otterspaceastrology

WISH UPON A STAR —- Saturn in Libra in YOUR chart — THE WRAP-UP

Back again, dear readers and friends…  Saturn is a slow and deliberate energy. In the science world, Saturn is a dense, heavy  planet.   In astrology, we can feel  a lot of pressure  when transiting Saturn is making conjunctions in our chart.  Conjunction means union, with Saturn in the same degree and sign as one of our natal planets.  Examples are Saturn on Sun, Saturn on Moon, Saturn on natal Saturn — that one is called the Saturn return and a person has 2, maybe 3 in their lifetime.  VERY important…we’ll have a blog on that sometime in the future…

These final months of Saturn in Libra are wrapping up a long phase of growth and development concerning close relationships.  When Saturn enters  Scorpio (10-6-12) the current pressure in Libra will lift and it will be much easier to see the value of the experiences we’ve had.   Saturn helps us focus through restriction.  If your elbow could flop in any direction it would be pretty useless — because it is restricted in its motion, it acts as a fulcrum, helps us lift heavier items, etc.   Late June through early October 2012 is not necessarily a fun time, but it IS an important time to really understand long-term patterns in our closest relationships, balancing previous thinking errors with new insight, and move toward healthier partnerships, toward  real love.  Trying to change a partner does not work but we DO have the power to change ourselves.  You may decide that you need to restrict yourself from certain behaviors or response patterns in order to achieve the results you desire.  When I was  on my first Saturn return I met a woman who consistently made negative gender-based comments about men.  It made a big impression on me.  It didn’t bring her any happiness,  and I made a promise to myself to remain aware that all humans have both male and female qualities.  From that time on I have avoided gender-based comments.  Why write off half the human race?  Why bash half of ourselves?

Even transiting squares and oppositions can symbolize those  difficult situations that don’t resolve easily.  A square is a symbol of challenge, frustration and the need to make adjustments.  A square can also symbolize big accomplishments.  Oppositions  symbolize the gaining of awareness through close relationships —sometimes they manifest as people being polarized and unwilling to reach agreements.  Other times the opposition is a symbol of a true love match, though it would tend to be volatile at times.   I think this is such an important time to look back at the  relationships in our lives and evaluate what we have learned.  Libra is usually considered as the sign ruling close partnerships, including marriage but also stretching to symbolize other close partnerships of all kinds.

Since I began this particular blog, it came to my attention twice in different ways that my readers need to understand the difference between solar and natal astrology.  Then you will be able to know what House in YOUR chart has Libra and is being affected by the current Saturn transit.  So here is a short digression…

If you are reading SUN SIGN astrology, it means exactly that.  You are reading a forecast for your Sun Sign.  When these writers say, for example, transiting Saturn in your solar 4^th, what they mean is they are putting your Sun over on the Ascendant (9 o’clock on the wheel) and if Saturn in Libra is transiting your solar 4^th then you most likely have a Cancer Sun.  The Ascendant is the cusp of the 1^st house — our window to the outside world, the mask of personality worn over the soul (Sun).  Another example, if a writer or a magazine says Saturn is transiting in your solar 7^th right now, that’s going to mean they have put Aries Sun over on the Ascendant.  In order to understand NATAL astrology, which is cast for YOUR EXACT moment of birth, please understand that the Ascendant progresses at approximately 1 degree every 4 minutes — all 360 degrees in a 24 hour period.  Not to get too technical here, but there are signs of long ascension and signs of short ascension and these change during the year, but the 1 degree per 4 minutes works fairly well.  And the TIME OF BIRTH, the Ascendant, sets the house cusps.  A quick rule of thumb is if you are born at dawn, your Sun WILL be on the Ascendant.  Born at sunset, your Sun is in or near the 7^th  house of partnerships;  born at midnight, your Sun is at the bottom of the chart near the 4^th cusp of home and family; and born at noon means your Sun is at the top of the chart most likely in the 10^th house of career, reputation and public life.

And the reason all these writers use solar astrology is because it is general enough to apply to many people at once, but is it NOT based on your own unique chart.  Those of you avid readers who like the daily/monthly forecasts need to be reading for your ASCENDANT sign as well —that is NATAL astrology and then the transiting planets will be in the correct houses for YOUR chart.  And please remember, there are 360 degrees possible to have as your Ascendant each day.

I have one more point to make about this and then we’ll move on…if you take a dozen people born on the same day, but a different year and a different location and a different time of day — all of them will have their Sun in the same sign degree but all the other planets will be in other signs and houses.  If you take a dozen people born on the same day and the SAME year, all their planets will be in the same signs and degrees except the Moon, which transits at approximately 1 degree every 2 hours.  Add to that the Ascendant moving and progressing and you STILL  get 12 totally different and unique charts since the time of birth sets the house cusps.

Naturally, I think every person would benefit from knowing their exact chart :))…

OK, enough technical stuff, let’s look at Saturn in real life.

If you have ARIES rising, you have an advantage because BOTH the solar and the natal forecasts are the same since Aries is the natural first house on the wheel of the chart.  Transiting Saturn in your 7^th CAN be a commitment to love, however with the other challenging transits in cardinal signs this year, your current situation can be both heavy and serious.  Saturn may be suggesting you need to take more responsibility in the partnership, or maybe your partner is gone from home due to career demands,  thus putting more of a burden on you.  You can use Saturn to define what is important in your marriage, too, figuring out what is lacking or what is bothering you.  A  single person can come into a lot more clarity about who would be an appropriate partner for them.  When I was quite young, my father was hit by a delivery truck outside our home.  Broken teeth and broken bones, and for the duration of his recovery my mother did absolutely EVERYTHING — took care of him, of me, ran his business, drove him to medical appointments, etc.  You can guess where Saturn was in her chart during that time. Another possibility is you and your partner may combine careers in some way or start a business together.

If you have TAURUS rising, then Saturn in currently transiting your 6^th house of health, work and service to others.  In Libra, a balanced diet and a balanced lifestyle — some adjustments may be needed for better health.  Watch the kidneys (Libra)  and know that if you are habitually pissed off, you can end up with chronic bladder infections.  You might have a right and a reason to be mad at your supervisor and/or co-workers, but what’s the payoff?  Find a better way to deal with the situation.  If you are promoted in-house with this transit, there will be an adjustment period as your previous relationships  with co-workers need  to change.  An excellent transit to take responsibility for your own good health.  The 6^th is the natural Virgo house and Saturn here would be asking you to be well-organized and meticulous about keeping up with all the chores and tasks of daily life.  Including paperwork.  You could also experience this transit as YOU being the authority at home and teaching your kids how to schedule their time and how to perform various domestic chores, balancing work and play.  Speaking personally, I think one of the most important points of the 6^th house is to find joy in the daily routine, to realize that the cleaning/laundry/dishes/making the shopping lists — even taking out the garbage — is a process and not a destination.  It was actually a Virgo who taught me that :))…

If you have GEMINI rising then Saturn is currently in your 5^th house of children, creativity, and recreation.  In Libra, might mean you help your children re-structure or re-decorate their rooms, letting them express their individuality (the 5^th is the Leo house).  Your child may need to make some serious decisions, depending on his/her age — like college.  There can be issues about sports — I’m getting the impression here about a child telling their parent about a coach or a teacher that plays favorites.  Libra is negotiation and achieving a compromise.  It could be your child is having the same issues with friends. Or your child could tell you something a friend is going through that is quite serious, even tragic.  I know one parent who enrolled their child in martial arts classes so he/she would be empowered and not bullied.  I know two fathers who used this transit in a way to keep the lines of communication open with their kids — one put a pool table in the dining room and the other set up a weight room and gym in the garage.  Let it be noted both of these men were single parents — they had to find some way to keep the kids nearby and they succeeded and in the process helped a lot of the kids’ friends, too.  As  an adult, Saturn in the 5^th might be encouraging you to be more creative and resume some childhood hobbies again.  What is fun?  It’s whatever you feel enthusiastic about — music, art, volleyball, salsa dancing, whatever.  5^th house is also dating…Saturn here is suggesting that you make wise and solid choices about who you date.  If you feel hesitant about someone you meet, please trust your instincts.

If you have CANCER rising, then Saturn in Libra is currently in your 4^th house — the natural Cancer house anyway — the last few years have NOT been easy.  Big changes within the home or within the family.  Are your parents getting along?  Are YOU getting along with your mate or roommates?  What about grandparents?  Are you separated from family — like being away in the military? This particular transit usually symbolizes some of your life’s most difficult experiences.  The 4^th is nurturing and unconditional love, for yourself as well as others.  That’s what will help you get through it, and maybe some counseling.  I get a lot of clients with Saturn transiting their 4^th and I’m not going to go through a laundry list of the various heartbreaking situations I’ve seen.  Instead, I’m going to make up an opposite  example that is just as valid an expression of the energy.  Let’s say you’re a Leo born in 1952- 1953, or 1983-1984. That would mean you have Saturn in Libra in your natal.  Let’s say you have Cancer rising, so your home is very important to you.  Let’s say you have your Sun in the 2^nd and you’ve spent years saving your money and gathering the skills you need for a home re-model, maybe the kitchen.  Since a Leo is a better host than a guest, you want a kitchen with enough room to entertain company.  Do you like woodworking?  Can you lay tile?  Do you have a good eye for color?  Then you and your partner can create the home or kitchen of your dreams during this transit.  Hard work? Long hours?  Absolutely… but remember Saturn is about manifestation and accomplishing big projects. If you hire a contractor, then Saturn in Libra would symbolize that partnership for the duration of the project.  I think it’s important to remember that any physical changes in the home are symbolic of emotional changes within the family.

If you have LEO rising, then Saturn is transiting your 3^rd house of siblings, local travel, the neighborhood, and technical training.  The 3^rd house is the natural Gemini house, our habitual thought patterns,  so Saturn would be underlining the importance of good communication skills. It’s a great transit to examine your mind and weed out negative thinking or negative self-talk, to develop better mental habits.  It’s also an important time to practice patience and good manners .  Ultimately, we all have to be responsible for our thoughts, words, and deeds…so this is a particularly good time to choose your words carefully.  Some will have issues with siblings, or a sibling is going through a tough time and needs your help and emotional support.  Some will return to school.  I’ve had a few clients who had boundary issues with neighbors — some were the actual physical property lines, and some were more about setting boundaries for peace and privacy. Several were elected to various neighborhood or condo groups.  Not a great transit to buy a car, but I suppose you could buy a Saturn (Ha Ha!).  It’s also important to pay attention to your car and keep up with safety checks and repairs.

If you have VIRGO rising, then you have Saturn currently wrapping up a long transit of your 2^nd house of money.  Partners may not be fair or even honest. Financial agreements may fall apart.  Sticking to a monthly budget while still saving money could be challenging.  Saturn is suggesting you get your financial life on a more stable footing.  Very important to have an emergency savings account, even a tiny one, to relieve stress.  You can make money on the side with this transit if you’re serious and learn all the fine points of your art or your talent.  Go slow and take the long-range view and you can look back and see the good stuff started back here when Saturn was in your 2^nd. It’s a decent transit to invest in the tools and training that you will need to pursue a 2^nd line of work.  Practical purchases are more favored by Saturn.  If you’re single, it’s a pretty good transit to begin building your credit.  Looking deeper than physical, Saturn in the 2^nd can be about defining the values and the code by which you live.  Since we’re talking Saturn in Libra here, I think it would be critical to make sure any partners you’re involved with financially share the same values.  I think Suze Orman calls it “financial infidelity”.  Maybe some financial counseling would be necessary.  Long day…Part 2 tomorrow…Blessings, Jenae