The Winter Solstice is my Holi-day. This year, the world is turning my way.

I’m not religious, nor am I into commercialized holidays. 

            I do, however, take solace in ritual, celebration, and marking time across the years in private ways as well as in connection with friends and community. My spirituality and attunement to the universe have deepened in recent years. In this process, I've come to appreciate how subtly, yet powerfully, I am influenced by the skies. If this sort of thing is not your jam, I can appreciate that, yet I hope this post will invite you to consider the possibilities again. Disclaimer: I'm not well educated in astrology. I've only done some digging after all the buzz about this event and ended up too excited not to share.    

            The 2020 Winter Solstice marks a significant change in planetary alignment that will, over time, profoundly affect our human experience. Jupiter and Saturn will conjoin in near-perfect alignment on this solstice (December 21st). These events are called Great Conjunctions, and they happen every 20 years. The last time a Great Conjunction occurred this close to Earth was in 1667. The last time it was this observable was 1226. Look for the two planets very close together in the western sky on any clear night just after sunset. What's even more significant, though, is that the Conjunction is happening in Aquarius, an Air sign, which ends a 200-year cycle of Great Conjunctions in Earth signs. Astrologers in the ancient Middle East (modern-day Iran) were the first to overlay these 200-year cycles of Great Conjunctions onto correlated changes in ruling Dynasties. As an Aquarian, every cell of my being is quaking with excitement for this new age to take root.

The Great Conjunction of 2020 hails a new era.

This Conjunction marks the end of a brutal era.   

            For the most part, since the early 1800s, Great Conjunctions have been happening in Earth signs. Earth sign influence carries a focus on power and material possessions. Glancing at the highlight reel of this country from the 1800s supports this idea. Recognizing this pattern further reinforced to me the influence of the planets on human life. 

            The era of Earth sign Conjunctions kicked off with the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark heading West to claim all they could. The genocide of Native Americans proceeded into a robust slave trade. Outrageous land holdings and slave labor created an economy focused so exclusively on money and power that it quickly took every soul hostage – whether you lived in shackles or not. The Industrial Era was notorious for brutal factory work, evoking a fierce fight for workers' rights and the hard-won establishment of Unions to protect them. In the digital era, the compulsive drive for material wealth and power might look different on the surface, but the same dynamics produce modern products with modern logos. The Unions have been declawed, and their power shifted to lobbies that protect corporate interests and defend their legally codified “humanity.” 

I don’t need to detail this pattern any further, right? 

To clarify, I adore my Earth oriented individuals. They inspire me with their hard work and loyalty. Earth just hasn’t worked well as the governing energy for humankind. Ironically, 200 years of Earth energy has decimated planet Earth. 

I’ve been ready for a change for as long as I can remember. 

Good news is – it’s here. 

It’s happening!  

What’s Next?

Aquarius and Air sign energy carry a desire for social justice, humanitarian activity, expansive and revolutionary ideas, scientific innovation (the kind that will actually improve our day-to-day lives), and let’s not forget bold, groundbreaking, blow-your-hair back art. 

           To give you some reference for what to expect, the last Air sign Conjunctions happened during the Renaissance - a time of peace, leisure, quality of life, and art of all kinds. We saw the rise of the print and paper industry as a way to share knowledge and ideas. If you were alive for the New Wave movement in the early 80s, when music, fashion, and art exploded simultaneously, that was a brief moment when the Conjunction grazed Libra (an Air sign). The pattern shows that Great Conjunctions in Air signs hasten an age of the passionate and peaceful visionary. 

If you’re at all like me, you’re thrilled at the prospect of values more akin to your own becoming a dominant influence on our world stage.  

This is the moment. This is the era I’ve been waiting for. 

This is a journey I’m truly excited for. 

Please, get comfortable. Better yet - Jump in! 

The Great Conjunction will continue to happen in Air signs for the next 200 years. 

Air sign joy.

I ask you…

What would you do differently if planetary forces were behind you? 

What do you most want to contribute?

What are you ready to do differently now? 

Remember - we all have One Body and One World. 

See you in 2021.

In Joyful Revolution, 

Vanessa.