Fall 2009 Esoteric Column

Saturn enters Libra

October 29, 2009-October 2012

with a short return to Virgo April-July 2010

Think back to your life in the autumn of 2007. That is when restructuring Saturn entered purifying Virgo. During that time, we saw the purification (we hope) of bad loan practices in the real estate market, crazy derivative financial investments that were doomed to fail, and the uncovering of schemes like the Bernie Maddox Ponzi scandal.

On a personal level, you have been simplifying your life, and not just because the economy made you. Most people have been cleaning their closets, be they physical or psychological. Many people reviewed what they are doing in the world, looking at issues of where they feel they are serving a greater good in this world, and where they were just working blandly for a paycheck.

Well, the tone changes just before Halloween 2009. Saturn moves into one of its favorite signs, Libra. The term we use for this combination is exhalted. It means that the planet and sign work well together, helping open your creative mind and improve your sense of timing. You have your natal Saturn in Libra if you were born between Sept. 21, 1980-Nov 29, 1982; May 6-Aug.24, 1983, or Nov. 20, 1950-March 7, 1951; Aug. 13, 1951-Oct. 22, 1953; Oct. 7-Dec.20, 1923; April 6-Sept. 13, 1924. And if you had Saturn in Libra, it means that you are about to have your Saturn return.

Even if you do not have Saturn in Libra, you can think back to your life in late 1980-82 to get hints about what may be recycling in your life. It may be that old issues, yet unresolved from that time period, come back for completion. It may be ideas that you long ago abandoned come back. One client had her high school prom date come back from out of state to marry her at such a 29 year interval. Both had had another marriage and raised a family with other partners between the prom and the second time around.

Libra represents relationships, living in balance, peace, harmony, beauty, kidneys and adrenals. In the coming 2 1/2 years, you will take steps to put your life into balance. Saturn represents boundaries, restrictions, sacrificing in the short term for the long-term good.

Saturn is often described as a difficult planet, but it actually is a friend who helps you accomplish your goals. The issue is that you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and put constructive, disciplined, and ongoing effort into manifesting your goals. If you just want to win the lottery and be done with it all immediately, then I wish you luck. Most of us need to decide what we want and act upon those choices in a concerted effort over a period of time.

The joke about Libra's not being able to make decisions is only superficially true (except when you take me to a Chinese restaurant with an abundance of choices). In the night sky, the constellation Libra is actually caught up in the constellation Virgo, because Virgo is a big constellation and Libra small in comparison. So some of Virgo's excessive analytical skills get caught up in Libra. So Libra looks at every facet of the situation before making a decision, which often takes longer. It gets even worse when they are in their "I want to make everyone happy" mode, because they can go into a mental lock down mode not knowing which choice to make. But once they do make up their mind, it is like a locomotive gaining full power.

We can often receive hints about what is coming if we look back to the previous times Saturn was in Libra. In the most recent 1981-82 cycle, ex-Vice President Spiro Agnew was found to have taken bribes and required to pay them back. Will ex-VP Dick Cheney get caught up in the CIA assassination squad cover up during the incoming cycle? The Camp David accords were very active with Yassar Arafat recognizing Israel's right to exist while Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt. The UK started its fourth television channel and targeted it to minorities.The Law of the Sea took place to protect sea beds from exploitation. Sinn Fein won 5 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In the 1951-53 Saturn in Libra cycle, the Korean War was in full swing and dealing with boundary issues between North and South. Now we see relations between North and South Korea beginning to show progress. "The Seven Year Itch" was produced by George Axelrod (seven years is a Saturn stage, and it was about restlessness in relationships). The US Congress established the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

On the personal level, the Saturn in Libra will help bring life back into balance after the challenging times of Saturn in purifying Virgo. This is not to say that the economy will return to the way of old days. Saturn in Virgo helped uncover things that were out of order, such as unhealthy real estate loan programs or financial derivatives that were unsound. However, people will begin to beautify in a more simple way. For example, I have been postponing the painting of my house, so this is a project that will be accomplished during Saturn in Libra.

This cycle is also about putting your relationships into balance. Those who are in unhealthy relationships will find their balance or end the relationship. People who have not been in relationship and desire them will begin to take steps to bring that into their life. Saturn is a pragmatic and slow, but sure planet. So people who are looking for the passionate fireworks in romanticized relationships are likely to be disappointed.

There are also opportunities to create business relationships that are mutually beneficial. Family relationships need to find their balance point, or people will begin to back off. There are lessons in communicating firmly, yet diplomatically.

Overall, Saturn in Libra is a generally favorable cycle. There is a big and challenging T-Square coming up in the summer of 2010. This pattern in the sky is like a hurdle in a track meet. Pace yourself and you get over it easily. Hurry up and you fall and skin your knee (Saturn rules knees, bones, skin, teeth, and hair). Overall, there is help in making new starts by the time we get into summer of 2010. However, there will be some shaking and rattling going on, ranging from personal needs to make changes to earthquakes. More on this in future columns here.

Simply stated, the incoming cycle requires that you put your life into balance. That means taking care of your responsibilities, yet also taking time to enjoy the beauty and harmony of life.

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Following is the article from Fall 2008. It is still valid through July 2010. It discusses the opposition between conservative Saturn and revolutionary Uranus. The part that changes as we get into July 2010 is that the final opposition of these two planets moves into the action oriented signs of Saturn into Libra and Uranus entering Aries. The shift from Virgo-Pisces , which are adaptable signs- now moving into Libra-Aries, signs that make things happen from an action perspective.

This topic is a bit abstract for non-astrologers, but I think you will find it to be worthwhile if you give it a chance. Astrologers like to look at the bigger cycles of life to understand how a person develops over time, or how a country or collective consciousness of humanity grows.

Begin by thinking back to the activities, ideas, desires, and emerging plans of your life in the autumn of 1988. This is when Saturn aligned with Uranus in the sky. It marks the beginning of a larger cycle that runs until 2032.

Think of it like a moon cycle where you go from the seed planting of the New Moon to the Full Moon, then the moon wanes, or gets darker, until the next New Moon. In this example, Nov. 2008-July 2010 would be like the Full Moon- except of course, that it is Saturn on the opposite side of the sky from Uranus.

Saturn represents sacrificing in the short term for long term gain. The ringed-planet is associated with boundaries, restrictions, hard work, certification, foundations, and stability. In the body, Saturn is associated with knees, skeletal structure, bones, teeth, hair, and things like back issues. Uranus represents freedom, rebellion, innovation, friends, organizations, and doing things your own unique & eclectic way.

On one side you are seeking creative freedom, as in buying your sailboat and sailing off to the South Pacific. On the other side, you want to pay your bills and be responsible in the world. Together, you must find a way to have your stability while still having the ability to have a personal, spontaneous revolution.

It began on Nov. 4, 2008 (an interesting opposition for a presidential election) in the signs Virgo and Pisces. Virgo asks you to cleanse and purify your body, mind, emotions, closets, and clutter. Pisces just wants to go out into the cosmos and drift with all the interesting visions and esoteric dreams. Pisces opens to psychic visions and Virgo makes certain they will work in the mundane world.

This means that it is a good time to go off on a vision quest. Consider not just what you have to do in this life, but also what your heart calls you to do. Now you may not be able to chuck it all, but maybe you can create a space to give your freedom loving side a chance. In Mark's example of the sailboat, maybe I can tack on an extra week to the upcoming group trip to Greece to do a bare boat charter in the Mediterranean.

Whatever your vision, you must begin to make clear space for it to manifest. You cannot wait until the time opens up, because the world is kicking into high gear. Jupiter in Aquarius in 2009 will pick up the pace dramatically (See the winter 2009 column).

In August 2010, the tone will change. The opposition of these two planets will be in Libra and Aries. This has to do with balancing your relationship needs with your individuality needs. These two signs are also called, Cardinal Signs, meaning that they are more action oriented. Virgo and Pisces are called Mutable Signs which means adapting and flexing.

The key for now is to create a way to balance stability and freedom. To do this, you must simplify and purify your world. What are your priorities? Are you putting energy into them, or are you doing a lot of little things that keep you busy in a distracting way?

Just like a full moon, an opposition pulls you apart to put you back together in a better way. The opportunity is to open your creative and visionary side to put the spontaneous freshness back into life. It allows you to be responsible while giving yourself more freedom. The increasing frequencies of the world is not going to give it to you, so you must give it to yourself.