Your special Winter Solstice 2021 horoscope is here

Here we are at Midwinter on December 21, the longest night of the year and the official start of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun, ruled by Apollo in Greek mythology, has reached the end of its southward journey. Now, his nourishing warmth will begin moving north. The light will begin to grow day by day, slowly at first, but picking up speed as the weeks go by.  

It seems like just yesterday we witnessed Jupiter come together with Saturn in the night sky on last year's Winter Solstice. Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions occur once every 20 years and are referred to as "great conjunctions" to emphasize their importance. 

Last year's great conjunction marked the end of a 200-year era of great conjunctions in Earth signs and kicked off a new one in Air signs: Aquarius, Gemini and Libra. It was a deeply symbolic and seminal moment in history. We've had a year to reflect on the changes it brought and how our lives have been affected. While the Earth conjunctions witnessed the development of stock markets and corporations as we know them, we seem to now be moving into an era of technological advances and philosophical reflection. 

This Winter Solstice sees the evening sky still graced by the enchanting glow of Venus in Capricorn. She retreated into retrograde motion on December 19 and will continue moving in reverse until the end of January, dominating the astrological news story. Her reign of the night sky as an evening star began in May and ends on January 9, 2022, when she will plunge into the flaming orb of the Sun, before returning as a morning star around mid-January. Her reappearance in the morning sky signals rebirth and new beginnings, much like a New Moon. It will mark a turning point for your material security and relationships. 

The whole Venus retrograde cycle will take place in the responsible and sober sign Capricorn, where material matters prevail. Bills and the flow of money must be well accounted for. Be extra careful with your expenditure, and prioritize the settling of debts as quickly as you can. Better to err on the side of caution. 

Venus rules relationships of all kinds — of which friends and loved ones are just two. They will all be scrutinized and examined for flaws during this period. It's a great time to straighten out misunderstandings and put things in order. This may involve some heated conversations, but all's well that ends well. 

If any new romances spring up, don't run away and elope. If it still feels right in February, you may have a good one. By the time the Venus retrograde ends, you should have a final picture of where you stand. 

The next Mercury retrograde cycle will take place from January 14 to February 3, starting in Aquarius and ending in Capricorn. So get moving on plans that involve finding a new job, landing a promotion, fixing problems or executing strategies. Once the Mercury retrograde arrives, you'll have to pause, regroup and rethink your approach. 

New Moons will take place on:

January 2 in Capricorn 

February 1 in Aquarius

March 2 in Pisces 

Each New Moon marks a new beginning and the opportunity to plant seeds.  

The Winter Solstice provides a chance to take stock of what has happened since September's Fall Equinox. Light a candle and write out your wish list. Powerful celestial energies will empower your cause. Next stop is the Spring Equinox on March 20. 

Here is your Winter Solstice horoscope:

Aries

You had a glorious vision for a while. Surprisingly, even if it is not obvious to you, this dream is still alive and kicking. You have been working hard to turn it into a reality with only limited success. But with a burst of inspiration arriving within weeks, you are about to gain a level of insight that has previously eluded you — followed by a chance to convert it into a practical plan. You may not feel as if you are living through a momentous era, but when you look back on this winter, you will realize how many seemingly impenetrable barriers you broke through. 

Taurus

Your instincts are leaping up and down in an attempt to catch the attention of your intellect. The latter is functioning well, but it just can't grasp the importance of this moment in time. An opportunity is close but remains undetected. As a hard-working, nose-to-the-grindstone Taurean, you risk letting this chance escape you. You are being encouraged to consider several options, many of which are far more feasible than you think. To accomplish what you are capable of, apple carts may need to be upset. Put your needs first. This is a pivotal time in your life. You don't want to miss it. 

Gemini

Weighing pros and cons isn't enough to help you make this decision; another piece of your psyche has to take part. Your heart seems to have settled on something even if your mind wants to keep considering the options. You are rapidly becoming wiser. Soon the sky will show you that there's only one viable road to take. Once you accept as much and start journeying down it, you will never look back. The more you learn, the more you will relax. And the more you open your mind, the more you will realize that whatever else the future has to offer you, it doesn't hold much by way of worry. 

Cancer

You have been very reflective lately. You keep remembering old crossroads and wondering how things might have turned out if you had chosen differently. The long and short of it is this: you have learned all you can from your history. Your energy needs to go into the present if it is to make a useful impact on your future. Regardless of how you see your situation, you have to concede that there is the potential for wonderful things to take place. A recent tough decision is starting to work out well. All you require now is enough determination and faith in yourself to carry it all the way through to a successful outcome.

Leo

When there's so much going on around you, it's easy to lose track of who you are and what you need to prioritize. It may seem like you are in a precarious position, whereas the opposite is true. You are more secure than you know. Your future success, happiness and fulfilment all hinge on one small thing. If you triumph over the minor challenge before you now, you can achieve the same sort of success on a grander scale by applying precisely the same principle. All you really require now is proof that a crucial theory works in practice. And you're about to get it.

Virgo

Heaven, it seems, hasn't offered you much help recently. On the other hand, it hasn't tried to hinder you either. You've had to steel yourself for a series of challenges at a time when support has been in surprisingly short supply. Circumstances have seemingly conspired to leave you feeling isolated. Yes, the universe has delivered some harsh lessons on how to be tougher and more self-reliant. And it's having a very beneficial effect: you are acquiring more personal power. You have reached a tipping point in your life. From now on, you will find a way to turn your dreams into reality.  

Libra

You are about to commence an important phase of your journey through life. While you want to remain in a state of readiness, all this hanging around is making you tense. Stay alert enough to notice any change in your situation, but don't chomp at the bit. Good things can take a while to reach fruition. At times, we're lucky and the universe supplies precisely what we want straight away. At others, it requires time to deliver. You now have a request pending. Feel free to explore alternatives, but don't wander too far from the starting place of your race — the starter's pistol is raised and ready to fire. 

Scorpio

Talent, obviously, is not the prime prerequisite for success in this world. Otherwise, so many mediocrities would not end up wealthy, powerful or famous. Determination and self-confidence can take a small amount of skill a very long way. You have talents in abundance. What's easy to forget is that every glorious minute of success requires long, arduous hours in the rehearsal room. You are now in the process of accumulating information and learning a crucial skill. You're doing much better than you think. With a little more effort and patience, you will take your show on the road. 

Sagittarius

You had started to look forward to, prepare for or adjust to something. Now, instead of taking off like a rocket, your venture, plan or opportunity seems to be fizzling out like a damp sparkler. "Hope springs eternal," but at this moment you're seeking something more than mere hope. You want proof that your hope is not in vain, yet the more you look at the details of your situation, the more you fear that you can see the devil in it. Relax, trust your hope and don't mistake a slow fuse for a non-burner. There will be plenty of spectacular fireworks soon enough. 

Capricorn

Behind you there is a precipice. Not long ago, you were all but hanging over the edge. Now, thanks to your own wisdom and the intervention of a helpful person or timely coincidence, you are on safe ground. Current cosmic patterns are urging you to move forward and not look back. Remember, too, that we do not need to be rich to be happy. Nor do we need worldly status, a blissful domestic setup, a brilliant creative idea or even a perfect romantic life. All these things are nice enough if you happen to have them, but they are still nothing compared to how secure you actually feel within yourself. The wisdom you are gaining from your trials is eternal, and it belongs to you and only you.

Aquarius

Despite your apparently casual approach to life, you are keenly aware of the need to focus with determination. Current astrological challenges are making you feel like you're in the slow lane, when you'd rather be speeding ahead. The odds seem to be stacked against you, leaving you no other choice than to concentrate and intensify your focus. Do your best to plod on slowly to success. It's through patience, a thorough adherence to high standards and an indefatigable determination to support the right cause that you will get where you need to be next at exactly the right time. 

Pisces

When we are truly happy, we don't tend to worry about wealth or prestige. Even if we are short of money, we find ways to count our blessings and adapt. It's when we are uncomfortable, anxious or insecure that we become more inclined to blame the condition on a lack of material resources. You can and will do something constructive about your level of worldly wealth this month. The issue of money, though, is separate from some other source of irritation or insecurity. The latter needs a psychological solution, not a material one. You are entering a very auspicious period of time, provided you resist the temptation to panic and swing to extremes. Let optimism rule the day.