What do you miss?

What is missing?

What has gone missing?

I woke up yesterday morning, just hours after Venus went retrograde, thinking of these Stellar Reflection Questions and how they may be good wayfinding tools to help us discover what it is that we truly know to have exquisite value, what can make our lives feel even more rich and full of value. I felt that these inquiries have already helped to ground me, in a week that feels like we could use some grounding.

This is a week for celebration. Not only do we have Christmas and Kwanzaa but Tuesday is the Solstice. The latter is a seasonal turning point. In the Northern Hemisphere we greet winter, and yet also invite in the return of the daytime light. In the Southern Hemisphere, we greet summer and the peak of the light and the return of the dark. Regardless of where you are when this Solstice arrives, we all experience the Sun shifting into Capricorn, and beginning a month in which we prize loyalty, conservation, and sustainability.

And while this week is one generally aligned with celebration, given the current stresses facing the world, many people may be questioning just what it is that they are celebrating. I feel like that is where not only Venus Retrograde but Venus’ once-again union with deep-diving Pluto (exact on Saturday) comes in. We re-evaluate just what it is that speaks to us and really get into the trenches when it comes to what holds value and what doesn’t, and therefore what we want to celebrate. And once we find the things that we truly cherish and treasure, we can then hold them really, really close and let them guide us, serving as a beacon to move through our lives individually and collectively.

This week, on Friday, we also have the last of the three Saturn/Uranus Squares that colored the kairos all year (the other two were February 17 and June 14). And while its invitation extends beyond its last exact connection, this week it is at center stage.

The square-off between Saturn and Uranus brought a lot of tension, including between the old guard and the vanguard, past vs. future, maintaining existing structures vs. breaking them up, and a desire for things to stay as they are vs. wanting to revolutionize them. We’ve likely seen this in our own lives in addition to it being played out on the collective stage.

Saturn gives form to things and Uranus is related to the out-of-the-blue things that shake us up: and with that, these times have been filled with surprises and shocks. For example, for many (myself included) who thought that we were on a certain trajectory with the pandemic, the arrival of Omicron and the present/future seemingly looking like the past is a Uranian shock that may have us embracing a Saturnian somber state.

Be aware that the holiday weekend may be a good time to adopt your stay-bouncy perspective. Expect the unexpected and be open to surprises, even being surprised by yourself. Look at things from fresh eyes to perceive things that may get overlooked by rote perspectives. Knowing that we’re willing—and may have to—to pivot and take detours may make it less stressful if we have to do so.

Yet, the Saturn/Uranus Square need not just remain at the tension point. And while squares in astrology reflect crisis points, it can be in the crisis that we discover a path forward that yields evolution and healing. A lexicon look can help shed some light. The Chinese term for “crisis” is composed of two characters, one signifying danger and the other a change point. Therefore, the tension and resistance that we experience during an astrological square alignment such as the current one involving Saturn and Uranus does have the potential to become a catalyst for powerful and novel outcomes.

I’d invite you over the next weeks to look back at this year to see how you’ve changed, how you’ve surprised yourself, and how you been creating structures that have allowed you to have more freedom of expression. Also, look to see how you’ve become more resilient, and the tools you’ve adopted to help you reduce stress when unexpected events arise. It’s been a year of shifting shapes, of breaking out of molds, and being innovative when it comes to moving things forward. And while it’s not been easy, reflecting upon where you’ve been and where you are now may help you to further appreciate that the hard work that you’ve put into breaking new ground has had great value.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Holiday!

xxStephanie

Astrological Highlights

December 20

Mercury/Uranus Trine

December 21

Solstice, Sun enters Capricorn

December 24

Saturn/Uranus Square

December 25

Venus/Pluto Conjunction

December 26

Mercury/Neptune Sextile

All days reflect Eastern Standard Time (-8 hours GMT)

Stellar Insights: December 20 - 26, 2021

Astrological Highlights