February 3rd, 2015
Greetings, Earthlings:
Stop the Presses, Saturn is changing signs!
Well, okay, it already technically did and it will again in a few months, and then back again once more, so maybe it’s nothing urgent. In fact, there’s never much urgent about Saturn. Except when we urgently want it to get off our backs. If you are a Scorpio or a Sagittarius, your lives are in the process of being changed; if you’re born under another sign, read on too since we will all be affected by this, although in a less personal way.
The short story is this: Saturn is close to done bringing difficult challenges and extra responsibilities to Scorpio folks, and it has now begun to induce life-changing situations and growth into the lives of Sag types.
Here’s the timetable:
Saturn in Sagittarius: December 24th, 2014 thru June 14th, 2015
AND
September 18th, 2015 thru December 19th, 2017
[Saturn in Scorpio: October 6th, 2012 thru December 23rd, 2014
AND
June 15th, 2015 thru September 19th, 2015]
Each planet has been assigned to, or “rules,” many different areas of life. Among other things, Saturn rules our fears.
Fear enables us to apprehend that change is necessary and that we need to take action to address the changing conditions in our lives.
But fear is not something to, er, be afraid of. It’s just an indicator, and we can maintain our equilibrium if we see it for what it is: simply a notice that something is changing and that we need to change with it. Only those who are truly afraid of doing something differently need be concerned—about their own inflexibility.
For life itself is change. It is a journey, and if we are to get anywhere, Saturn will insist that we eventually move along—in a positive direction. But if we’re locked into our old patterns, it’ll feel like we’re being dragged kicking and screaming into a fearsome unknown.
For the last two+ years, Saturn has been calling all Scorpios to take on more responsibility. We can make responsibility feel like a burden, or we can take it on as a duty; our attitude is the key to dealing with what comes to us. For instance, I know a Scorpio man who has seen two close family members die over the time Saturn has been in his Sun sign. He was not the legal guardian for either one, yet he went out of his way to do what he could to ensure that their end days were as good as they could be. He flew in from far out of town multiple times to visit, to comfort, and to help with all arrangements, prior and post death. He had the choice of fretting, handing it off to someone else, or avoiding it altogether because it may have felt like too much to deal with. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and dove in, and everything and everyone were raised to a higher level as a result. He cared and he took action where he saw that action was needed.
This is really all Saturn asks of us, to dutifully bear the burdens of life so that they can be seen through to their proper conclusion.
The Last Two Years: When Saturn is in the sign of Scorpio, we generally feel limited in things Scorpionic: incoming money, secrets, sexual control and abuse issues, corporations, hidden wealth, the will of the collective, and massive power grabs. There has been a ruthless attempt to control resources and gain the power they represent. Our deepest fears have been stirred up but we haven’t been able to articulate them yet (Scorpio is the quietest sign). We have felt opposed by others with seemingly opposite values to our own. These have been our focus for two years.
The Next Three Years: When Saturn’s in Sagittarius, there will be limitations felt in these areas: religious structures, world banking, air travel, publishing, mass media, sports organizations, judicial systems, foreign travel, and institutions of higher learning. All of these things will be tested over the next three years, and many of their weaknesses exposed. Saturn will channel our common Sagittarian desire for growth into the building of new, more stable structures. There will also be a surge of interest in digging up hidden mysteries. We will not see any permanent expansion of the stock market; everyone will be focused on building for the long-term and minimizing risk. Optimism for the future will be smooshed down as we focus on the practical needs at hand. We will see the rise of both visionary and overzealous leaders and idea systems. Fundamentalism will be an issue and its practicality will be tested. The battle will continue between freedom seekers and authority enforcers. Fear will be used in the name of religion, and religion will be ultimately limited by this.
But all of this is just a time of testing; it does not indicate an imminent cataclysm ahead. It is actually the slipping and crumbling of outmoded structures that we have outgrown. (I’ll be writing more about this in my next two letters, soon.)
When Saturn is posed in one’s own sun sign, it is common to attract difficulties where one has not prepared well enough. Saturn indicates—or reflects—the way one has structured one’s view of the Universe. When something falls apart during this time, it may be an external struggle, or it may be that one’s inner ideals come crashing down. Saturn’s cosmic job is to test our structures, looking for cracks in the foundation. Our job is simply to fix the issues and move on. The most stressful periods are likely to be the weeks just before Saturn “hits” your natal Sun (contact me if you’re not sure when that will be).
Saturn is ultimately our friend, although it has been traditionally associated with fear and death. Way back in 1976, the visionary band Blue Oyster Cult got it right: Seasons don’t fear the reaper/Nor do the wind, the Sun or the rain/We can be like they are…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChXmZ9dN-8
Until then, enjoy our New Year.
—Rich
