Many people I have spoken to recently have said they are looking forward to a new year beginning. 2020 has been a difficult year for people on many levels, particularly with the challenges of a global pandemic and its impact on everyone. The agitation and conflict we have seen across the world has been experienced by many people in their internal worlds. It has been a year of many serious planetary events, which I have discussed in earlier articles, but, although the year end is approaching fast, the best is yet to come!
The 21st December marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year. This is one of the most powerful points of the year, when the Earth’s axis pauses, shifts and moves in the opposite direction. Now a new solar cycle begins, and the rays of the sun start to penetrate the darkness, gradually bringing brighter days and shorter nights, slowly giving rise to new life.
A few days later, on the 25th December people all over the world celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus. At the time of His birth, three Wise Men, followed a star to find Him in the stable in Bethlehem. Matthew’s Gospel says: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him… And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” This star became known as the Star of Bethlehem, but was, likely, a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.
To coincide with the December Solstice this year, we will experience a rare astrological event, known as the Great Conjunction, when the planets Jupiter and Saturn will be aligned more closely than they have been in almost 800 years. They will meet at 6.19 degrees in Capricorn, which is very significant. Being so close they will look like one radiant star — our 2020 Star of Bethlehem. A conjunction at this degree indicates a time of great change.
We have seen huge change happening in the world. There has been a lot of unrest, even before the pandemic brought us to standstill. In March, the outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the unrest in America over the Presidential election, and protests and riots in Europe and beyond, are indications of a move from the old established order — governed by Saturn- to the creation of a new order — governed by Jupiter. Nature has also shown that the order of things is not working for the planet as we have drained the Earth of many of her resources and not treated the animal and plant kingdoms with respect, manifesting through climate change and the current pandemic. This Saturn/Jupiter conjunction signifies further change. We have arrived at a junction, and our actions, individually and as a society will lay the ground for the kind of world we wish to leave to future generations.
However, before the new year begins, we need to be cautious over the coming nine days as there will be a lot of negativity and unease in the environment. People who have a weak star may develop chronic diseases especially of the blood. So, I encourage you to use this time for reflection and prayer, for your own life and for the good of all. The birth of Jesus, marked by the Star of Bethlehem, gave birth to a renewed message of love, peace and hope to the world. Greet this Great Conjunction as a new Star of Bethlehem with hope and joy in your heart. I leave you with these words from the Christmas Carol — “We Three Kings of Orient Are”
“O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.”
