One of the 4 major turning points in the dark/light seasonal alternations of the solar year, the Winter Solstice has long been a center of celebration. The ancients held it in high importance as the move into “a lightening of the dark within the dark half of the year”. They called this time within Capricorn the “Gateway of the Gods”, linking it with immortality and transcendence. Transcendence starts from within the deepest point of darkness at the Winter Solstice with the promise of light ahead.
Through study of ancient texts, we have more insight into the brilliant teachings of these long-ago people who lived so close to nature. The beginning of Winter is a Saturnine time they associated with a strong human instinct to overcome or transcend lower forces as the light starts to rise out of darkness. The Sun was said to be at the lowest point of the underworld, poised to begin ascending.
Moving into winter brings up images of long, arduous, epic battles set within a bleak landscape fought by those with hearts full of steely determination. The size of the task ahead can lead to Saturnine archetypes; persistent, ambitious or cold ruthlessness such as those seen in the character of Scrooge in the story of a Christmas Carol. This is only one side of the story. Saturn-type associations also include darker, distant places inhabited by contemplatives and mystics, a type of stoic determination as well as a different kind of imagination, (a yin or feminine type of imagination) available within this archetype. The wise scholars showed how all these qualities are necessary, at least in some measure, for success when confronting destructive or base impulses.
There may be a kind of reality check, an impatience with things that are fake, obscured or false as a result of the months of looking into the dark, perhaps at things we did not want to look at within ourselves or our role in the world. Rather than looking toward blame or focusing on where we’ve fallen short, their counsel is to keep your eye on the goodness and beauty your moral compass is pointing toward so the path forward may be filled with forgiveness, warmth and humor.