Solar Eclipse in Capricorn: In times of infinite darkness

Over the years, I've encountered my natal Jupiter in Capricorn in a variety of masks

Deity disguised as a beggar.

Wolf in sheep's clothing

The flame of a single candle flickering in a window during the dead of winter

Recluse seer who lives atop the highest mountain

Aged embodied human soul trying to convey last words of wisdom

A small bonfire drwarfed by an endless sea of snow

One single but brilliantly bright star in a deep velvet sky

A Guardian Angel

A Fairy Godmother

An opportunity that initially appears as bad luck

In times of infinite darkness, we are charged with creating and protecting our own light.

Jupiter in the sign of the Sea Goat, is a shape-shifter. Plus, he is Jupiter. He is a trickster and educator wherever he goes. He is always seeking the truth. He is always drawing attention to things we need to know or see usually by spotlighting them or expanding them until they are too big to ignore. He still draws our attention while in Capricorn. But he may do so by restricting something so severely that you REALLY cannot ignore its absence. He may create a hole, a lack, a vast open space or barren field. Instead of the future feeling so bright you have to wear shades, it could feel like there is such a heavy darkness looming in the future that you start pricing high powered flashlights and hoardes of batteries.

Capricorn is the season of the longest nights. Nights that contain a feeling of infinite and deep black. A time when candle light becomes more precious. Where the Sun is so small but the stars in the deepest velvet night multiply. Feelings of vulnerability increase as vitality drains from one side of the Earth and into the other. Nothingness creeps forth with hollow and heavy steps...not unlike the veil of silence that descends around the water cooler when the boss's steps are heard on the linoleum in the hall.

Our Solar Eclipse in Capricorn crests on the horizon as a ring of fire on December 26. Right after the clock strikes midnight (EST) bringing us into the day. The Moon and Sun meet at 4 Capricorn 07 rendering the Sabian Symbol: Indians rowing a canoe and dancing a war dance.

After launching a canoe, building forward moving momentum takes effort, time and pace. The energy slowly and steadily builds in effort to push the canoe smoothly forward upon the water. The more people rowing the easier it is to build this momentum. However, the rowers must work in unison with rhythm. That part of the symbol by itself, though, hints at a slow but steady energy building in the backgroud being motivated by a desire to move forward.

On top of that, there is a war dance. This represents deliberately orchestrated action that is meant to stir, enliven, inspire and catalyze surrounding energies into action.

Falling upon this degree, the Eclipse ushers us into the canoe. The energy, and mood of the time intensifies steadily, gradually. As we move past this day and toward the Lunar Eclipse in January the urge to move forward and building tempo could rise so slowly that it seems to creep up on us. Or, we could find ourselves responding to our environment by rushing around in haste simply because there are actions being taken in that environment with the intention of creating the desire to do so.

One simple example of something meant to catalyze you into action can be perceive in a fire alarm. Let's say you are working steadily but quietly in your cubicle or office and the building's fire alarm goes off. It would be difficult NOT to respond to that. That is the purpose or intent of the fire alarm's existence. That all means that from this Solar eclipse forward not only will the pace slowly and steadily build mometum but there may also spurts of adrenaline. A chemical human response that exists to catalyze us into action w;hich can be triggered by something in the external environment wich has the precise intetion of doing just that. This is one essence we can distill from lunation.

Adding to that, I have observed that Uranus in Taurus' energy has a similar tendency toward this feeling of impetus, too. He is within orb of a trine to this Eclispe. By the time we reach January 2020, he is stationing to turn direct. This means his energy is beginning to intensify right now. He officially stations direct as we are having a Lunar Eclipse. That hints at the potential for an explosion of energies that begins like the low and barely palpable first rumbles of an earthquake. Those low deep rumbles build right along with the growing feeling of quickening that is par for the course with eclipse season.

The ruler of this Moon, Saturn, moves toward 21 Capricorn bearing the Sabian Symbol: A Relay Race. The starting pistol fires and one thing leads and lends to the next until the race is finished. The goal being to bring a group together toward a common cause. To get them to work together in unison toward victory while indentifying and assisting them to employ their unique talents toward the targeted achievement. The symbol is not about one single person's win. It's about knowing what talents you have to lend to the team and doing the absolute best you can during your leg of the race.

Our essence distilled from our Eclipse has now become more robust. As if at a wine tasting, we can identify the varying flavors that each lend to the body of the wine. Cheers! After several sips this elixir will increase your heart rate. You may experience visions of an angel asking you to lend your efforts/talents toward a job that cannot be completed by one person. The bell will ring and the alarm will sound. All of it telling us, there is no better time to be responsible. Sober. Grounded. Goal oriented. There is no better time to stand as models in our immediate environments of the type of leadership we feel we need in the world. That immediate environment being found in our own homes, our communities, our social circles. There is no better time to encourage folks to work together. To help one another grow, learn, accomplish and achieve. To check on your neighbor. To help someone just for the joy that can be found in watching someone achieve something and create good things for themselves and their loved ones.

Tarot gives us the Death card as advice for the Solar Eclipse. I didn't find this daunting. It seemed more appropos. This is the season we are in. Where the natural world draws itself inward and light shrinks beneath heavy capes of darkness. Where the cold air constricts and shrivels all it touches. Where water crystallizes and renders immobile what once freely danced in light warm breezes. All is still and everything looks dead. Yet. We know that it is not. Life is being absorbed and mutated into something new that will ermege. We will find it transformed robust and animated, filled with life when the Sun returns.

Advice from the Death card encourages the release of that which is dying. It is a natural transition beholden to the concept of life itself. The old is shed before the new can be born. The dynamic continually collapsing into itself only to emerge again in different form. It's a concept that cannot be denied or escaped. There is no choice but surrender.

Death encourages us to also continue to tend to the fields even during the times of wither. To fortify the ground turning the rotting materia over knowing it will support the new life that is sure to come. We are advise to clear out. Make space. Bring to a close. To not resist what routinely occurs organically but to accept it and learn to work with it.

It is very dark. At times that darkness weighs heavily while creating deafening silence. Yet, in truth, we have surpassed the darkest night. As we traverse each day ahead us from here, the light grows brighter. At this point, the light has not even strengthend enough to be noticeable. Morning Sun still looks tender and vulnerable. Until he is strong again, we kindle our own flames. We protect and nurture “this little light of mine.” We huddle together in safe shelters in effort to ward off the harsh elements. Reciprocally, as the light steadily increases, the shadows of darkness shrink. Seeping back more deeply into the corners like water receding from the shore. Cast what you want to clear from your environment into these shrinking shadows. Allow the darkness to absorb them. Let the past recede with the tides. Encapsulate yourself and what you wish to remain in protection so that once we are dosed with the ecliptic elixir we can employ the surges of energy toward our goals rather than being unwittingly thrown off track. Resist not the natural processes of death knowing it feeds the new so it can be born. After all, we have no choice but to allow this process to occur. We can allow ourselves to reside in the empty space created by the undeniable absence of the living by addressing our mourning and humanness. We can call a close to our own endings. We can operate to clear our own decks, all while preparing for the reanimation which is the inevitable promise carried by Death. We can illuminate our own paths with our small but gently strengthening light.

It also behooves us to know that as natural beings...as humans...not only are we inflicted with the processes of the natural world such as death. But, we are also capable of embodying and putting to use those energies. We can build boundary and encapsulate our energies in protection so that they are less influenced by external entities. But, a lesser known talent is embodying the concept of death through which we allow ourself to absorb and drink in those external energies drawing them into our belly to transmute them into usuable form. A form we can then purpusely employ through our own volitiont toward the birthing or creation of the new. It's not easy. The transmutation of energies may require us to empty and purify our vessels. The ability to do that is upper echelon Capricorn. At the core of it all, though, our intention for how we will eventually employ that matters. As does effort while under the influence of anything related to Saturn or Capricorn. Remember that. 

Odin in disguise meets Albreich/Arthur Rackam

I encourage you to be on the lookout for those Jupiter in Capricorn archetypes, as well. How will we respond to them? What truth will the “angel in disquise” reveal about you? Will you listen to the final breaths of wisdom from an elder? How will you treat the deity in beggars clothes? When light illumintes the darkness how will it find you? Who are you when you think no one is looking? Before crossing the ecliptic threshold, these are all worthy things to ask and to consider. It's a good time to balance who we are in the light of day versus what we become when night falls. Our answers will become the roadmap we read by precious candlelight while contemplating our way forward.