Tag Archives: saturn transits

Ask Real Astrologers: Dreading Saturn Transit, Help!

This week’s question comes from Janeta in Australia:

I have my Saturn in the twelfth house and the last time I had that, between 2002 and 2004, I separated from my husband and lost my mother. I am dreading this period, as I am also involved in a challenging relationship and was just wondering if I am repeating some lessons.

Janeta, there’s no reason to dread a Saturn transit through the twelfth house. It’s actually one of the milder transits of Saturn.

The Saturn transit you experienced from 2002 to 2004 wasn’t in your twelfth house but your eighth house. Saturn’s tour through the eighth house is decidedly much tougher and sometimes corresponds to the loss of an important person in our lives (emphasis added). In your case, it was much harder. Not only was Saturn opposed to transiting Pluto during that time – a very intense aspect in and of itself – but the eclipses were in the same signs and therefore also in your eighth house. It really was a Saturn transit from hell, and not just for you.

Saturn takes about 29 years to go around the chart and won’t be in your eighth house again until 2030.

Saturn enters your twelfth house on December 11 and will stay until he crosses your Ascendant in September 2013. That transit will be far more significant, and I strongly recommend that you get a complete astrological reading at that time, as many things in a person’s life do tend to change when Saturn crosses the Ascendant. But that’s almost three years away, so you don’t need to worry about it right now.

For the time being, while Saturn is in your twelfth house, you have a chance to tie up loose ends, clear your plate, and get rid of anything that isn’t working for you. That could well include relationships with people who drag you down and take more than they give back to you. And the choice likely will be yours to make – unless you cling to a relationship long past the time when it should be over. In that case, life has a tendency to hand us situations that force us to let go of what isn’t serving us.

In my observation, the worst thing that tends to happen while Saturn is in the twelfth house is that we feel ineffectual and isolated. Dealing with people can seem hard, and we might give up even trying. It can be somewhat depressing, although it doesn’t have to be. “To everything, there is a season.”

This is no guarantee that people you love won’t die or go away. That’s always a possibility in life, and astrology can’t take away that fear or uncertainty, nor should it be used that way. But I can say with relative certainty that this Saturn transit will not be as difficult as the one you experienced before. You can relax, Janeta, to the extent possible in our troubled times.

I hope that helps, and thank you for a very pertinent question that I’m sure many others will identify with.

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart, Married at Last

Blame it on the cardinal T-square.

On June 15, Harrison Ford married Callista Flockhart, his girlfriend of eight years. Why now? It’s the same question I asked earlier this month, when Al Gore, former vice president of the United States, announced that he and his wife, Tipper, were separating after 40 years of marriage.

I always start by looking at the synastry chart, a technique astrologers use to determine compatibility between two or more people. For both couples, the charts show clear indications of long-term commitment. Still, that doesn’t explain the timing.

In the case of the Gores, Pluto is on Al’s Moon, in the “hot spot” at the apex of the T-square. There are other aspects as well, but the heavy pressure on Al’s Moon, the seat of the emotions, suggests a deep-seated urge to move in another direction for spiritual and personal growth.

For Harrison and Callista, the timing can be explained by the T-square’s position in his chart. Indeed, it is quite dramatic, as all four of his chart angles are in the early degrees of the cardinal signs. As I’ve noted previously on my blog, the T-square is having a particularly powerful influence on people with personal planets or chart angles in the early cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn).

Harrison has 2 degrees Libra Rising, with Saturn approaching a third and final conjunction to his Ascendant. This is a significant milestone in life and a time when we often change our relationship status and take on more duties and responsibilities.

At the same time, Jupiter and Uranus are dead on his Descendant. Transiting Jupiter on the Descendant and in the seventh house traditionally is associated with marriage and long-term commitment. Uranus, meanwhile, has helped Harrison move out of his fear of entering a third union after two failed marriages.

Pluto is crossing his IC, or fourth-house cusp, representing dramatic changes in his home and family life. According to reports in the media, Harrison is a wonderful father to Callista’s adopted son, Liam. With their marriage, this relationship is official. Pluto in the fourth house also tends to help us grow out of early childhood programming.

The coming solar eclipse on July 11 will be within a degree of Harrison’s Sun at 20 degrees Cancer and not far from his natal Moon at 22 degrees Cancer. This nicely illustrates the point that eclipses are often felt months before or afterward, especially when they are in such a prominent position in the chart.

While I was at the supermarket the other day, I flipped through a copy of People magazine, in which friends of the couple were quoted as saying their relationship was based on an honest approach to life and to each other, and on equality. It took eight years for them to get to this point, which is a wonderful reminder that true love requires constant tending and nurturing.

Even soul mates have to work at it.

Pat

Interested in how the T-square is influencing your life and relationships? Explore a personal consultation with Pat.

Ask Real Astrologers: Is the Cardinal T-Square All Bad?

This week’s question comes from Stephanie in Springfield, Missouri:

I have read with much interest the predictions being made concerning the state of the world and individuals, with the T-square this summer. I have been expecting my life to become increasingly troubled or stressed, when in fact things are going better than they have for a number of years and keep improving! Am I an odd exception to what’s going on, or are others slated as I seem to be, to not only survive these times but thrive? I hear so much about possible negatives in store and not much about positives. Are there incredible positives coming out of the planetary movements in the coming years?

Great question, Stephanie. As I wrote in a column last month, some people actually may do quite well under this astrological influence, especially people with a lot of cardinal energy in their charts. These folks need action and may have felt stuck during periods over the past several years when we were in fixed energy patterns. They also tend to feel directionless during mutable periods. If you have a lot of cardinal energy in your chart, you likely will welcome the movement that is happening now, even if events are disruptive at times.

Stephanie, note that you do have three cardinal planets, including your Aries Sun, and so you are more than ready to get moving. Fortunately for you, none of these planets is in an early degree of the cardinal signs, nor do you have any chart angles at these degrees. People with personal planets or chart points in early cardinal degrees may have a little more action than they can cope with right now.

A quick look at your chart shows that you don’t even have a hard aspect from any of the T-square planets to personal planets or chart angles. Further, your Scorpio Ascendant also puts transiting Saturn in your tenth house, which is a good place for the career planet. Even in tumultuous times, you’re at the peak of your career, indicated by Saturn’s position at the top of your chart.

You also recently experienced the transit of Jupiter over your natal Moon, which usually is a positive time. Jupiter and Uranus are moving through your fourth house, which may yet provide a few surprises but they could be quite wonderful.

In short, you are out of the line of fire. No doubt, there are others who share your good fortune, so you aren’t alone. It’s quite possible that my perspective is skewed, as most of my clients right now are coming to me because they are experiencing serious challenges, and in most cases, the T-square is complicating matters for them. Also, the majority of questions I’m receiving for this column are from readers whose lives are being impacted in some way by the T-square. If they aren’t being directly challenged, their loved ones are having a hard time.

In any case, you do raise a good point, Stephanie, and I’m glad to be able to pass on your observation to others. I wish you continuing good fortune. Be sure to spread it around!

As I’ve noted before, I’m getting a lot of questions and am not able to answer them all, nor can I answer them fast enough or in the detail that some of you need. If you’re in need of immediate guidance and in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. I do individual forecasts as well as relationship counseling. If you’re outside the United States and would like a live reading, I have Skype and Gmail video chat.

Hang in there, everyone!

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” You can also use the drop-down menu above under “About Us” to get to the question form. THANKS!

Ask Real Astrologers: Should I Build a Bunker?

This week’s question comes from Svetie in Coffs Harbour, Australia:

After three harrowing years of Saturn in Virgo, I’m dreading this retrograde transit. If I’m not mistaken, it was my second Saturn return. Will it treat me a bit gentler during this retrograde, or should I build a bunker now?

Svetie, we all may need a bunker here shortly!

Seriously, you are indeed in a challenging period, but not due to a Saturn return. That happened quite some time ago and is long past. What’s happening now is the conjunction of transiting Saturn and your natal Sun at 26 Virgo.

And that’s not all. Your natal Saturn is at 26 Gemini, so you’re also experiencing a Saturn square. To complicate matters still further, transiting Saturn and Uranus are opposite one another and formed an exact contact at 28 degrees Virgo on April 26. It was the fourth pass of this opposition, and we’ll get a fifth one later this year in Libra and Aries.

Of the five passes of Saturn and Uranus, the one that touched your chart most directly was on Sept. 15, 2009. That was a whopper, no doubt about it. Although some of the same elements are present now, including Mercury retrograde, Saturn has moved past your Sun. On his retrograde path, he will return to 27 degrees Virgo but no further. Sure, that’s way too close for comfort, but you got through the direct hit and lived to tell about it, so you’ll survive the next one.

Uranus is another story. He’ll return to 26 Pisces and will hover around that degree until January 2011. What’s more, he’ll have Jupiter in tow to amplify his disruptive nature. However, all disruption isn’t bad. Wildly exciting developments and growth opportunities can be just as destabilizing as exploding relationships and detonating careers, and they are every bit as possible … make that “likely.”

Fortunately, you’ve got a lot of mutable energy in your natal chart (mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces), and that means you are adaptable and open to change. Still, I don’t doubt that you’re under heavy stress and would like some stability. That probably isn’t going to happen for awhile. You may not need a bunker so much as an RV with all the amenties.

Best of luck to you, Svetie, and thanks so much for writing. Let us know how it goes.

Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Is My Daughter Going Through Hell?

This week’s question comes from Marilyn in Sacramento.

Real is 37, a gifted Pisces. The last two years she has found herself without a home, a full time job, her children cannot be with her right now. She is living in a garage and developed Meniers disease in her one ear. She is having a terrible time of depression, anxiety, and a huge weight gain. My heart is breaking for my beautiful, talented Real.

Thank you for any answers you might be able to furnish. It’s been a hard time of testing.

Libra ponders . . . Neith’s response:

Marilyn, your daughter has undergone some pretty tough transits over the past couple of years so it is not surprising she has been feeling depressed and discouraged. For starters, a couple of years ago Saturn in Leo was squaring her natal Saturn in her seventh house putting her in a tough position with her career and relationship demands.

At the same time Pluto was conjunct her Mars in Sagittarius in her second house. Because she has Scorpio rising, Mars is her chart ruler, and transits to Mars will be especially powerful. Real also has a natal Mars-Pluto square, so this Pluto transit undoubtedly increased the obsessive side of her nature. Pluto transits to the second house can cause major changes to one’s value system and personal income.

Along with Saturn and Pluto transits, she was experiencing Uranus conjunct her Sun. Uranus transits in general push us to recognize unmet needs and often precipitate dramatic changes. Real’s Sun in Pisces is part of a Yod, with Uranus at the apex and her Sun sextile Saturn as the base. This makes any transits to her Sun more strongly felt because they trigger her natal Sun-Uranus inconjunct, throwing her off-balance. Simply put, Real is at heart a dependable person with moments of rebellion and Uranus came along and tweaked her rebellious side with a vengeance.

Over the next couple of months Saturn will be opposing her Sun and trine her natal Saturn, helping her find her feet again. Uranus is a year or so away from squaring her natal Moon in Gemini, and Pluto finished opposing her Moon last year, so hopefully she will be able to take advantage of the Saturn transits to address her situation and begin to improve it.

Please accept my best wishes for both you and your daughter seeing happier times very soon. I can recommend an excellent book by Donna Cunningham, Healing Pluto Problems, to help Real understand what it means to have Pluto dominant in one’s chart, as he is in hers.

Pat’s answer:

Marilyn, I don’t have children of my own but can only imagine how your heart must be breaking to see your beautiful daughter going through such hell. All I can tell you is that I have been in such a place a couple of times in my life, and it is possible to survive and come out stronger.

And I do believe that she will. I have been writing a lot on the Real Astrologers blog as well as on my personal blog, The Pisces Chronicles, about an unusual set of planetary transits that are happening simultaneous with the current series of eclipses in Aquarius and Leo. Real’s lunar North Node is at 23 degrees Aquarius, which not only is being activated by the eclipses (this Saturday’s eclipse is at 24 degrees, very close to her North Node), but by transiting Neptune and Chiron.

As I’ve written elsewhere, a window has opened for deep healing, especially of old wounds from childhood or even that we brought into this life with us. Real is being directly affected by this healing energy. But, as I’ve also pointed out, healing can be painful, because it means reopening the old wound, which can hurt as much or more than the original injury.

This eclipse series began in February and lasts until August of next year, and it falls in Real’s fourth and tenth houses, which pertain to her home, family, and job. I would expect changes to her circumstances in these areas of her life, and since it doesn’t sound like things could get much worse, the changes that take place over the next year should greatly improve her life.

One area that may continue to be troublesome, however, is her situation with her children. Uranus, the planet of sudden change and upset, currently is transiting her fifth house, which rules children, and there will be a tough opposition of Saturn and Uranus starting this November and lasting until September 2009. Real will fare best if she accepts the help and intervention of others rather than taking a rebellious stance.

Much love and courage to both of you.

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