When I first looked at Saturn transiting Capricorn conjunct Pluto in 2020, I thought of this as a huge opportunity to make some positive changes. I wasn't wrong about that. I just didn't expect it to be expressed in the way it has been. But then I thought, Saturn gets us to do what we must in the end, often leaving us with no choice. The past year has been a very challenging time for many, but it has also made it quite clear what needs to change.
Historically, Saturn in Capricorn has brought about big changes on our planet. It forces changes by bringing more pressure to a situation. Some things buckle under the pressure; people separate, leave jobs, change their outlook on life, while others are reinforced. Either way, it tests our metal.
Saturn brings the pressure of time, and of consequence. It gets us thinking long and hard about the choices we are making and the impact these will have on our lives, long term. Sometimes, however, it can show a fear of making any decision at all. If we didn't think we had any time left, we would probably make those important changes we have been putting off.
Saturn is appropriately given the title, The Lord of Time, and is why many are changing their lives in a big way at this time. Many are making big moves in how they live and work. Many have no choice left.
So, what about when Saturn goes retrograde?
Well, Saturn slowly moving back over a section of the zodiac it has recently transited shows the need to reassess these changes, of course. We reflect on the changes that have been enforced upon us and on changes we have made ourselves. It forces us to look at what we have committed to and ask ourselves if it's right for everyone involved. Capricorn is very much about everyone. Any selfish considerations fall on deaf ears.
And because Saturn is moving back through Shravana lunar mansion, literally symbolized by an ear, it shows the need to tune into what is right and appropriate, the responsible thing - for our mental health and everyone else's. Shravana is associated with the Moon, which rules the opposite sign, Cancer. There is a lot at stake, including our safety and security.
Something's got to give. Some things may need to be dropped completely, while others may need a slight tweak or a major adjustment. But whatever we have in Capricorn must change to some degree.
The most obvious reassessment this year is the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns, of course. Some countries may be lifting these, while others may need to bear down once again. Even those countries that begin to life restrictions will have to reassess this slowly and carefully.
While Saturn is actually stronger by transit when retrograde, it is not moving forward. Therefore, long term plans are best reflected upon, rather than new plans acted on immediately. If we try to push a long term plan through to competition at this stage, we will only experience what many astrologers focus on for Saturn retrograde; that is, it’s even more malefic nature - the push back.
We know this feeling very well in our own lives. We all know when something just isn't working, and when we must change our approach or abandon ship. We know when we cannot put something off any longer. Whatever we've been planning for the long term, whatever we've been working towards, these things must now go through a major process or review.
We're doing this all the time, of course. Saturn retrogrades every year and takes nearly a year to move into and beyond the zone it moves back over during the retrograde phase.
This year’s retrograde takes place between May 23 and Oct 11.
Historically, Saturn in Capricorn has brought about big changes on our planet. It forces changes by bringing more pressure to a situation. Some things buckle under the pressure; people separate, leave jobs, change their outlook on life, while others are reinforced. Either way, it tests our metal.
Saturn brings the pressure of time, and of consequence. It gets us thinking long and hard about the choices we are making and the impact these will have on our lives, long term. Sometimes, however, it can show a fear of making any decision at all. If we didn't think we had any time left, we would probably make those important changes we have been putting off.
Saturn is appropriately given the title, The Lord of Time, and is why many are changing their lives in a big way at this time. Many are making big moves in how they live and work. Many have no choice left.
So, what about when Saturn goes retrograde?
Well, Saturn slowly moving back over a section of the zodiac it has recently transited shows the need to reassess these changes, of course. We reflect on the changes that have been enforced upon us and on changes we have made ourselves. It forces us to look at what we have committed to and ask ourselves if it's right for everyone involved. Capricorn is very much about everyone. Any selfish considerations fall on deaf ears.
And because Saturn is moving back through Shravana lunar mansion, literally symbolized by an ear, it shows the need to tune into what is right and appropriate, the responsible thing - for our mental health and everyone else's. Shravana is associated with the Moon, which rules the opposite sign, Cancer. There is a lot at stake, including our safety and security.
Something's got to give. Some things may need to be dropped completely, while others may need a slight tweak or a major adjustment. But whatever we have in Capricorn must change to some degree.
The most obvious reassessment this year is the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns, of course. Some countries may be lifting these, while others may need to bear down once again. Even those countries that begin to life restrictions will have to reassess this slowly and carefully.
While Saturn is actually stronger by transit when retrograde, it is not moving forward. Therefore, long term plans are best reflected upon, rather than new plans acted on immediately. If we try to push a long term plan through to competition at this stage, we will only experience what many astrologers focus on for Saturn retrograde; that is, it’s even more malefic nature - the push back.
We know this feeling very well in our own lives. We all know when something just isn't working, and when we must change our approach or abandon ship. We know when we cannot put something off any longer. Whatever we've been planning for the long term, whatever we've been working towards, these things must now go through a major process or review.
We're doing this all the time, of course. Saturn retrogrades every year and takes nearly a year to move into and beyond the zone it moves back over during the retrograde phase.
This year’s retrograde takes place between May 23 and Oct 11.
Saturn’s Shadow Phase
Saturn spends a few months before and after it has stationed moving over the section of the zodiac it has already transited. This is its shadow phase. It entered its shadow phase on Feb 14 and will not leave the zone it backtracks over until Jan 15, 2022.
If you have any planets or sensitive degrees between 12 and 19 degrees of sidereal Capricorn, these areas of life will feel the pressure to make some adjustments.
You can think of Saturn's retrograde and shadow period as if giving birth to something, forming something in the womb, as this is roughly how long it takes for Saturn to move in and out of its shadow.
We are all forming and reforming our lives, year after year. You can think of the pre-shadow phase between Feb 14 and May 23 as a foreshadowing period, a time to begin to observe what is and what is not working. The retrograde phase itself, between May 23 and Oct 11, is when we may change it or draw a line under it and either remove it or adapt it. The post-retrograde phase from Oct 11 until Jan 15, 2022 is a time to test out our new boundaries in the real world. In the process, we discover that we only have enough time for a, b and c, and can no longer continue with x, y or z.
We're doing this with regards to what Saturn represents in our birth chart every single year of our lives, while systems that structure our lives are being reassessed also. We try something, and then reassess, before changing or adapting it, and then testing our new approach.
The house positions of Capricorn and Aquarius show what areas are being reassessed and reworked, as well as the sign it transits in any given year. This year, Saturn is transiting its own sign, Capricorn, which places even more emphasis on change. Ditto for the upcoming Aquarius transit, from 2023. Saturn is said to be even stronger in Aquarius, especially the first 20 degrees. This means, Saturn will be particularly impactful to make even bigger changes in 2023 and 2024.
This year, the themes of Capricorn are all the more prevalent and impactful. Generally, Capricorn is all about systems that keep some sense of structure in our lives. Its aspect to Cancer, Libra, and Pisces, shows the need to reassess safety, social and care-giving issues, as well as housing, the arts, the economy and expenditure. And while Saturn itself shows the need to change things, the inclusion of Pluto shows an even greater need to completely reform the system. While this is going on as a global phenomenon, and for many years to come because of Pluto's transit in Capricorn, the next few years shows more intense change while Saturn transits here.
Saturn's pressure will break some things, while others will be reinforced and strengthened.
Saturn shows what we are doing by the results of our thoughts and actions. It just gives us the results. It doesn't dress it up in any fancy way. It shows us what is, in the cold light of day.
If we've worked hard at something and have done the responsible thing, we get the rewards. If not, we don't. We're always doing something, or thinking about doing it, and Saturn is always simply showing us the results of those thoughts and actions.
Saturn is not out to get anyone. There is no bogyman out there trying to get one up on us. It is simply showing us what we have done. Blaming Saturn would be like blaming our accountant for our overspending!
Most of us tend to have an issue with Saturn if we are unwilling to accept that we are responsible for our thoughts and actions. But what becomes even more of a challenge is accepting everything we have ever thought and done in the past - even past lives.
Unless and until we can accept all of that, we can never make peace with Saturn. Actually, we can only truly say we are at peace when we accept everything, no matter what happens.
Saturn doesn't just bring the results of where we have previously slacked off or behaved badly, although we may be more acutely aware of those things, the payback that's required through losses, it also shows what we have done right and where we have worked hard. The rewards Saturn gives are not fleeting. When we've worked hard towards a goal, we feel a greater sense of achievement then if it were handed to us on a silver platter.
This is even more pronounced with Saturn strong in transit in Capricorn. And stronger still once it retrogrades.
If you have any planets or sensitive degrees between 12 and 19 degrees of sidereal Capricorn, these areas of life will feel the pressure to make some adjustments.
You can think of Saturn's retrograde and shadow period as if giving birth to something, forming something in the womb, as this is roughly how long it takes for Saturn to move in and out of its shadow.
We are all forming and reforming our lives, year after year. You can think of the pre-shadow phase between Feb 14 and May 23 as a foreshadowing period, a time to begin to observe what is and what is not working. The retrograde phase itself, between May 23 and Oct 11, is when we may change it or draw a line under it and either remove it or adapt it. The post-retrograde phase from Oct 11 until Jan 15, 2022 is a time to test out our new boundaries in the real world. In the process, we discover that we only have enough time for a, b and c, and can no longer continue with x, y or z.
We're doing this with regards to what Saturn represents in our birth chart every single year of our lives, while systems that structure our lives are being reassessed also. We try something, and then reassess, before changing or adapting it, and then testing our new approach.
The house positions of Capricorn and Aquarius show what areas are being reassessed and reworked, as well as the sign it transits in any given year. This year, Saturn is transiting its own sign, Capricorn, which places even more emphasis on change. Ditto for the upcoming Aquarius transit, from 2023. Saturn is said to be even stronger in Aquarius, especially the first 20 degrees. This means, Saturn will be particularly impactful to make even bigger changes in 2023 and 2024.
This year, the themes of Capricorn are all the more prevalent and impactful. Generally, Capricorn is all about systems that keep some sense of structure in our lives. Its aspect to Cancer, Libra, and Pisces, shows the need to reassess safety, social and care-giving issues, as well as housing, the arts, the economy and expenditure. And while Saturn itself shows the need to change things, the inclusion of Pluto shows an even greater need to completely reform the system. While this is going on as a global phenomenon, and for many years to come because of Pluto's transit in Capricorn, the next few years shows more intense change while Saturn transits here.
Saturn's pressure will break some things, while others will be reinforced and strengthened.
Saturn shows what we are doing by the results of our thoughts and actions. It just gives us the results. It doesn't dress it up in any fancy way. It shows us what is, in the cold light of day.
If we've worked hard at something and have done the responsible thing, we get the rewards. If not, we don't. We're always doing something, or thinking about doing it, and Saturn is always simply showing us the results of those thoughts and actions.
Saturn is not out to get anyone. There is no bogyman out there trying to get one up on us. It is simply showing us what we have done. Blaming Saturn would be like blaming our accountant for our overspending!
Most of us tend to have an issue with Saturn if we are unwilling to accept that we are responsible for our thoughts and actions. But what becomes even more of a challenge is accepting everything we have ever thought and done in the past - even past lives.
Unless and until we can accept all of that, we can never make peace with Saturn. Actually, we can only truly say we are at peace when we accept everything, no matter what happens.
Saturn doesn't just bring the results of where we have previously slacked off or behaved badly, although we may be more acutely aware of those things, the payback that's required through losses, it also shows what we have done right and where we have worked hard. The rewards Saturn gives are not fleeting. When we've worked hard towards a goal, we feel a greater sense of achievement then if it were handed to us on a silver platter.
This is even more pronounced with Saturn strong in transit in Capricorn. And stronger still once it retrogrades.
Complications
This year's retrograde is complicated by other factors. Its initial station is particularly tense, as Mars in Cancer in June and July comes into an exact opposition to Saturn, exact on Jul 1. This means our personal lives and desire for a sense of having a free will and doing whatever makes us happy is in direct opposition to the structures which bind and restrain us.
Another complication is Uranus in Aries, which is a complex theme for the entire year. Although Saturn in Capricorn would always contrast to Aries, being in an angle from it, i.e., personal freedoms would always have a problem with any kind of restraint, it is all the more pronounced while Uranus transits Aries, fuelling protests around the world and in our heads.
One of the reasons we have such a problem with Saturn, is that once we experience something, once we bring it into form, it can no longer be something else, or as easily, at any rate.
If you've imagined the perfect partner, and eventually you meet the person you wish to marry, the reality of the person soon becomes apparent, despite what you had envisioned. You can no longer as easily dream of the ideal person when you meet the real person.
Yes, you can bring out what you would like to see more, but you also have to accept certain things about them. This is the issue most people have with Saturn, i.e., being limited in any way. And yet limitation is necessary to see something happen, to actualize anything.
The thing that we experience, be it a lover, a job, a home, or whatever, cannot be something else as easily once it’s actualized. You could just leave your lover, get a new job, a new house, and indeed these big changes are certainly happening more as Saturn transits Capricorn, but really, we need to accept what we have already begun and work towards making changes. If not, then we must cut our losses and start over.
This year's retrograde is complicated by other factors. Its initial station is particularly tense, as Mars in Cancer in June and July comes into an exact opposition to Saturn, exact on Jul 1. This means our personal lives and desire for a sense of having a free will and doing whatever makes us happy is in direct opposition to the structures which bind and restrain us.
Another complication is Uranus in Aries, which is a complex theme for the entire year. Although Saturn in Capricorn would always contrast to Aries, being in an angle from it, i.e., personal freedoms would always have a problem with any kind of restraint, it is all the more pronounced while Uranus transits Aries, fuelling protests around the world and in our heads.
One of the reasons we have such a problem with Saturn, is that once we experience something, once we bring it into form, it can no longer be something else, or as easily, at any rate.
If you've imagined the perfect partner, and eventually you meet the person you wish to marry, the reality of the person soon becomes apparent, despite what you had envisioned. You can no longer as easily dream of the ideal person when you meet the real person.
Yes, you can bring out what you would like to see more, but you also have to accept certain things about them. This is the issue most people have with Saturn, i.e., being limited in any way. And yet limitation is necessary to see something happen, to actualize anything.
The thing that we experience, be it a lover, a job, a home, or whatever, cannot be something else as easily once it’s actualized. You could just leave your lover, get a new job, a new house, and indeed these big changes are certainly happening more as Saturn transits Capricorn, but really, we need to accept what we have already begun and work towards making changes. If not, then we must cut our losses and start over.
For Each Sign (Rising and/or Moon Sign)
Below are some likely places each sign is experiencing some need to change.
Aries: Career and status - home, relationships, and expenses.
Taurus: Study and travel - efforts, daily routines, and earnings.
Gemini: Adjustments around joint resources - finances, children, and career.
Cancer: Relationships - yourself, your home, and travel.
Leo: Health and daily routines - expenses, efforts, and joint resources.
Virgo: Children and creative projects - goals, finances, and relationships.
Libra: Home and happiness - work, yourself, and daily routines.
Scorpio: Communications and efforts - travel, expenses, and creative projects.
Sagittarius: Family and finances - shared resources, goals, and home.
Capricorn: Yourself and your physical health - relationships, career, and efforts.
Aquarius: Yourself and expenses – daily routines, travel, and finances.
Pisces: Goals and income - creativity, joint resources, and yourself.
OM TAT SAT
Below are some likely places each sign is experiencing some need to change.
Aries: Career and status - home, relationships, and expenses.
Taurus: Study and travel - efforts, daily routines, and earnings.
Gemini: Adjustments around joint resources - finances, children, and career.
Cancer: Relationships - yourself, your home, and travel.
Leo: Health and daily routines - expenses, efforts, and joint resources.
Virgo: Children and creative projects - goals, finances, and relationships.
Libra: Home and happiness - work, yourself, and daily routines.
Scorpio: Communications and efforts - travel, expenses, and creative projects.
Sagittarius: Family and finances - shared resources, goals, and home.
Capricorn: Yourself and your physical health - relationships, career, and efforts.
Aquarius: Yourself and expenses – daily routines, travel, and finances.
Pisces: Goals and income - creativity, joint resources, and yourself.
OM TAT SAT
