Winter Solstice and Self-Transformation: Sun Conjunct Pluto

I hope everyone reading this post-Christmas and last-night-of-Hanukkah post is faring well less than a week into winter. Small wonder that it is during the darkest days of the year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) we feel the need for party lights and reconnecting with those people whom we hold dear, and on a New Moon (exact 12/24 at 1:06 p.m. EST) shortly after the solstice, a new cycle has begun that concentrates on building a solid foundation for one's public persona as well as strengthening contacts with older or more successful people.

Jupiter stationed direct at 0 degrees of Taurus on Christmas Day, indicating a high potential for material and/or sensual bounty, particularly for the Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

The Sun and Pluto are approaching a conjunction in Capricorn, which means that between now and 12/29 at 2:41 a.m. EST this is an optimal time to dig deep into your self-identity and root out compulsive or controlling behavior. Much like the Sun in Scorpio, a Sun-Pluto conjunction is all about self-transformation, confronting parts of yourself you would rather keep secret, and breaking through all manner of taboos. By working on yourself as honestly as possible, you may begin to sense real change in your place in the world. Just make a point not to engage in self-loathing or self-destructive behavior (two downsides of Pluto and Scorpio), and be gentle and patient with yourself as you shed your old, ill-fitting skin.

Ready for the Full Moon / Lunar Eclipse?

Although the upcoming Lunar Eclipse (exact Saturday 12/10 at 9:36 a.m. EST) lacks aspects from other planets, it is significant that just a few hours before this eclipse is exact, Uranus turns direct at 0 degrees (a "critical," i.e., powerful degree) of Aries. Any Full Moon that involves Gemini and Sagittarius is bound to be restless; because this is also a Lunar Eclipse, there will be much travel of mind and body. Flights of fancy are likely. If you are able to concentrate, much can be learned under this Full Moon; even if you have some variant of ADD, you will still emerge with more knowledge than before.

However, with Mercury still Retrograde in Sagittarius until Tuesday 12/13, reflection is still encouraged, even necessary. As we near the peak of the holiday season, try not to get caught up in consumeritis while Mercury is still Retrograde; returns of purchases are likely for myriad reasons, ranging from wrong size / icky color / already falling apart / never worked to start with.

On a personal note, I survived Neptune square my Neptune with just a few more gray hairs and a clean bill of health. It is indeed a good thing I had my midlife crisis at age 27, or else I'd be embarrassing myself even more than I had 13 years ago, when I was desperately trying to recapture my Lost Youth by dating 25-year-old rock musicians. Seriously, the Neptune square Neptune was not pretty. Yet despite the pain and loss I have gone through in 7th-house matters (my 7th-house cusp is Pisces, the sign ruled by Neptune), as the Neptunian fog starts to clear and lift, I have reason to believe in hope. I have reason to believe that I am entering a new chapter of My So-Called Life even as I linger in a domestic transitional limbo, courtesy of the harsh realities of NY real estate.