Saturn in Capricorn

The dance of the Mars square to Saturn and Pluto

If you know the artist of this wonderful piece please let me know!  As Mars (planet of action) pirouettes through the sky and prepares to turn retrograde on September 9th, it has already formed a challenging square to Jupiter (ideological conflict) and Pluto (power conflict). Today it makes the first of a series of squares to Saturn (repression and conflict). Interactions between Mars and Saturn are often described as the attempt to drive with the brakes on, but of course we already have that kind of scenario with so many retrograde planets this summer (retrograde planets appear to be moving backwards from our vantage point on Earth).

The dance between Mars and the three Capricorn planets as they retrograde and turn direct is an interesting one. In this first phase of Mars challenging Saturn and Pluto, Mars is in direct (regular forward) motion and Saturn and Pluto are retrograde. In the second phase on September 29, Mars will be retrograde and Saturn direct. At the third phase, the conclusion, they will both be direct. So at this first phase there is the desire for action and the will to exert influence blocked by Saturn which in retrograde motion is reflecting on the past and turning our attention to the rear view mirror.  Mars says, “Why can’t I do this thing I want?” and Saturn replies “I am the ghost of the past,  [apologies to Charles Dickens] look at why you can’t have this right now.  Meanwhile Pluto is overseeing all of the drama and directing the action so that the Will of the Higher Self can be executed properly with the right action taking place.

In the second phase at the end of September with Mars retrograde and Saturn […]

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By |2020-08-24T08:24:08-04:00August 24th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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When the King of the Gods meets the King of the Underworld: Jupiter conjunct Pluto in 2020

 

Jupiter conjunct plutoJupiter is the planet from which the kindly word “jovial” derives and which is said to act as the Greater Benefic in the lives of men.  It expands our world both physically and mentally, instilling a desire for greater knowledge and high philosophies. As a result, Jupiter has a tendency to constantly be pushing boundaries (boundaries are associated with Saturn) and resists responsibility in the name of freedom.   Under the influence of Jupiter we seek to know god, or to be god as the quality of hubris is woven into the Jupiterian archetype.

But Jupiter also describes the search of humanity for meaning.  We are born into the world with no idea what our purpose is, or what the cosmic truth is all about.  Our lives are filled with a search for that meaning – a paradigm or theology that will help us to make sense of human existence.  Even those who believe that life has no meaning are espousing a philosophy, and that too is ruled by Jupiter.  When the personal search for meaning as represented by Jupiter encounters the force of transformation represented by Pluto, there is bound to be a paradigm shift.

To recap some recent astrological history:

In 2019, Saturn (restriction and challenge) began to align in a conjunction to Pluto (destruction and regeneration) with both planets in Capricorn, the sign that represents the societal structures on which we build our lives and communities.  Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 when it began to tear down global economic systems and force many of us to rebuild our lives in different ways.  (It should be noted that after the economic collapse when Pluto entered Capricorn there was a historic bull […]

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By |2020-04-01T13:11:33-04:00April 1st, 2020|Planetary cycles|5 Comments
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The meaning of Saturn in Aquarius

art by Krystle Marie Smith

Before we can understand the meaning of Saturn in Aquarius, we need to understand Saturn’s role in human existence.  This is especially important because as the traditional ruler of Aquarius, Saturn is said to be in its domicile in Aquarius (as well as in Capricorn).

Understanding astrological Saturn

Before the discovery of the modern planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (not to mention Chiron, the asteroids, and all of the other points that are now used to some extent by astrologers) there were seven planets and lights: the Sun, the Moon, and the five visible planets.  Saturn marked the outermost boundary of the solar system, and was surrounded by rings of containment.  These physical attributes reflect the astrological depiction of Saturn as governing limitations, physical boundaries such as gateposts and doorways, and the limitations we place on ourselves through self-doubt and fears.  Saturn was traditionally viewed as the Lord of Death – unlike the modern planet Pluto, which is associated with death as the ending of one aspect of life and the beginning of something new, death under Saturn is finite and final.

Saturn (in the northern hemisphere where astrology developed) is associated with the two zodiac signs of winter: Aquarius and Capricorn: mid-December through mid-February.  These are cold and dark times, where social isolation and the lack of sun can lead to depression and loneliness, other attributes of Saturn.  And yet Saturn is also a treasure trove of material success – the hard work of Saturn leads us eventually to mastery of the material world and the potential for an abundance of riches. Under the influence of Saturn we are sometimes weighted down with responsibility and a relentless drive for career […]

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By |2020-03-20T19:35:31-04:00March 20th, 2020|Featured posts, Planetary cycles|2 Comments
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Mania and depression in the financial markets

Earlier in December I wrote about the stock market roller coaster of the past year, and since then it’s gotten even crazier, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average careening from 23,693 on December 19th to a low of 21,721 on December 26th, and zooming up over 1000 points yesterday, the biggest single increase in history.

I lay the blame for this erratic volatility partly on the last gasp of Uranus, planet of disruption, traveling through the fiery sign of Aries for the last time through the end of February.

Meanwhile Jupiter (the planet most closely associated with the stock market) and Mercury (thoughts and ideas) are both in the highly optimistic sign of Sagittarius, so even when the markets drop investors are seeing this as an opportunity to “buy the dip” rather than a depression.  But with Saturn and Pluto both in the highly realistic sign of Capricorn, this optimism is not likely to be permanent.  With Uranus colliding with fast moving Mars in mid-February we are likely to have continued volatility for the next couple of months.  Then when Uranus moves back into the security-minded sign of Taurus in early March and Venus enters dour Capricorn along with Saturn and Pluto, I believe that we will see a pretty serious pullback of financial markets.

I am not a financial advisor, but I do believe that caution is the name of the game here.  With such a predominance of earthy energy in 2019, and Jupiter’s entry into Capricorn along with Venus’s return in December, solid investments rather than media darlings are going to be the survivors if financial markets begin to collapse.

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By |2018-12-27T09:16:26-05:00December 27th, 2018|Money and markets|6 Comments
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