Warning: This post is pure Astro, a bit technical…& loooooooong.

Last week we looked at how to find out where Saturn is transiting your chart. But what does that mean?

To illustrate, here’s another chart- Marion (not her real name, and birth details are blocked out by that lovely arrow, but she has given me permission to use her chart).

Saturn is currently transiting her 7^th house and will continue to do so for much of the time he is in Scorpio.

Does this mean that I won’t have a relationship during this time?

Absabloodylutely not!

So what does it mean?

Saturn in the 7^th is all about getting real about relationship and relationships- both personal and professional. Saturn in the 7^th is about you confronting who you really are through your relationships with others. And this can be hard. Any disappointments of the heart received over this time should (between the tears and alcohol…is that just me?…be taken as a reinforcement of the Saturn lesson).

Even committed relationships will face tests during a Saturn 7^th house transit. They will make it only through confronting reality. And that means that the partner receiving the Saturn transit needs to know who he or she really is in order to properly relate to a current or future partner. It also means looking at expectations with a mature eye.

New relationships might get serious- it isn’t unusual to see relationships go to the next step when one party is having a Saturn 7^th house transit.

What else? Saturn transits through the 7^th might mean that you commence a relationship with an older person, or someone with Capricornian tendencies such as maturity, responsibility and ambition, but it can also mean something as simple as you confronting your attitudes to what relationship is and making sure that they are real. Whatever new relationship comes into reality at this point will be important.

To do this you need to understand both the role of Saturn in your life and what your relationship needs are. Continue to look at relationships and what you think you need with anything less than eyes wide open and something great could pass you by.

I knew someone who prior to Saturn transiting the 7^th was always (and I mean always) finding herself attracted to men that sub consciously she knew she couldn’t have or that she knew were wrong- married men, attached men, much younger men, much older men. Each time she would suffer the pain of unrequited love- and that is something that never stops hurting.

When Saturn came through her 7^th something happened which made her realise that she was doing this deliberately- falling for men she knew she couldn’t have. Even though she wanted so much to be loved, she was even more scared of being left, or rejected, or being alone forever. At 43, she was hanging onto ideals she held in her early 20s.

The man she is now in a committed relationship has none of the characteristics of the men she previously fell for. And he was there all the time. She found him when she stopped waiting for someone to live with and started living with herself. She got real.

Relationships are definitely a concern to Marion- with her Moon and Venus in partnership loving Libra, she feels emotionally secure when in partnership.

While Saturn has been in Libra, the lesson for Marion has been to look at her patterns of relating from a Libra viewpoint. Once Saturn moves into Scorpio, this will, for Marion, become more serious. She is being asked to lift the curtains and look deeply into her own motivations, patterns, modus operandi around relationship. Truthfully, honestly and intensely.

Does this mean that love will pass her by for the next couple of years? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that she will treat any relationship seriously, and she will demand absolute integrity from partners- both personally and professionally. Issues of trust, power and control will be important. Events may occur and people may come into her life where she has to admit things to herself about the partners that she chooses and the motivations around those choices. Saturn lessons are difficult. They can also bring great reward.

Before looking at Marion’s transits, we should also look at her natal Saturn.

In Marion’s case, Saturn is in the 12^th house. Behind the scenes she probably struggles with fears, guilt, loneliness and general insecurities. One of her biggest fears is being alone- and when she is alone her fears become more real.

Whilst her Libra Moon and 7^th house Sun are looking for partnership, Saturns’ life lesson is to learn how to achieve things in solitude. This does not mean that her destiny is to be alone (seriously, if this were the case everyone with Saturn in the 12^th would be alone), but to balance her need for partnership and still be comfortable within her own space. Every Saturn transit she experiences will have an element of this lesson.

Saturn rules the 10^th and 11^th houses (and the 12^th as traditional ruler of Aquarius), so all Saturn transits to Marion’s chart will impact these areas of life.

Check out the Astro Basics tab at the top of the page for what each house represents.

But what does it mean?

I always use Bernadette Brady’s grid system to look at the impact of transits (check out her wonderful The Eagle and the Lark for more information on this).

The cause of whatever may happen is in the 1^st row of the table- the location of both planets in the natal chart.

Where this action is occurring can be found in the house being transited.

The consequences or outcomes can be found in the bottom row of the grid- the areas of life ruled by these planets.

To illustrate this, let’s look at Marions’ chart. Saturn will conjunct her Scorpio Sun from Mid December. I checked with an ephemeris (a freebie is available on Astro.com- I use orbs of just 1 degree either side) and the timing for this will be around the following dates:

• Mid December 2012- end January 2013 (exact 26/12/12- 9/1/13
• mid March- mid May 2013 (exactish 18/4/13- 1/5/13) Rx
• Mid September- early October 2013 (Exact 11/9/13-21/9/13):

Because Saturn is in the 12^th house, whatever happens this transit will have its causes in 12^th and 7^th house issues. In fact all transits made by Saturn to planets in Marions’ chart will have their origins in the 12^th house and how she handles the issues of this house. Check out this post for more hints on the 12^th house.

As Saturn is transiting the 7^th house, the events of this transit will occur in the area of Marions’ relationships- business and personal.

Saturn rules the 10^th and 11^th houses, so all transits made by Saturn to planets in Marions’ chart will result in changes in Marions’ work, her public standing, her hopes and dreams, her friendships. In this case, the Sun (the planet receiving the transit) rules Marion’s 6^th house (Leo is on the cusp of the 6^th), so this Saturn/Sun conjunction will also have an impact on 6^th house issues- her normal work routines, her health habits.

Because the nature of this transit is a conjunction, the energy of Saturn will fuse with that of the Sun (see last weeks post).

Marion, if she wants to look at all of her Saturn transits, should do a similar grid for each of the planets Saturn is contacting over the next couple of years. I’ve jotted a couple of what I know is coming up for her:

Final Points:

1. Saturn transits (indeed all transits) should never be looked at in isolation. Don’t just look at what the textbook says about Saturn transiting, say, Venus. Look at what that means to you. What houses will be impacted? What does each of the planets (both the transiting planet and the planet being transited) mean in the context of your chart? What relationship do you have with Saturn? Do Saturn concepts come easily to you or are you more challenged by these lessons? What does Saturn mean in your chart?
2. Don’t just look at the bad stuff- in my humble opinion dire predictions tend to be self-fulfilling. Look also at the positive sides to any transit. Yes, good things can happen- even under a Saturn transit.
3. Look at the nature of the aspect being made.
4. Consider also what transits are being made to your chart by the other big hitters ie Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Don’t ignore the house that Jupiter is activating. Often a message or theme is being repeated.
5. Try very hard not to see or hear or read what you want to see, hear or read- a limited or tunnel view is never helpful

Yesterday I broke up…with my personal trainer.

I even said those words that I’ve always wanted to say to someone but never have- I’ve always been the dumpee not the dumper (awwwww). So yesterday, I said it:

“It’s not you, it’s me. The last two years have been fun, but I think we now want different things from the relationship.”

At this point I popped a soulful and serious look onto my face before continuing.

“So (insert heavy sigh) I think we need some space…oh, and the 6 months I pre-paid before I left work has run out…”

It’s ok, I’m ok, in fact, I think I’m moving on already. It’s not that we won’t see each other- I’ll still wave to him at 6.30 in the morning when I’m on the treadmill in all of my early morning just sleep-walked from the bed to the gym glamour. We may even catch up for the occasional random training session. But we both know it’s over. O.V.A.H.

I will be thinking about him over the next couple of days as my muscles recover from that final retaliatory tabata boxing and kettleball session. Ouchy do!

Under the Cancer Moon it is easy to dwell on the past, to hang on to an idea, a theory, a relationship, a habit long past its use by date- in fact often until it resembles something like what used to be zucchinis that I found lurking in the bottom of my fridge vegie drawer tonight.

And that’s all perfectly understandable (not the manky zucchinis, but the hanging on bit). What we know, the stuff in our past, the stuff from our families, whether it is good or bad, it’s comfortable. These things represent the boundaries of our comfort zone. We find ourselves clinging to them, too afraid to let go.

Yet, in order to continue to grow, to flourish, we have to let go. We have to step outside the things that make us feel comfortable and go it on our own terms. Hence yesterdays break up.

This time last year retrenchments had just started in the partition job. Communication had been great, so we all knew where we stood, but the uncertainty was creeping in. People who for years had been complaining (loudly) about the Mother Ship and policies, treatment, slights etc (you know the drill) now started reminiscing about the good times.

Oh, you mean those good times when the client was giving us such a rough time that everyone was working 70 hour+ weeks, all leave was cancelled & there had been no pay rises for 5 years? Those good times?

Ummm yes, those good times. It was all shit for them to go through, incredibly stressful, but looking back, it was what they knew, what their history was. As crappy as those years were, it was comfortable because it was past. That’s what nostalgia is.

The Moon is now in the balsamic phase, so if ever there was a shot at letting go, it is now. And you know what? Tomorrows New Moon coincides with Mars opposing Uranus and the whole cardinal square thing, so you may not really have a choice in the matter.

Cancer New Moons always bring issues of mother, home, family and self- nutrition (and that doesn’t have to mean the fridge and chocolate variety) to the forefront. New Moons allow for a fresh burst of energy. I would suggest that at this New Moon you go with that energy- or the Universe will shift you in some other way.

As for me, I’m off to create some comfort-ish food (minus the manky zucchinis). It’s to get over the break-up, of course. Wednesday nights for us are home-made takeaway nights, and tonight is chicken parmagiana- just like you’d get in a Victorian country pub…without being in Victoria…or in the country.

The details:

New Moon at 26 Cancer. Oh wait, that’s conjunct my Jupiter in the 5^th, so will set off all the other triney things in my chart. Cool.

For Sydney-siders and East Coast Aussies that’s Thursday 19/7 at 2.25pm. For those of you in WA & most of SE Asia, that’s 12.25pm, Kiwis 4.25 pm. Anyone in the US? The New Moon is exact at 9.25pm 18/7 and 0.25am 19/7 (depending on whether you’re on the West or East Coast), and English readers are in the middle at 4.25am on the 19^th.

In case you hadn’t noticed, Mercury is retrograde again.

By now you all know my views on this one. Having the worlds worst Mercury (although it is perhaps the worlds best Mercury in regards to positioning as a writer) Mercury retrogrades give the rest of the world the opportunity to brain function like a Pisces. What could possibly be wrong with that?

I don’t see it as a reason to bring things to a halt, but rather to go with the flow. That way when the inevitable brown stuff hits the whirly thing in the ceiling, even though you checked and double checked, shrug your shoulders and get on with it.

This is all happening in Leo, and Leo is aside from other things, about having fun, having a laugh…which is what I’m doing as I am trying to book hotel accommodation in Wellington (yes, I know, I’m breaking one of the golden rules) and the site keeps looping me back to the rates screen… or when a message I sent to a friend today in KL was replied to (randomly) in Cantonese. Hmmmm something about a cliff and countenance- when I put it through translator… What can you do but laugh?

Things should settle down a tad- the first and last few days of any retrograde are always the most intense, and this one has coincided with the Moon being in Mercury ruled Gemini.

Of growing interest is the next development in the whole cardinal cross thing us astrologers have been prattling on about. I haven’t written a lot about this- mainly because I think it’s bigger than most personal charts.

Having said that, in another day or so, it will get very interesting as the square between Uranus (Aries Rx) and Pluto (Capricorn) is intensified. How?

Uranus is, as we know, newly retrograde, so being very unpredictably Uranian, and coming back for another square-off with Pluto. But, and here’s where it gets interesting, Mars (at 7 Libra) and the Moon (in Cancer) will be popping up the other ends of the cross.

Mars and the Moon are often triggers for longer lasting outer planet transits, and with Mars facing off against Uranus and the Moon against Pluto anything can happen. If you have planets or chart points at 7 or 8 degrees of the cardinal signs ie Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn keep your eye on the general weather around you.

Also, the Moon is currently in the balsamic phase as it heads towards the New Moon in Cancer, so the theme is very much around endings for things that need to end and banishing of things that need to be banished.

I leave you with a link to this song by the Veronicas that I reckon is pretty on target for any of you being impacted by the Astro weather at present. Just remember, if at all possible, have a laugh, have some fun- even if it is at your own expense… life’s too short.

everything is effed up

straight from the heart

tell me what do you do when it all falls apart?

Mercury is retrograde until around 7^th August- here’s one I prepared earlier, with some minor adjustments for the Leo thing…

Jab, straight, uppercut, duck, weave, hook, straight.

Easy enough instructions.

Shoulders down, back foot down, punch from the hip, core on, wrists strong… WTF?

This mornings training session was always going to be a sweat fest. That’s cool- after too many days of over consumption in the Hunter, I needed a good training session. Today though, my brain just couldn’t get the messages straight.

Mercury has slowed right down and is getting ready to turn retrograde and even my brain (which normally works at a Mercury retrograde pace) is having just a few problems with connecting the dots today.

I have this theory the fall out from Mercury retrogrades hits us because we need to slow down. Computer breakdowns, delays, mixed messages- they stop us in our tracks.

By making us vulnerable, by instigating meltdowns (of any description) we have no choice but to take a good long hard look at ourselves and our life styles. So instead, we build protective walls around us as we madly back up computers, triple check travel plans and appointments. We spend hours doing stuff that is really just basic common sense when you think about it.

We should be testing changes, we should be confirming appointments, we should be doing re words as a matter of course. We shouldn’t need a Mercury retrograde period to force ourselves into being just a tad vulnerable. Meltdowns can be messy, but also therapeutic.

So, that’s my theory, now for the practicalities.

Firstly, the basics regarding a Mercury retrograde period:

• The planet isn’t really going backwards, it just appears that way from where we stand here on Earth
• During any retrograde cycle of any planet we bring our attentions within. The energy of the planet is intensified, and that energy is brought within. In that case of Mercury that means how we think, how we transmit messages and how messages are communicated and understood around us
• this is your signal to slow down, go within, review, revise, rewind. We review and revise in our head the nature of the area of life this retrograde is happening in for us. With our brains occupied in a different way we lose focus on what is happening around us- and that is when things, generally shitty things, happen.

We know all about the re words:

• Take the time to recharge your batteries
• Revise your goals
• Review your bright ideas
• Regain your faith in the future
• Recommit to habits, goals, the things you need to recommit to
• Reconnect with colleagues & friends you haven’t seen or spoken to for some time
• Renew and refresh whatever is jaded and old
• Revisit places, books, movies that mean something to you
• Rest and relax

We know the type of things Mercury retrogrades can impact:

• Appointment times
• Travel times & arrangements
• Computers, phones & other electronic devices
• Getting to & from places
• Contracts and other documents

And we know how to mitigate the possible damage:

• Re-confirm appointments
• Check & re-check your travel arrangements
• Insure your luggage and tickets and make sure you have copies of all travel documents- preferably not in your bag
• If travelling carry a spare toothbrush and change of clothes as carry on- just in case
• Avoid mechanical problems, by making sure your car services are up to date
• Back up computers
• Avoid purchasing any major technology over this period
• Avoid signing contracts, but if you have to, make sure you have read & re-read all the fine print
• If you must commence a new project, do the scoping work carefully- and seriously people, we should be doing this anyway!
• If you have any changes going “live” or being implemented, test, re-test, regression test, test the back out, test the install & test again. Test.

We even know the people most likely to be impacted by the retrograde cycle:

• People with strong Mercury charts eg people with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury in Mercury ruled signs ie Gemini or Virgo.
• People with these planets in the 3^rd house
• People who have the Sun, Moon, Mercury or Ascendant in the sign which is receiving the retrograde
• People who have planets or chart points at the position where Mercury stations- either to go retrograde or direct.

Essentially those who have a crappy Mercury (such as my own- the worst Mercury in history) tend (with some exceptions) to escape relatively lightly. Why? Because natally our Mercury operates in the same way as when it is retrograde- we review and revise and go into our own heads as part of a normal day. What happens during a Mercury retrograde is that everyone is now on our wave-length!

So, what makes a bad (and when I say bad I don’t mean evil bad, I mean that it works differently to the way Mercury is supposed to work…personally mine is crappy, but it suits me- if you know what I mean) Mercury?:

• Mercury in Pisces (check)
• Mercury in the 12^th house (check)
• Mercury tightly aspecting Neptune
• Mercury retrograde natally (check)

This year all the Mercury retrogrades take place in fire signs. This changes the playing field a little. First cab off the rank is Aries (of course…).

This means that:

• People who have the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury in Aries will be impacted by this retrograde
• If you have planets or chart points (eg Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant or IC) at 12 Leo (where Mercury stations to go retrograde) or 1 Leo (where he stations to go direct), you will also feel this one.

Fire Mercury is assertive, impulsive, demonstrative and energetic. Leo Mercury is all of these things plus you can add proud and stubborn to the mix. So, the types of things we may expect (in addition to the above) are:

• Tempers may flare quicker than usual for seemingly insignificant reasons
• You may be too proud to let go of a position you previously took
• Temper tantrums may take on diva-ish proportions

For all of us?

• Check out where 12-1 Leo falls in your chart. This is the part of life where you need to do extra re stuff. As an example, in my case this transit is in my 5th house. The 5th house is creativity, children, fun, risk. No casino visits for me this month…
• Check out also the parts of your chart ruled by Mercury (these will be the houses with either Gemini or Virgo on the cusp). Mercury natally rules the relationship and home sectors in my chart and is in Pisces in the 12^th house. Again, not a great time to make lasting decisions around relationships or choosing to paint that wall kitchenaid red.
• Check out any other planets being touched by this retrograde and what they symbolize in your chart.

This retrograde period I intend to spend a lot of time writing. I have edits to do on the novel I am trying to flog, and a word count target on the Astro book I am writing. Plus, I have a heap of pitches out there for non Astro articles as I get this freelance writing thing off the ground.

Where does 12-1 Leo fall in your chart? What are your plans for this particular retrograde?

Miss 14 has spent a fair whack of the holidays (when we haven’t been stay-cationing and she hasn’t been butterfly intensive-ing) working on her major work for Visual Arts.

This semester she has had to take inspiration from religious art. The theme is possibly more around spiritual art, but she goes to an Anglican school. She chose something that was loosely (very loosely) based on Buddhist art- purely because she liked the colours and figured she could make some cool stuff up around it. That’s my Aries girl.

I’ve always had this rule when it comes to homework- I will guide and offer suggestions or help, but will not do any part of it for her. It always irritated me how there was always one girl in her class in primary school who would win all the art competitions with works that were incredibly ambitious and advanced for her years…yep, I thought so too. Suffice to say, once she hit high school and had to complete work in class she…dropped art. What can you do?

So today I’ve been demonstrating paint techniques that I learned when I did folk art years ago (when my progressed Moon was in Cancer) and watercolour (progressed Moon in Leo). How to shade for added texture by loading both sides of the brush, dry brushing for added depth, how to use a liner brush for definition, how to do the perfect comma stroke for lotus petals. I mucked around on paper, she got to use the canvas. We listened to loud music and we made a mess- especially of the door jam in the pantry as I used the door to open paint lids…don’t try this at home kids…and don’t tell my husband! Growing old is mandatory, growing up is not.

Painting- how very Taurus Moon.

ooops…

The theme will continue tomorrow morning when the plan is to de-triffid the backyard. Currently I can only venture out there with jungle strength combats and a machete…and unseasonably warm weather for this time of the year is forecast.

If you’re in Aus, we have most of Saturday under the influence of the Taurus Moon, so venture out into the great outdoors, get your hands dirty, and take the time to pamper yourself.

By this time tomorrow Uranus will be well and truly retrograde. Check out my post from the other day if you want to know what this means.

By lunchtime Sunday, Mercury will be too. By now you know the drill on that, but if you don’t, check out some of my previous Mercury retro posts. If I get around to it, I’ll post something on it tomorrow…maybe…if I can be faffed…I’m actively “whatever-ing”- at least until the Moon moves into Gemini on Saturday evening…

from photoaday… the top are 2 of my favourite pashminas, the bottom shot is my friends feather boa light shade. Colour and texture- how very Taurus Moon…