Virginia Bell
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“Outside my window the wintry English fields spread, as they have for centuries to the dark, smoke blue line of woods that limit the horizon of the valley. A bright fire burns in the grate to my left, while outside I can hear the call of the barn owl cutting the still, even air.” –David Whyte
Once again we meet at the great crossroads of the year; Winter Solstice, December 21st. It is the time of the “still standing Sun,” the first day of winter, the sign Capricorn, and the longest night of the year. We have come to a turning point; the Sun begins its journey northward; days begin to lengthen as the light of the Sun overtakes the darkness of night. This is the month we celebrate the great traditions: Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa; yet it all comes down to the same story; the birth of the Sun God, the son of God, the return of the light, and the greatest time of spiritual renewal.
Even with all the holiday preparations and celebrations, December is a solitary month. The snow covered landscape with its pale colors, bare trees, and chilling wind invites us to slow down, let go of the superficial, and honor what is most sacred. Winter has its own magic; silent and deep as the night, as private as the owl perched along the hemlocks; it is a listening time, a learning time.
Here, in the far north, snow falls gently on our little hamlet; smoke rises from the chimneys and curls upward past the gently sloping rooftops and church steeples. People hurry home laden down with packages, past busy shops and brightly lit taverns and restaurants. On the outskirts of the village, the sound of sleigh bells ring out into the night as the horses make their way over thickly packed snow down to the pond where skaters glide gracefully across the ice under a waning Moon.
Inside the Astrology Café the fire roars and glasses are raised in toasts as candles flicker and friendships unfold. Welcome back dear friend; you have been missed. Take off your coat and gloves, leave your worldly concerns at the door, and make yourself comfortable by the fire. Bowls of evergreen and holly decorate the tables; there are medieval chants on the stereo and the aroma of butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom fill the air. Allow me to get you a big mug of rich hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, Chai tea, mulled cider, or hot buttered rum. Perhaps you would like some warm gingerbread with crème fraiche sorbet, a plate of Christmas cookies, flaky, buttery baklava or fresh apple tarts. There are thick soups (hearty pea, minestrone, and potato-leek) with homemade breads and creamy butter. When you are ready, follow me upstairs, through the library, down the corridor, up some steps to the tower above the café where our old friend, the crone, the wise woman is waiting for us.
As usual the tower is lit by candle light and filled with the faint scent of lavender and rose. All around the room, on the floor and in the recesses of the wall are sacred statues; Mary, Buddha, St. Bridget, Ceres, Jesus, and Kwan Yin. Seated at her round oak table, our friend smiles warmly and motions us to join her. On the table in front of her are her Runes, sacred stones, cards, and crystals. Sit down; the night is young and there is much to discuss.
Our friend picks up the Medicine cards, shuffles them, and chooses one. She turns it over; it is Raven. “Throughout time, Raven has carried the medicine of magic. If Raven has appeared, you are about to experience a change in consciousness. This may involve walking inside the Great Mystery on another path at the edge of time. It would portend a signal brought by Raven that says, “You have earned the right to see and experience a little more of life’s magic.” If you have chosen Raven, magic is in the air. Do not try to figure it out; you cannot. It is the power of the unknown at work, and something special is about to happen.”
–Medicine Cards (Jamie Sams & David Carson)
On another level, Raven may be telling you that you have lost touch with the magic of life and have settled into a rut. Raven reminds us that the miraculous is always close by; in the oil that burns for eight days, the royal son born in a stable, the return of the light on the darkest night of the year. This is the season of magic; the words and symbols we use now invoke it; holy, hallowed, sacred, solstice, grace, giving, manger, magi, Mary, mystery. Beloved friend, remember who you are and why you are here. A miracle means that at any moment you can change.
The Capricorn New Moon – December 24
Capricorn is a winter sign; it is related to those qualities we need to survive in cold weather; caution, patience, perseverance, and waiting. Do you know how to wait, to pause, to postpone? Summer is a teenage season, all hormones and desire but winter, like Capricorn, is associated with the elder and the wisdom that comes with age. This dignified sign teaches us about the value of waiting; waiting for our dreams to ripen, for the right time to act, for the Sun to appear and spring to return. T. S. Eliot said it best in his poem, Four Quartets:
“I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love
For love would be love for the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not yet ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”
A New Moon initiates a new cycle; we plant a seed, set an intention, and watch it flower at the Full Moon two weeks later. This particular one, the last of the year, is like a launching pad for the year ahead. The Sun and Moon at 02 Capricorn are involved with all three outer planets: Intense Pluto, in Capricorn, conjuncts the New Moon, challenging us to face what is difficult. Change-at-all-cost Uranus, at 0 Aries (the powerful world axis point), makes an unsettling square, asking us to break the trance we’re in and take some risks. Compassionate Neptune, at the end of Aquarius, brings a supportive sextile to the New Moon, reminding us that it is more important to be kind than right. Plus Jupiter, the planet of long-term good luck, goes direct on December 25 at 0 Taurus. The planet of faith and meaning makes a positive trine to the Sun, Moon, and Pluto. How much faith do you have in yourself to go for something you really want?
The outer planets, moving forward now, will define 2012. Neptune is approaching watery Pisces (its own sign) which it will reenter on February 3. Those two titans, Uranus and Pluto, are moving towards their first historical square, exact on June 24, 2012. Like a blockbuster movie, 2012 has a huge build up and terrific buzz. It’s not the end of the world but it is the end of the world as we know it. Something big is brewing; something is trying to be born, in the world and within us. We all need to change or rather, heal. Pragmatic Capricorn wants to manifest a great work, make something real. What is your dream for 2012? Harness the energy of this New Moon to focus your attention on what you want to create in the coming year.
Your Christmas (Hanukkah, Solstice, or Kawanza) Letter
This is the season when we celebrate cherished traditions and customs. Why not create a new one? A New Moon (and the end of the year) is the perfect time to write a letter to the universe. Light a candle; put on your favorite music, pour yourself a cup of delicious herbal tea, creamy hot chocolate, or a glass of wine and hunker down with pen and paper. It’s a wonderful way to release the old year and set down new intentions. No resolutions or rules; stay away from the “shoulds” – they’re toxic. This is not about self-discipline; it’s about self-love. I like to write out the absolute worst and the very best of the old year, releasing it all; then I write what I want to create in the new one, but design your letter the way you want. Date the letter, sign your full name, fold it in a triangle, then burn it and throw the ashes away. Rituals have magic; ceremony has power.
What is your special word or phrase for 2012?
I love the part in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love, when she and her Italian friend Giulio discuss how a city or a person has a special word that describes it perfectly. For instance, they decide Rome’s word is Sex; New York City’s is Achieve. What is your word or phrase for 2012? How about Joy, Abundance, Forgive, Play, Love, Yes, Outrageous Good Health, Radical Self-Love, Slow Down, Believe, Happy No Matter What.” You get the idea. And you can change it at any time; nothing is written in stone. Play with it; make it your own; above all, have fun!
The Twelve Days of Christmas
One of my favorite traditions is the Twelve Days of Christmas. In old traditions December 25 was the time to receive spiritual gifts while Epiphany (January 6) was the time to receive physical gifts - the day the Magi came bearing gifts for the Christ child. Each of the twelve days following Christmas corresponds to a sign of the zodiac beginning with Aries on December 26 and ending with Pisces on January 6. It is said that the coming year can be foreseen by observing the conditions on each of the 12 days. Pay attention to dreams, omens, and signs during these days for this is the year in embryo. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek, meaning to manifest. There is no better time to pray for your own epiphany! Don’t rush into 2012; treat it and yourself with respect and reverence. Even if you don’t meditate, take time each morning to go within and connect with the vision of the future that is waiting to be born; these twelve days are a kind of preparation and an opportunity to set the tone for the year ahead.
Down Time
We all need down-time, especially during the holidays when it’s easy to get frazzled. Too much shopping, sugar, or caffeine and we end up feeling like a toddler having a tantrum. Give yourself what Sarah Ban Breathnach (author of Simple Abundance) calls a day of “sacred idleness” - “an unexpected, melodic day of undoing to balance the discordant days of doing too much.” Even a stolen afternoon or hour can be deeply healing. “Holidays are holy days, and part of being holy is being whole.” -Llewellyn’s Witches’ Calendar
Beloved Friends, It is getting late here in the tower above the Astrology Café; the candles have all burned down and the old owl has appeared on the branch of the Alder tree outside the window reminding us that our evening is coming to a close. Thank you for sharing this time; your presence has been a gift and I will remember it in the days ahead. I wish you a blessed holiday filled with family, friends, and festivities as well as the silence and solace of this magical season. Feel good, be grateful; with everything going on in the world today there is still much to be thankful for. All is well, you are loved, Virginia
“And now let us welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
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Astrologer
Astrology Cafe
Winter 2011-12
