01/14/2026
Makar Sankranti is the moment, in Vedic astrology (Jyotish), when the Sun enters Makara—Capricorn—marking its transition from Sagittarius. This transit point is called a sankranti, considered a sacred threshold and one of the few *solar* festivals observed each year.
In Jyotish, this event signals the beginning of Uttarāyaṇa, the Sun’s northward journey. Symbolically and energetically, this is understood as the gradual return of light, vitality, clarity, and forward momentum after the inward, darker half of the year. The Sun in Capricorn emphasizes discipline, responsibility, and purposeful action—inviting steady progress, structure, and alignment with dharma.
This is one of our most obvious displays of the precession of the equinox as the Sun last entered Capricorn around December 22 roughly 1,600–1,700 years ago, around the 3rd–4th century CE, and thus Makar Sankranti was linked to the Winter Solstice. (Pull out your sky app and point it to the Sun, you will see that astronomically speaking hte sun has just entered Capricorn.)
Precession of the equinoxes: The background stars slowly shift relative to Earth’s seasons at a rate of about 1 day every 72 years. Today, the Sun enters the sidereal constellation of Capricorn around January 14–15, not December 22. The difference between December 22 and mid-January is about 23–24 days, which multiplied by 72 years per day gives roughly 1,650–1,700 years.
So, in ancient times—when the seasonal solstice and the stellar constellations were closely aligned—the Sun truly entered Capricorn at the winter solstice. What we now call Makar Sankranti preserves that ancient astronomical memory, even though the sky itself has slowly shifted.
Spiritually and agriculturally, Makar Sankranti has been honored as a turning point—when nature begins to stir, days slowly lengthen, and life starts to move outward again. It is an auspicious time for renewal practices, charity, prayer, and intentions that are rooted, sustainable, and guided by steady wisdom.
The Sun is said to be “sensitive” at these thresholds, so remember your inner light and know that we are on the return.
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Thank you for these images 🙏🏽
