The winter solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The sun reaches the tropic of Capricorn and this is the official start of winter. Solstices are important astrological events wherein one cycle ends and another begins. And it is as much as a psychological shift as it is a seasonal one.
In addition to the solstice we also have a powerful conjunction happening on December 21. - known as the Great Conjunction. The planets Saturn and Jupiter form a very close conjunction and appear as one planet/star. They come together every 20 years but this year's alignment is the closest since the year of 1623 and the closest observable since 1226! And they shift from the element of earth into the element of air. This shift from one element into another (there are 4 elements) happens very 200 years and demarcates a collective evolutionary theme.
There is a lot of information on the web if you want to dive deeper in this subject. Some believe it is the beginning of the Aquarius age as this conjunction happens at 0 degree of Aquarius. You can look at this as a Gate to the New Age but don't expect "rainbows and unicorns" to appear (not my expression but something I heard). 🦄 🌈
I believe we are entering a new cycle; we are in a seeding period and the light of a new day is at the horizon. I think many of us can feel a shift, a stirring, change and an awakening.
My hope was that I would be able to take photos of the actual conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter but it is a cloudy day in northern Wisconsin. So the photos I chose instead speak to me and represent how I see the solstice.
The first 2 photos are from Dec. 17., the moon with Jupiter and Saturn (2 bright spots to the lower right of the moon)
The following 4 photos are moon images in the winter time, representing the long, dark nights.
I also included 4 images of Comet Neowise that appeared in the summer of 2020. It was such an amazing experience to observe this celestial visitor at night and in the early morning hours. The arrival of a comet is often associated with death and destruction. We certainly have seen a lot of upheaval in 2020. It also signals a rebirth within us, new beginnings.
The last images are of Light, sunlight, dawn - representing the Awakening!
"The awake heart
is like a sky
that pours light" (Hafiz)
Happy Winter solstice! Take time to reflect, be grateful and shine bright! 💖
Susanne
Click on the photos for a larger view.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful art and lifting our spirits throughout the year!
ReplyDeleteWendy T