One of the perks of being born in late 1999 is that my age lines up almost perfectly with the Gregorian Calendar which is convenient as hell when I try to remember my life. As I get older and move towards holisticism, studying my ancestral calendar aligning with the cycles of nature has been anything but convenient and so rewarding. Whether or not you’re Native, if you live on MesoAmerican land you too can find some value in reading this.
There’s no denying that is a collective time for reflection. This can be emotional and in our high-paced society and its myths of meritocracy, often shameful but I’m here to tell you why it’s okay to move through this part of the process in the celebration of your self.
Capricorn Season and the solar month of Panquetzalitzli line up pretty well. The ingress from the Sun into Capricorn took place on the Winter Solstice on the 21st of the month of December and the 5th day of Panquetzalitzli. This Nahuatl word means “raising of the banners” as a way to celebrate one’s accomplishments. What you’ve learned since Spring Equinox is now being applied practically and you are establishing yourself as a leader in your respective field. People in Ancient Mesoamerica would use this month to give back to their communities in their respective fields with free offerings such as danza, chants, and astrology readings known as tonalamatls. Recognizing that with knowledge, and thus- power comes a great need for ethical reciprocity and pouring into your community.
Now ask any Western astrologer to describe Capricorn without using cliches such as productive, workaholic, or boss and you get something along the lines of “Effective Member of Society.” Capricorn’s planet being Saturn speaks to the mastery of will through efforts and rigour. The cardinal aspect of Capricorn speaks to the persistence needed to develop discipline, to show up consistently in the face of failure, mundane steps over and over until you reach the top.
A decolonial astrologer can tell you that Capricorn has been wrongfully attributed to capitalism, boot-straps mentality, and the patriarchy as a result of Westernization. But a re-indigenizing perspective of the sign would take into account that Capricorn is ancestral by nature, and that Saturn’s position of authority is not inherently oppressive, but more of one that can bear the weight of responsibility like a parent or an elder can. This is important to keep in mind as Saturn will be moving into Pisces in 2023 and with it, will be bringing forth protection and much-needed discernment and boundaries to the spiritual world. (indirect quote from Elmina Bell)
Capricorn Season and Panquetzalitzli’s overlap (Dec.21st-Jan 6th) is a time where you get to the top of the mountain, sigh in relief, and scream “I did it!”
It’s not a time to make yourself smaller because of other people’s insecurities. I love seeing people proudly celebrate their achievements and timelines this year. In the thick of the year— it can be hard to recognize the immense amount of accomplishment it is to bear struggles and go towards your dreams while often living nightmares.
Winter by nature is not a very “productive” time, hence why Gregorian New Years Resolutions have a tendency to fall off quickly, unless maybe there is a real obligation to do so — which would speak to Saturn and Capricorn. So for my NYE ritual, in honor of Capricorn Season and Panquetzalitzli I am going to be naming achievements that I haven’t had any time to write individual blog reflections on for people to recognize me for and I encourage you to do the same through the 6th of January. Also if all you did was survive this year that is a huge accomplishment given the political and economic state of the world, you’ll know it was for me if you keep reading.
I started the Gregorian year by creating a home- studio for my Youtube and photography while working independently as a contractor for my local library, getting to talk to and pay my neighbors for their input on my own time. On 2/22/2022 I got hired as a social media manager for BAVC Media, an innovative community media organization from my home city. I built my custom branded, multi-hyphenate website on WordPress from scratch with no coding experience. My short documentary got into its first film festival, LIFE Fest in LA which lined up with my first time being flown out by my work for a private pitching event where I got to interview brilliant nonfiction directors at KQED Headquarters in SF. I met so many respected BIPOC producers and directors and got a lot of perspective and connections I’m honored to still have. Through them, I made my radio debut in LA speaking on paranormal experiences and astrology on a Spanish-Speaking channel with fellow writer and medium Claudia Diaz.
In May, I won a diversity scholarship for an astrology conference in Seattle, winning funds for travel and cheering with new friends! It was my first roadtrip with my partner and a truly unforgettable experience. That summer I became a certified Doula with Expecting Justice and Sumi’s Touch, a Black-led program that levelled-up my spiritual self-care and knowledge on my own ancestral birth practices. These two experiences gave me some ideas for new offerings I will launch in 2023…. I also finally heard back from a global publisher on my short science fiction and became a published author as part an anthology of Indigenous science fiction.
All the while I was working as a vendor and photographer for Indigenous Marketplace which was a great honor. I said goodbye to the artists, medicine-workers, and doulas I met there and moved from Portland to LA, got my dad out of the care facility, and survived a heat wave stranded on the road on the way to his disability appointment. As soon as I made it back home by the grace of a mothers love, I immediately flew to Houston for another beautiful film festival weekend. When I came home I designed my logos, presented a photography project on domestic labor organizers, and overcame homelessness, moving from a Motel 6 into a dream luxury apartment all within the span of two, brutally chaotic months.
In October, I flew to Denver to speak at La Chola Conference at Boulder University and presented on Mesoamerican Astrology and the occult history of the word “Chola.” Upon my return, I got burnt-out from grant rejections and programmed a 3D Virtual Gallery on my website for my photography project on domestic labor organizers just so I could see my gallery vision actualized in some way. I also got my first studio experience in LA for an Emmy-award winning documentary project with my father. I got to speak on the first panel for Sankofa Rising, an Indigenous Astrology Organization I’m a part of. Since the holidays, I’ve been fundraising for my mom’s cancer treatment and visiting her in Florida. On the Winter Solstice I was featured on a radio show with Homegirl Doctora on the importance and its astrology in the Mesoamerican tradition. I just got back.
I write this for myself, haunted by hundreds of ideas that I haven’t had time or resources to actualize. Instead of trying to manifest or create a Gregorian New Years Resolutions to get my shit together, I’m revisiting memories of all the times that I made it this year as reflected by starlight. Around here, “Making It” is actually something you do often.