Shine your light in this season of darkness

Good Solstice morning to you, comrades.

At 10:03 a.m. EST, here in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter officially arrives. Meanwhile, our friends below the Equator will be honoring the official start of Summer.

No matter where you are, this moment marks a change in seasons, offering us a chance to pause and acknowledge the truth that:

time marches on no matter how hard we try to speed it up or slow it down;

we’re not in control of every aspect of life, and that’s perfectly okay;

the forces of nature are jaw-droppingly majestic.

The family of cardinals that survives and thrives in my backyard — whether it’s 90 degrees out or a blustery 11, like it was here the other day — are enough to remind me of nature’s magical blessings, constantly providing for us.

The Solstice is my favorite of all the winter holidays — because it’s lowkey.

No one expects us to do anything or show up anywhere.

And that’s just the way this Human Design Manifestor likes it!

Instead, all we gotta do is take a few deep breaths and soak in the calm,

contemplate on what we’re ready to bury under a few inches of snow,

visualize what we want for the coming season of our lives,

sit quietly, for a few minutes at least, in a state of appreciation for this vast Universe we’re all lucky enough to experience,

get cozy,

and just Be.

This glorious moment is also the best reason ever to light a fire and burn some candles.

This evening, I’ll be ringing in the arrival of Winter with a feast of fiery foods — a simple menu of soups and sides the color of brightness that pay homage to sunshine and warmth:

Red lentil and apricot soup, butternut squash soup, corn bread, roasted carrots and beets, muhammara, yellow squash, orange and yellow bell peppers, slices of grapefruit, seared salmon and maybe even some Buffalo chicken dip (because who doesn’t love that?!).

I’ll try to take a break from the purposefully-overwhelming news cycle, and spend the day cooking, chilling, burning things, and hanging out with family.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you an overview of what the cosmos are infusing us with today, so you have some fodder to reflect on and so that you can:

notice where you may be feeling unduly influenced by external forces;

sort those external conditions out separately from the energies you came into your body with, which are your inherently natural superpowers, accessible to you all day, every day, no matter what the planets are up to (check out your free Human Design chart to find out what your inherent superpowers are);

and dial into that part of you that’s interconnected to the majestic natural world;

so you can feel the web of support upholding you from the power of Divine Oneness.

Because you, me, and that family of cardinals in my backyard are all a part of each other, and whether we like it or not, we’re all taking this wild ride together!

Below is what today’s chart looks like through a Human Design lens, and I’ll follow that up with brief explanations of what you’re looking at.

You can overlay this chart with your own, cross-check to see whether yours already has any of the same elements ‘lit up’ as what’s shown below. If that’s the case, you’ll already be familiar with the energies they represent.

Also notice the numbers and shapes that are lit up on today’s chart that are not illuminated on your own — these are the external conditions that are not a natural part of you; they’re probably unfamiliar to you and may cause you to feel out of sorts, a little unstable.

Build an energetic boundary around your Real Self (i.e. the parts of your chart that are illuminated), and notice how the planets affect other people and what’s happening int the world. Take advantage of the goodness these energies offer, but don’t internalize them, and let them go by the time their transits end.

Follow along as I summarize what each planet is doing today as the Solstice arrives, at 10:03 am EST. Note: I’m focusing here only on the list of numbers you see in that right-hand column in orange, down to Pluto’s frequency, because those are happening in real time and they’re creating quite the powerful set of conditions.

The Sun empowers us to Be 10.2: “This Little Light of Mine”

The Sun’s rays on 12/21/25 infuse all of humanity with the energy for enjoying the freedom to be our whole, weird Selves — at least, in private. This vibration asks us to recognize that we might need plenty of solitude, or to at least spend time only with people who let us feel safe and secure enough to be our most authentic Selves. 10.2 is the energy for exercising mental & creative expression without limits or conditions — like, to be who we’d be and do what we’d do if no one was watching. Having the freedom of solitude, where we can just be ourselves, gives us the fuel to keep going.

We need to be careful not to slide into victimhood or to self-isolate because we’re pouting and full of self-pity or too afraid to spend time with others at all. Remember that no one knows what we’re capable of unless/until we’re courageous enough to show them. The recognition & appreciation we seek comes when we let others witness our true brilliance.

The Earth anchors us at 15.2: “Go Big Or Go Home!”

The Earth provides us with a sense of stability when we leverage the energy for staying true to our offbeat impulses while also honoring others for their weird ways of doing things.

This energy dares us to stop judging ourselves when we want that all-or-nothing experience. Today, it’ll feel grounding for us to holding firm to our unique needs and not acquiesce just to be accepted or to fit in.

This doesn’t mean pushing our way onto others. It simply means walking through the day with the utmost respect for Self, while also recognizing and appreciating others’ various ways of being. Dialing into this energy can help us live in integrity and even give us the power to positively influence others.

But with this power comes great responsibility: we must be careful not to abuse it. Others are watching what we do, and are likely to follow our lead. We must be the example we wish to see in the world.

The North Node teaches us a lesson in 63.1: “Humility”

We’re like first-graders all over again, being taught a lesson in how to be humble and modest about how much we know and how much we’ve achieved thus far. Perhaps that’s very little.

This is a chance to allow our knowledge base to continue to build over time, and to trust that we’ll reach ‘true knowing’ eventually. This is a time to admit when we don’t have all the facts, and that we might never know the whole truth. The North Node wants us to learn how to take a compliment and pat ourselves on the back for how far we have already come, and to be satisfied with how much we’ve discovered so far. We’ll get there, but we’ve got some growing yet to do!

Let us be careful not to change our own goal posts on a whim or abandon a goal prematurely, even if we doubt we can achieve it (because we totes can, someday).

The South Node wants us to finally put to rest 64.1: “Needing to Know All the Details”

We’ve shown the patience of Job when we’ve chosen to exercise it. But we’ve felt like we’ve been under absolutely immense pressure to figure all the precise details of a confusing picture that just doesn’t make any sense.

The South Node says we’re ready to graduate, though, from the School of Confusion. It’s time to chillax and let the details fill in as they may, and to trust that the whole picture will get filled in when it’s ready to.

We can’t analyze or logic our way through this. We’ve got to think more abstractly and allow sudden realizations to pop in when the time is right.

Let us not rush to judgment to force the picture to get filled in with false stories or images. Let us also not take hurried action based on what we *think* the full picture actually reveals, because we could be wrong. Let’s work on building trust that the info we need to proceed, wisely, will arrive when we’re ready to receive the whole truth.

The Moon is driving us to feel like we can 54.3: “Bend the Rules”

We may feel emotionally driven to pursue covert, hush-hush, or offline interactions with others so that we can get ahead in life. Sure, we want to access information, find help, or get guidance in some way, because it feels like success won’t be an option if we continue to follow the normal rules of the game, or use only formal channels to accomplish our goals.

This energy helps us to get creative about how we can choose a different route to ‘climb the ladder’ or achieve a certain outcome for ourselves. We’re fueled with the lifeforce for not taking the same trodden path everyone else takes, and for using insider info to get a leg up.

We must watch out, however, for the tendency that comes with 54.2, which is the impulse to step all over people to get to the top; or, to fool ourselves into believing that we must always follow only the formal rules & channels that everybody else does to get ahead in life.

Mercury has us communicating about 5.2: “Taking a Pause”

The messenger planet fills the airwaves today with discussions, articles, podcasts and news about how we’re meant to radiate peace. All the gurus will be waxing on about exercising patience; besides, it’s Sunday. Everyone will be taking about taking a pause.

Who knows? There might even be a satellite blackout that might cause a literal temporary pause in communication.

Either way, we’re unshakable when we get still and quiet. We can expect lots of chatter about the value of ignoring distractions and cutting out the noise while we honor our body’s natural rhythms. But will we actually be putting this into practice?

Mercury, and everyone’s TikToks — will be there to remind us that waiting (and maybe not going to the mall again to get more Christmas presents) is still an active state of being.

Let’s watch out for feelings of boredom, stuckness or frustration: these indicate that our drive for action needs attention. Get exercise, do something fun, release yourself from monotonous chores, and practice taking a breath, or a pause, before doing anything reckless.

Venus has appreciating the beauty of 11.4: “Enlightenment”

We’re being influenced to stand in awe and admiration of those who share their ideas, teach new concepts, and express enlightening thoughts. We deeply appreciate the value of new, fresh, thought-provoking insights, don’t we?! We may even, ourselves, want to participate in the joy of idea-sharing.

Today, Venus begs us to see the beauty and value in reaching folks who have not already heard some key message. And it’s empowering us to share some nugget of wisdom in a way that’s never been explained before, so that this key message can reach a new audience and create new understanding, at last.

We need to watch out, however, for the tendency to idea-share only with an exclusive group; to hold our wisdom to ourselves, or to shield our fresh insights behind a paywall that very few could ever access.

Mars is making us passionate, and maybe angry, about 58.1: “Fun!”

We are passionate today about how much joy we get to have. We’re fueled with the joyous appreciation for being alive, if we can harness it.

Mars insists we create harmony and show a sense of awe and wonder about the exciting reality of our very existence. Right at our fingertips is the energy for loving life!

But remember that, like the moon phases, feelings of joy can be cyclical. How can we know what “fun” even is, if every moment of every day is filled with amusement, glee and ease? We must take the good with the bad and appreciate both for the rich contrast they bring.

Nevertheless, we may be so insistent today that our festivities be “fun” that we become disappointed or downright irate if they don’t meet our expectations.

Let us not be perfectionists when it comes to celebrating the season. Let us not pretend that we live inside a Hallmark holiday movie where everyone’s gorgeous, where we share a perfect kiss under the perfect mistletoe, and where we’re all decked out in matching Christmas PJ’s. That isn’t reality and that isn’t even actual joy. Look within, and find joy in the simplest of celebrations.

Jupiter magnifies & evaluates in 62:3: “Needle in a Haystack”

The planet of luck and expansion is still retrograde through March of 2026. As it does so, it’s reviewing and re-examining something we’ve already covered once, thereby infusing all of humanity with the power to look more closely and find hidden treasures in the midst of some mess we’re facing.

We’re being gifted with the energy for wading through mind-numbing details so that we can, eventually, make a major discovery. Perhaps we can use some of the seemingly un-sexy information we’re digging up through this process in a new and innovative way. Let’s be patient as we sift and sort to pull out some hidden gem.

But we must watch out for signs of boredom &/or resistance to engaging in this kinda exhausting detail work; when we refuse to buckle down & face the minutiae, we can miss critical clues and overlook important details that could prove to be super valuable.

Saturn raps our knuckles about 36.4: “Special Ops”

The planet that acts like a school principal is putting us in detention to teach us a lesson, because some of us haven’t done a very good job when it comes to accessing hidden knowledge that would help us craft a clever strategy to plan for a potential crisis.

It’s like we’ve become complacent or something. Like we’ve chosen to blindly trust that someone is coming to save us. Like we’re relying on others to figure out a plan.

But the truth, Saturn scolds, is that each of us holds at least some power, and that we have the responsibility to stay emotionally aware of what’s unfolding; to bear witness to this dark night of the soul we’re collectively living through; to not get swept up in the crisis ourselves; and to use our emotional awareness to protect our friends, family, and neighbors.

Watch out for the tendency to betray the folks who need protecting, or to succumb to the crisis, roll over & play dead through it, or sacrifice yourself to the ‘other’ side. Read: don’t comply in advance.

Uranus is busy revolutionizing the way we do things through 8.5: “Mama Bird”

Uranus is still retrograde, through February of 2026. So, in 8.5, that means it’s reviewing and re-examining what we’re teaching our kids and how we’re setting up future generations.

This ‘weird’ planet that makes us rebellious exerts upon us the energy of the teacher, parent or “mama bird” whose duty is to prepare the next generation to be ready to fly the nest.

This energy is about fostering independence, and that’s exactly what Uranus is putting us all through.

But we’ve built so many wonderful things together, haven’t we…

Too bad, says Uranus. It’s time for a real change.

We can’t go on like this anymore. Our Mom and Dad raised us and took care of us, but we’re moving on now. We’re getting our own place. Besides, the house we grew up in is being demolished due to mold in the basement and termites in the walls.

Uranus is telling the next generation that it’s time to break free and spread your wings, so that our future kids and their future kids can go and build something new from the ground up.

Meanwhile, it’s reminding us old folks that it’s okay to let the kids build their own lives, because we’ve raised them right.

Let us resist the urge to hold on too tight & refuse to let go when we drop the kids off at college.

Neptune creates a cloud of fog to hide 25.2: “The Eternal Now”

The planet that can create illusions and distort reality, but which also lets us see past the 3D into deeper, alternate realms, through our dreams and spiritual encounters, is making it really hard to focus on what is, right now.

Except, that’s what we need to do in order to survive ‘n thrive: is to stay present to what’s happening right here, at this very moment, and not look away.

Our ancestors are watching and they’re messaging us through the noise. Can you hear them?

Let us try to stop worrying about our past or our future. Let’s work on maintaining our faith, our hope, our sense of wonder, our awe and our lovingkindness, by letting ourselves Be in this moment and look at the world as though through the eyes of a child.

We must watch out for the tendency to fixate on the future and worry about our own, continued survival in this challenging timeline above the survival of others. Let’s not rush to take any premature action based on some imagined fantasy or feared future before it even happens.

Pluto is busy destroying and rebirthing us with 41.1: “Head in the Clouds”

The planet that’s in charge of death, rebirth and transformation is currently transforming the way we engage with fantasy. It’s imbuing us with new ways for letting our imagination run wild.

Pluto has us dreaming up all kinds of new possibilities, yet knowing that now isn’t the time for taking action. We’ve simply got our heads in the clouds — right where they’re supposed to be — as we visualize and think big.

Pluto wants us to take this current timeframe to plan & strengthen for the future while we get imaginative about how we want our next-phase reality to look. We’re tasked with the mission of holding the vision for our expansive tomorrow.

We can take this opportunity to gather experience and build knowledge, and to also use this time, through January 7th, as a chance to acknowledge what kinds of circumstances are keeping us bound, which are preventing us from taking the next steps, and to figure out what we need to do next to become adequately equipped to make progress.

All the while, we can trust that any barriers to our expansion will, one day, be dissolved. When we move into 41.2 on Jan. 7, that’s when we will start to dip a toe into actually building our future. Right now, we simply visualize what we want it to look like.

We must watch out for the tendency to take unnecessary risks &/or to explode, emotionally, under this influence. Let’s give ourselves time & patience to dream big and wait ‘til we’re strong enough to make major leaps ‘n bounds. Those are coming!

With all of that said, now I’m going to write down on some small slips of paper all the visions and fantasies I am holding for how I want the future to look for us.

Later today, I’ll toss those little slips of paper into my Solstice bonfire, offering them up to the Universe with a prayer for peace, justice, and lovingkindness to spread all around the globe.

Wishing you and yours goodness, comfort and coziness, today and always.

In service and gratitude,

Janeen

P.S. – If you’d like me to analyze your Human Design chart the way I did here, to show you which specific energetic frequencies you’re made of and which superpowers you’re meant to wield in the highest vibration throughout your lifetime, hit me up for a private sesh. I’ll have plenty of openings on my calendar in the new year!re

If you’d rather study your Human Design at your own pace, choose from among the many custom-built reports I offer, which go into rich detail about your Energy Type, Strategy, Authority, Energy Centers, and all your Gates. Check out the full library of reports here.

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