The December Full Moon comes close to celebration of Christmas and is even closer to the Summer Solstice event in the Southern Hemisphere. It is very rare for a full moon to occur on the same day as the Solstice. Nonetheless, the Solstice Full Moon reflects the Divine Will for all on Earth.
You may be hearing talk this year about the full Moon and winter solstice occuring at the same time. Although December’s full Moon – the Full Cold Moon (some call it the Howling Moon from an ancient vedic legend) – will be visible on the night of the winter solstice (Friday, December 22 in the Southern Hemisphere) the full Moon more properly reaches its peak the next day, December 23, at 04:49 a.m, Eastern Summer Time.
That being said, to the average backyard stargazer, the Moon will be full enough to provide a wonderful show on the 22nd, so do keep an eye on the sky that night! If the solstice night is calm and cloudless, with the full Moon beaming down on cool landscape, it will be irresistibly attractive.
How Rare is a Full Moon on the Winter Solstice?
The rarity of a solstitial full Moon-the average interval is about 19 years-reinforces the Moon’s role as a beacon playing on human history. Although our research could not find a correlation between these lunar events and significant historical happenings on similar dates in the past, the combination of astronomical forces certainly affects the tides.
As astronomer Bob Berman explains, during this time of proxigean tides [unusually high tides due to the Moon’s phase and proximity to Earth], coastal flooding could occur if there is one more little extra effect, such as a storm at sea, on-shore winds, or low barometric pressure.
At the time of Solstice, Mars is sandhi, deprived of power and energy, as it is changing signs from Aquarius to Pisces. Be careful travelling, this will extend for a period of three days, immediately before Christmas.
A most interesting aspect of this solstice is that the Ascendant is conjunct Ketu, the South node of the moon. Ketu is a shadow planet and is said to have no head, and hence, no drishti (aspect) to other signs or planets. Nonetheless, Ketu is inward-focussed, ever seeking liberation and release from the cycle of birth-death-and-birth-again. This suggests a time for looking inwards, becoming self aware, stilling the mind as Eckhart Tolle suggests and provides techniques and motivations for same.
The modern mind is over-stimulated. The keepers and tellers of the legends of merchantile profits ever seek to fill our minds with enchantments, desires and seeking this and that shiny bauble to have for ourselves. The modern media – ever the slave of the advertising moguls (who destroy human peace and cultural satisfaction) is ever stimulating us: print, radio, television, steaming, social media: buy this, buy that, bigger, better, more sparkalarkalarkaling! The baubles are shinier here: Spend! Spend! Spend!
Ketu is with the Ascendant at this Solstice Moon affording opportunity to take time, take space, no haste, waste, worry: use your common sense and calmly discriminate what you need and what is superfluous to your needs this time of Buy! Buy! Buy! and Spend! Spend! Spend!
The Full Moon and Lord Shiva’s Arudha Darshan
The Solstice Full Moon of December 2018 falls in Gemini, in the asterism (nakshatra) of Ardha, which is ruled by Lord Shiva and celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, which is represented by the Nataraja form. Arudhra signifies the golden red flame and Shiva performs the dance in the form of this red-flamed light.
It must be noted here that Arudhra, Ardra, Arudhara, Arudra, Arudara are the different spellings used in English language to mention the same festival. Ardra or Arudhara or Thiruvathirai is also the name of a birth star or nakshatra in Hindu astrology. The star is associated with Shiva.
Arudra Darshan is one of the most auspicious days associated with Lord Shiva. It is dedicated to the cosmic dance of Shiva.
The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction. This cosmic dance takes place in every particle and is the source of all energy. Arudra Darshan celebrates this ecstatic dance of Lord Shiva.
Arudra Darshan is of great importance at the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple and marks the conclusion of Margazhi Brahmotsavam.
It is celebrated with fervor at the Tiruvalankadu Temple, Nellaiappar temple, Kutralanathar temple, Tiruvarur Temple, Kapaleeswarar Temple and in several other Lord Shiva shrines across the globe.
Travel at this time
As mentioned earlier, Mars is sandhi and changing signs. This is a challenging time to travel, so drive carefully, make allowances for time and connections and do not hurry nor react to other drivers on the road, to other transit passengers nor security guards who (who are fuelled by the energy of Mars).
The Solstice Full Moon (Howler Moon) is in the 8th house of secrets and aspected by Sun and Saturn (100%), and by Mars (70%), Mercury (72%) and Jupiter(75%). Jupiter is vargottama (in the navamsha) at this time and so has greater strenght and significance in this aspect. As the 8th houses is a place of secrets, Jupiter may well be multiplying the outcomes of those secrets (think Chinese hacking exposure). It is also a time when many share that matters that have been hidden from the human race are about to be exposed.
Exposure comes from the position of the Sun, which, at the time of the winter solstice is in conjunction the galactic centre, bringing about a deep metamorphosis for the world, as it realigns with divine will. It is divine will that all those on Earth learn that the Universe is teeming with life forms, and this planet was seeded from other galaxies, other worlds. It is also time for exposure of matters dealing with human health, the true origin of climate change (mining, digging holes in the earth) and the risks humanity faces if necessary changes are not taken up. It is divine will that this planet survives, as it was meant to be a Garden of Eden and bring light to a dark corner of the galaxy.
So we may see vargottama Jupiter multiplying the urge to seek solutions to climate change and driving a groundswell of initiatives responding to protecting our future on the only Earth we have. The full moon occurs in an air sign, so these exposures may come thick and fast; the Lord of the Moon is in the 1st house, which is not a good look. The 8th house is one of the three trika signs, which do not deliver good results. We refer to the advise given earlier, it is time to slow down and take your own pace and deal with matters as they emerge rather than be carried along by the madding crowd – who do not think for themselves – but rather, react to everything around them.
Full Moon Meditation
Full Moons are times when strong and plentiful energy floods the Earth. This energy, directed by the Full Moon – may be taken and used for benefit. Hence, the Hierarchy offer us the choice to harness energies for planetary benefit by doing group meditation and directing energy in the form of love, light or healing, wherever there is a need. There have been many places experiencing disturbances on Earth in the past month. It has been a time of rare, damaging tornadoes in Seattle, strong explosive eruptions with pyroclastic flows in Japan, massive floods in Central Vietnam, Tropical Cyclone Phethai over Sri Lanka and India. The world’s second largest Ebola outbreak has spread to the city of Butembo in the DRC, severe flash floods in Cyprus, dust storms and yellow snow in China, historic floods in Turkey and powerful pacific storms buffeting California after its tragic bushfires. … … all these places – and many others – benefit from Full Moon Meditation, and sending of light, healing and love.
The Hierarchy have advised us that the times of the Full Moon are times when energy is magnified, and multiplied. Groups sitting together in meditation on peace, harmony, goodwill towards all have a manifold affect on the energies surrounding our planet when they do this on the Full Moon day. If it is not possible to do so on the actual day, then, we have been told, the day before or the day after will also serve as days of excellence in sending out positive harmony, peace and helpful energies to all places on our Earth.
Christmas Meditation by Paramhansa Yogananda
Lift your eyes and concentrate within. Behold the astral star of divine wisdom and let the wise thoughts in you follow that telescopic star to behold the Christ everywhere.
In that land of everlasting Christmas, of festive, omnipresent Christ Consciousness, you will find Jesus, Krishna, the saints of all religions, the great guru preceptors, all waiting to give you a divine floral reception of ever-new, everlasting happiness.
Prepare for the baby Christ by decorating the Christmas tree of your universal love with gifts of calmness, forgiveness, nobility, service, kindness, spiritual understanding, and devotion, wrapped in your golden good will and bound with the silver cord of your pure sincerity.
On the Christmas tree of Christ Consciousness hang your material desires to remain forever. Give unto Christ all your gifts of love and devotion. Let Him, on the Christmas morn of your spiritual awakening, unwrap the gorgeous present of your heart offerings that have been sealed with the tears of your golden joy and bound with the cord of your eternal fidelity to Him.
He accepts only the gifts of sacred soul dreams, and His acceptance will be His greatest gift to you; for if He gives anything to anyone, He gives nothing less than Himself. In giving Himself He will make your heart big enough to hold Him; then your heart will throb with Christ in everything.
Enjoy this festivity, the birth of Christ, in your mind and soul and in every living atom.
By daily meditation you will prepare the cradle of your consciousness to behold the infinite baby Christ, and every day will become a true Christmas of Christ communion.
From Metaphysical Meditations, by Paramhansa Yogananda
