Winter Solstice: Death and Rebirth

The Sun is about a half a degree of arc into the sign of Capricorn, meaning that the Winter Solstice was late last night.

Traditionally it’s about honoring the death and rebirth of the Sun. The solar principle within each of us parallels and echos this phenomenon, meaning that we have the opportunity to allow something within our own portion of Sun to die and allow something else to be born.

The solar principle relates to vitality, boldness, creativity, individuality, how we develop and express ego, and how willing we might be to inhabit ourselves fully and perform the experience of being a self.

Something in there for you has been trying the last week or so to die. What have you been noticing?

Is it about how you care for yourself?
Maybe it’s about your personal expression, how you shine?
Or is about how you show up in your world or how you define yourself as an individual?

Again, something within you has been trying to die. This time of year is when there is the least daylight and this is about each of us having the opportunity to spend more time with our inner selves. There is a moment of quiet available to each of us at the Solstice, yet we can only take advantage of it if we are willing to listen to our inner selves.

In order for something to be born, something must die. To give yourself to birth something new within you, you simply must let go of something old that doesn’t do anything for you, or at least no longer does. Because we’re talking about the Sun, it’s about identity.

Are you your history?
Are you the sum of your experiences?
Are you the people you came from or your ethnicity or religious background?
Are you the person others have either found you to be or expected you to be?
Are you the service you offer (or refuse to offer)?

Are you your preferences?
Your passions?
Your fears?

The death and rebirth of the Sun now creates a window within for you to see and feel into your psychic basement with a bit more clarity. It’s not that there is light being shined down there, but that you can allow yourself to be more willing to see in the dark. You can let your eyes adjust to the minimal light that is in fact there.

It’s easy in the dark to assume that light is absent. This is, however, relative to our normal experiences and comfort levels in well-lit places. But there is usually a measure of light in the dark in which we’re simply not accustomed to operating.

Now is the day to release your expectations of what light means and offers and what it takes to operate as who you really are. Today, let the dark be not a place to avoid but one in which to let your inner eyes adjust to the dark. When your inner eyes adjust to the dark, you in fact begin to sense feeling as a valuable way of knowing.

Opening to this process will let you feel into something in your identity and self-expression that’s ready to die. Once you feel what that is, you’ll sense the possibility of birthing a truer, more authentic expression of your creative, shining self.

Tom Jacobs is an Evolutionary Astrologer, Medium, and Channel. Book a consultation by the end of the year at 40% off regular rates.