December 14^th‘s New Moon is in Sagittarius — sign of wisdom, faith and optimism, ruler of careers in the judiciary, military, broadcasting and higher education. He’s a centaur — half man, half horse — pictured with an arrow pointed upwards, charging towards his destiny. In Greek mythology, Sagittarius is a healer whose wisdom links Heaven and Earth.

New Moons usually offer the opportunity to make a fresh start. But today’s is full of contradictions.

It comes at 2020’s low ebb, the darkest hour of winter. It shares space with and is marred by the unhealthy, regressive energies of a South Node – overwhelm, hopelessness, and avoidance. It magnifies unwillingness to face life. “I can’t deal with it any more.”

Still worse, this New Moon is eclipsed. The sun’s light is literally, if temporarily, hidden. Blacked out. The positive qualities of Sagittarius are blighted. Law, order, and communication are at rock bottom. Not looking good for the Electoral College’s scheduled proceedings. (We’ll see.)

That was the bad news. On the flip side, there’s good news ahead.

Eclipses are like a computer shut-down and reset. When systems come back on-line, they’re upgraded. You wake up from a temporary funk to operate at a higher level. Then you’ll find you’ve got your inner spark and spunk back. You’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This solar eclipse New Moon offers the opportunity to break free from South Node escapism. The impossible now seems possible. The power to face life with firm resolve is renewed. Your “can do” gene is switched on.

Let your heart not be troubled. This powerful eclipse is followed in short-order by an even more powerful reset. The planets which rule law and order, Jupiter and Capricorn, both move from a dark, heavy place to a more positive, enlightened location. They join (which happens only once in 20 years) to begin a fresh new cycle.

That’s a lot of jargon. Here’s the upshot. However dark and regressive events may seem right now, it’s almost over, Starting on December 21^st with the winter solstice, a new era lies ahead. The archetypal pattern repeats. At the lowest, darkest point of the year, energies reverse. They start to move forward again towards the light. Wisdom, faith and optimism return.

End-stage 2020 dynamics are the last gasp of a decades-long conflict. The issues facing us now have been brewing behind the scenes, waiting for the right time to surface and be released. For example, here are two sample Essay Sketches written in the year 2000.

Sound familiar?

Here’s another:

In this context, at the time of this temporarily eclipsed New Moon, think about possible reset alternatives going forward.

WHAT IF:

• . . . we decided to tune out distracting external conflicts long enough to calm down, clean out the inner swamp, and think carefully about what we believe, intend, and in that context, recognize who our real friends and enemies are.
• . . . we recognized the choice between right and left-hand paths and chose wisely.
• . . . we saw through the ancient tactic of “distract and divide in order to conquer,” and acted to reunite our country.
• . . . we recognized that incendiary information being released is intended to set us at each other’s throats, luring us into the trap of civil war, making us easy prey for foreign overlords take over – and didn’t take the bait.
• . . . we used this extraordinarily powerful solar reset New Moon to set a positive intention for the future, one that cancels out the decades-long dynamics that have driven us to Constitutional crisis at end-stage 2020.
• . . . we returned to the essence of wisdom traditions embodied in the timeless I Ching and shifted away from false, fragmenting beliefs towards the complete and accurate Quantum Paradigm.

We’re not taught to look to the Book of Change for answers to our deepest questions. That’s why I’ve been bringing the book to you. Through the end of 2020, bi-weekly posts have been intended make what was once unfamiliar now familiar.

ADVERSITY is the unchanging answer to the solar eclipse New Moon question, “What should we be aware of NOW?” It reads:

ADVERSITY is a test of fortitude. When it cannot be prevented, the wisest response is acceptance. Use times of hardship as opportunities to strengthen character and focus on inner resources. Misunderstandings are likely to occur. Remain calm, take care of yourself and support those who depend on you. Avoid despair.

How can we count the hardships which beset the world at end-stage 2020? In alpha order, here’s a short-list related to COVID and draconian lock-downs:

It seems as if the angel of death has been loosed. It’s out and about, stalking the land.

On December 14^th, those of faith are warned to protect themselves and those they care for by keeping their minds, hearts and physical doors safely sealed, allowing the wrath of God to pass over, leaving them untouched and better for having survived the ordeal.

Eclipse season is not a time for the faint of heart. STAND TALL. STAY THE COURSE. Use this magical reset time to imagine a better future.

Collected posts will be published as The Lessons of 2020: Using the Wisdom of CHANGE to Build a Better Future. Look for it on amazon in January of 2021.

If you’d like a copy of the Common Sense Book of Change, or extras to give others, click here.

To order Two Sides of a Coin: Lao Tze’s Common Sense Way of Change, click here.

Okay, then. That’s all for now. Talk with you again soon. Take care, all.