A New You & a New World Waiting to be Born
“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business!”
~The Ghost of Jacob Marley
Bundled in warm blankets, I am engaged in my annual ritual, watching Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. As the familiar story unfolds, it occurs to me that the planetary energies of this year and particularly this December are animating this timeless holiday story in our lives. Just like Ebenezer Scrooge, we are being asked to look at our past, present and future as individuals and as a collective. We are being called to consider our responsibility to others and to ask ourselves, how can we contribute to the common good?
The Cosmic theater for our experience of this story begins in the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn, an earth sign, is concerned with things of the material world. Serious in nature, Capricorn is hardworking and self-disciplined often to the exclusion of relaxation or play. Capricorn is concerned with rules, laws, and boundaries. It focuses on that which is tangible, practical, and utilitarian. Capricorn can be ambitious even ruthless and finds security in “power and control.”
This year, three very powerful planets (Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter) have simultaneously taken center stage in Capricorn. So powerful are these planets that to describe their full nature would take volumes. For our purposes here, I will highlight a few of their aspects:
- Saturn the task master, imposes structure and limits, is bound by time, and drives us to stand alone while simultaneously activating our deepest survival fears. Saturn is about work. It declares we must labor that which we desire. Saturn is the planetary ruler of Capricorn and when together, planet and sign magnify one another. Scrooge the miser and scrupleless businessman, embodies their darkest aspects.
- Pluto the powerful impulse for transformation, is disruptive, and initiates cycles of death/rebirth. It shakes the earth and breaks apart the structures of Saturn. Pluto erupts in Scrooge’s home on Christmas Eve disturbing the life Scrooge had so carefully constructed.
- Jupiter the magnanimous is expansive, benevolent, generous, and optimistic. Jupiter rouses the spirit within and the higher expression of self. It kindles the motivation to contribute to the larger good. As Pluto breaks down Saturn’s wall, it creates room for Jupiter-sourced growth. It’s Jupiterian Scrooge that awakes on Christmas morning.
These same planetary energies that encircled Scrooge are swirling within and around us now setting each of us individually and collectively on deeply transformative journeys. Within our lives and within the world, Pluto is dismantling Saturn structures making way for Jupiterian expansion.
On his journey of transformation, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. Our ghostly visits are carried in the energies of 3 significant celestial events this month: a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, and the winter solstice.
On November 30, we experienced a lunar eclipse, a time when the earth blocked the sun and cast its shadow on the moon. This eclipse, like the Ghost of Christmas Past asked us to look at the shadows of own past, to see our shortcomings, mistakes, and transgressions.
The visit of the Ghost of Christmas Present will come on December 14, in the form of a total solar eclipse (not visible in our area). During the eclipse, the earth will be brought into darkness through the shadow of the moon. This is a time to examine the shadow aspects of our present lives. In that shadow, we will likely find things in need of change, things we should leave behind, and gifts previously unknown waiting to be brought forth.
The dark figure of the Ghost of Christmas Future will arrive as the long deep darkness of the Winter Solstice on December 21. The day of least light, the solstice also heralds the end of the darkness and the beginning of the return to the light. On this same day, Jupiter and Saturn (recently moved from Capricorn into Aquarius) will be in their conjunction, merging their powers, activating new opportunities. Aquarius, air sign, is about how we think and most particularly about what we understand to be our role as members of the collective. Through visions of new possibilities, Aquarius sparks revolution and evolution. Humanitarian in nature, Aquarius is concerned with social justice, human rights, and the common welfare.
Scrooge awoke on Christmas morning a new man; kind, caring, benevolent, and generous. His heart, touched by the tenderness and depth of emotion he had witnessed, opened to everyone and most particularly to Tiny Tim, the little boy with the very big heart. Scrooge changed himself, his life, and became a positive presence in the lives of others.
We too are being called to become new, more expansive versions of ourselves. We are asked to remember, “Mankind is our business.” By looking into the dark, confronting our fears, and choosing actions of love and light, we can change the future—for ourselves, our families, our friends, and the world.
Postscript—An Invitation
This season, my “Tiny Tim” is a little boy named JT Borofka. JT who now is one year old, was diagnosed at 2 months of age with TPI (Triosephosphate Isomerase Deficiency), a disorder so rare that he is 1 of only 5 cases in the world today. The disease manifests as a shortage of red blood cells. This chronic anemia leads to muscle weakness, movement problems, breathing and heart function difficulties, and vulnerability to infection. There is no known cure and his life expectancy is only a few years. A doctor at
JT
I first learned of JT through a short video news story. JT instantly captured my heart. He is an adorable little boy, with an infectious smile, and a cheerful and loving spirit. I knew instantly that I wanted to find a way to contribute to the efforts to save JT. To that end, I will donate 10% of any service purchased between now and January 6th, 2021 to the Borofka Family Fund at the University of Pittsburg.
Treat yourself to a reading or give one as a gift to someone you love. Readings are a wonderful way to begin the new year; and together, we can make a difference for JT.
Thank You & Happy Holidays