This month Saturn and Pluto meet in a clash of wills.  This is the third—and blessedly final—pass of their difficult square, which began last November.  This square is causing people everywhere to feel as if they are caught between the proverbial rock (Saturn) and hard place (Pluto).  This pairing IS the recession, in a nutshell.  Here’s a scene to illustrate it.

Pluto and Saturn have caught a Human Being and put him in a vise.  Saturn is pushing from one side and Pluto the other.  The Human is in torment.
Human Being:  When will this pressure let up?
Saturn:  I won’t let up until you succeed in the way you’re supposed to.  I have high standards for you.
Pluto:  I won’t let up until you face your demons.  There’s a ton of repressed, buried, hidden psychological garbage deep inside you that I demand you look at.
Human Being:  I give up.
Saturn:  You’re not even allowed to do that.  Every day you have to get up out of bed, drag yourself to work and at least show your face.  If you can do more, more will be demanded of you.  You must become excellent under pressure.
Pluto:  Meanwhile, your darkness beckons.  How about a drink?  Are you craving something sugary and fatty?  How about some pot?  Or perhaps you’re ready for something harder and more illegal. . .
Saturn:  Don’t take that stuff.  No matter how it feels.
Human Being:  Why not?
Saturn:  It relieves the stress for only a short time and then you feel worse.
Human Being:  I’d do anything to feel better right now.
Pluto:  I’ve got the stuff for you!  How about sex?  Mmm, yummy hormones?
Saturn:  Believe me, you don’t want it.  You’re barely holding it together.
Human Being:  Hey wait a minute, guys.  I saw an astrologer the other day.  She told me that if I give you what you really want, you’ll let up on me.
Saturn (taken aback):  That’s true.
Pluto:  But you have to figure out what it is.
Human Being:  I’ve been studying up on this.  Saturn, you want me to take responsibility.
Saturn:  Yes.  Then I’ll stop the endless stream of self-judging messages I’ve put in your head.
Human Being:  And Pluto, you want me to go through a metamorphosis, right?  A kind of death-and-rebirth process?
Pluto:  Yes.  It has to involve an emotional purge.  And until you do it, your demons will nip at your heels.
Human Being:  This is a dilemma—how do I surrender to both processes at once?  How do I let go of attachments and face my uncomfortable cravings for Pluto’s sake and also hold to my promises for Saturn’s sake?
A light bulb goes off over Human Being’s head.  It glows brightly.
Human Being:  Hey, I’ve got it!  Saturn, I want you to build me a structure.  Make it extremely strong, strong enough to withstand even the worst Pluto can deal out.
Saturn:  Huh.  Ok.  How’s this?
He waves his hand and a giant cauldron appears.  It’s made of iron and has thick walls.
Human Being:  That’s perfect.  Now, Pluto, put your strongest phoenix-solvent into the cauldron.
Pluto cackles with glee and waves his hand.  A molten, fiery liquid pours itself into the cauldron from thin air.  The Human Being gulps in fear.  He takes off all his clothes and folds them carefully until he is standing, shivering and buck naked, before the cauldron.
Human Being:  Ok, here goes!
He jumps into the cauldron.
Human Being:  Oh God that hurts!
Pluto:  You did this to yourself, you idiot!
Human Being (sweating buckets):  Self-sabotage is the flip side of transformation.  I’m changing into a finer form of myself.
Saturn:  Honor your promises!
Human Being (weeping uncontrollably):  I’m doing that, even though it takes everything I’ve got.
Pluto:  Life isn’t fair—you deserve better than this!
Human Being (raging and flailing):  That may be so, but it doesn’t mean I get to act out in my friendships, my family, my marriage or my career.
Saturn:  When are you going to finally be recognized for how hard you work?
Human Being (laughing hysterically):  I don’t know, but I do know that if I respect myself, then others will respect me too.
His body is being cooked down, burnt to a crisp.  But something else is happening too—something miraculous.  He is beginning to glow with a preternatural light.  He is beginning to look angelic.
Human Being:  Now I understand!  Being the best me possible is worth the effort.  Not just for what the things it will get me, but for the power of knowing who I really am.  I finally feel like the real me for the first time in my whole life.  Now I truly have peace.
By now, the weird fiery liquid has subsided.  What remains is an ashy dust.  He steps out of the cauldron, a shining being.
Human Being:  Thank you.  Both of you.  That experience was exactly what I needed.
Saturn (to Pluto):  Do you think we succeeded in scaring him?
Pluto:  No, damn it.  In fact, I think he’s one of us now.  He’s a god.
Human Being (looking at the glow of his own hands):  Woah.

Let your integrity force you to do what is right during these trying times.  They are times of testing for us all.  Allow the pain of it to burn away everything that isn’t truly you.  You don’t have to destroy your whole life to make it through this process.  Your essence will emerge unscathed.

Are you feeling the pressure?  If you want to know more
about exactly how this challenging transit affects you personally,
you can find out in a reading with Jamie.
Contact her to find out more.

Other posts in this thread:
Saturn and Pluto Square Off: Discipline Meets Death

When last we saw Jupiter and Saturn, they were trying to reconcile their differences with the help of a Human Being who had climbed up onto Mount Olympus to talk to them.  Today they’re having an argument about whether optimism or pessimism is the right approach to life.  We catch them taking a break in the argument.

Jupiter:  Hey Saturn, last time we argued, we got a Human Being to help mediate.  How about we try that again?
Saturn:  That’s the first thing you’ve said that I’ve agreed with!
He scans the Earth, then points.
Saturn:  Look, there’s one now.  She’s just graduating from university and has a lot of important years ahead of her.  She needs to hear from me.
Jupiter:  And me!
The two of them turn into clouds of smoke and whirl down to Earth, where the Graduate is backstage, just about to give a valedictory speech.  When they appear before her, she nearly falls over in surprise.
Graduate:  Woah!  Hey, you’re not. . .
Jupiter:  We absolutely are!
Saturn:  Bona fide deities, at your service.
Jupiter:  We just want to help, but we get kind of tangled up sometimes. . .
Saturn:  Because we disagree so much.  It’s his fault.
Jupiter:  No way!  I’m always ready to agree!  It’s just that you’re such a pessimist.
Saturn:  I’m not a pessimist.  I’m a realist.  There’s a difference.
Jupiter:  A wet blanket is more like it.  You always see the downside of things.
Saturn:  That’s because I’m a problem-solver.  I spot what’s not working and fix it.
Jupiter:  Think positive!
Saturn:  Stay in touch with reality!  And look before you leap!
Jupiter:  He who hesitates is lost!
Saturn:  Be the diligent ant, not the frivolous grasshopper!
Jupiter:  All work and no play make Jack a dull boy!
Saturn:  Early to bed and early to rise make a man healthy, wealthy and wise!
Jupiter:  Like Ben and Jerry said, ‘If it’s not fun, why do it?’
By now, both of them are shouting at each other across the Graduate.
Graduate:  I’m so confused!
They are starting to poke at each other, so she pushes them apart.
Graduate:  All right.  You came here for mediation, so here goes.  Now Jupiter, you have hope, right?
Jupiter:  Yes, of course.
Graduate:  And Saturn, you have long-term goals, correct?
Saturn:  Well, who doesn’t?
Jupiter:  Everyone other than you, that’s who!
Graduate:  Shut up, Jupiter.  I’m thinking.  And what I’m thinking is that you two actually have a lot in common.  You both like to think about what might be and move towards it.  You just do that in different ways.
Saturn:  Very different.
Graduate:  You, Saturn, see the goal, notice the gap between here and there and then critique yourself towards the place you want to be.
Saturn:  Nothing wrong with that.
Jupiter:  Says you!
Graduate:  And you, Jupiter, you are always filled with positive expectation, very focused on places other than the here and now, right?
Jupiter:  Yep.
Graduate:  And your approach is to be adventuresome, exploratory and expansive, right?
Jupiter:  Of course.  Why would I want to be different?
Saturn:  So I can believe your promises, idiot!
Graduate:  Chill!  I’d like a clear statement of purpose from both of you.  Saturn first.
Saturn:  If you undersell yourself, you will always be able to over-deliver.  This makes people take you seriously.  It garners you respect, status and power.  My way makes the world a better place—through hard work, self-discipline and integrity.
Jupiter:  But if you don’t toot your own horn, how will people see what you have to offer?  Aren’t you sick of being surpassed by people who aren’t better than you, but just have more self-confidence?  You’ve got to believe in yourself before anyone else can believe in you.  My way makes the world a better place by rewarding you for what you’ve done right instead of punishing you for what you’ve done wrong.
Jupiter and Saturn glare at each other.
Graduate:  Ah, I see where this is going.
Jupiter:  Life is a wide-open landscape in front of you.  The possibilities are endless.
Saturn:  So you’d better figure out what you want to do and get started fast because time’s a-wastin’ and the way to success is to get on track and stay there till you arrive.
A giant light bulb appears over the Graduate’s head, glowing brightly.
Graduate:  Now I get it!  Having both of you here is giving me much better advice about my future than either of you could give me alone.  Without you, Saturn, I’d have no purpose, no goals to strive for and I certainly wouldn’t have the strength of character and integrity to follow through on those goals.  But without you, Jupiter, I’d have no hope, no reason to get out of bed in the morning and I’d forget why I do it all.  Life would have no meaning.  So I’m afraid you’re going to have to get along with each other, because I can’t choose between you.  I need you both.
Graduate gathers both deities together for an uncomfortable group hug.  She gives each a giant kiss on the cheek.  Jupiter puffs with pride, Saturn contracts bashfully.
Graduate:  God, suddenly I feel like I’m in a buddy movie.  Now go on, you two—other people need you too!
She gives them a push.  They grin and go up in individual puffs of smoke.  The Graduate smiles to herself, then turns and walks onstage to give her commencement speech.

Previous post in this thread:
Jupiter Opposes Saturn: Expansion vs. Contraction
The final post in this thread will happen in March of 2011.

This month, Saturn and Uranus finish their epic battle, which has been going on since November of 2008.  They have spent most of this time with Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces but now Uranus has moved into Aries while Saturn has moved into Libra.  Their tussle reaches a fever pitch in these more volatile signs.

Saturn:  Hey Uranus, since you moved into Aries you’ve become a lot more pushy.  Why can’t you be reasonable?
Uranus:  Because you ask too much.  You want life to always be fair and it just isn’t.  Sometimes it makes me so mad!
Saturn:  You’ve got to control that anger—it could destroy everything.
Uranus:  I wasn’t made to be reasonable.  Not in Aries.  I’d like to blow it all to smithereens!
Saturn:  If you’re willing to negotiate calmly, we could accomplish something here.
Uranus:  Who needs negotiation?  I’ll just push till I get what I want.
Saturn:  Then I’ll have to continue fighting you because I’m not going to allow myself to get run over.
Uranus:  Why do you bother with me?
Saturn:  Because I earnestly believe that we can both have what we want if we live into our best qualities.  Let’s get some outside help.
Levelheaded Saturn-in-Libra scans the Earth and points out a Human Being.
Saturn:  Look, there’s someone who may be able to integrate us.
Uranus:  Huh.  Ok.
Uranus waves his hand and the Human Being is magically transported to Mount Olympus and into the presence of the gods.
Human Being:  Woah.  Are you . . . actual deities?
Saturn:  Yep.  And we need your help.
Human Being (kowtowing):  I’m not worthy!
Uranus:  Then you’d better get worthy because we need you.
Human Being:  Yikes!  Ok.  Sitting up straight now.  Paying attention.  What can I do for you?
They quickly download into his brain their whole mighty struggle of the last year and a half.  He sits down while absorbing it.
Human Being:  Hmm, pretty touchy struggle.  Saturn, I think you’re going to have to make room for Uranus to be more fiery.  Your insistence on niceness is like a wet blanket for him.  Do you think you can do that?
Saturn:  I’m not excited about it, but since I’m in Libra I value appropriate compromise.
Human Being:  Well you’re not the only one who’s going to have to change.  Uranus?
Uranus:  Hmpph?
Human Being:  You can’t blow everything to smithereens.
Uranus looks downcast.
Human Being:  I know you want a fresh start and you want progress and it looks like a massive flattening of the way things used to be done is what’s necessary.  But it’s not.  You two are going to have to work together.  The world needs you both.  The world needs Uranian progress and Saturnine consistency.  We need the old guard and the new ways.  We need tradition and progress.  Quite frankly, we can’t live without both of you.  Find ways to create change that don’t destroy the old ways.  Find ways to honor and hold tradition without stifling youthful enthusiasm.  This is your job.  It is a sacred duty.
Saturn and Uranus are looking serious.  Human Being puts their hands together and they shake on it.
Saturn:  I’m rather impressed with you Human Beings.  You have a way of taking the principle behind what we offer and putting it to good use.
Uranus:  Yeah, I have to agree.  Human Beings are a really great vehicle for the sort of inspired ideas I like to download.
Human Being:  Have fun, you guys.  And try not to kill each other.
Human Being fades away, feeling pretty pleased with self.

See my previous posts on Saturn’s opposition to Uranus:
Saturn vs. Uranus—Match of the Decade
Should I Build or Break? Answer: Both!
Saturn and Uranus: Self-Governance vs. Progressive Change
Governmental Reform

I want to take a moment to bid a fond farewell to Saturn in Virgo.  I don’t usually say a valediction to a planet departing a sign, because I’m usually too busy heralding its entry into the next sign at exactly the time when you, dear Reader, need to know about it.  But this one’s personal.

I wish I had been born with Saturn in Virgo.  I honestly do.  Instead I have Pluto and Uranus in Virgo, so I get compulsive about habits and my habits tend toward the eccentric, instead of simply having a set of habits that make my life run like a well-oiled machine.  But when Saturn transits through Virgo, as it has been doing for the last 2 and a half years, we all get a taste of anti-entropic goodness.

Here is a list of 5 things I’ve accomplished while Saturn was in Virgo:

1. Read David Allen’s book Getting Things Done—twice.

2. Bought and implemented OmniFocus, personal organization software that has helped me deal with the overwhelming amount of details life presents.  Used it to implement David Allen’s processes.  Sat back and watched the paper piles diminish.

3. Kicked sugar out of my diet—several times.  It’s very hard to do it permanently, but at least I caught a glimpse of a whole new world—my life without sugar.  In it I am always full of energy and in a good mood.

4. Cleaned my basement, reorganized things, put them in clearly-labeled boxes and donated things I don’t want.  I did this twice, with the help of my extremely energetic Aries sister (go her!).

5. And a whole host of other tiny-but-adding-up-to-a-mountain of small changes to my processes and procedures that have made every area of life go smoother.  They include ways of systematizing my business that have led to greater productivity for me and better support for my clients.

Now that Saturn’s moving out of Virgo, it’s time to bid farewell to the extended cleaning and organizing frenzy and to turn our serious Saturnine attention to all things Libran.  During the next two-and-a-half years, it’s a great time to take more responsibility in our relationships, to embrace fairness and good judgment, to create balance in all areas of our lives, especially wherever Saturn is transiting.  This is Saturn’s favorite sign, so may he have mercy on us.

Want to know where Saturn is in your chart right now?
A reading can tell you this, what to do about it and much more.
Contact Jamie to find out how.

This Is A Pivotal Day
If you are one of the millions of people having a Saturn transit this year, today is likely to be pivotal for you.  Sometime around January 13, when Saturn turned retrograde, you were cast on an inner journey to discover what your unavoidable responsibility is.  By now you should have done a lot of soul-searching and reached some conclusions about what’s in front of you.  You’re work is cut out for you and now it’s time to hunker down and, in a serious push lasting several months, complete all those tasks leading to a tremendous accomplishment.

“What is a Saturn transit like . . .”
When Saturn is affecting your chart it tends to feel heavy. You feel the weight of life more than usual. You feel serious, and the pressure to take a more professional approach is enormous.  You are more aware of your limitations than usual and you feel you must take steps to improve your situation.  A Saturn transit is never comfortable, but it calls out the best in us and demands that we perform to, or even beyond, our standards.

“. . . and how do I know when I’m having one?”
First of all, you know by feel.  If what I’ve described resonates for you, it’s likely you’re having a Saturn transit.  (If it resonates, but only a little, you may be having a transit, but by a planet other than Saturn.)  That sensation of heaviness and duty that’s peculiar to a Saturn transit is because there’s hard work to be done in some area of your life and Saturn is making you aware of it.

You can find out whether you’re having a Saturn transit by peeking at your chart.  This year Saturn is covering the space from 27 degrees of Virgo to 4 degrees of Libra.  It will affect you if you have any planet in the space from 27 to 29 degrees of any of the four Mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius).  It will also affect you if you have any planet in the space from 0 to 4 degrees of any of the four Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn).

If you don’t have your chart, or don’t know how to read your chart, you might want to order your own personal Astrology Chart Decoder.  This is a special tool I’ve invented that puts your chart’s details into English, instead of astrology symbols.  Your Decoder tells you where every planet in your chart is located:  the sign it’s in, the house it’s in and the exact degree it occupies.  When you’ve got your Decoder in front of you, check to see if you have anything at all in 27, 28 or 29 degrees of Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius.  Also check to see if you have anything at all in 0, 1,2, 3 or 4 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn.  If you do, you are definitely having a Saturn transit this year.  And knowing that gives you a chance to understand the change you’re involved in and to make use of the pressure, instead of feeling overwhelmed by it.

“How long does it last?”
A Saturn transit will typically last for about 9 months.  This year’s Saturn transit will be over in September of 2010.  Today is just one part of it, a pivotal day in its flow.  If this transits is affecting you, the timing of it will be unique to you.  It takes an astrologer to look it up—it’s not something I can just tell you in a blogpost.  In an astrology reading you can find out the timing of it and how to move through it consciously, instead of spending this valuable time agitated and disturbed.  You can also find out which part of you (i.e. planet in your chart) is feeling the pressure to take responsibility.  Is it Relationships (Venus)?  Career (Saturn)?  Home (Moon)?  Or it could be something more subtle.

“What do I do now?”
People generally respond to a Saturn transit one of two ways: either they roll up their sleeves and get to work on the area of life where the pressure is or they run away and stick their head in the sand.  Are you using the pressure as a motivation to accomplish things you’ve been wanting to accomplish for a long time or are you avoiding the responsibility you know darned well is right in front of you?  The good news is that the moment you decide to be responsible and you take action towards that responsibility, the feeling of heaviness lifts.  Saturn has been propitiated and he eases off.

Saturn’s Gift
The principle behind Saturn’s pressure is extraordinarily simple:  do the work and you’ll get the reward.  That’s all.  It’s a simple input/output machine and there’s nothing complicated about it.

Face the hard work.  Approach it in a practical way.  Break down what there is to do into small tasks and do them.  Awaken your ambition to build something great out of what you have, and let it take over.  Paradoxically, practice, when done properly, does lead to flow, that elusive state where time melts away and you are one with your practice.  Ultimately your effort will pay off—that’s Saturn’s promise and believe me, his word is good.

When it’s over, it’s over
Every transit only lasts so long and this one will only last a few months longer.  I’m a big fan of taking advantage of transits while they are happening, instead of spending the precious time resisting or waiting for them to be over.  A transit is the most powerful while you are in the thick of it.  That may be the hardest time to change but it’s also time when the most pressure to change is brought to bear.  You cannot afford to be lazy during a Saturn transit because it feels so much worse than laziness usually does.  If you decide that Saturn’s pressure is your friend, you can get him on your side.  And with Saturn beside you, you can climb—and move—mountains.

Want to know more about how this Saturn transit affects your life?
Contact Jamie at pandora@pandoraastrology.com
to schedule a reading.

Art by disjointdheart

This month, Jupiter and Saturn come into opposition in the sky.  Since Jupiter is all about expansion, getting bigger and having confidence in ourselves and Saturn is all about contraction, being emotionally reserved and working hard to earn what we gain in life, you can see that they have a lot of places to disagree.

Imagine Jupiter and Saturn on Mount Olympus arguing about how you should spend your time.  Jupiter is a large, round, jolly guy with a benevolent glow around him.  Saturn is thin and ascetic-looking, with a kind of hooked nose and a miserly air.  Their conversation might sound something like this . . .

Jupiter:  I’m all about making things bigger.
Saturn:  Blowing them out of proportion, you mean.
Jupiter:  Why do you always have to be such a wet blanket?
Saturn:  Because I value substance over surface.  There’s no limit to what can be accomplished by someone who’s willing to work hard and create value.
Jupiter:  Actually, there is a limit to that.  If a person works hard but never takes a break, they will come to feel that their life is just drudgery—“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” you know?
Saturn:  If the work is done, it’s ok to go play.
Jupiter:  Is it really, Saturn?  Do you ever really let up?
Saturn:  I can let up after something really solid has been accomplished.  But I like to push until it actually happens.  You, on the other hand, are usually full of hot air.  All enthusiasm and no substance.
Jupiter:  How can people progress and build anything meaningful if they have no hope?
Saturn:  I’m perfectly ready to deliver the reward after the work is done.
Jupiter:  Your approach is harsh and judgmental.
Saturn:  And you’re too relaxed.  Promises are important and a person who cannot stand behind their own word is worthless.  Wait a minute, who’s that?
A human being has joined the gods on Mount Olympus and stands there struggling for breath in the rarified atmosphere.
Human Being:  I’m only mortal, but I climbed up here because I want to talk to you both.
Jupiter:  I’m impressed.
Saturn:  So am I.  For once we agree.  So, little Human Being, what do you want?
Human Being:  Your argument is confusing me.  Sometimes I want to be in touch with my ability to hope and to grow and to expand, and then I listen to you, Jupiter—
Jupiter:  Fantastic idea.  Good on you.
Human Being:  —and then other times I just need a solid kick in the pants, so I listen to the never-ending stream of self-judgment that you put in my head, Saturn.
Saturn:  Glad you’re listening.  That will take you far.
Human Being:  But right now I don’t know what to do.  You’re pulling me in two different directions.  I don’t know whether I should expand or contract.  Should I grow my business or prune and consolidate it?  Should I make promises before I know I can keep them and then scramble to fulfill or should I work hard behind the scenes until I have something solid to offer and then promote it wildly?
Jupiter and Saturn look at each other.  Both shrug.
Saturn:  It doesn’t really matter which you do first, as long as you honor us both.
Jupiter:  Couldn’t have said it better myself.  Just make us both happy, in whatever order you like, and you’ll find our argument is over.
Jupiter and Saturn pat each other on the back and stroll away into the beautiful Olympian twilight.

Saturn and Uranus are still slugging it out in the skies, as they have been since November of 2008.  Today, April 26, 2010, is peak 4 of 5 in their ongoing struggle for control.  They won’t be done until July this year.  Here are some snippets from their argument:

Uranus:  You’re in favor of centralized power.
Saturn:  Absolutely.  The people don’t know what they want.  Someone has to be in charge.  Someone has to set the rules.
Uranus:  But what about when the people rebel?  What about the times when I create revolutions?  There’s no flexibility here for progress and change.
Saturn:  People should know that their government is trying its best to manage things so the people don’t have to.
Uranus:  When allowed its own way, government quickly becomes a tottering edifice of bureaucratic tangles.  Haven’t you ever seen the movie “Brazil?”
Saturn:  A ridiculous, trumped-up set of cinematically persuasive lies.  I don’t like science fiction.
Uranus:  I love science fiction.
Saturn:  Only one of the many areas where we part ways.  Please stay on the point.
Uranus:  Which is?
Saturn:  What government can’t take care of, privatization can.
Uranus:  Now you’ve really lost me.
Saturn:  Big business has the tools to handle problems government can’t.
Uranus:  And who pays in the end?

A planetary battle like this has a scale that is both grand and small.  You’ll see these Saturn-Uranus dilemmas playing out in news headlines that shout about public life and you may well see the same dilemmas playing out in your own personal life on a very immediate level as you struggle for self-discipline but wonder whether you are sacrificing your own genius.

“Does This Affect Me?”
If you have anything in your chart in 27, 28 or 29 degrees of Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) or in 0 degrees of Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), yes—this affects you.  If you want to find out if this affects you, send me your birth data and I’ll tell you at no cost.  Just email me at Pandora at pandoraastrology dot com and include your name, your date of birth (including the year), your birth time as accurate as you can find (the birth certificate is usually the best source) and the city you were born in.  Be sure to add the question:  “am I being affected by this year’s Saturn-Uranus opposition?”

To read more about this:
Saturn vs. Uranus—Match of the Decade
Should I Build or Break? Answer: Both!
Saturn and Uranus: Self-Governance vs. Progressive Change

“Wake up!” says Saturn.  “I gave you a chance to see your responsibility recently.  Now I’m telling you again:  this is a time of testing.”

Today is a Pivotal Day
When a planet turns retrograde it makes a pivot in the sky and also creates a metaphorically “pivotal” experience for human beings.

Today, that planet is Saturn.  It’s as if Saturn is telling us, “You can’t go on avoiding responsibility forever.  Today I’m delivering a wake-up call.”  If Saturn is touching a planet in your chart this year, this message is for you and it will have very specific meaning, depending on what planet that is.  That planet, and the part of you it represents, is being asked to take responsibility.  Today is the peak of possibility of Saturn’s wake-up call, but it could happen anytime within 5 days surrounding today.

Initiation Leading to an Inner Journey
Sometime between now and the beginning of last October Saturn showed us an area of life in which we need to take more responsibility.  What he delivered was an initiation and it was our first chance to catch a clue about the changes coming.  That clue may have been obvious or it may have been subtle, but we’ve been shown a place in our life that would benefit from sustained hard work and a more serious attitude.

Did we notice?  It’s human to go into denial after a clue is delivered.  During the autumn we may have said to ourselves, “Maybe I don’t have to do anything about this.  Maybe it was just a one-time thing.  Maybe I can just move on.  Maybe I can get away without paying attention to this.”

Or maybe not.  Today Saturn turns up the volume and gives us a reminder.  “That responsibility you need to take?” he says, “You’d better figure it out and start doing it.”  This is a wake-up call.  Today, Saturn’s retrograde journey begins and with it begins our journey inward to discover what responsibility we need to take and how it will benefit us to do so.  Saturn’s retrograde journey lasts until the day it turns direct, which is May 30, 2010.

Where must we take responsibility?
The sign Saturn begins its backwards journey in matters, as well as the sign it moves backward into.  Saturn has been in Virgo for the last 2¼  years.  In 2010 it moves forward into Libra.  Its retrograde journey takes it back into Virgo for a few brief months before making the commitment to forward motion into Libra.

Virgo represents the phase of life in which we become a full adult.  In Virgo we assume adult status, enter the workforce and groom ourselves for life as a grown-up.  Libra, falling next in zodiacal order, represents relationship.  In Libra occurs the encounter with the Other, the Beloved.  In Libra we meet our match.

But before we move on to the domain of relationships, Saturn is telling us we need to get our house in order as individuals.  He tells us this by moving back into Virgo for a brief time before then moving forward into Libra.  This will be a period of grooming, cleaning, perfecting.  If you have organized things and structured your health or personal habits over the last 2 years, this is your last chance to complete that process before Saturn shifts out of Virgo’s perfection realm into Libra’s relating realm.  Virgo is a period of preparation to meet the Beloved, a period of finding oneself before entering into relationship with another in Libra.  It is that last moment you spend in front of the mirror before leaving the house.  “Is everything in order?” Saturn wants to know.  The next few months are your last chance (for many years to come) to make it so.

Is this story your story?
If this resonates for you, it may be that you are personally touched by this transit.  Saturn may be triggering a planet in your own chart, thus bringing these themes up for you.  This year Saturn is covering the space between 27 degrees Virgo and 4 degrees Libra.  If there is anything in your chart in 27, 28 or 29 degrees of Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius or Pisces, you will feel this.  Also if you have anything in 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 degrees of Libra, Capricorn, Aries or Cancer, you will feel this.  And knowing it can explain feelings you may be having of guilt, seriousness, obligation, duty or feeling trapped or limited.  Saturn may be trying to tell you something important, and if you listen, your discomfort will ease and a clear path to action can open up before you.

What area of your life is being affected?
Good question.  It will have to do with the planet in your chart that’s being triggered by Saturn.  If it’s Mercury, Saturn is asking you to sharpen, hone and focus your mind, so this could be the right time for studying hard.  If it’s Venus or Juno, Saturn is testing your relationships for strength and resilience.  If it’s Jupiter, your hope and faith are being tested.  But whatever it is, that feeling of heaviness, oppression, limitation and the pressure to take committed action are present.  That’s Saturn.  He’s nobody’s favorite planet, but because he lives in each of us, the job gets done.

Want to know more about how this Saturn transit affects your life?
Contact Jamie at pandora@pandoraastrology.com
to schedule a reading.

I’m not one of those doom-saying astrologers.  I won’t rant about how the world’s going to end in 2012 (or any other year).  But Saturn square Pluto is starting this month and going through August of 2010 and it’s serious.  It really is heavy. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t let you know how serious it is and how to cope with it.

Saturn is the archetype of the Wise Old Man, the Mentor, the Father Figure, the Authority.  When Saturn comes along, he reminds us of our duties, our obligations and the seriousness of the situation.  Saturn brings a reality check, sometimes a harsh one.

Pluto is the Phoenix.  He transforms everything he touches, putting it through a metamorphosis, a long dark night of the soul.  He brings a symbolic death-and-rebirth experience.  He also represents our instincts, that part of us that ferrets out the underlying truths.

These are both heavy archetypes and they are in a square to each other, which astrologers traditionally view as a stressful relationship.  A square feels frustrating and obstructive to both parties.  They are not coming to the table ready to negotiate, but ready to ‘square off.’  They’re in a fighting mood.

Here’s a snippet of conversation between the two:
Saturn: I’m the ultimate authority figure.  I’m strong and solid and I have respect for the wisdom of the elders.  I represent the continuity of culture and its rules.
Pluto: I doubt you.  I think there’s something fishy behind everything you say and do.  I think you have an interest in maintaining your position and you don’t really care about the people you have charge of.
Saturn: I’ve been in charge for a very long time.  The people put me here.  I do what I do to take care of them.  I hold communities together.  I provide the rules people live by and the punishments that keep them in line.
Pluto: You have ulterior motives.  I won’t be happy until I uncover every last slimy thing you’ve ever done and hold it up to the light of day.
Saturn: Don’t even think about crossing me.
Pluto: You know you can’t win.  You have a trail of slime behind you a mile wide.  I can smell it.
Saturn: No way—I’ve kept my past clean.  I am a person of integrity.
Pluto: I think you’re corrupt.  I’ll be watching you.  One false move and you’re out.

That was a view of Pluto obstructing Saturn.  But one can just as easily see Saturn obstructing Pluto:
Saturn: Pluto, I’ve noticed that you love intense experience.
Pluto: Yes, I do.  I like life on the edge.  I like passion.
Saturn: You can get pretty compulsive sometimes.
Pluto: I like the sensation of falling.  I like life pulling at me and I like pulling at others.
Saturn: You become addicted to things too easily.  You get lost in your compulsions and lose your good judgment.
Pluto: Did I ever have good judgment in the first place?  I have only my instincts to guide me.
Saturn: But you muddy your instincts when you involve yourself in addictions.  How can they guide you when you’re continually pulled back towards a substance or habit that makes the pain go away?
Pluto: I refuse to live in pain.  What do you suggest?
Saturn: Discipline.  Because addiction, while it promises to relieve pain in the short term, only amplifies it in the long term.  Eliminate your addictions.  Then we’ll talk.
Pluto: Not till I’m good and ready.
Saturn: You’ll probably have to hit bottom first, maybe alienate everyone around you and ruin your life.
Pluto: If the people around me don’t love me through this, maybe they were worth losing.
Saturn: I see—people are supposed to love you while you are free to abuse them because your life is so hard?  You’re such a baby.  And a victim.
Pluto: And you’re a hardass.  You only pretended to care about me.  Go away.

You see?  Both archetypes have their weak spots and this transit could well bring those weak spots out.

This transit of Pluto square Saturn lasts from November of 2009 through August of 2010.  Today’s post is just a taste of what Saturn and Pluto have in store for us.  I’ll write more about it as this transit goes on, but for now I’d like to leave you with a few interesting questions to ponder:

• In what areas of your life have you been using your role as an authority figure to avoid changing?
• In what ways have you become rigid, adhering to rules instead of flexibly responding to life’s challenges on a case-by-case basis?
• In what areas of your life does an addiction rule you and cause you to violate your own integrity—whether with yourself or with others?
• When’s the last time you lied to someone—or to yourself?  What were you protecting?

These are heavy questions.  But if you’re ready for the very foundation of your life to shift in order to change in truly deep ways for the better, this transit is perfect for you.

A time of change and upheaval is upon us.  Saturn and Uranus have been pulling in opposite directions since November of 2008 and they won’t be done until the end of July in 2010.  In previous posts about this theme, I’ve described Saturn as the conservative side of human nature while Uranus represents the tendency to create chaos on the way to a new level of order.  This month (Sept of 2009) there is a peak in this transit’s themes as Saturn and Uranus come into exact opposition.  Here are some more ideas on how it could go:

Saturn and Uranus are having an argument.
Saturn:  I’m in favor of self-governance.
Uranus:  And I’m in favor of innovation.  That may look like chaos at times, because innovation requires breaking down the old ways.
Saturn:  It looks like brattiness sometimes too!
Uranus:  Yeah well, what you’re doing looks an awful lot like doing things the old way just because it’s the old way.
Saturn:  You not only don’t want to do things in the old, established ways, you can’t.  You’re not even capable.
Uranus:  I count that as a benefit.  It’s true that I can’t stand rules-for-the-sake-of-rules, but rules like that are oppressive.  I prefer progress to entropy.
Saturn:  You mean you prefer disruption to consistency.  You couldn’t use an established procedure if you tried.  Stupid Pisces-dwelling planet.
Uranus:  Yeah, I’m in Pisces—what of it?  Are you calling me lazy?  Are you saying I’m not willing to do the work?
Saturn:  Yeah, you’re lazy.  You don’t want to work right here, right now.   You want to escape to the next level where the work in front of you is no longer pertinent.
Uranus:  Working smarter instead of harder just makes good sense.  But you are like a crazy person who works when you don’t have to.
Saturn:  What—do you think I’m not lazy?  Why do you think I like automating things so much?  I’m in Virgo, for god’s sake—I’m focused on all the ways I can put habits into place so that things automatically become easier over time and I don’t have to think about them as much.  I’ve been in Virgo for 2 years now, and I really know what I’m talking about.
Uranus:  Yeah, that’s Virgo, always tweaking and perfecting, can’t ever leave things alone.
Saturn:  Now who’s talking in favor of entropy?  Hm?
Uranus:  Hey look—there’s a little human down there on Earth.  He’s being transited by us.
Saturn:  What, you mean he’s paying attention to our conversation?
Uranus:  Not necessarily, but he’s feeling it, whether he knows it or not.
Saturn:  Let’s whisper our messages in his ear.  Maybe he’ll hear them.
Uranus:  Yeah, maybe he can figure out how to help us stop fighting and get into agreement.
Saturn and Uranus turn themselves into a fine mist, which shoots down to Earth and burrows into the ears of the little human that’s there.  Saturn goes for the right ear while Uranus goes for the left.  Each whispers their message before dissolving into nothing.
Saturn:  Self-governance is the high road to success and leadership.  He who governs himself will be asked to govern others.
Uranus:  The change you seek for the world starts within you.  Follow your conscience and progress will be inspired by your dream.
Human Being:  Whoooah.

“Is This Affecting Me?”
If you have any planet at all in 24 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius, you will be feeling this.  If your birthday is Sept 15-16, March 13-14, June 13-14 or December 14-15, this definitely means you.

A Brief Historical Note
The last time Saturn and Uranus battled it out in the sky like this, the tension of their opposition led to impeachment of USA president Bill Clinton.  Uranus was in Aquarius and Saturn was in Taurus.  And while Uranus may have won that tug-of-war (Clinton was impeached by the House), Saturn had the last laugh (the Senate did not agree and so Clinton was not removed from office).  Uranus, when reached for comment, said:  “When your president isn’t making progressive change, perhaps you need to change your president.”

For more about Saturn vs. Uranus see these:
Match of the Decade
Should I Build or Break?