Tag Archives: Saturn-Uranus opposition

Ask Real Astrologers: What Can I Expect from the Coming Eclipses?

This week’s question comes from Natalie in New York:

My question is regarding the first eclipse of this year, which is going to exactly conjoin my Midheaven and Nadir. What meaning or lessons might this have in store for me? What can I expect?

Neith’s response:

Hi Natalie! Yes, the Full Moon in Cancer on January 10 is exactly conjunct your Midheaven with the Sun in Capricorn on the Nadir, and even though this lunation is not an eclipse, (it’s the New Moon in Aquarius on January 25 that’s the solar eclipse) your chart is strongly connected to it.

A Full Moon illuminates and brings into focus matters that we need to be paying attention to and how the different areas of our lives, represented by the houses, are interconnected – or not, as the case may be. This Full Moon triggers your four angular houses, particularly the fourth and tenth. Perhaps you have needed to devote extra time to matters related to your home and family at the expense of your career, and some balance needs restoring. At this time, Jupiter and Mercury are drawing closer together in your fourth house, which leads me to wonder if you are discussing possible improvements to your home or relocating altogether!

You will benefit from the mystic rectangle formed on the Full Moon, because Saturn is currently conjunct your natal Pluto with Uranus in the fifth house, so innovative but practical solutions are available to you. While Saturn-Pluto transits are not easy, they do help us process old issues systematically and release them, allowing us to move forward . . . if we accept the challenge and do the necessary work.

Since the New Moon solar eclipse exactly opposes your Sun, it might be a good idea take a look at what you feel is holding you back now, so you can take full advantage of new directions and possibilities awaiting you. Best wishes for a fabulous coming year!

Pat’s response:

Natalie, you sure have a lot going on in your life right now! As Neith writes, you have Saturn on your natal Pluto, which is presenting some tough challenges. But you have some incredible opportunities waiting for you, too.

Eclipses are essentially supercharged lunations, so the New Moon solar eclipse on January 25 and the Full Moon lunar eclipse on February 9 will in many ways be an extension of tomorrow’s Full Moon in Cancer, since they also take place in your fourth and tenth houses. The issues that Neith identified will be the dominant focus of your life for at least the next six months, when this series of eclipses ends and a new one begins.

The good news is that you already know what the issues are. If you’ve been dealing with issues regarding your parents, then you can expect new developments in that situation. Likewise, if you’ve been having issues with your home itself, you can expect developments there. I’m also wondering whether perhaps there’s a romantic interest or child in the mix. If so, you should experience some movement on that front.

There is one major factor now, though, that will make the upcoming pair of eclipses different than last year’s, and that is the presence of Jupiter. Now that Jupiter is in Aquarius, changes will come more easily and rapidly. Eclipses tend to bring change, often faster than we’re comfortable with, and this will be all the more true with the Big Guy in the sign of sudden change and surprises. In Capricorn, he was feeding the forces that maintained the status quo.

The one thing we can say with certainty is that your life is not going to be boring in the next six months! Thanks for writing, and stay in touch!

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Weekly Forecast January 5: Full Moon in Cancer, Mercury Retrograde

Does it seem to you like everyone has gone berserk, yourself included?

I had three meltdowns over the past week, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. All three were in response to someone else’s meltdown, and I’ve since heard from friends and co-workers that everywhere they turn, people are acting crazy. There’s a lot of anger and frustration out there, that’s for sure.

In circumstances such as these, the first thing the astrologer does is to try to figure out what’s “causing” it — remembering, of course, that the planets don’t cause anything to happen to us, but are just indicators of what’s happening with the invisible energies flowing through the Cosmos. We might surmise, then, that there’s a major traffic jam and that these energies are colliding with each other and wreaking general havoc.

One of the toughest puzzles in astrology is to identify which planetary indicators are at work at any given time. My money is on the Saturn-Uranus opposition, which got a jolt this morning when Jupiter entered Aquarius. Jupiter is bigger than all of the other planets in our solar system combined, and when the Big Guy moves, we know it.

In Capricorn for the past year, Jupiter has been feeding Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, one of the more conservative signs that tends to favor the status quo. Conversely, Aquarius is about sudden, unpredictable change. The Water-Bearer’s ruler is Uranus, the sky god of storms and electricity. Meanwhile, Uranus himself is in the watery sign of Pisces, which is associated with the vast void of the collective unconscious.

Whew! What a way to start a week — or a new year, for that matter!

As if that’s not enough, there will be a Full Moon on Saturday, with the Sun in Capricorn and the Moon in Cancer, the sign she rules. Neith will have more on this on Wednesday, so be sure to check back. Fortunately, this Full Moon has a lot of earth energy associated with it, so we probably won’t experience all hell breaking loose, but we’ll be agitated all the same, and I think this may be in part due to the struggle between wanting to keep things as they are and the irresistible pull toward the changes we all know are necessary but that are very scary.

We’ll get plenty of opportunity to think about all of this over the next several weeks, as Mercury turns retrograde in Aquarius this Sunday and then retrogrades back into Capricorn on January 21. If we’re confused now (I know I am), we should gain a lot of clarity, although I think we’re going to feel awfully uncomfortable for a bit.

As they say in French, bon courage! Lots of love to all, and hang in there!

Pat

Image: Kerby Brown, a daredevil champion surfer from Western Australia, rides a 41-foot wave. He eventually wiped out and said he was lucky to be alive! I thought it was appropriate for this week because it feels like we are all riding big waves, and a lot of us are wiping out, but hey, we’re still alive. This photo was taken last July (with the Sun in Cancer) by Andrew Buckley for REUTERS.

Ask Our Readers: What Are Your Hopes and Fears for the New Year?

The coming year is astrologically charged, with Saturn and Uranus in a continued opposition, Venus retrograde, and six eclipses. The latter is especially rare and indicates that 2009 will be a highly significant year.

In this week’s reader survey, we’d like to know what your hopes, wishes, and fears for the coming year are. We decided not to make it a poll, because we didn’t want to limit the broad range of possible answers.

Personally, I’m looking forward to sweeping changes in my personal life, with the continue series of eclipses in Aquarius and Leo, which fall in my first house of self and seventh house of personal relationships. My love life started picking up within two weeks of the first eclipse of this series last February and heated up over the summer, only to crash and burn at the lunar eclipse in mid-August. I’ve been picking up the pieces ever since, and there are new developments that look promising as we head into the next eclipse pair in late January and early February.

The Saturn-Uranus opposition is taking place in my second and eighth houses, so I expect continued challenges and breakthroughs in my financial situation as well. I’m sure something unexpected will happen, and I can’t even begin to guess what it might be.

As for the world at large, I do have some anxiety there, and I don’t believe we are going to get too far into 2009 before all hell breaks loose. For those who have been hoping for change, we are going to get it, and it may fall into the “careful what you wish for” category.

What I most wish for in 2009 is that many more people will experience a spiritual awakening.

And, of course, I wish you much love and many blessings for the New Year!

Pat

Yes, the Saturn-Uranus opposition is going to continue to get my attention, too, since Saturn remains in my tenth house and Uranus in my fourth. So far it’s been all about meeting obligations and remembering everything has to be done in the correct order with attention to detail – yes, Virgo in action. Uranus keeps stirring up my home life, much to my Libra Moon’s distress.

For all of us Venus-ruled Libra and Taurus folks, a Venus retrograde is always something to take note of, and Venus will be retrograde in Aries from March 6 to April 17. The last time Venus went retrograde a couple of years ago, I sure noticed it. It was similar to a Mercury retrograde but in matters related to love, creativity, etc. We love to get feedback on these events and will keep you posted as they arrive on the scene.

Don’t forget (as if you could) this will be Pluto’s first full year in Capricorn and if you haven’t noticed, frugal living is coming back in style everywhere we look. We can still enjoy life, just not in the same manner we had become accustomed to over the past 15-plus years.

Stay alert and practice kindness to others and yourself. Have a wonderful and exciting 2009.

Neith

Weekly Forecast December 29: Saturn Retrograde, Venus Enters Pisces

Ancient Sentinels, by Ellen Hill Despite the revelries to welcome in the New Year, this week could feel unusually somber, with Saturn’s turn retrograde on Wednesday.

As I wrote in last week’s forecast, the opposition of Saturn and Uranus has been unequal so far, as the stabilizing energies of Saturn have been reinforced by Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign that Saturn rules, and the chaotic, unpredictable nature of Uranus has been kept in check. Saturn’s turn retrograde will weaken this stabilizing force, just as Jupiter is about to enter Aquarius, the sign ruled by Uranus. Once that happens, we are in for some turbulent astro-weather.

I am not writing this to frighten you, but just to give you a heads up that you may have unexpected circumstances to deal with. Actually, if you’ve been paying attention, events probably won’t surprise you too much, as you’ve seen the handwriting on the wall. If you weren’t paying attention or intentionally ignored the signs, then you could be thrown for a loop. How this will manifest in your life depends on where the Saturn-Uranus opposition is positioned in your natal chart.

The Moon in Pisces on Friday conjoins Uranus and opposes Saturn, so you may feel a blip in this ongoing situation, whatever it may be. The Moon goes through Pisces once a month and Virgo once a month, so these little reminders may continue to happen every couple of weeks.

On the plus side this week, Mercury enters Aquarius on Thursday and Venus enters Pisces on Saturday. Both planets will be in the sign of their exaltation, and this should bode well for communications between friends, siblings, and romantic partners. Even if a key relationship in your life is breaking up or going through some other kind of disorienting or disruptive change, you should be able to talk about it and view each other with compassion. Forgiveness, both of yourself and others, is possible, and a little goes a long way.

Wishing you much love and courage in the new year…

Pat

Image: Ancient Sentinels, by Ellen Hill, whom many of you know as Tseka. To see more of Ellen’s phenomenal work, including her new line of talisman jewelry, visit her site, Tseka – One Dance.

Ask Real Astrologers: I’m New to This, What’s It All Mean?

This week’s question comes from Susan in Ontario, Canada:

I had my birth chart done and am totally new at this. I was reading that Uranus is opposed to Saturn until 2010. What does it mean, that serious decisions I have coming up could/will affect me for years? My Moon is in Pisces. I knew long before that something was going to happen in 2012. I specifically married on the Winter Solstice, 2003, to a man I believe I knew from my Egyptian past life. His Moon is in Aquarius.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Well, Susan, that’s a load! We don’t have enough space here for me to answer all your questions thoroughly, but I’ll try to give you a brief big picture.

First of all, “getting your chart done” for a lot of people means having an astrologer interpret their birth chart. I don’t find this particularly useful. In my readings, I do transit charts — in other words, I look at where the planets are today in relation to their positions in your birth chart, and that way I can determine what forces are most influencing your life. Your first question, about how the Saturn-Uranus opposition will affect you, is a transit question.

In September 2009, Saturn and Uranus will form an exact opposition at 25 degrees Virgo and Pisces, which forms a conflicting square to your Ascendant at 25 degrees Sagittarius and your Descendant at 25 degrees Gemini. I believe you will see some big changes in your life at this time, and they could extend to your marriage, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. Neith has some things to add to this in her response, so I won’t go into more detail here.

As for what might happen in 2012, I don’t see anything unusual in your chart. Pluto will be well into your first house, suggesting a slow transformation over time. But that has started already, so this is not news. By then, Neptune will be out of Aquarius (but not yet conjunct your Pisces Moon), and the current emphasis on Aquarius will be long gone, as will the effects of the mutual reception between Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, and Neptune, ruler of Pisces. I’m betting that you two are feeling this, probably by being in unusual psychic link.

If you want to know more, I strongly recommend a transit reading, and you might also want to consider having a compatibility reading for you and your husband. Not only will this tell you more about your relationship’s strengths, weaknesses, and karmic connections, but a skilled astrologer will be able to identify time periods when significant connections between you may be activated.

By the way, I share your Moon in Pisces and can tell you that this is a quite psychic placement of the Moon that puts you in touch with “higher” forces. The only difficulty is that your imagination can get the better of you, but with some training and discipline, this can be a powerful tool to give you an edge in life.

Thanks for writing, Susan, and best wishes for the coming year.

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Yes, Susan, the Saturn-Uranus opposition definitely will impact your chart next year! The next exact pass on February 5, 2009, will find Saturn exactly conjunct your natal Jupiter in Virgo, likely causing you to slow down and make any necessary changes one step at a time. Since Jupiter rules your Sagittarius Ascendant and is located in the ninth house where Sagittarius rules, this is a significant transit all right.

The other factor with this transit is that, while Saturn is conjoining your Jupiter, it will be moving closer to an exact square with your Ascendant. By the next exact Saturn-Uranus opposition on September 15, 2009, the square to your Ascendant will be much tighter and therefore have more impact. I suggest you prepare to feel frustrated more often than not and to feel like your style will be severely cramped over the coming months. However, in the end if you step up and do what needs doing as gracefully as possible, you will be much further ahead.

Saturn can be very helpful in bringing discipline and determination to aid you on your path, but with Uranus opposing your Jupiter at the same time making you very restless, this is going to be a challenging period for you. What Uranus will bring to the table is many new insights and unconventional ideas and solutions. You may be presented with an opportunity to study in a unique environment. If so, go for it!

Good fortune on your journey, Susan.

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Weekly Forecast December 22: New Moon in Capricorn Conjunct Mars and Pluto

Winter, by Maxfield Parrish Happy Solstice!

Here in the frozen North — and I do mean frozen — the longest night of the year is upon us. From now on, the days will begin to lengthen, and we know that the warmth and light of the sun will return, dark and dismal as it is now. It is no accident that the fathers of the Christian church made this ancient pagan holiday the birthday of Jesus, whom they called the Light of the World. Jesus more likely was born in the spring, not on Christmas, but no matter.

Where I live, the winters typically are pretty mild. If we get snow at all, it melts within a day or two. But we’re under a foot of snow, and everything is at a standstill — appropriate for the Solstice, which means sun at a standstill. I walked home from work last night, trudging up the unplowed hill with my bag over my shoulder, much like the hunter in this Maxfield Parrish painting trudging through the snowy woods.

Saturn-ruled Capricorn trudges on, doing what must be done. We’ll experience a lot of this theme over the next few years with Pluto in Capricorn, especially the year after next, when he’ll be squared by Saturn and Uranus. At that point, we will have to switch our focus from amassing wealth to meeting basic needs. Already, the economic downturn is causing many people to stop and think about what they really need and what they can do without. The answer to that question is, “a lot.”

Speaking from experience, I can assure you that we don’t realize how wasteful we’ve been until we begin living more frugally, and while that’s a scary prospect for many in privileged Western societies, I can also tell you that it’s exactly what many people need to wake up spiritually, to be enlightened or “come into the light.” Let me add, for those who haven’t heard me say it before, that “spiritual” is not a moral position to aspire to, but a way of seeing the invisible energies that flow through the Universe. They exist, they are real, and they impact our lives. There is nothing with wrong with wanting stuff, but too much emphasis on the material limits the vision.

With that long introduction, let’s talk about this week.

Although the Sun conjoins Pluto on Monday, most of the activity doesn’t happen until Friday and Saturday, with the entry of Mars in Capricorn and the New Moon at 6 degrees Cap, not far from Mars and Pluto, which conjoin on Sunday. Mercury and Jupiter also are in Capricorn, although in later degrees. Still, this is a lot of Capricorn, so we are going to get a full frontal view of what this sign is all about. Government, business, military, and authority in general all fall under the auspices of the Sea Goat.

In our personal lives, authority usually is represented by parents and employers. Saturn will be stationed about to go retrograde at the New Moon, so I expect that we will spend the next several months revisiting these issues. Neith will have more on the New Moon on Tuesday, so be sure to check back.

The ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition will be active this week on many levels. Watch for developments on Wednesday, when Mercury forms a favorable sextile to Uranus, and on Friday, when Mercury trines Saturn. If you don’t know yet how this major aspect is impacting your life, you’ll get clues this week.

While all of this high-powered business is going on, Venus quietly conjoins Chiron on Tuesday and Neptune on Saturday. Although most people need a crisis or a series of crises to awaken, that a-ha moment tends not to come when we’re under the gun, but when we’re in a relaxed “in-between” space.

We can wish for world peace all we want, but it won’t happen until the prerequisite is met, and that is the awakening of the collective mind. That is my deepest hope and wish for this holiday season.

Holiday love and blessings to all…

Pat

Image: Winter, by Maxfield Parrish.

Saturday Extra: Living With Saturn Opposing Uranus

Bridging Earth & Water On November 4, Saturn opposed Uranus at 18 degrees Virgo and Pisces, the first of four oppositions that will take place in these signs over the next 18 months. The next one will occur on February 5, 2009, at 20 degrees, followed by a third pass on September 15, 2009, at 24 degrees, and the last one on April 26, 2010, at 28 degrees – clearly a mandate on working with the Virgo-Pisces axis.

Bernadette Brady refers to this aspect as “the Structure vs. the Surprise” and I sure agree with her. Uranus is always good at throwing a curve ball or two our way, and Saturn cringes every time. However, we can’t live under the bed for the next couple of years waiting for the sky to fall, no matter how much some of us would like to, but we can help each other understand what’s happening.

One thing about oppositions is that they take place in complementary signs, unlike squares or inconjuncts. Virgo and Pisces may mumble about the other a lot, but they do have a sneaking admiration for each others’ strong points. Virgo often wishes they had Pisces’s knack for going with the flow, and Pisces people would love to have Virgo’s organizational skills at their fingertips. In other words, the possibilities for meeting each other halfway and for compromises are greatly increased.

I am inclined to believe the sporadic disruptions will be followed by repair and rebuilding, just as I have experienced in my own life. And, as in our case, the end results will be better than the previous structures. Many times Uranus transits force us to deal with something we’ve consistently put off, too. The first opposition found Saturn and Uranus in harmonious aspect to Jupiter in Capricorn, and that encouraged us to accept the fact that rebuilding is a process. Uranus can create chaos in a matter of moments, but it takes Saturn’s willingness to do the work to create order once more.

As always, be prepared to practice forgiving yourself and others, because this series of oppositions is bound to bring moments of uncertainty and doubt as part of the process.

posted by Neith . . .

Image: A bridge is a good symbol for working with oppositions. This lovely Japanese Moon bridge brings earth and water into harmony.

Weekly Forecast December 15: Mars Square Saturn, Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, by Danilo Pivato As the week begins, we are still in the wake of last Friday’s heavily charged Full Moon. The tension has eased off a little, but there’s still a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Mars continues to stir up conflict as he squares Saturn on Monday and then crosses the degree of the Full Moon at 21 Sagittarius. Even powerful aspects such as the Saturn-Uranus opposition or an eclipse can pass unnoticed until the energy is triggered by another transit. Trigger-happy Mars often fulfills that role, so do be prepared for shakeups through Wednesday.

Of course, not all conflict is bad. Often it’s exactly what we need to wake us up and move us out of our comfort zone so that we can find our edge. That is where growth takes place, and Sagittarius is all about growth and expansion. On Tuesday, Mars sextiles Neptune, which is uniquely situated in a position indicating a window of opportunity to heal deep wounds. If you can bear some temporary discomfort and possibly even pain, the breakthroughs could be breathtaking.

The Moon in Virgo on Thursday also may prod and provoke as she opposes Uranus, conjoins Saturn, and squares Mars. Again, there won’t be anything new here, just another possible episode in an unfolding story.

Sunday is the Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, it is Midwinter, a holiday that goes back to times as ancient as humanity itself. For many people, this is a psychic gateway and opening on new beginnings. Indeed, new beginnings in our life often have their seeds in our darkest hours.

Much love and holiday blessings to all…

Pat

Image: This phenomenal image is a composite taken by Italian photographer Danilo Pivato on the Winter Solstice in 2005 overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in Santa Severa, Italy. For more of Danilo’s astronomy images, check out his fabulous website, Beyond the Moon. Copyright 2005, Danilo Pivato.

Ask Our Readers: Crazy Enough For You?

As we approach the Full Moon on December 12, Sun and Mars in Sagittarius are triggering the opposition of Saturn and Uranus — all in mutable signs — creating lots of tension down here on planet Earth.

Because the Sun-Mars conjunction is in my first house, this celestial event is directly affecting my body. Last weekend my overstressed right wrist gave out and I’m wearing one of those ubiquitous carpal tunnel braces most of the time. Saturn is in my tenth house opposing Uranus in my fourth, and both are squaring the Sun-Mars in my first. Between attempting to keep up with my workload, which involves lots of time typing, knitting a sweater for the granddaughter for Xmas and still finding time to walk my dog (a very Sagittarius form of exercise according to Pat), something had to give!

Here’s hoping once we move past the Full Moon and the pressure backs off some, we’ll all be able to catch our collective breath. So how’s it going out there for the rest of you?

posted by Neith . . .

Weekly Forecast December 8: Mars Square Uranus, Full Moon

Our galaxy Challenging astrological aspects combined with all the rushing around for the holidays make this one of the most intense weeks of the entire year. I’m seeing the effects already, as I’m sure many of you are, too.

Yesterday the boat I was on crashed into the dock. Apparently, something went wrong with the steering, and the captain didn’t realize it until he tried to land and discovered he didn’t have control. A hysterical “hang on!” blared over the speaker system, but there wasn’t enough warning to secure people and possessions.

That is a perfect metaphor for this week. But hopefully my message to “hang on” is not hysterical, and it’s with enough warning to be useful to you.

You may have gotten a taste of things to come last Friday and Saturday, when Mercury and the Moon amplified a mutable T-square. T-squares in the mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces — tend to bring swift and sudden change, and this is all the more true with Uranus recently direct in Pisces. Uranus is the planet associated with unpredictable events, which of course aren’t always bad, but even pleasant surprises can throw us off balance and require us to completely upend our lives.

This week, we get a brief respite on Monday and Tuesday, when the Sun and Mars both will make favorable aspects to Chiron. Both the Sun and Mars are about the ego, and we need healthy egos in order to relate well with others and move through our lives with confidence. When we know ourselves and what’s in our heart, making tough decisions is easier.

After Wednesday, the tension begins building toward Friday’s Full Moon. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Sun and Mars square Uranus. Cautioning you to slow down isn’t going to be much help, because, like the captain of my boat, you may not realize until it’s too late that you’re about to crash, and at that point, the only thing you can do is hang on or try to break your fall. I’m writing metaphorically here, but there are going to be some physical accidents, too. Do try to be mindful, and don’t take any unnecessary risks, especially if Mars and Uranus are transiting sensitive areas of your natal chart.

Friday’s Full Moon occurs in a close square with Saturn and Uranus, which are in opposition for the next couple of years. Neith already has done a thorough report, which is well worth reading again. I tell you, when Neith starts issuing cautions, I sit up and take notice!

Now, one interesting thing she points out is that the Full Moon closes the mutable T-square and makes it a grand cross. This does increase your options for handling whatever is thrown your way. Indeed, I believe that this Full Moon may provide a gateway to a reality shift. That’s why I chose this week’s image, showing our galaxy spinning around the Galactic Core. In Western tropical astrology, the GC is at about 27 degrees Sagittarius, not far from this Full Moon at 21 degrees Gemini-Sag. Even if you don’t intentionally open yourself up to greater possibilities, they may find you all by themselves. That said, the g-force of acceleration could be extremely uncomfortable.

Hang on! And much courage and love to all…

Pat

Image: Artist’s conception of our galaxy, the Milky Way, dominated by two major arms spiraling around the Galactic Core. Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech.

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