Though Sagittarius is currently getting a brief reprieve from Saturn’s energy until September 17th due its temporary backtrack into Scorpio, I find the effects of this energy still lingering on my mind nonetheless. There is a particular a visual image conjured forth when I contemplate Saturn in Sagittarius – it is that of a bush pilot skillfully navigating through dicey terrain; soaring toward an as-yet unknown landing zone in some remote, aboriginal destination. Sadge has long been associated with air travel, and with Saturn as our captain it seems we are indeed learning to fly in a metaphorical sense.
Being this planet squares Neptune in Pisces a total of three times between now and late 2016, we should expect this could turn out to be a water landing, so hopefully you will come prepared for this possibility and thus equip your aircraft with pontoon floats. In a figurative sense, the ground beneath our feet is not solid at all during these squares; rather it is liquid. Consequently, conditions such as this can make it difficult to gain traction; however this is not the point. As is always the case with Sadge energy, it is the totality of the journey rather than narrowing the vision solely upon your arrival at the destination, and so it is equal parts learning to fly & also learning to float or swim during the times when you are not sure where the current is taking you. Uncertainty and disillusionment may be a part of this terrain – especially in a professional and spiritual sense – but it is important to understand the landscape around us is fluid and shifting during this period. As such, it does not serve any practical good when in these “parts unknown” to either pressure ourselves excessively to get from A to B in a straight line nor to despair that we will be lost forever, never finding our path. Anyone with planets or points located between 4-15 degrees of the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) should expect to feel the effects of these energies quite acutely.
Saturn’s energy is focused on the material and resonates with themes involving one’s “purpose” in life – it shows what we are tasked with accomplishing in this incarnation and so this planet is associated with the ambition that allows us to achieve. Saturn can be said to be “our life’s work”, and for this reason it is linked to the profession; it is the mark we wish to make upon the world at large as well as the way(s) in which we will be tested during the course of our journey toward that goal. Neptune, by contrast, is immaterial and spiritual. It is our sense of magic and wonder as well as representing our connection to The Divine. It represents intuition, dreams, synchronicity, and the invisible “hand” guiding us. Neptune hears our prayers, cries, and wishes and answers them with an infinite amount of mercy and compassion….even if that answer is not always the one we would most like to hear. If you have ever witnessed a miracle or had your soul moved so deeply by the seeming grace of god(dess) that you have wept with gratitude, this is Neptune’s very essence.
Saturn squaring Neptune therefore represents the yearning to make our dreams real; to put the magic into our purpose and find work that is spiritually meaningful. Ergo it is during this square that we may become disillusioned by purely material realities and wander off into the bush in search of enlightenment. If one were to ever “go bamboo”, I would think the approaching squares between Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces could indeed be quite the catalyst. On the whole these squares do seem to be emblematic of the vision quest to me (especially in a professional context); the search for spiritual guidance when it comes to our mission. Neptune symbolizes our connection to Source, and when this planet moves into contact with Saturn, our soul can cry out a calling and question its purpose – how can we work in service to humanity and in accordance with The Divine Design? The Lakota Sioux people call this “hembleciya”, or “crying for a dream”. There is ritual protocol involved for this spiritual journey such as isolation, fasting, and sleep deprivation. The quester prays for a vision that will ultimately serve as a directive in helping them find their path.
This does not have to be a literal vision quest of course; it can certainly be allegorical and involve quiet self-reflection, prayer, and following our intuition. And paying attention to any uncanny “coincidences”, because if god/goddess has a plan for us, you can be sure it is divinely orchestrated. Some may leave the corporate (Saturn) world behind during these squares. Others may literally even take long journeys in the hopes of mystical enlightenment; perhaps down the Amazon for an ayahuasca ceremony or out into the barren desert for a peyote ritual due Neptune’s association with “substances”, trance states, and also spirituality. Please note I am in no way suggesting or advocating that *you* partake of such methods – Neptunian substances can be just as likely to cloud the issue or to take us *off* the path rather than help us find it! Many do not treat these ritualistic substances with the respect they deserve, so if in reality the unconscious allure lies in “tuning out” or “escaping”, best not to go anywhere near such avenues during this square. Instead, meditate, pray, ask for signs, and then surrender. Under the Saturn/Neptune squares, you cannot be sure exactly where you will land or how you will get there, but you must spread those wings nonetheless and learn to fly on faith. Aim for grounded but not landlocked; for transcendent but not head-in-the-clouds. With enough patience and earnest effort applied toward finding your way, you will get there…wherever “there” is.
07/03/2015
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