LOL, I was chatting with my yoga teacher last night when she related a funny little story to me. One of her other jobs is to run wilderness hiking tours at a prestigious local inn..she had this husband and wife couple wanting to do a scenic hike, and the amusing thing was the husband *insisted* on leading this excursion despite her being there. She smiled to herself and decided it was No Big Deal…she’d just let him do his thing and see what happened. Needless to say, she had a good internal chuckle as he then proceeded to get them very lost despite having the aid of a map, LOL. She wasn’t lost, of course – she knew these woods like the back of her hand. But he grew increasingly distressed as it became glaringly apparent to all that they were nowhere near the supposed landmarks he was looking for, insisting “But the map SAYS…!” – umm, newsflash, dude: It helps if you hold the map the right way! 😛
LOL, in the animal kingdom, tortoises are a perfect representation of Saturn energy: slow-moving, covered in armor, and long-lived!
Just a little reminder that Saturn stations (turns) direct today, while in an almost exact square to Jupiter & Venus in Leo, no less! This may present a last chance for us to shut the door on energy-sink situations, relationships, or commitments – especially those with an overabundance of drama. Time is up and the train’s about to leave the station for good, as Saturn is departing for Sagittarius and won’t return to Scorpio for roughly another 26 years….that’s a loooong time to wait if you’re (literally and figuratively) stuck at the station.
I was discussing retrograding Venus-in-Virgo squaring Saturn-in-Scorpio matters of the heart with a girlfriend last night when I found myself trying to put things into perspective for her by dispensing the advice not to take things too seriously re: her current love interest. It was then, of course, the imaginary juke box in my head decided to fire up with this little ditty, LOL – it’s a sort pop-y one-hit wonder from circa the late 90’s, so don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard it before:
How perfect for the current astro! She was overanalyzing things (again) and getting way ahead of herself about where the relationship was/wasn’t going, so I kind of had to pull a “full stop” on her and jam on the brakes a bit, LOL. You may recall back at the beginning of the year that I outlined in my newsletter how the outset of this retrograde has the ability to cause us to re-evaluate relationships with a more critical eye, and that while healthy discernment does play a role in keeping us safe from any proverbial Trojan Horses, the old saying about “looking a gift horse in the mouth” does come to mind.
So why make more out of it (meaning, a relationship) than it is by turning it into A Big Deal? Not necessarily in the sense of getting more of a commitment out of a partner by defining dealbreakers or through requiring a more serious level of intimacy (though that’s certainly possible under this astro), but why not practice just being in the moment and appreciating a relationship for what it is in the now rather than …Read More…
Originally written and performed by incomparable Bill Withers, this cover is a personal favorite due the addition of crescendoing violins – a lovely touch! Upon hearing it today, I was struck by how it seems to epitomize the current square between Venus in Leo and Saturn in Scorpio – a vibe that will more or less pervade during the next 3 weeks courtesy of Venus’ slowed motion and subsequent (impending) retrograde. Venus square Saturn can indeed be a time of hardship or testing in relationships…the shields may seem to be up and it may be a lot more challenging to access some lovin’. Since we have Saturn in Scorpio involved, there may be a psychological, sexual, or other energetic barrier involved – remember what I said in an earlier post about the possible tendency to put ourselves on lockdown. It could be self-protective, and there may even be an element of fear involved when real intimacy is on the line.
Typically, Venus in Leo would rather play, but this is serious business and she’s less able to be footloose and fancy-free than she would otherwise be when unbound by Saturn’s constraints. It would appear she has some commitments she may be duty-bound to honor and simply might not have the time to invest in her relationships the way that she might like. Demands and responsibilities seem to be cramping her style – especially due work – and she may well have to take her sunshine away and TCOB for the time being. But it won’t be this way forever, nor for comparatively very long, so freak not if things seem to be stalling for you on the partnership front. Venus clears her second square with Saturn after August 5th, her next point-of-contact being liberating Uranus on August 19th – that is the ideal time to really jailbreak and remove any hardware restrictions!
Saturn is just about to dip back into Scorpio tomorrow for a final 3 month long foray before leaving this sign for good (well, the foreseeable future, anyway!) in September. This reignites a mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto, as both planets will once again come to reside in each other’s domicile. The vibe of this is heavy and intense, and one thing that has been a recurring theme for me in contemplating the co-mingling of these energies over the last 2 1/2 years is the concept of a power:weight ratio.
The power:weight ratio is something you hear about often within the context of auto racing circles. You want enough weight on your vehicle to keep the rubber on the road – this helps you to have better control and avoid doing a wheelie, as the most effective use of energy always involves a straight line since the least amount of waste occurs when this happens. But you also don’t want so much weight on your car that too much drag is created, as this would essentially render your horsepower ineffective.
If we were to take this premise and look at it in a more metaphorical sense, Saturn is an energy that we associate with weight; i.e. responsibility, burden, duty, etc.. Pluto, on the other hand, concerns our personal power and the ability to make major gear shifts (transformations) in life. It is the internal combustion powerplant that takes stored energy and transmutes it into kinetic energy in order to propel us forward.
It takes skillful management – and sometimes lots of trial and error – to get this ratio just right. We need to be grounded in reality and aware of the responsibilities we carry so that we use our personal power correctly and not corruptly. Doing so prevents us from the repercussion that would otherwise come from dumping them off somewhere they don’t belong. Conversely, we also need to be very aware of the weight of duty so that it doesn’t suck us down the tubes, because it does have a definite undertow now. Some time ago, I wrote in one of my newsletters about how this is an optimal time to cut losses – when we’ve invested a lot of time, money, energy, support, etc. in something or someone and it just hasn’t provided a concrete return for our efforts, we also need to know when it is time to fold. It is self-protective to do so and provides us a lesson in survival basics to cut the rope on any anchor we’ve been holding that would otherwise pull us under.
I believe there is value in honoring our commitments even when the road seems treacherously difficult. But that said, when this moves to an extreme point that it actually on some level threatens to kill us (psychically, emotionally, energetically) with its crushing weight, this is something altogether different. Under this mutual reception, I have seen a lot of people learning the hard way to protect their energies by cutting certain ties – even when they have been previously afraid to do because of the prospect of loss (emotional, financial, etc.). I have also witnessed those who have had the weight of the world held up on their shoulders (either by circumstance or on a self-imposed basis) and cringed when this got to the point their knees eventually bucked under the strain and they were sent crashing to the ground. Being “the strong one” or “Man/Woman of Steel”, if you prefer, can carry its own shadow – it may actually be something that limits intimacy and the capacity for deep exchange on a soul level. If this sounds like a resonant theme in your life, definitely work on it, because this mutual reception is all about grinding out our psychological “baggage” so we can fortify ourselves from the very core of our being outward and reclaim our power.
This mutual reception says above all else: Learn exactly what you can (or can’t) let go of. If a debt is legitimately yours, make good on it because this will help keep Saturn’s karmic “wheels” (or perhaps that’s “rings” LOL?) planted firmly on the ground so they don’t come boomeranging back at you later. But don’t keep a death grip on a burden that is not yours (or entirely yours) to bear, either, because it can crate hellacious drag and under this energy others may be all too willing to try pawning theirs off on good old reliable, responsible You – shut that shit down! There is a higher likelihood of there being joint responsibilities (energetically, emotionally, fiscally) in a scenario that has broken down now – accept only your part in it and don’t take on somebody else’s shit on top of your own, because doing so robs them of the necessary lesson that they do indeed have to clean up their own messes.
If you are dealing with a situation in your own life where your energy is feeling sapped but you are unsure of whether or not the right thing to do is to suck it up or to stop and drop, consider putting a hard deadline on making a firm decision about whether to pull your chips out. Ideally, this would be before Sept 17th when Saturn leaves Scorpio for good and this mutual reception comes to a close.
06/13/2015
Much as I love the original, I must say I’m quite taken with this cover.
Lyrics:
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run; you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say…
A frightfully apt song with Saturn passing back into Scorpio – especially when we take into account the broader astrological context that it will eventually creep toward a square with Jupiter/Venus in Leo during early August! If ever an advertising slogan fit a particular transit, I’d say the old Reebok tagline “Life is short; play hard” seems pretty damn apt for this upcoming square. Jupiter + Venus in Leo is hedonism to the nines, ostensibly spurred by Saturn’s realization that it could all end at any moment and that nothing in life is guaranteed except death and taxes.
I think that if you’re grimly hanging onto anything that you shouldn’t be at this point in life and thinking you still have time to make up for it, the tension of this square could be quite the wakeup call. Entrenchment in defunct situations because we are locked in and too afraid to let go (perhaps due the prospect of loss) could be preventing something wonderful and life-affirming from entering our lives – things like happiness, abundance, joy, and love, for example. When Venus and Jupiter are in league, our cups may runneth over…but with Saturn and Pluto back in mutual reception once again, there may be a contrasting psychological barrier where we’re putting ourselves on lockdown for some reason. Perhaps in true Saturn/Pluto fashion, we find ourselves making an effort to delay the inevitable and may fear the potentially life-changing ramifications of opening ourselves up to whatever opportunities Venus & Jupiter present. Saturn squaring Venus especially calls to mind possible issues regarding self-worth that inhibit pleasure because on some level we might not feel deserving of this bounty. While we can’t take it all in one bite and forgo paying the piper entirely with this square, we can certainly work on any psychological complexes that stand to limit personal growth and fulfillment.
Ergo, during this square I say to hell with the concept of “hanging on in quiet desperation”- in a case like this, I think it’s important we know when to quit and then steel ourselves to take that hit, because the alternative may mean staying stuck in a dysfunctional scenario that does indeed have severely limited growth potential. Jupiter & Venus in Leo are all about opening and expanding the Heart Center; especially as it relates to self-love. Remember they are the Greater and Lesser Benefics, respectively – are you sure you want to shut the door on them if they come knocking?
Wow, so Saturn enters Sagittarius in just over a week (December 23rd) – check this story out, because it’s a sure sign of this energy: Cops (Saturn) playing the role of Santa Claus (Sagittarius)! Pretty wild that we’re seeing signs of this ingress already, ya?!
Double bonus points: It’s no secret that law enforcement (Saturn) has indeed been getting some pretty bad press lately (see: Ferguson, MO et al), which is something that we expect to see with Saturn in Scorpio since this placement corresponds to abuses and misuses of “authority”. Corrupt cops are unfortunately something that’s par for the course with this energy, which is still technically in play until December 23rd. But now that Saturn is about to leave Scorpio for Sadge, it seems Sagittarius’ benevolent ways are already giving the police a much-needed PR lift. Sagittarius is the Great Benefactor of the zodiac – every planet gets a boost when it traverses this sign. If Saturn = the cops, it makes total sense that law enforcement – as a physical representation of Saturn energy – would benefit from this planet’s entrance into Sadge. An interesting illustration of astrology in action!
As Mercury – the messenger of the gods – joins with Saturn in the last degrees of Scorpio this evening, I thought it would be a perfect time to put out a possibly final Saturn in Scorpio memorandum. It deals with personal accountability (a Saturn fave) and why it’s especially important to own our shadows as Saturn prepares to weigh anchor and leave for Sagittarius in less than a month’s time. Scorpio deals with our so-called “shadow sides”; the dark, dysfunctional parts of our makeup that – once conquered – can serve as potent fertilizer for claiming our personal power. With Saturn in Scorpio since late 2012, we have all been collectively faced with repeated tests dealing with our ability to control the qualities, traits, and characteristics that may otherwise have the ability to enslave us to our lowest natures. The tests of power and resultant struggle to master the darkness within represents a true journey of self-mastery from the very cores of our beings. We won’t get many more chances to get these kinds of life lessons right, so tonight I want to reflect upon a subject that often surfaces when we talk about Plutonic energy (which is a catch-all umbrella term for planets found in the sign of Scorpio, located in the 8th House of a chart, or in contact with Pluto).
You may recall from a previous newsletter I did on the topic of Saturn in Scorpio, that one major keynote of this energy has involved being nuclear conscious of what we’re taking from vs. what we are contributing to the collective (read: others’) energy pool. And that a failure to do so during Saturn in Scorpio inevitably leads one to be deemed a “drain”, “leech”, or “energy sink” – in this situation, others are (rightfully) inclined to retract their investment in us, which makes sense because why keep the tap running when we’re being bled out? The self-protective inclination to conserve our energy – whether this be in the form of physical, emotional, or energetic resources – is extremely strong when this planet traverses Scorpio.
Now some on the receiving end of this treatment during the last 2+ years have no doubt cried foul over being cut off like this – and it’s precisely this phenomenon that I want to address tonight. Plutonic individuals – that is, those with a preponderance of Scorpio planets, an abundance of planets located in the 8th House of their chart, and/or contacts from Pluto to key planets in their nativities – are prone to having a reputation for cutting people off. While it’s true that a prevalence of these kinds of energies means we’re Read More….
More words *NOT* to live by with Jupiter in Leo – unless of course you’re in the Performing Arts field, LOL…
Everybody’s got drama at times – me, you, him, her, them. It’s something that – at one point or another – is universal to the human experience, so this isn’t about judgment because we all experience the natural ebb-and-flow of the Comedy & Tragedy known as “life”. But there is a distinct difference between this being “situational” vs. “habitual” in nature, and as the Leo Moon joins with Jupiter in Leo, I want to talk specifically about the latter variety of drama. Jupiter is a planet that excels at providing us with perspective when resonating in Hi-Fi – when something is too “first-person” for us to see, it allows us to back up and get a bigger-picture view on things as if we were looking it from high above. Now the Moon is a creature of habit; it shows where we do things instinctively on auto-pilot because we are in our “comfort zones”, for good or ill. The Leo Moon can be habituated to drama when expressed in Lo-Fi, where it derives some measure of satisfaction off there being some sort of “scene” for it to star in. When resonating with this end of the vibrational spectrum, the Moon in Leo may indeed be fed off a “big production” in one respect or another in some (or multiple) area(s) of life, and it’s precisely this craving that can lead Lo-Fi Leo to create more of the same. Allow me to explain and provide some perspective….
Leo/Solar energy is primarily one of display, where we’re apt to “put on a show” or “make a spectacle” for better or worse – putting it more succinctly, this often translates to “drama” in one form or another. Now sometimes this characteristic is used for entertainment value or comedic effect where this “performing” energy can be channeled beneficially, because here we are sharing our “light” with others – reference famous Leo entertainers Lucille Ball, Steve Martin, Tom Green, Steve Carell, and Denis Leary just to name a few examples. Indeed, one facet of Jupiter in Leo’s energy entails looking at positive avenues of self-expression, because Jupiter has been classically referred to as The Great Benefic and Leo is the sign of creative self-expression. This can entail comedy, dance, and of course, the Performing (or Visual) Arts.
But, as we know, each planetary vibration also has the capacity to be done in Lo-Fi. Jupiter’s Lo-Fi manifestation can signify excess, where there’s “too much” of a given thing. In the sign of Leo, this can be dramaas well as self-centeredness, as the dark side of Leo/Solar energy can be that it expects the world to revolve entirely around it. Thus this energetic combination does have the capacity to create what I’ll (half-humorously) refer to as “Drama-Llamas” – you know, the types of people who habitually seem to have an over-abundance of it in their life (usually the self-created kind) and so it becomes all about *them* and *their show*? It’s no longer about sharing one’s light and giving of oneself; it concerns having an audience, and it seems as though their whole raison d’etre may be to get the world to stop and revolve around them. I generally correlate this sort of behavior to there being a lack of positive attention in childhood, because Leo is the sign of children and Jupiter can have an overcompensatory vibe. In such instances, the individual may subscribe to the (conscious or unconscious) belief that any attention is good attention if it gets people to notice them, and – more specifically – if it gets people to notice their needs if the Moon is involved (say in Leo, the 5th House, or wired to the Sun).
Now I don’t know about you, but when I encounter this sort of thing, I’m personally inclined to change the channel. This kind of schtick is only entertaining in comedy clubs, soap operas, or on late-night TV – I really don’t want it in a close personal relationship of any kind, because how could there possibly be space for reciprocity – that all-important relationship maker or breaker – if someone’s too busy making it all about their own made-for-primetime telenovela? There is no room for co-stars, no; this Demanding Diva energy says there is only ONE. But with Saturn in Scorpio currently engaged in a loose but ongoing square to Jupiter in Leo, looking at the angle of how an excess of drama (Jupiter in Leo) can be a real time & energy sink (Saturn in Scorpio) is a wise thing to do. Drama-Llamas often fail to see just how self-centered (again, we’re talking about Lo-Fi Leo here) and taxing (Saturn in Scorp) this behavior can be, because this would require them to step outside of the first-person, which they’re not usually accustomed to doing by default. But Jupiter reminds us to put the repercussions of this kind of behavior into perspective as well, as Saturn is an energy that signifies consequences. Because when one habitually creates drama, this vicariously spills out onto close associations (Significant Other, family, friends, etc. ). Bystanders are then forced to watch “The Drama-Llama Show”, as such behavior leaves said Llama unavailable to be present for others’ trials, successes, tribulations, etc. since they’re too wrapped up in starring in their own production. That is, of course, unless we change the channel or turn it off….
One potential manifestation of this placement can be staying locked into a screwed-up situation because we fear letting go. Maybe we think we’ll be obliterated if we do, and left with nothing. But Saturn in Scorpio has been challenging many of us to know when to cut our losses. It may be time to acknowledge the reality that we have to fold – even if we think we stand to lose a lot – rather than keep on throwing in more time, energy, effort, etc, into a situation that has kept on degrading. This can apply to relationships, jobs, friendships – anything, really – in addition to literal financial situations. The Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) have been getting the brunt of this energy since late 2012, and if you have planets or angles in any of these signs, you definitely know what I mean even though we’re allseeing this theme playing out somewhere in our lives to a greater or lesser degree.
The alternative to this, as I have said before in my newsletter, is that we wind up in a metaphorical “moneypit” scenario where we continue throwing in good money after bad despite their being no chance of a Return-On-Investment. Sometimes the best you can manage is to pull out before you’re sunk, and protecting ourselves from situations that are unduly taxing is a far wiser use of this energy. It takes a lot of maturity to be able to look at a situation and admit “This is not working for me” and then steel ourselves to take the hit. But some do not know when to quit – if this is you, time is running out. Saturn will be leaving Scorpio for good next year, and when that happens you definitely don’t want to find yourself with an “F” for this particular life lesson. Saturn is the Cosmic Taskmaster, and when we don’t make the grade by failing to do the right-but-hard thing, it means we wind up paying for it in spades and living with the consequences for a very long time. As always, the choice is ours. This may seem harsh, but it’s really not – Saturn is actually quite fair. We’ve had almost 2 years (so far) to straighten this out, and Saturn’s mission is to teach us there are consequences to every choice we make. This is an important part of being an adult – we gain valuable life experience whenever we deal with the ramifications that come from our decisions, hopefully resulting in an increased level of maturity and wisdom as we age.
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