A Great Solstice Ritual For Cleaning Out the Old and Welcoming The New!

In this article we’re going to cover more significant factors in the Northern Hemispheric Winter Solstice chart. As I promised, this article includes a ritual I do every year at this time that helps me let go of the old and welcome the new that I want to see in the next year! Yes, it’s fun!!

First, a bit more on the Solstice chart. As I mentioned in part 1, Saturn is the dispositor of the Sun when it is in Capricorn (Aquarius too!) That means Saturn “rules” the Solar backdrop, making Saturn’s sign part of the Sun’s expression.

First, we take a look back at the past three Solstices to see themes affecting the emergent Aquarian energies. The December 2020 Solstice found Saturn occupying the 1st degree of Aquarius, with Jupiter also on that degree. This was The Grand Mutation launching both a 20 year Aquarian Era, as well as a 200 year Air Era, replacing the old 200 year Earth Era with its unfortunate hypermaterialism. So 2021 was the edge of Time, where future centuries break free from past centuries! Of great significance is that Pluto will move to 1 Aquarius this Spring, where it goes stationary retrograde. That will sprout the “seeds of transformation” related to the long-term Aquarian energy which is already transforming our world.

The December 2021 Solstice found Saturn occupying the 11th degree of Aquarius, with themes related to our creative power and how it relates to our social interactions. We had “the need to rely upon inner inspiration and guidance at the start of new developments,” and stay open to higher, spiritual, or Soul energies at the threshold of a new period of individual activity. We could not depend on outer circumstances or traditional incentives, but instead had to tap our inner creative power as we learned to get out of our own way to express that power.

The December 2023 Solstice found Saturn occupying the 22nd degree of Aquarius, with themes related to self-knowing, self-appreciation, and being open to new ways of living. We’ve all “safely and happily grown into a greater maturity,” finding what we needed for self-development.

So what’s Saturn’s theme for Solstice 2023 which affects the next season, and to some degree the next year?

The Sabian Symbol for the Ruler of the Solstice

This year’s Solstice finds Saturn at 3 Pisces. The Sabian Symbol for the 3rd degree of Pisces is “A Petrified Forest.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this degree is one of “"Mastery of form over substance,” “Archetypal immortality,” “Conscious handling of existence,”, and “Participation in race impulses.”

In his Astrological Mandala, he offers that this degree is one of "the power to preserve records of their achievements which is inherent in fully matured cultures.” Here we find “preserved cultural records,” or perhaps find ways of preserving our cultural values in some “recorded” form. We can now see what greater cultural values we’re a part of, and what has endured across time that is part of our core standards.

He states this symbol "brings the promise of social immortality – i.e. the preservation of the enduring (because archetypally meaningful) factors in whatever (we attempt) within our culture. A symbol of Immortality.” We are told it falls in the span of "Innocence,” and it's the third degree of the actional level of the scene of Federation in the Act of Capitalization.

According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, this degree is "the absolute certainty which any individual may develop in… (their) conscious knowledge, and of the power in human character which becomes the hallmark of (our) intellectual orientation.” This degree warns us against relying on “stabilities to which no immediate or personal contribution is made,” which will become obstacles to our progress.

He states this is about "dramatization of an eternal stout-heartedness, and of its very practical dividends in spiritual continuance. “ He offers us the keyword of SURVIVAL. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this is a degree of "effective continuity and breadth of resource in all human effort."

So Saturn, backdrop for the Light/Life of the next 90 days (and to some extent a year) now begins teaching us how to see opportunity, truth, and group work using spiritual energies to experience the timeless indestructible and meaningful patterns in our life within a social context, and because it is in Pisces, we are at a threshold of leaving behind old roles, old limitations, old duties, and old loyalties, letting old ways of life flow down the time stream. Here we can see a larger continuity in our life and purpose, and heal into our higher Self as we become more sensitive to the enduring ideals of humanity.

This helps us attune to a greater truth and future in any group work we’re doing, so keep integrating your vision, your commitment, and your sense of spiritual-social connections to “pre-form” the pathways to a greater truth, vision, and timeless labor later this year. Keep moving through the world living the highest truths you can, allowing your Soul to express through your Higher Self using your mind, feelings, and bodies as a perfectly attuned vehicle to demonstrate your spiritual truths. Experience your spiritual heritage by feeling what has been preserved, or what needs preserving.

The Moon

The Moon is at 1 Taurus, making it a 1st Quarter Moon at the Solstice. This phase is said to be action oriented, where we build structure which can serve us to actualize our potential. There may be a sense of urgency to “get things done” to move our goals down the road. As it conjuncts Jupiter and both are trine the Sun and Mercury retrograding to the Inferior conjunction, this should be a stable and somewhat enjoyable and expansive season.

So the specific Lunar focus of the next 90 days involves activity which is stable yet expansive, enjoyable and helpful in teaching us how to “build bridges” with others in our world. So the Lunar expression of the chart is liberating, stabilizing, confirming, steady, growth oriented, and very much self motivated to enjoy whatever will help us expand into new horizons and new understanding.

Other Factors

Because Saturn rules the Light of the Season, efficiency and pragmatic thinking and planning will yield great results, as will “disciplines of compassion” and the ability to engineer closures. The biggest friction of the season comes from the barely separating Moon square Pluto and Venus opposed Uranus, with almost no other afflictions of note. These will help us align with larger causes and our freedom to relate to others as we please, allowing their uniqueness to come forth. It does challenge us to bring our affairs to a place where we can handle a lot of activity simultaneously and not jump to conclusions while seeing how to take advantage of unique or unexpected events.

Of some note is that Mercury is about to form the Inferior conjunction with the Sun at 1 Capricorn, bringing a “fusion of Life and Mind” at a crucial degree of claiming power. That would seem to indicate that this season will be backward and inward looking at how misuse of power in the past destroyed something of value.

This Solstice brings a major preponderance of Earth planets! We see this chart has SIX planets in Earth, 1 in Fire, 0 in Air, and 3 in Water, showing a massive Earth presence with a lot of Water and almost no Air and Fire. That implies the coming season has a practical focus, with a lot of deep feelings related to collective consciousness. Mars provides the Fire on the same degree as the recent New Moon in Sagittarius, showing those themes will be highly active over the next 3 months.

Because Venus is septile Saturn on the degree of the November New Moon, we have a very powerful 7th harmonic configuration which will lead to crucial choices and changes at major “forks in the road of destiny” for those with planets around 19-23 Scorpio, 10-14 Capricorn, 1-5 Pisces, 23-27 Aries, 15-19 Gemini, 6-10 Leo, and 28 Virgo-2 Libra. As I’ve offered you before, a few lines from my favorite song, "Two Different Roads," seem to apply here (check it out when you're done here!) written by Capricorn legend and music pioneer Michael Nesmith:

You might think that I'll wait, but he who hesitates is lost, this is not just a game,
It's the problem of creation and only meditation can make your mind and age the same,
I know, 'cause this all happened once before....

Because Mars is racing forward in Sagittarius while Mercury is retrograde, this is another “back to the future” type of Solstice. So keep doing your research and rehearsals while remembering that if you don’t know something, there’s no harm in imitating whoever or whatever until you are more sure of yourself. Get an alternative view of things, and learn to “think in the future

While feelings are going to be very high, use them to feel your way into decisions and actions. Then find a new view, a new understanding, or a new way of coordinating things so you can update your perceptual files and come to a new experience of life. So the key to “right action” is to update your understanding, update your knowledge, and update your perception. We are in a time of accepting our power as we confront the threshold of a radically transformed future.

Humanity continues on its voyage into unknown zones of human experience set into motion about 11 years ago, and this Solstice puts the focus on a new vision and a new understanding. We may be living in a very volatile and conflicted time, but it’s also the birth contractions of a new era. The old ways do not yield easily or quickly, but the greater “Field of Collective Awareness” gets stronger by the day, and by tuning into that collective Field we can feel any sense of separateness slipping down the time stream. Those who have trained are already accustomed to moving more easily through 4D and 5D reality, and so the transformation process is not as jolting for them as for those who don’t have a spiritual practice to keep them in the groove.

The collective field is breaking free of Earth and moving into Air, and we who have been striving to live in higher awareness of our Oneness and connection to All-That-Is are finally at the threshold of seeing the dawning of a new Age. It may take years or even decades to see the concretization of the New Era, the externalization of the Spiritual Fellowship of Brother and Sister Masters of the Wisdom, as well as know which part of the New Group of World Servers we’re here to work with and within, but make no mistake, the advent of the adventure in consciousness is NOW!

On a final note, in the Northern Hemisphere the Winter Solstice ushers in a season dedicated to "seeds in latency," those that will sprout in March when the light force is stronger, the ground is warmer, and Spring is on the way. Whether in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres, the Solstices and Equinoxes are special points in the year cycle, marking the end of one season and the beginning of the next one. They are great for getting clear about our resolve, and what we want to see made manifest in times to come. And now for the ritual, after a message from our sponsor!

Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend

Because Saturn plays such a large part in any December Solstice chart, if you haven’t gotten your copy already, please get your copy of my book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. By making friends with our inner Saturn, we are led to a greater spiritual maturity and effectiveness in our world which fulfills our higher purpose for being alive as Spirits in the material world.

Saturn gives us the power to take command of our lives and destiny. If Saturn represents all that limits us and holds us back, it’s only because we must master those lessons so we may become spiritual adults and fulfill our purpose for being alive on Earth and come out of fear and any sense of victimization or powerlessness.

It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and as you read each chapter, you’ll understand how your life lessons gave you the power to steer your destiny as you moved through karmic experiences and turned the patterns from negative to positive. There are chapters helping you understand major points of choices and change, both past and future, and use the crucial points of transition in your life to steer your life into your Higher Purpose and destiny.

This is a book you will reference many times, and each time you re-read it you’ll find undiscovered gems of insight. Over time you will throw off everything which holds you back from becoming your Higher Self, fulfilling your purpose for being alive on Earth! If you don’t have a copy, please consider ordering one today! You can go to the Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend page on Amazon and this should be all you need to order your copy. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.

Now for the fun part!

This brings us to the ritual I mentioned at the beginning. Whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, there is a special ceremony I do each year that yields some fairly spectacular results. This is not a very elaborate ritual, but it's very powerful in its simplicity.

The Solstices mark points of transition from an old "half year" of the Sun moving South or North (depending on where you are on the Earth) into the opposite direction. In the Spirit of this "coming or going," I first take a moment to note what has left my life the past year while saying goodbye on deepest levels. This creates space for that which is more appropriate to my evolution and well-being.

Then I make a list of everything I want to leave my life in the coming year, and draw a picture that represents those things, people, or habits. Then I burn each individual picture in a fire, one at a time, while saying goodbye to each of those. (I make a duplicate list to check the next year to remind me of what I wanted to see leave.)

I also make a list of things I want to see come into my life in the coming year. I try to make it realistic, but also allow my imagination to bring forth what might be or could be, even if improbable. After all, it's supposed to be fun! I play with possibilities, and write them down, without getting hung up on specific forms. This is about content more than form.

Then I draw pictures symbolizing those things, and burn them, one by one, in a fire, welcoming in those better things than I've known up to now, putting it up and out into the "Spiritual atmosphere" so that Divine Mother can bring it forth in the coming months. I also make a duplicate list to check the next year.

Over the years I've done this ritual, I often find most of what I wanted to leave actually does leave, and most of what I wanted to appear showed up. Even when one or both lists falls short by a thing or two, overall I've seen great progress year after year.

It's also very interesting to note how my lists have changed over the years, with some concerns falling away and new things presenting themselves according to my intention. And sometimes, when I have not received what I thought I wanted, it became clear why it wasn't good or necessary for me to have that which I thought I wanted.

To answer a question asked in previous Solstices, yes, you can do this ritual at any point before, during, or after the Solstice. Even if you can't do it on December 21, just find a time, clear your head space, make your lists, and offer your burnt sacrifices to Father Time and Mother Earth. A sincere desire to eliminate the old or welcome the new is sure to be heard by the Cosmos, since you and Cosmos are inextricably linked through all time.

So in this time of transition from the old year into the Winter of the new, take a moment to note what has left your life the past year, thus creating space for that which is more appropriate to your evolution and well-being. And if you feel like doing a Solstice ritual, whether this one or another, open to your greatest good and highest possibility of happiness, and you just may find a measure of that in the coming year.

As "they" say, Mahalo, Aloha, Namaskarams, Aum Namah Shivaya, Happy and Merry Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmastide, Joyous Christ Mass, and Happy New Year!

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson

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