Sun in Capricorn (Cap) is where we structure (thro’ restrain & control) how we use our vital energies towards our higher vision. The way you go about it may be a direct product of your experiences that have caused you to conserve how you expend your valuable time & energy, worries from recent past, & understanding the general limitations of life – as it pertains to what house is Cap for you & what does the Sun rule for you. For eg: For Gemini rising people, Sun rules the 3rd house & Cap is their 8th house. So as the 3rd lord (Sun) transits their 8th house (Cap), they become aware of (& work through) things that limit or constrain the pursuit of their interests or hobbies – things that make them feel alive & vitalized
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Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti (Sun’s ingress) is celebrated all over India with grandiose. Sun ingresses into a new zodiac sign every month (West-East motion in our sky); hence there are 12 Sankranti. Of the 12, Makar Sankranti is celebrated all over India as this coincided with winter solstice or northward course of Sun (#Uttarayana) about 2000 years ago. Now winter solstice happens around 21st of December. If we followed the originally intent of the celebration (which is Uttarayana), we should be celebrating on Dec 21st. It is important to note that Indian time-keeping accounts for:
💠East-West motion of Sun via Sakranti
💠North-South motion of Sun via Uttarayana & Dakshinayana (2 solstices)
💠Lunation cycles (new moon & full moon) to define the month
💠Pachanga (tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, vara – 5 qualities to define the day
So when we celebrate these festivals, we need to bring awareness to how it relates to astronomy & cosmology
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Even though Uttarayana now happens on Dec 21, Sun’s ingress in Makara is of importance as:
💠Sun is the father of Saturn, ruler of Capricorn (Cap). It is like the father visiting his son’s house
💠Cap & Aquarius (Aq) are furthest away from Leo, the house Sun rules. When Sun transits thro’ Cap & Aq it’s a time of redistribution of power with others in your life, a time to be in service of society – while being mindful of giving to a point where you feel like a slave. Therefore, Indians celebrate this day by sharing their harvest
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Yes that right, Makar Sankranti is now mainly celebrated as a harvest festival – where people share the goodies prepared from the most recent harvest
💠Maharashtrians celebrate Makara Sankranti with tilgul (a dessert made of sesame seeds & jaggery)
💠South Indians celebrate Pongal (rice & jaggery dessert)
💠North Indians celebrate Lohri (dancing around bonfire, and sharing dishes made of jaggery & sugarcane)
Note: the use of sugarcane products in preparations (Dec-March being sugarcane harvest time in India)
Flying kites is also big in India on this day
🪁As they say in my hometown, Tilgul ghya goad goad bola
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Happy Makar Sankranti
Happy Pongal
Happy Lohri
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Love, Light & Blessings,
Dr. Malini Iyer
