New Moon/Winter Solstice 2006

Dear Friends,

The next New Moon forms on Wednesday, December 20th at 6:01 AM PST at 29 degrees of Sagittarius. This is another extraordinary New Moon, the fourth in a row occurring at the tail end of a sign, marking an important ending and beginning. Sagittarius is associated with the quest for meaning and truth. Why are we here? What's really important? This New Moon helps us to remember our soul contracts and spiritual origins. The Sun's annual conjunction with Pluto on Monday, December 18th illuminates what needs to be questioned and changed in order for us to move on. Mars' square to Uranus (exact on December 21st) nudges us to trust our intuition and try something new.

On Thursday, December 21st, the Sun enters Capricorn at 4:23 PM PST, marking the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the Return of the Light. Three days after the Solstice (which comes from the Latin words for Sun and to stand still), the Sun rises higher in the sky each day until the Summer Solstice. Both the New Moon and the Winter Solstice are excellent times for ceremony, prayers, and setting new intentions. What will you choose now? What you do want to create or experience next? What is your heart longing for?

This month the New Moon and Pluto align with the Galactic Center (GC), currently at 27 degrees of Sagittarius, where a super massive Black Hole, four million times more massive than our Sun, occupies the hub and heart of our Milky Way galaxy. Pluto, the archetypal energy of death and rebirth, focalizes and intensifies the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the Galactic core. This catalyzes evolutionary changes in both our bodies and our psyches; we're being rewired and recoded.

Although Pluto's astronomical classification is debatable, Plutonian transits still coincide with major transitions and initiations, where we integrate the unconscious and realize our true identity, purpose, and relationship with the Cosmos. Pluto makes its first exact alignment with the GC on December 28, 2006 and remains within two degrees of the GC through December, 2007. Pluto aligns with the GC only once every 248 years; the last pass occurred in 1758-59, just preceding the American and Industrial Revolutions. Those with natal placements or angles at 24-29 degrees of Sagittarius are being galvanized to join with others in creating a new template for human consciousness on Earth.

All of this means we are at another important crossroads. Give yourself some soul time around this New Moon and the Solstice; reflect on where you've been, and where you want to go. Take advantage of the transformative tailwinds; old patterns have never been easier to shift. Focus on what's most important and remember St. Theresa's Prayer: "May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you....May you be content knowing you are a child of God....Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Namaste,
Stephanie Austin
http://www.ecoastrology.com

new moon

winter solstice