Hi Everyone,

Happy winter solstice! At this time, the earth is tilted in such a way relative to the sun that the northern hemisphere gets minimal light (so, it’s winter) and the southern hemisphere gets maximum light (so, it’s summer down under). For those of us living north of the equator, it appears that the sun has reached its maximum southern movement in the sky and now will begin travelling back north towards the equator and later towards latitudes even further north.

This is why in Hindu tradition (India is mostly north of the equator), one of the holiest days of the year, called Makar Sankranti (the day when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn) basically corresponds to this moment. The actual date this year is January 15. The offset from the winter solstice (Dec 21) is due to different systems of calculation. Another term used for this auspicious time is Uttarayana (uttara = north and ayana = movement). So, Lord Surya (the sun god) brings blessings to those living in northern latitudes, which means most of the people on the earth.

In Vedic astrology (Jyotish), the sun refers to the soul and its more noble qualities. So, this is a great time to take action and start something of value to you. In Jyotish, WHEN you start a new task makes a real difference. The idea is that you want to catch the elemental forces when they are working in your favor (catch the breeze blowing in your direction). ANY task you start now will have support and blessings. If you choose something related to personal and spiritual development, the blessing is even greater since Lord Surya represents the soul and therefore casts a friendly eye upon those who remember their own soul and who seek to support the material and spiritual welfare of all.

In line with this, I have posted a new section for the Neidan Yoga pages about how to take some practical first steps with spiritual qigong. These ideas are also useful for helping you cultivate whatever you are seeking most at this time. You can use these tools to help manifest your goals in a wholesome and harmonious way. So, they’re worth checking out for just about any aim you may have. Here’s the link: Energy Medicine - Start with the Metal Element.

Happy new year to you. May it bring prosperity, happiness and health for all!