Signs, Symbols & 2021
By the time you read this, the Winter Solstice will have come and gone on Tuesday, December 21. The first official day of winter heralds a time for introspection as we enter into a hibernating mode during the year’s darkest and coldest days. Yet this day also signals a return of the light as we head towards spring with the promise of rebirth or new life. For some this day is akin to the first day of the new year and a good time to set an intention for new beginnings.
This past solstice featured the closest visible aligning of Jupiter and Saturn since the year 1226. The two largest planets in our solar system appeared so close that they practically merged to form one giant star visible to the naked eye.
The astrologers considered the merging of the two planets an event and some even took to calling it The Christmas Star. Here we are on the cusp of 2021, and the astrologers are telling us the Age of Aquarius is about to kick-in; and the solstice conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn may well have been the kick-off.
I’m sure I share with many of you the late 1960’s phenomenon of the Broadway musical Hair and its cultural impact during that period of social upheaval. I’ve been waiting for the Age of Aquarius ever since. It’s considered to be a time of prosperity, truth, transparency and light.
We are, however, cautioned by Los Angeles-based freelance writer and astrologer, Maressa Brown, not to think of the Age of Aquarius as an “idyllic, anything-goes, peace and love paradise … Instead, we are to consider this period to be about learning and growth around how we as individuals contribute to and affect — for better or worse — the world around us … It’ll be about putting in the work and reaping the benefits of trading me for we.”
We’re constantly reminded how rich a country the United States is, yet we only have to walk a few blocks to see destitution being lived out on the streets. As we enter the new year of 2021, what is calling to me is the concept of the collective — we — and how we go about co-creating our existence within the universe, manifesting a future that allows an individual’s basic needs and quality of life to be met within a framework of environmental sustainability and global consciousness.
Arjun Walia writing on the website collective-evolution.com about the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction states, “Human consciousness is shifting dramatically and the way we perceive ourselves, the human experience, the cosmos and the nature of reality is rapidly changing. We are starting to ask deeper questions … and many of us are starting to see that we have the potential to create a much better human experience, one that resonates deeply with who we are. All of this, in some way I don’t understand, is connected to the movement of the cosmos as our consciousness is connected to all. All is one.”
As we say goodbye to the extreme tumult of 2020, I for one am looking forward to being the change that I want to see in the world for a collective where we all can thrive. To keep this intention front of mind I’ll be adhering to the powerful lyrics from global icon Michael Jackson, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror.”
