Greetings of the December Solstice
Greetings of the December (Southern) Solstice! Tomorrow at 10:02 UTC, the Sun will be at 270° ecliptic longitude; and will enter the sign of Capricorn, the cardinal sign of Earth. In the Continental U.S., this will occur early tomorrow morning at 2:02 AM PST for those of us on the West Coast and 5:02 AM EST for those on the East Coast.
AL II,36: “There are rituals of the elements and feasts of the times.”
From Crowley’s “New Commentary”:“Each element — fire, earth, air, water, and Spirit — possesses its own Nature, Will, and Magical Formula. Each one may then have its appropriate ritual. Many such in crude form are described in The Golden Bough of Dr. J.G. Frazer, the Glory of Trinity!”
In particular the entry of the Sun into the cardinal signs of the elements at the Equinoxes and Solstices are suitable for festivals.
“The difference between ‘rituals’ and ‘feasts’ is this: by the one a particular form of energy is generated, while there is a general discharge of one’s superfluous force in the other. Yet a feast implies periodical nourishment.”
This year, the December Solstice is of particular significance. Not only are the COVID-19 vaccines beginning to be distributed, but a very rare celestial event is taking place. A Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, wherein the two planets will be separated by just 6 arc-minutes (equivalent to about the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length), takes place tomorrow evening. Such a close conjunction between these two planets occurs roughly once every 400 years; but the last time it occurred (1623 e.v.), it was not visible from Earth’s temperate zones because the planets were too close to the horizon and the glare of the sun. It is quite visible in the night sky now, though (if the weather is clear where you are), and you should definitely go out and have a look.
