Thomas Canfield
With the coming Winter Solstice, the spirit of friendship may be greatly emphasized. The Sun just entering Capricorn is at the Midpoint of Venus and Mars. It will be a time of coming together for men and women, though with the Capricorn Sun in the middle, there will be a chaperone. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, and anger and upset might be bringing people together. Venus in Sagittarius is a more calming influence. This triple conjunction is taking place in the Eleventh House of Friendship. It is a time for people to gather at country clubs, night clubs, community clubs, and avoid the temptation of hitting people with clubs.
Conversation may be a major factor in these gatherings. Mercury in Sagittarius (having recently moved out of the Mercury Retrograde shadow period) is sextile the Ascendant in Aquarius. Misery likes company, and there might be enough personal misery to go around to attract new people. There is a danger the holiday could resemble Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “The Christmas Banquet” in which unhappy people are gathered together for a feast, but the motivation is that they are doing it to remain unhappy.
The unhappy element may be seen with Mercury squaring the Node axis. There may be complaints about the state of values in the world. With the North Node in Pisces, there may be discussions of spiritual values and morality. People may realize that their expectations are too high for other people to live up to. With the South Node in Virgo, there may be concerns about the working world and the state of efficiency and organization. Mercury may represent the fulcrum for balancing the mystical values with the mundane values. Since Mercury is in the Tenth House of business, there may be an emphasis on economic needs. Solstice Mercury is also at the same degree of the Full Moon axis that took place on Dec. 4, and issues raised around that time may be heard from again at the Solstice.
Financial worries may be considered with Saturn and Neptune in the Second House, spending their final days in Pisces. Venus in Sagittarius is squaring Saturn and Neptune. While Saturn and Neptune in Pisces may have visions of nice Christmas presents, Venus may be sending a message that the most meaningful gifts could be handmade items from friends. Of course, with Venus and Saturn sextile Uranus in Taurus, there may be visions of the latest electronic marvel appearing under the Christmas tree. Jupiter in Cancer is trine Saturn and Neptune,as well as sextile Uranus. There may be some families who can offer the latest electronic gadgets for Christmas, but with Uranus opposing the Midheaven, the sales may not be as big as expected.
Pluto in the Twelfth House is sextile the Midheaven at 2 Sagittarius. There might be dark actions behind the scenes to manipulate the economy. At the time of this writing, a payment of $2000 is being offered for each family. The price tag could go up and down, depending on the whims of certain demented persons. If the expenditures are made, there is a chance of a happy holiday, though there may be a question as to whether production could be completed in time. If the expenditure is not made, then more people may be gathering for potluck dinners and homemade holiday feasts. (Also, there are demented rumors going around that people might not have to pay income tax next year, but that could be a holiday fantasy.)
A major telling point could be the Moon in Capricorn in the Twelfth House. The Moon is in opposition to Jupiter, and may impinge upon the message of generosity for the holidays. The Moon in the Twelfth House may bring back subconscious memories of “the good old days” and having general holidays with the family. The opposition to Jupiter might have people realize that the “good old days” are over, and we have to deal with a new power paradigm. In the past, any politicians who denied children toys for Christmas would be branded “Scrooges” or “Grinches.” Today we are seeing politicians who are advising families to buy “just one doll” for Christmas. Such conservatism could knock away the support of Capitalism. With Aries and Libra intercepted in the chart, the “I am” and “We are” attitudes of the holiday might feel some restriction.
The best course for a happy holiday may be to pay attention to the Sun in Capricorn, and see how well it handles Venus and Mars. Visiting with friends may give more pleasure than shopping, or having to visit relatives for the holidays. One might find that those relatives may be away to visit their friends. It may be a successful time of reconnecting with old friends, and making some new friends. Capricorn (especially with a Capricorn Moon and Mars) can be very demanding. There may be a need for those in charge to remind the public who really controls matters. People might need to hear the message of Mercury sextile the Aquarian Ascendant to learn that they are the ones who are really in charge.