Saturn-Jupiter Conjunction on Solstice Inspires Planetary Celebration
By: Jacob Devaney
Tags: Astronomy, Online, Technology, Meditation

The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21 will be the closest observable since 1226. This conjunction, also called the Christmas Star because the two planets appear as one, happens every 20 years but is not always visible in the sky for various reasons. Since the beginning of recorded history as told through temples like Stonehenge or the pyramids, humans have gathered in ceremony and celebration to mark the movement of celestial bodies. 2020 is no different except today we have the technology to connect these celebrations from sacred sites across the globe and create a shared coherence to mark the changing of ages.

A visualization of Saturn and Jupiter from October to December 21 Conjunction

UNIFY has been hosting globally synchronized livestream and meditation programs on equinoxes and solstices since December 21, 2012. 2020 has been challenging for all of us in different ways but the pandemic and lockdowns have also inspired tremendous innovation in these live-online events, educational programs, and virtual gatherings. Ceremonies will begin in places on the 20th and on December 21 at 10am PST we will see the next exciting episode in this unfolding global movement. The conjunction will be direct at 10:22am PST on the 21st.

Astronomy is the scientific study of the planets and stars. Though science itself is a magical story, humans have always attached meaning through metaphor, myth, archetype, and narrative to these cyclical planetary movements. Whether it is called the Christmas Star, or the Age of Aquarius, the spectacle in the sky is awe-inspiring and beyond words. Common themes throughout various religions and mythologies for this conjunction include a guiding star in the darkest night, a coming of the light, and a positive omen for the future. We could all certainly welcome these metaphors after a very tumultuous 2020.

Image from 5 Elements Dynamic Meditation shot in Bali that will stream on Dec 21

What is Your Soul Medicine? Music, dancing, nature, sports, exercise, food, meditation, prayer, and sacred plants are all paths to a healthy life. One component of World Spirit Day events is a global medicine ceremony. We are inviting people everywhere to take time being in your highest place mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually on this day. Light a candle along with the many fire ceremonies that will be happening around the world as people everywhere link up to raise the planetary vibration at this special time. If you would like to make a post on social media with your prayer, intention, or dreams please use the #worldspiritday and #firethegrid hashtags. We will look for them and feature them on the various UNIFY platforms through the week.

Sacred Sites: Any place of profound natural beauty like a mountain-top, a waterfall, or a flowing spring makes for a great place to hold ceremony. It has been like this since the beginning of time. Sometimes magnificent temples are constructed as places where people come together to honor the divine, the great mystery, and the changing of seasons. This is true for all world religions and even staunch atheists may find themselves awe-struck in these natural or man-made places. This is the power of sacred sites.

Perhaps the greatest temple of all is the human body. It is the place from which we experience the boundless delights and tribulations of being alive. Our planet itself is somewhat of a living temple. On December 21 there will be people in every continent, country, region, and state holding ceremony at sacred sites and temples. It is the intention of the UNIFY organizers to bring a taste of this magical medicine free through an online livestream. Places such as Uluru, Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Hawaii, India, Giza Pyramids, Damanhur, Sedona, Mt. Shasta, Bali, Jerusalem, Palenque, and more will be participating and featured throughout the day.

“Furthermore, Dr. Persinger also suggests that the earth’s magnetic field can act as a carrier of information between individuals and that information, rather than the intensity of the signal carrying it, is important for interaction with neural networks.” -Global Coherence Initiative

Fire up the Grid: All life is interconnected on many levels and global coherence is scientifically documented. Though 2020 was a very hard year with a global pandemic there have been some spectacular creative breakthroughs. At the onset of lockdowns many individuals began to innovate with online events, Zoom Conferences, and virtual gatherings. The largest livestream meditation for UNIFY happened on April 4 with 25,000 people watching and chatting from around the world. Platforms like PORTL hosted Burning Man, and Global Eclipse as the emerging visionary culture continues to evolve despite many hurdles.

The Vision Train is a virtual art studio running Non-Stop since March. Together we are weaving a collective prayer by encouraging the creative potential in all as we sow the seeds for the Regenaissance (regenerative renaissance). All aboard! -Amanda Sage

These online gatherings are integrating and merging elements of gaming, learning, collaboration, entertainment, and now ceremony. For example, the Vision Train artists were “painting prayers” while watching the global eclipse stream live from Patagonia last week. In many ways 2020 forced us all into a cocoon as the world outside slowed down our internal lives sped up. Many of us have had the extra time to do personal growth and evolve spiritually since our normal distractions have been limited due to the pandemic. We have entered the virtual realm yet we still have the opportunity to go inwards together.

Humans have never experienced the ability to host a global, online celebration of this magnitude at any point in history. This was the original intention of the first UNIFY meditation on December 21, 2012 but it has taken years for the technology to catch up. We are still probably in the very early stages of what will be possible along these lines in our lifetime.

This year’s solstice program will include monks from the Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand and other events at sacred sites from around the world. Since visual art is central to documenting this great time of transition we will also have artists painting via livestream from the Vision Train Global Art Jam. Dashama Kona, renowned yoga-teacher and flow-state mentor, will be premiering a 22 min 5 Elements Dynamic Meditation Film shot in Bali that celebrates the abundance and nurturance of the divine feminine.

Wherever you are you can participate via social media by lighting a flame or making a short video and sharing on Instagram and Facebook using the #worldspiritday and #firethegrid hashtags. Event producers will be picking select posts to share on the UNIFY social platforms to feature throughout the week. The event starts at 10am PST and will stream live on the UNIFY Facebook Page but will also be available with added community chat tools at PORTL.

One thing that 2020 has shown us, despite the many hardships, is the resilience of the human spirit. We are going to get through this together! The solstice event will be a retrospective on 2020 while also creating a community celebration of our shared struggles and triumphs as we look to the future. Be sure to keep an eye on Saturn and Jupiter in the west each night after sunset as they inch closer to each other. This is a special time to be alive and we are all eager to put 2020 behind us as we build a better tomorrow.