Category Archives: Saturn Retrograde

Your Weekend 8-10 May 2020 Proceed With Caution

07 Thursday May 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Saturn Retrograde

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

By bryan… from Taipei, Taiwan – Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, 名古屋, なごやし, 愛知縣, 愛知県, あいちけん, 日本, にっぽん, にほん, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66511356

Friday the 8th is quiet, and yet we may hear whispers that are worrying or wounding–but is this really what’s happening? We may be a little hyper-sensitive when it comes to our values, and in particular, right now we may be treating our beliefs about our health and well-being as sacrosanct. Realize that sensitivity is making us reactive. That’s an understandable response when we feel vulnerable; being aware that we’re too touchy (and that others are, too) will keep things from spinning out of control and so causing real injury.

By the 9th, if we’re having a hard time making good decisions, it’s likely because we’re afraid: of being wounded further, of actually having power (and so being completely responsible), or of whatever changes true awareness might bring. We’re rejecting the still, small voice within in favor of the big, blasting air horn of alarm in our heads. Power struggles, or at least negotiations over territory and reach, are inevitable at this point; the more comfortable we are with hard-edged realities, and the more clearly we are able to focus on goals for the future, the better for us overall.

And then it’s the 10th, which features stationary Saturn finally beginning to retrograde. And what’s the atmosphere in which this happens? We are optimistic (maybe overly so), looking for opportunities, and trying to flee our own doubts, which nag at us. We may think that if we can just concentrate on goals, we’ll make progress and beat having to deal with those subjects we’d like to ignore or are in denial about, but that won’t actually work. Some of these issues can be tucked away long-term and dealt with later, thanks to Saturn’s withdrawal (this is the most likely option if these topics are ruled by Saturn natally, or are related to the House Saturn is currently transiting). The rest, though, if we insist on ignoring them, leave us open to deception or delusion. With the ‘right’ mindset (mostly one of trusting the facts as well as ourselves, especially trusting that if we are informed we can make the right choices), and our attention focused on channeling creative or spiritual energy, we’ll redeem the day and, perhaps unexpectedly, deal successfully with at least some of what we tried to ignore.

Saturn’s turnaround typically has one of two effects: it either withdraws support to something we’d hoped to build on, instituting (often unexplainable) delays, or it suddenly and again, inexplicably, removes impediments that seemed, shortly before, to be unbreachable. I find that everyone consistently responds to the Saturn retrograde cycle in one of these ways, and I encourage everyone to determine which is your typical response, as knowing can aid timing and mark where and when you can make progress, and where it might otherwise be prohibited (and that saves a lot of energy!) It was a revelation for me when I discovered that I actually have a positive response to Saturn’s retrograde, with obstacles falling away on its reversal. Learning that showed me that one-size-fits-all definitions of astro events, well, just don’t fit all!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

See my take on the recent Full Moon in Scorpio here–

29 April 2019 Full Stop

28 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Saturn Retrograde

≈ Comments Off on 29 April 2019 Full Stop

Tags

, , , ,

‘Das Schlossportal’ By Ferdinand Knab1881 {{PD}}

We expect a full stop, when Saturn stations retrograde, but often it’s more like we get some paperwork returned with a big red ‘DENIED’ stamped on it. We’re so shocked by the sudden barrier that we don’t really see what in our world has actually come to a halt. We think we see it, but more often than not, what’s really happening is that access is prevented to only one or two things currently in progress that have moving parts, and that may merely be a slow down or delay, not a true denial. It’s in other areas, typically the matters of the House Saturn is currently transiting, that we may suffer a true denial, a permanent removal or a potential dashed on the rocks of Saturnian reality.

What may make this especially frustrating is the way we are full tilt headed toward ambition fulfillment. We’ve made efforts, worked hard, taken responsibility for fulfilling our own desires–and yet we must remember that if Saturn denies us this, it is likely temporary; our hard work will pay off, later or in some other way.

The other thing that may frustrate is perception. Our thoughts follow the grooves worn by hurt and our attention turns repeatedly to what bounty, largesse, or expansion we see others have but find difficult to grasp ourselves–though we have a comfort in knowing that our own previous proactive stance will pay off, though probably not in especially direct ways. Instead we may find a problem falls away, or someone else’s mo jo slides and we get a break, or something previously ignored or denied no longer need be. It all works out, but I can almost guarantee you’ll end the day with a whole different viewpoint than you started it.

(Saturn stations retrograde, Mars trine Zeus, Mercury parallel Chiron, Sun sesq Jupiter, parallel Juno, and contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 9 Taurus. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–that offers a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Taurus, has it seemed lately as if emotional matters are tying themselves up with a neat little bow, easy easy easy? Or does it feel as if they are becoming thinner, as if the associated emotions might just disappear? Whichever it is, you need to know that this Solar year, through to your next birthday, offers the perfect circumstances during which to find Love in just the form, style, and amount you crave. That’s great, yes? The price, one you’ve shied away from paying before, might be this: you must let your imagination have free rein, allow it to call the shots, allow it to admit to what you really want. So, easy and not so, right? Good luck!

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘Down Deep’ Scorpio + Saturn Retrograde

17 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Retrogrades + Directions, Saturn Retrograde, Scorpio, The Ascendant

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

‘Deep Art Photo of Etno Histria violins’ 2009,
By Ekke from Durham, United Kingdom Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Scorpio is so often misunderstood, especially when it sits on the Ascendant. Others are just naturally afraid of someone who’s dark, deep, powerful, mysterious, and who feels inaccessible, no matter how open and transparent they try to be. When others receive you with vague suspicion, no matter your behavior or motivations, you’re bound to get involved in a feedback loop that more often ends up supporting observers assessments (from their point of view) than refuting them, under the same principle wherein even sane utterings from a sane person sound crazy once you’re labeled that way. This is the burden Scorpio bears—along with a reputation for vindictiveness—but is that deserved?

Not at all; I think what happens is that Scorpio is so deeply, almost violently, emotionally perceptive and receptive, and yet prone to bury those feelings, that when they do let them show they have an overwhelming power of expression that impresses onlookers—and imprints these tempestuous feelings on observers as ‘the way Scorpio is’. Others feel and behave with the same ideas of passion, revenge, love, remorse, and so on that Scorpio does, but they do it sneakily or unconsciously or passive-aggressively or manage to manipulate others to do it for them, and so avoid the kind of reputation Scorpio has—so their reputation is much more about appearances than reality, in this regard.

Scorpio is also known for wanting to destroy or change what they encounter—but this is simply a mechanism for getting to the Truth, which is the Scorpion’s Holy Grail. Scorpio on the Ascendant suggests the individual is on a quest of sorts, something that compels them to restlessly research and dig and uncover until they reach what they’re longing for (and this is often described by what aspects to personal energies Pluto makes in the natal chart: Sun, who they truly are or what they’re here for, Moon, how they feel or developing trust in their own intuition, Merc, connection or communication or the feeling of ‘brotherhood’, Venus, love or reward as determined by their own values, Mars, a leader or protector or a role as leader themselves, Jupiter, knowledge or a philosophy of life that has ‘the answers’). The intensity of their quest and the laser-like focus that just comes naturally to the Scorpion can give others the impression that they are withdrawn, not interested in human contact, or angry all the time—but they’re not—it’s just Scorpionic concentration!

From the inside looking out, Scorpio may be overly responsive to the environment, but learned to hide it—it just didn’t feel safe having others know how Scorpio felt. In early life, Scorpio was probably in a highly reactive, threatening, or even dangerous milieu and/ or around such persons—but we must remember, from the viewpoint of a child, there’s much that we take for granted or even find amusing as adults that could be traumatizing for the inexperienced. This is why it’s important to remember that the Ascendant viewpoint is a reaction that feels to the individual like it’s a necessity; it doesn’t reflect reality so much as the individual’s idea of reality. What we can state with certainty is that Scorpio found the environs intense (and for Scorpio on the Ascendant this could be doubly so, and is also true for any individual no matter the Moon or Ascendant’s sign, who is also born with a Void-of-Course Moon). Just keep in mind that with Scorpio on the Ascendant you’re dealing with someone who just wants the Truth—and though there’s no guarantee that you and Scorpio will see the truth in exactly the same way, it will establish trust—and once this Ascendant trusts you, you have an ally for life.

Saturn’s that guy at the party who stands in the corner and whispers about how he just knows the cops will be there any minute. Photo By Yamen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56401192

See a little on the atmosphere created by Merc’s direction, and take a peek at the recent New Moon. See more of my work here, donate to your favorite astrologers, and chin up! The retro of Saturn this evening (the 17th Pacific time) happens at 9 Capricorn 08, with first contact (other than Lunar contact) a race between Merc and Ceres moving toward the retrograding Saturn, with Ceres winning by a nose, forming a quincunx that requires real-world adjustment to our ideas of what constitutes our territory, to our personal authority expression and sense of empowerment, within negotiations, or in any maternal or nurturing roles we fulfill. See, we just have to be more realistic in our interactions–and really, that’s a good thing, as we can’t get ‘there’ without knowing where we’re coming from ‘here’. And have a great week!

Your Week 31 March-6 April 2017 Divided Loyalties

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Saturn Retrograde, The Daily Word Image

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

No. 61 (Rust and Blue), 1953 Mark Rothko Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Via Wikimedia Commons

Today, the 31st, it becomes a contest between our ambitions and goals and our need for power and exercise of the Will via the assistance, approval, and acceptance of others. We’ll try to find a balance that allows the most Self-expression and assertion while still keeping rewarding situations and relationships intact, and which side prevails (exerts more influence) depends on which you value more, cooperation or getting your way. The biggest issue may be, with Merc entering Taurus, that thoughts become overly cautious, plodding, or too materially-oriented, and this may especially frustrate those heavy in Air, or those Water types who find themselves awash in emotion, and stuck there.

Today’s word image is this: the concept, word, or essence of ‘indivisible’. When you hear that word, what comes to mind? Is there something in your life, with which you are involved, that you cherish (or disdain), where there’s no daylight between you and that thing or person–and how do you feel about that inseparability? Do others sometimes confuse your essence with this other? Do you feel overwhelmed, vulnerable, or held back by this association? Or does this union somehow elevate you?

On the 1st the social order requires we adjust our need for personal authority so that there’s no conflict with what society demands from us–and that’s not something most of us will do willingly. Two things to navigate by: the past offers some subtly brilliant means and methods of dealing with the requests and requirements of others–use them–and listening to your inner voice of what’s wise and what’s practical will bring rewards and positives in excess of what we imagine, or even think possible.

Today’s word image is a pair of squabbling black birds. I can’t seem to get this picture out of my head. It suggests to me two alike entities in conflict, not recognizing their own likeness–and so not seeing the list of mutual interests they share, or the ways working together would benefit them–and so leads me to today’s Venus retro conjunction with Pallas, and in particular to Earth’s placement in Libra (not to mention Zeus and Jupiter together in Libra, emphasizing how ambitions get a boost, too), and all of it suggesting we find both wisdom and material benefits by calling up Venusian appreciation and cooperation.

On the 2nd we must accept changes to or the evolution of the power structure, to include the ways this impacts our own reach, territory, and prerogatives. Stick with your values and yet roll with the punches, looking for the ways these can be turned to your advantage. This calls for, as a previous President used to say, “strategery”, but with Venus entering Pisces at this point, we’ll know the worth of our dreams, delusions, relationships, and spiritual goals, so we can accurately assess shifts to life direction.

Sergey Vinogradov ‘Igraet’, 1914 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a piano. What’s your ‘musical instrument’, reading ‘musical’ to mean Self-expression?

For the 3rd it’s all about communication, specifically about resolving issues, persistent memories, or thought patterns from the past, in order to build a way forward. Once again, power is the centerpiece of what we ponder, consider, talk about, or argue over; just be aware that today each thought, communication, and exchange represents a step into the future.

Today’s word image is a frog on a lily pad. That image presents an entity in its ‘right environment’. Are you in your ‘right environment’?

The 4th entangles us in matters that test the true extent of our empowerment, the validity (for us) of our stated goals and ambitions, and denies us reward from expected or socially-sanctioned circles, only to offer it if we can follow our instincts in a healthy way. Action requires adjustment–nothing short of that will do.

Today’s word image is a silk rosette. That’s something that’s purely, indisputably decorative, with no useful function. How do you feel about things that are meant only to convey beauty? Your attitude toward the strictly decorative can reveal hiccups and blockages in your ability to receive pleasure, to enjoy the senses and Nature, and can interfere with the accuracy of perceptions by imposing judgments on others (for instance, judging negatively those who take time to adorn themselves, if you’re a get-up-and-go kind of person).

NASA {{PD}}

Two major astro ‘events’ fall on the 5th: Saturn stations retrograde late in the 27th degree of Sagittarius, and Mars perfects a neat trine to Pluto, both of which are direct. Here’s an edited something I wrote some time ago about what to expect from a Saturn shift in direction: “There are typically two kinds of response to a Saturn retrograde: one may feature the famous change to what we thought was solid and sure, basically a replacement of what was sure with what’s uncertain, or we may be freed-up from restrictions or containment–it can be a time of realizing that our reality is not bound in quite the way we thought it was. So, we can see either of these basic approaches (or both, as some people experience one internally, one externally). Will those ambitions and desires you’ve been working to solidify happen, or dissolve once and for all into dust? Will externals deny us, will support be withdrawn, will the rules suddenly become meaningless, will roadblocks fall, leaving the way open? Each of us must face whether we really are ready to get what we want, whether we are willing to work with or around restrictions and obstacles, and how seriously we wish to employ hard work, Self-discipline, and restraint, in order to achieve. Those matters are, really, the issues of the retrograde period.”

The first aspect Saturn makes in retro status will actually be one the Old Man receives, a square from retro Venus in Pisces, on the 8th. That suggests to me that what is removed (or conversely, what restriction is put in place) with the initial retro results (days later) in a difficult situation involving relationships, finances, and/ or matters of the Houses in the personal chart ruled by Venus. Add to this the Mars trine to Pluto, and we have a coinciding urge to act to change, transform, or destroy, probably concerning whatever it is that the retro first presented. That means, if the Saturn turnaround brought restriction, we’ll have the desire to do something to remove the obstacle, while if the Saturn retro lifted whatever had previously held us back (or manifested the results of our hard work), we’ll feel we have the power and effectiveness to move forward and implement our Will. In either case, it’s a brief period (approximately 5th-8th) when we’ll have the energy and focus to create change, overcome obstacles, or find another channel for our energies.

By User:Bye – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=901690

Today’s word image is a ticket from a long-ago event. Are you sentimental, keeping reminders of experiences, do you take photos, or do you rely solely on memory? If you tend to accumulate keepsakes, when you come across them, do they still have the power to evoke the event? If they don’t, it’s time to clean house.

On the 6th we may find our sense of what’s wise or practical trying to find equilibrium with what’s needed to move forward into the future. The reality is, the future happens whether we take those steps we’ve planned or not, and in every case, we really have little control over the outcome of our plans, so make sure you do what you feel is wise, because that way, you’ll know you’ve done your best.

Today’s word image is not words, but this:

By Michael Jastremski – legacy.openphoto.net, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=218157

Have a wonderful week!