This Friday, December 22, 2023, one of the most important events of the year for astrology occurs: the solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, the event marks the beginning of summer; in the northern hemisphere, that of winter.
In detail, the Argentine Naval Hydrography Service specified that the summer solstice will take place at 00:27 hs (local time). The date on which the two annual solstices are perfected has slight variations. In other words, they don't always happen on the same day or at the same time. For example, last year, the summer solstice happened on December 21 at 18:47 p.m. (local time).
Astrologer and professor Lucía Ferreccio explained to Clarín that the term 'solstice' means "still sun," because during the days before and after the event, the Sun seems to remain motionless — not in its translational movement, but in terms of height in relation to the horizon — and that's where the term comes from. "This effect was and is used by people all over the world, to pause before moving forward," he said.
For astrology, this astronomical phenomenon is not minor. Astrologer, author and founder of Learn Astrology Mercedes Casini told this media outlet that it is "a moment where the last three months of the astrological year (which goes from Aries to Pisces) end."
Casini pointed out that the date marks a period in which "we are reaching the peak of a cycle, its highest moment, so that it begins to wane and dissolve and transform into a new cycle that will begin in March with the equinox that occurs with the sun in Aries." It is, he added, "a moment of maximum visibility in which we can already clearly see the fruits" of what we have done.
Ferreccio highlighted a similar metaphor. According to his point of view, during the summer solstice "the shadow shrinks" – literally and figuratively – because on the longest day of the year "we have more light to see where we are going, taking advantage of the energy of Capricorn that is directed, constant and with clear objectives".
The birth chart of the exact moment of the summer solstice 2023
Each time this phenomenon is perfected astrologically, the Sun enters Capricorn—hence its cardinal modality. However, Casini stressed that this solstice has another singularity: in addition to the Sun entering the degree and minute 0 of Capricorn, this time we are going to have the Moon in the 0th degree of Taurus and we are going to have in Argentina an ascendant in Virgo. They are three Earth element signs.
The longest day of the year for the Southern Hemisphere begins Capricorn season. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
"All the solstices are with the Sun in Capricorn but this one, in particular, has a characteristic of a lot of Earth energy in the sky," the astrologer summarized. What does this mean? First of all, we will make the famous end-of-year balance taking into account the individual and the collective.
"We will be reviewing issues of resources, administration, ways of organizing the economy, ways of reviewing what we need and how we want to organize our routine in these three months," Casini said.
In the words of Ferreccio (on IG @yinastrologia), "Capricorn teaches us that the present is a consequence of the past and the future will be the consequence of the present."
The economy and the use of resources will be reviewed during this solstice. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
Second, Casini said that revision will be accentuated by the transit of Mercury retrograde in Capricorn, which on this day will be just one degree away from the Sun's location in this same sign. "It's a time when we're going to be reviewing and readjusting the value of our time. In the end, money ends up being a form of value that we give to our time of life," he said.
The founder of Learn Astrology listed some of the questions that this event raises:
- How much do I enjoy and make the most of my time in life? (Moon in Taurus),
- What do I dedicate my routine and my day to day life to? (ascendant in Virgo),
- What do I devote energy to?
- What things no longer add up or drain me?
- Am I engaging with resources from a place of possibility or lack?
Another planetary aspect that coincides with the summer solstice 2023 is Venus in the last degrees of Scorpio and in opposition to Uranus in Taurus. That both planets aspect is not unusual, Casini explained that every time Venus passes through fixed signs (Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius and Leo) it makes contact with Uranus.
Venus in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus, implying possible collective revolutions. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
But this time the aspect is an opposition, which usually "confronts" the energies of the planets or luminaries. "In this case, the fact that contact with Uranus is an opposition somehow invites us to get involved with a revolution and a change," the astrologer said. That revolution may be seen on the outside, collectively."
Associated with disruption, Uranus sometimes heralds crises or upheavals that we can't control, but the ruler of Aquarius also symbolizes cutting-edge and innovation. "The crises that Uranus brings invite creativity, to open our minds to new possibilities that we had not imagined before," Casini said.
On a general level, the solstice resonates with everyone; but, in particular, "all people who have planets in their natal chart in the first degrees of the cardinal signs (Capricorn, Cancer, Libra and Aries)" could be impacted with a little more intensity, said the founder of Learn Astrology.
Summer Solstice 2023: What To Do To Harness Your Energy
Ferreccio advised using Friday or some day of the solstice week to "reflect, program and project 2024," actions that are given with great ease to the prevailing Capricorn energy of the date.
Moreover, as Ferreccio explained on other occasions, retrogradation is a planetary motion that appeals to Yin energy, the receptive principle of the universe. So the mercurial function veers inward once again.
Doing meditation, yoga, and body contact activities will be beneficial before, during, and after the solstice. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
Casini agreed with the realization of activities that promote introspection. "There is something energetically that is asking us to reconnect with that process of waiting for the cycles," he said. He also recommended emphasizing the connection with the body and with the Earth element.
"It is a very favorable time to connect with the plants, with the earth; to involve the body in the decision-making process. We can take advantage of this solstice to review and record what the body tells us about where and how we want to spend the calendar year that is about to begin," said the founder of Learn Astrology.
Finally, Casini also added among the most recommended activities for the longest day of the year: "Connecting with nature, being outdoors, going to a park, putting your feet on the grass, receiving sunlight, doing meditation or yoga."