and the light in me. The light that always returns. What gift do you have to offer to the light? 

December 25th
Mars opposite Uranus
It’s the uninvited guest, the jack-in-the-box under the tree, the challenge where  you least expect it. Accept the unexpected with as much kindness and equilibrium as you can. It’s a bit like balancing on the head of a pin  while wearing boxing gloves which you know you can’t use. 

December 26th
Mercury sextile Neptune
The soul of many things embodied in matter. What’s the matter? Therein lies the mystery. 

December 27th
Mars enters the shadow of its retrograde
We step into the great events of 2014. Astrologers predict all sorts of things.  The key seems to be Mars; planet of aggression or assertiveness, the warrior (whether he serves life or death), the energy of breakthrough and birth which enables us to emerge from one reality to another.  Mars is in Libra; sign of diplomacy, negotiation and the rules of engagement. The sign of war as well as peace between challengers. Mars will aggravate and challenge Jupiter in Cancer, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries as well as Venus in her retrograde journey. LINK TO ‘HOT DATES’ There are many possibilities. The issue is leadership (you don’t need a weatherman to know how this wind is blowing at the moment). Mandela is gone. Who has the wisdom to invite the enemy to the table and restore justice to the land? Such is the task that lies ahead. Whenever you see Mars in the top of a daily insight this is the issue at  hand.

December 29th
Mercury conjunct Sun
Mars square Pluto
it’s easy to react. We are wired to defend ourselves. If the entire world was one person, made up of billions of cells (each one a human being) we would be reminded today that the road to freedom, truth and ultimately love does not have to be easy to be worth walking. We would see the futility of cutting out our sorrowing, enraged heart because it causes us pain. We would know that we must restore love to it rather than kill ourselves trying to get rid of how it feels.
As individuals we also need to remember that each being encountered along tour way is as worthy of consideration as we are. And yet there is also the issue of how much we shake hands and act nice when we know we are dealing with a sociopath. it’s a tough call for nations as well as individuals.  And who is to make the final call on how people behave if they aren’t overtly breaking the law?  
This is the theme for many months to come; collectively and individually. 

January 1, 2014
New Year; New Moon 6:15 AM Degrees of Capricorn
Sun conjunct Pluto.
New Year, New Moon. A powerful time for intentions. This moment harnesses the themes of the cardinal cross which is paramount till July 2014. the theme is leadership – not dominance. Can we even conceive of such a thing?  

January 2nd
Sun Square Mars
What comes up today will be an issue for a while. It will come again on April 8th if not sooner. Feel into the resistance. In the infinitesimal space between the rock and the hard place is the possibility of change; the breaker of the stalemate.

January 3rd
Mercury opposite Jupiter
The Trickster (Mercury) is quite active as it moves to finish it’s journey in Capricorn. We can point and blame. We can listen and respond. We can judge and condemn.  We can discriminate without closing our hearts. We do not get to create the circumstance. That is fate. But we do get to decide what we will do with it.

January 5th
Sun opposite Jupiter
Take pride in the things you are good at. Share your expertise with others. Live into your truth.

January 6th
Mercury sextile Saturn
Get serious about the subject at hand. It will help you understand what you are dealing with and how to manage it.

January 7th
Mercury conjunct Venus
Continue thinking seriously. Common sense is not superficial. It’s about seeing what is in front of us and not interpreting so much as dealing with it. Venus is in the underworld, transforming something profound for all of us. Today we hear the bass line. That track has been laid. Now, how would you like to add melody, harmony  and poetry?

January 8th
Mars square Jupiter
Ouch! It’s hard to get good answers if you ask the big questions with arrogance or defensiveness. Really all you’re asking for is a fight. There is a fight in the air and a feeling in the water that it’s now or never. It isn’t now or  never. It’s about the fact that no one needs to justify their existence. You could say it’s about human rights but it’s not just the humans who have the right to be here.

January 11th
Venus sextile Saturn
Venus conjunct the Sun
Sun sextile Saturn
Mercury enters Aquarius
Today belongs to Venus. She sits for one eternal  moment, in the heart of the Sun, neither evening nor morning star. Her transformation is a mystery which we can’t see but we know it’s happening. As above, so below is the great metaphysical adage. We, all of us, need to sit in the heart of transformation asking questions about love and value, about responsibility and the right use of our resources as well as ourselves as a resource. What will sustain us through these strangely fraught times? The questions is more important than the answer. But solutions are everywhere.
Information will become more and more available as Mercury travels through Aquarius.

January 15th
Full Moon: 25 Degrees of Cancer: 11:53 PM EST
Survey your life from the perspective of self sufficiency and sustainability. Possibly you don’t need ‘more’ of anything so much as you need time to use what you have to the best ends. Time is the gift that keeps us from rampant misuses of resources. Time to make things, to fix things, to understand things. Relentless consumption is a disease of the mind, heart and body. 

January 16th
Venus square Mars
You can’t always get what you want, or even what you think you need. Desire is like that. It makes crazies of us all. Mars wants engagement, Venus wants respect. It is possible to engage with respect. It is also possible to force engagement but only through some kind of violence. Venus may be retrograde and still wet behind the ears from her transformation from evening to morning star but she is now ,most assuredly in the morning star position. She fights for what is rightfully hers in the morning. Respectful engagement will make everything easier. Approach with caution.

January 17th
Mercury sextile Uranus
It’s most likely a brilliant idea. It doesn’t matter who owns it as much as who is willing to develop it and offer it to a larger group who can make it happen. Every conversation is an opportunity.