The powerful hum of planetary motion rumbles through the routines of daily life this week, and because stagnant waters are particularly susceptible to its reverberations, many of us are likely to encounter major or minor disturbances in places we haven’t visited for a while. Pay attention: We are entering into even deeper waters of individual and collective transformation, and some of us could be more than a little resistant to the shift.
Defense mechanisms, yours or others’, are certain to auto-set at DEFCON 2, and because resetting those systems requires gargantuan effort, you can anticipate spending plenty of precious time talking about what went wrong and what’s still wrong. But we’re not just in the stagnant waters of the emotional body. We’re also sailing on the seas of psyche, and skillfully navigating the depth of these potent and mysterious waters requires the poignant vulnerability of an open heart.
Saturn pulls us into the deep as it moves into Scorpio on Friday, October 5, when it leaves Libra, the Sign of relating, a transit that began on October 29, 2009. While I’m not implying that Libra and its vast domain of relationship are superficial, Scorpio is, as they say in Oz, “a horse of a different color.” Scorpio symbolizes the unchanging process of change – birth, death, and rebirth – and thus includes within its vast domain all the areas of life that are out of our control, including life, itself. From a slightly less abstract perspective, Scorpio also represents all the thorny human themes, such as sex, politics, finance, secrecy, privacy, and the process of transformation. Saturn stays in Scorpio until December 2014, which gives us lots of time to examine how we handle those issues.
Saturn signifies structure – wherever it is found, is where we find the bones of things. There is nothing superfluous or evenly mildly superficial about Saturn, unless we characterize its penchant for fault and flaw finding as trivial – mean-spirited on occasion, but never trivial. Saturn is the principle that allows us to distill wisdom from experience, and therefore it is both the student and the teacher. And no matter how friendly you feel toward this emblem of wisdom, eventually any honest definition of Saturn will include the words “inhibition,” “limitation,” and “concentration.” Scorpio is also no slouch when it comes to the deep waters of the soul; it will feel Saturn’s presence keenly, and so will we. Remember: Each of us has every Sign in our birth chart; each of us will feel Saturn’s shift into Scorpio somewhere in our lives.
Saturn begins its transit of Scorpio in a conjunction with Mercury, and both Saturn and Mercury trine Neptune. We love this signature: A Mercury/Saturn conjunction indicates the potential for deep thinking. The trine with Neptune provides the potential for imagination and intuition to amplify that intellectual concentration.
Do your best to stay calm through this Saturnian transition. Sure, there are relationship threads that still need gathering, but there’s plenty of time to find resolution.
If you know your Ascendant and/or your Moon Sign, read that, too.
Aries March 21-April 19
Saturn focuses on joint financial concerns, personal and professional. Don’t confuse this two-year intensive with an absence of money. The focus is on how to manage it.
Taurus April 20-May 20
Saturn moves into your Solar House of relationship, and as it concentrates on relating, so do you. This phase is about all your relations, significant others, friends, family, and most importantly your relationship with you.
Gemini May 21-June 21
Saturn invites you to learn how to take better care of yourself, as you simultaneously refine how you care for others. Be unstintingly honest with yourself during this phase, and rather than be daunted by this process, you’ll be invigorated.
Cancer June 22-July 22
Consider the next two years an opportunity to restructure your self-expression. Be determined to create a positive and disciplined path for creativity – take piano lessons, join a writing group, or study photography.
Leo July 23-August 22
Saturn stirs the bottom of your psychic pond, muddying the waters with issues of safety and security. Embrace this process simply because it will allow you to recognize that you are enough, a recognition with the potential for deep healing.
Virgo August 23-September 22
Saturn moves into your Solar House of communication, but that doesn’t mean you should stop talking – quite the contrary; you’re in a two-year phase of learning to choose your words wisely.
Libra September 23-October 22
Take a deep breath, and then, continue to breathe deeply for as long as necessary. Just enjoy the end of Saturn in your Sign. There’s no need to worry about what lies ahead. Right now, concentrate on this moment.
Scorpio October 23-November 21
It’s a two-year identity crisis, as Saturn invites you to probe the structure of your persona. Be determined to refine the gold that’s already there, and you’ll be pleased with process as well as the results.
Sagittarius November 22-December 21
You could be tempted to brood over any number of situations, or you could choose to use Saturn’s depth as a way to understand unconscious patterns keeping you mired in habits you simply no longer enjoy.
Capricorn December 22-January 19
Saturn’s moves signals changes in your community, particularly how you participate and contribute. Take your time with this change in focus, and you’re sure to transform your social milieu.
Aquarius January 20-February 18
Saturn moves to the top of your solar chart, inviting you to contemplate what you would like to be recognized for, and why. Welcome this phase, and you’ll make great strides in self-awareness and self-realization.
Pisces February 19-March 20
Be willing to examine your belief systems, all of them, especially the ones you’re clinging to. I’m not suggesting you abandon them; I’m advising you to use Saturn’s presence to strengthen those systems with insight and knowledge.
Ralfee Finn specializes in Transformational Astrology. For readings, call 1-888-937-9264, write P.O. Box 343, New York, NY 10025, visit AquariumAge.com, or e-mail Ralfee@AquariumAge.com. Copyright © 2012 by Ralfee Finn