At 5:03AM ET, we say goodbye to the Sun in Sagittarius and hello to the Sun in Capricorn. Happy Winter Solstice! In the Northern Hemisphere, days will be getting longer and nights will be getting shorter. If you live south of the equator, you are celebrating the first day of summer.  In any case, with Capricorn, we move from big-picture thinking (Sagittarius) to practical application. What will we build that will materially define our collective philosophy? Think corporations, governments and maybe The Junior League. Think status and ambition.

Here’s what you need to know about the first day of any season  — i.e., equinoxes and solstices — from an astrological point of view. The first days of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter correspond with the first days (or first degree) of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, respectively. Got that? Good. These four signs are called cardinal signs. Cardinal signs initiate. They come up with the idea and put it into action, which leads to necessary change.

“Cardinal” suggests (from the Latin root of the word), “that on which something turns or depends.”  So the first day/degree of a Cardinal sign is a turning point. In astrology, the technical term for the first degree of any Cardinal sign is the Aries Point, just to confuse people who are not professional astrologers.

Equinoxes and solstices are also prominent. We make a fuss over them, right? In Japan, the first day of each season is  a national holiday. How cool is that? Thus, in a horoscope, a planet or angle at the Aries Point needs to be prominent. Off the top of my head, people with planets or angles at the Aries Point include Meryl Streep, Elizabeth Warren, Lamar Alexander, Steven Mnuchin, Andrew McCabe and Edward Snowden.

A chart for a new season suggests the game plan for the next three months. Here is the Winter Solstice chart set in Washington DC:

Observations:

• Money and values is the likely focus for the U.S. for the next three months;
• This focus is emphasized strongly by the location of  the Great Mutation of Jupiter and Saturn in this chart;
• Themes of vision and/or delusion about the land, heritage and core foundation are functioning as if they are between a rock and a hard place — likely to intensify in the short-term.
• The focus of the people is likely to be on empathy, refugees, victimization, ideals and all other things Neptune/Piscean;
• The next three months are represent the end of an old cycle, echoing patterns in the chart for the December 14 eclipse.
• Themes of great force, effort and assertion are here — for better or worse.  Mars and Pluto are square to each other — exact on Wednesday. Not only that, but Mars is closerthanthis to an exact conjunction with the dwarf planet Eris. Avid Readers and mythology buffs will recall that Eris is the Goddess of Discord, delighting in stirring up chaos on the battlefield and in the home. Eris is also a fierce lobbyist for those demanding a seat at the table.

After the Sun enters Capricorn, Moon sextiles Pluto (making contact with that Mars-Pluto square). The Pisces Moon goes void at 5:24 AM ET — and doesn’t enter the next sign, Aries until  5:32 PM ET. Chill, chill, chill during this long Moon void. Stick to routine concerns and give yourself permission to wander.

Meanwhile…

Here’s what the Jupiter-Saturn meet-up looks like, set in Washington, D.C.:

Observations:

• Ascendant is 0 degrees Taurus — the very beginning of the sign. There’s much free will at play; the outcome for the United States is not set in stone. Note that a Taurus Ascendant needs to be seen as the embodiment of material comfort and stability.
• It’s fascinating that 0 Taurus is Joe Biden’s Moon!!
• The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is in the 10th house — our leaders and governmental institutions. This is a strong placement, but note that Jupiter-Saturn at 0 Aquarius is square to the 0 Taurus Ascendant. This new way of doing business is likely to challenge the status quo.
• Other patterns suggest potential for accidents and strong resistance to controls. On the plus side, we see potential for expansive plans for the future
• The tension between Mars and Pluto noted in the Solstice chart suggests anger buried between the surface, which threatens to undo the positive potential of this chart. On the upside, if that same aggressive energy is channeled for the good of the team — and not for someone’s ego gratification — that would be awesome. .

Time will tell, especially when Pluto enters Aquarius on March 23, 2023. Between now and then, there’s much work to be done.

Here’s that article I wrote for an astrology research journal, explaining the mechanics of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction — and what it suggests.

Meanwhile, Avid Reader Shaunna wants to know if I’m offering a few personalized paragraphs of insights on how the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction may affect your unique horoscope. Ask and ye shall receive! Toss $46 into my Cosmic Tip Jar and send me your birth data. I’ll send you my thoughts in the next day or so. Thanks for asking!

And we’re still not done with MONDAY’s cosmic action!

• MONDAY (cont.): Moon zooms into Aries at 5:32 PM ET — see if you notice the quickening of the pace. Moon’s proactive drive is supported by humanitarian titans Jupiter & Saturn around 6:36 PM ET. Minutes later, however, its independent spirit clashes with the Sun in Establishment Capricorn at 6:41 PM ET. This First Quarter Moon activates the horoscopes of anyone with planets at the Aries Point — especially since all of those horoscopes were eclipsed on June 21st. Let’s see if they make news.
• TUESDAY: More Moon in Aries seeking to go-go-go — and without any interference from the other kids in the sandbox. Caveat: the tension suggested by the square between Mars-Eris and Pluto is building to a release on…
• WEDNESDAY: …at 9:44 AM ET. As for the drive of the Aries Moon, it continues its proactive rush without interference until 5:36 PM ET, when it makes its weekly cathartic clash with Pluto. Minutes later, at 5:51 PM ET, Moon meets up with Mars-Eris to have itself a merry little outburst….and then goes void for the rest of the night. CHILL.
• THURSDAY: Moon enters Taurus at 5:55 AM ET, seeking to establish the status quo. At 7:31 AM ET, Moon squares Saturn; at 8:10 AM ET, Moon squares Jupiter. So…controls, immediately followed by expansion — and both with a humanitarian purpose — or a technological crash. I’m pleased to report that the next few days are looking more stable, with one exception tonight at 7:56 PM ET, as the Taurus Moon’s need for stability is disrupted by a meet-up with innovative Uranus.
• FRIDAY: Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve been paying attention to your brilliant ideas this week. Innovative thinking is highly favored, as Mercury (how we need to think) harmonizes with Uranus at 2:05 AM ET. The Moon is still in Taurus, supporting your need for comfort and joy — good food, wine and a snuggle with your Covid-safe sweetie. Count your blessing again around 7:11 PM ET, as the Moon sextiles Neptune.
• SATURDAY: Moon goes void at 6:31 AM ET …not to enter Gemini until 6:33 PM ET. Another day of chilling.
• SUNDAY: Moon in Gemini needs to be the most informed person in the room. What’s the buzz today — and how is it related to astrology, aviation, aliens, technology, uranium, freedom, rebellion, innovation and equality for all? And what do our fearless leaders and matters of will have to do with it? I say this because at 10:25 PM ET, the Sun trines Uranus, reflecting the potential for these themes to be making news.

Speaking of which….

With Jupiter (the Cosmic Sugar Daddy) joining Saturn in Aquarius (the masses), Avid Reader Seble made sure I did not miss this apt bit of Breaking News:

Just turned on phone for quick check of news of the day; I saw the big title about those people in Congress & Senate finally passed the [Covid relief] bill. I’m smiling thinking of Jupiter entering Aquarius & at 0 degree! Of course! He had to push them off their chair:) God! After all these months of sleeping on it just when Jupiter entered the house of the people…???!!!! Love astrology!

• China has rationed electricity. That’s very Saturn (limits) in Aquarius (lightning bolts; networks; circulation).
• Airline flights are banned, in response to the coronavirus mutation that is spreading in the UK — and has just been discovered in Italy.
• Told ya that lockdowns would be revived in the last quarter of 2020. Business Insider offers these coping strategies, if your mobility has recently been restricted.
• The fast-approaching Mars-Pluto square suggests news from underground, as in this morning’s eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.
• Random mea culpa — from a lawyer who worked in the Justice Dept. and is now “haunted by what [she] did.” Actually it’s not random. It reflects the weekend’s Sun-Mercury conjunction at the verrrrry end of Sagittarius, suggesting prominent news involving legal theories, collective beliefs and publishing.
• As for publishing, add in the color red (for the Mars-Pluto square), as in: “The Red-Slime Lawsuit That Could Sink Right-Wing Media”