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December 21, 2020, marks the Winter Solstice. This day holds energetic importance as it is the beginning of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also the shortest day of sunlight and the ingress of the Capricorn season. The winter solstice is a reflective period that offers the opportunity to connect deeply with oneself through introversion and self-reflection. The winter season draws us inside and taking advantage of this internal energy enables us to make thoughtful plans that can be executed during the spring equinox.
The Importance of the Winter Solstice
Cultures across the world celebrate the winter solstice as it is considered the onset of deep, reflective energy that nourishes and enlightens us. Many major holidays are celebrated at or around the winter solstice as the energy marks an appreciation for what one has gathered during the autumn equinox. This time of year is filled with celebratory energy where giving is highlighted, and if we have made the most of the autumn equinox, we are set for a season that pulls us away from the outside to the warmth of our homes.
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The winter solstice is also a time where necessary endings take place. The private, personal energies encourage us to consider what we have let go of from the autumn equinox and how we would like to move forward. Each of the seasons offers specific energies with the spring and autumn equinoxes providing the energy of change. The solstices offer a deepening of the energies associated with the equinoxes. With the winter solstice, there is the opportunity to explore more intimately all that was released during the autumn equinox.
Astrologically, the ingress of the sun into Capricorn further supports the somber yet responsible energy at this time. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn is known for its cold, stern countenance. It is an energy that enables us to mature if we do the work of being accountable and responsible. Some would say that Capricorn is harsh-like the cold, snowy terrain that prompts us to seek the warmth of the indoors. Yet, this inner focus is needed in order to create solid plans that help us create the achievements we desire in the outside world.
Thus, the winter solstice invites us inside in order to create the foundations we desire in the world.
Hibernation and Reflection
Winter is a time for receding. It is a time to consider where we are in our world, and whether or not we have made the right choices in our experience. Consider the animals as they hibernate. Animals are naturally aligned with nature. Instinctually, they prepare for the coldness of the winter season by eating more food and storing up food supplies. Only those animals that prepare will survive the cold winter season.
Such is also the case for us humans. The winter season is energy that asks us to consider how we have managed ourselves over the year. Capricorn/Saturn energy rules karma and “reaping what we have sown.” As the winter season spans both the end and the beginning of the calendar year, we are guided to reflect on the culmination of the seasonal cycles. Have we made the most of our resources and energy, or did we squander it away? Are we prepare for the winter season physically and emotionally, or is there a lack? Saturn energy also denotes making the most out of less than stellar circumstances. If this is the case, are the less than stellar circumstances imposed by others, or are they self-inflicted?
Using the energy of the winter solstice to turn inwards is necessary to move forward.
From Darkness Comes Enlightenment
The winter solstice teaches us there are many jewels in the dark. However, it takes the ability to turn inwards to access these latent energies. Winter is the training ground for the buds that appear in the spring. Thus, it is important to work with this introverted energy for maximum benefit. How will we ever know how to move forward at the sign of spring if we never stop to consider where we have come from, where we currently are, and where we would like to go?
Capricorn/Saturn energy makes effective plans for the future by analyzing the past and learning lessons. As we bunker down through the winter season and prepare for a new year filled with endless possibilities, it is important to create plans that are solid, productive, and crafted from a place of knowingness. Turning inward enables us to get in touch with what we truly want so that we are in a better position to make the best choices for ourselves in the moment and in the future.
Harnessing Winter Solstice Energy
Reflection and accountability are the best ways to maximize winter solstice energy. We all need space to consider where we are, and the energy of the winter solstice offers us the opportunity to slow down and deeply consider our experiences. Capricorn is a cardinal sign that initiates change. The winter solstice holds the keys to the changes that are made via planning. Capricorn plans for its future, and Saturn reminds us that if we have a good plan in place we can’t go wrong.
Consider how you can initiate changes in your life via deep reflection and planning at the winter solstice. The plans that we start in the deep of winter will gain traction when the cardinal energy of spring in the action-oriented sign of Aries encourages you to act on our deeply thought out plans.
Go deep, reflect, and use the energy of the winter solstice to create the changes that will advance our lives.
