The year closes with some converging themes which are worth mentioning in a bit of detail!

The time period surrounding the Winter Solstice is a natural time of increased stillness and introversion, when our internal energies are heightened and concentrated. The earth’s axial tilt reaches its most extreme degree, lowering the Sun’s path on our horizon and shrinking the hours of light in our days. The more extroverted archetypal indications of the Sun in astrology—such as leadership and visibility—dim, while its internal attributes: structure, routine, spirituality and soul-searching—are strengthened.

Traditionally, this is considered a time ripe for spiritual development, imagination, and fomenting creativity internally. It supports internal brightness, and dreaming more than doing.

Just a couple of days before the solstice, on December 19th, there was an empty moon (amavasya) which naturally brings in an energy similar to that of the solstice, and can further reduce stamina and supports drawing one’s focus inward. The vitality of plants is said to withdraw into the roots during the empty moon, which is why herbs are generally not collected around this time. People’s vitality is also withdrawn, and social bandwidth is at a minimum. Traditionally it is a day to rest, or fast, or get rid of things.

This particular amavasya occured in a portion of the sky called Mūla. Mūla is a nakṣatra or lunar mansion at the very beginning of the constellation Sagittarius: a portion of the zodiac which lines up with the center of our galaxy—the rotational heart of the Milky Way. Mūla translates as ‘the root,’ and its alignment with our galactic center can be no coincidence. It’s ruling deity—Nirṛti—is associated with origins and ancestors, and is skilled at removing things ‘from the root.’

The empty moon taking place in this nakṣatra reiterates the themes of introversion, withdraw, and removal or falling away of all that might pull us from center.

You may have felt some falling away of the elements in your life that have been drawing you away from your own depth, or keeping you from full actualizing your goals. This has been an organic process which I would call effortless, not something that needs to be forced or micro-managed. It is akin to a flower shedding its petals, or a ripe fruit falling from a tree.

How this process looks for each individual will vary drastically. What you’ve previously and habitually labeled ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘spiritual’ or ‘materialistic’ may not longer apply. This time period is about sinking below surfaces and doing the honest evaluation of things for yourself. There are ways in which ‘spiritual practices’ or ‘clean routines’ can be deleterious and completely out of alignment with an individual’s needs that moment. And there are times when taking care with physical appearances and indulging in what is on offer can be the best way to remain present and embodied.

In this time of Kali Yuga (the ‘dark age of man’) when everything is upside down, we cannot rely on the old categories to guide us toward truth. The energy of Mūla is helpful here, as its ruling deity could be seen as the essence of wild Nature herself, unconstrained by cultural norms and social forms. Her primary objective is to root out anything that might interfere with genuine health and the continuity of life. This objective sometimes requires the disruption of superficial order in favor of a deeper organization which is closer to the Heart of Nature.

This signals a time firmly let go of outworn patterns and versions of yourself that are impeding your own flourishing. You may become aware of lies you’ve been telling yourself, routines that have been keeping you small and stuck, or fixations that are distracting you from your larger goals.

The momentum is toward essence (“intrinsic nature” of something), and there may be continual shedding over the next month as what has concealed that becomes less necessary and eventually irrelevant.

Āyurveda teaches that cleansing of the body needs to be carefully balanced with building and nourishing it. Similarly, there are times to hang on and fight, and times to let things fall away. This period supports the later, and the more you’re able to surrender to that opportunity, the more readily and healthfully you’ll be able to enter the ‘building’ phase that follows.

The timing for this in the Vedic system roughly lines up with that in Chinese astrology, which has the New Year (and its new themes) occuring January 17th. This next lunar cycle which began from the empty moon in December will finish on January 17th-18th, which will be just after Makara Sankranti, when Sun enters Capricorn and the gods are considered to wake up after 6 months of sleep.

Much more to come! Including auspicious dates and details for January!