Though the weather here in California (and most of the United States) seems to have other ideas about it, the Winter Solstice officially comes at 3:38p PST on December 21st , roughly 15 hours after the Full Moon in Gemini arrives at 12:13a PST earlier that day, superpowered by the mid-totality of a total lunar eclipse almost exactly coinciding with the full moon at 12:17 a PST. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, which just happens to be retrograde during these events, and implies that individual and collective thoughts and communications may not go as intended with major emotional influences and effects. Not to say that matters will go poorly, but this may prove to be quite an interesting if not profound combination of events for many people – for better or worse in timing, productivity, and progress – depending on one’s individual chart. And to top it all off, the Sun enters Capricorn at 7:04a PST, completing the overall mood of freedom and expansion to usher in a time of disciplined focus, responsibility, and goal-oriented ambition. Isn’t it fun that all of this is happening 4 days before Christmas?
Speaking of the popular holiday upon us, Christmas, to me, is a curious holiday – rooted in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who eventually became Jesus Christ. I choose this topic this week because it’s always been rather amusing to me that the Bible doesn’t mention any date or time specifics when it comes to the birth of Jesus.That may be because it doesn’t really matter in the big picture of who he is and his reason(s) for being upon this earth…that is, if you believe in who he was/is for all of us. And if you don’t believe, well, that’s why Santa Claus/Saint Nicolas/Father Christmas also became a tradition around this holiday. And if you don’t believe in Santa, well, believing in yourself and/or whatever else you do or don’t believe in is just fine, too.
The irony around Christmas is that it was the Roman Emperor, Constantine, who adapted the early Christian religion as his own personal religious belief roughly 300 years after Christ himself was to have been upon the earth, and being the Roman Emperor and all, he legalized Christianity. Emperor Theodosius I continued the expansion of Christianity within the Empire, making it the official religion of the empire by decree (and spawning additional centuries of heated argument as result of the Empire’s efforts to convert the masses). Out of their intentions and declarations, what eventually became the Catholic Church was developed out of the Roman Empire’s need to expand and control the way Christianity was promoted and practiced within the Empire, with the Church eventually declaring December 25th as the day for “Christ Mass”. As a major part of the Empire’s efforts to convert Pagans to Christianity, the December 25th date was chosen in large part for its timing, as it almost immediately followed a week-long Roman festival known as “The Saturnalia” (which was held December 17-23). Many of the traditions of Christmas actually were born of the Saturnalia festival.
So, if all of that is the case, when was the real birth date of Jesus?
There is much debate over this, as historians have pored over every nook and cranny of the Bible and ancient texts, trying to pinpoint the date. Astrologers have taken to looking at unique patterns in the positional records to see if the Magi (a.k.a. – the Three Wise Men, who were astrologers, by the way) were able to identify the “Star of David” pattern in the night sky through the positions of the planetary-astral bodies at the time, or if there was a comet that may have been interpreted as the “Star of Bethlehem”. It is also well noted that early Christians celebrated the birth of Christ in late March around the Spring Equinox, in alignment with the Biblical reference to Jesus Christ being “the Alpha and the Omega” (the beginning and the end), noting that the Zodiac renews itself at or very near the Spring Equinox with Pisces ending and Aries beginning. This date eventually adapted to March 25 among the earliest Christians who chose to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Yet, why does it even matter?
As astrologers and numerologists, we always want to know people’s true birthdates. It helps us understand – it helps us explain who and why people are the way they are, and sometimes (in retrospect) why people do what they do. And with so much debate over whether or not Christ even existed, said debate has generated what may be an never-ending endeavor to prove his existence and his role(s) upon this earth and beyond, explaining why people are so obsessed with figuring out the date and proving in some way or form that Jesus really did exist and can be believed in. Not all of us are so interested in figuring out when Jesus was born, yet it is nevertheless an intriguing inquiry into such a historical, influential, and legendary figure.
All of that being said…to all who celebrate, best wishes for a Merry (or Happy) Christmas to you. And for those of you who don’t, enjoy the week.
Until next week…
~ Light, Love, and Blessings,
Grace
