The Wheel of Light
Monthly Newsletter - September 2007
Saturn transits indicate where work needs to be done. Often the work is in terms of learning to take more responsibility for your actions. The house (area of life experience) that Saturn is transiting in your chart at any time provides a point of attention. Focusing on that area will stimulate personal growth, and ultimately a sense of empowerment. The sign that Saturn is transiting through indicates how we can utilize this energy. Saturn enters a new sign approximately every 2 years. This month Saturn leaves Leo (Sept 2) and enters Virgo, where it will remain until late October 2009. It does not retrograde back into Leo.
This column has discussed the significance of Saturn in Leo extensively. It has a lot to do with taking more responsibility to work on yourself, to get centered and to become whole. The reward for this endeavor is a deeper sense of self-love, leading to a greater ability to love others and to respond to being loved by others. Saturn in Leo challenges us to be more defined in what we want that will bring us happiness and to be more disciplined in pursuing those things. Saturn in Leo is a paradox: it provides limits to our generosity and enjoyment of life, even as it provides the energy to become more adept and disciplined in activities that we truly value. Saturn restricts the usual spontaneity of Leo. But it can make up for that limitation by bringing a greater sense of self-satisfaction in developing your creativity, athleticism or playfulness.
Saturn is more comfortable in Virgo. As the natural ruler of Capricorn, Saturn is at home in an earth sign like Virgo. Virgo is a worker, I think of it as the hardest working sign in the zodiac. It also focuses on service, health and synthesis. The presence of Saturn in Virgo will enable us to become more focused on these issues and pursue them with diligence and self-discipline. We can experience a greater sense of empowerment by defining what we want to accomplish in these areas and pursue our goals in a systematic way. Increased efficiency can be a result of this transit.
When we are centered with Saturn in Virgo we understand that service is a state of consciousness. We help and support others for the sake of doing so, rather than for the rewards or recognition. We could serve others in a health related field or we could be of service to the environment. Virgo has an innate and powerful connection to nature.
We can also strive to be serviceful to ourselves. We could organize our lives more effectively, paying greater attention to order and routine and making sure that our own health-maintenance program is up to date and appropriate.
Synthesis can take either of two forms. One is working to integrate the prime trinity of our being: soul-body-mind. We remain mindful of the requirements that each of these elements has and strive to meet them as efficiently as possible. One way to work on the soul part is through the spiritual discipline of yoga. Yoga means union. In a sense yoga is a excellent method of synthesizing all parts of ourselves within a cohesive whole. It also provides a way of integrating who we are within our social and physical environment.
Although Virgo is an earth sign, it is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is a planet that represents the mind and the intellect. So another way that Virgo enjoys synthesis is by integrating various points of information into a cohesive understanding that allows it to be utilized in pragmatic ways. Virgo likes being skilled and adept at doing technical things. Saturn in Virgo will support this.
If we are off-center, the affects of Saturn in Virgo will be quite different. We could feel repressed, bored or stifled by our work, our routines or our feelings of obligation. We could become excessively self-critical as we note all the ways in which we are not perfect.
Virgo can also be challenged to get in touch with its feelings or emotional needs. In an uncentered state it can overlook the emotional aspects of life. When this happens they are run through the body without being processed and expressed in a more appropriate manner. Chronic health issues can develop if this pattern persists.
One way to avoid this is by choosing systems to work within. There could be an occupational system, a health maintenance system, a system for doing household chores or a system that will help you to organize your life on the material plane. Systems provide limits (which Saturn loves anyway) because they provide parameters within which we function and limit our focus. Systems also provide a direction (another Saturnine favorite) that reminds us why we are engaging in that activity in the first place.
Virgo also maximizes its higher potential when it replaces the need for perfection with the willingness to process something over time. Refining our awareness and understanding enables us to take advantage of the Virgo strengths: love of learning and attention to detail.
Saturn will provide the discipline and consistency that will enable us to make great strides in our productivity at work and at home. It will also be a major factor in addressing the prime issue of global warming. It will remind us that by healing our environment we are providing the means for the environment to provide for us and our families for endless generations to come. This is a theme that this column will revisit often in the next few years, hopefully as a reflection of the popular and political will of the citizens of this country and the world.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
The full Moon in Aries on the 26th and Mars (the ruler of Aries) entering Cancer on the 28th suggest a time to focus on internal, personal and domestic issues. Direct your energy to doing creative things (decorative or structural) around the house. Try to use your emotions as guidelines as to what to do and how to do it. Growth comes from being sensitive to others and not trying to force your ideas on them.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Your ruling planet Venus turns direct on the 8th, indicating more harmony in your social life and more sound judgment in expenditures. Challenges this month come from not being overly idealistic in your primary relationship. Avoid going from seeing nothing but difficulties in the union and the partner to seeing nothing but romantic pedastalizing. Artistic expression is a good way to transition at this time.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
You may feel like being very sociable this month, only to find a dearth of opportunities for contact with others. Directing your energy into creative expression could provide the interaction and mirroring that will be fulfilling. Social activities with children could also prove beneficial for all concerned.
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
The new Moon on the 11th will be a solar eclipse. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend significant time alone. Recharging your emotional battery as well as finding deep spiritual communion are two reasons to go within this month. You may also feel overwhelmed with a lot of information coming to you at that time. The time alone will also enable you to find mental clarity amidst the flow of data.
Leo (July 23-August 23)
Venus will be in Leo all month. This is a good time to work on self-creation. This could take the form of refining your social demeanor, emphasizing harmony and congeniality. You could also use this energy to focus on personal appearance, especially hair and clothing. Growth for you this month comes from putting your creative flair into your social persona in a way that is immediate and reflective of who you are at this time.
Virgo (August 24-Sept 22)
Focusing on a business or financial relationship would prove beneficial this month. If you have such a relationship already, take advantage of it. It may need some priming or refining, but it’s worth the effort. If you don’t have such a situation, it may be hard to find. It is there, but not in abundance. Be clear about who and what you are looking for and proceed with caution and perseverance.
Libra (Sept 23-Oct 23)
Issues with friends and colleagues start to be resolved from mid-month on. This is a good time to have some fun with people who you have been challenging or challenged by. Growth comes from letting go of any hard feelings while simultaneously not being so overly accommodating that any work you did on those relationships proves useless.
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Now is a good time to put into action financial activities that you have been planning or researching for several months. Be cautious in these endeavors, as precipitous action could cause others to see you as pushy, manipulative or arrogant. They would then fight back and it could get unpleasant. Growth comes from explaining your reasoning to others in order to enlist their support and minimize their hostility.
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)
Situations might open up for you this month that are beneficial and enjoyable. Clear sailing ahead. The only downside to this period is a tendency to get overextended or promise more than you can deliver. This could show up in late month. This has been a pattern that has been present for you much of this year. Take the lessons learned about this, experiential or theoretical, and apply them this month.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)
Since Saturn is your ruling planet, you will more affected by its transit in Virgo than other signs. In many ways this should be a comfortable transit for you. Like Virgo, Capricorn is an earth sign. Both signs like things to be defined, organized and dealt with in an efficient, timely manner. Growth for you during the next 2 years comes from keeping a balance in your life. Productivity and achievement are great, but not to the exclusion of playfulness and inner well being.
Aquarius (Jan 21 to Feb 19)
This month could test your ability to be in touch with your anger and expressing it affectively. If you suddenly (even taking yourself by surprise) become hostile and aggressive, you need to focus more on this issue. If you are in touch with your anger, this is a good time to be clear in letting others know where you stand, or what your values are. This could be especially true with family or employees.
Pisces (Feb 20-March 20)
This is a good time to check the energy exchange in your important relationships. If the quality and quantity of what you are giving is being matched, it’s a healthy situation. If not, check to make sure you are not being overly idealistic, compassionate or romanticizing the other person or the relationship itself. Growth comes from maintaining a realistic devotion to the other person.