Saturn in Libra
Saturn-ruler of Capricorn, Element -Earth, substance, grounding, stabilizing, achievement, boundaries, black tourmaline, agate, Numerology-8
Saturn moved into Libra October 2009 to begin the first square to Pluto adding to much of the calamity and chaos as many were still scraping themselves off the ground upon the wake of the economic crisis. Saturn will stay in Libra through until October 2012. Saturn in Libra is exalted where we can expect to see constructive results at this time. Saturn represents structure, form, materialism, control, discipline, delays, integrity, obstacles, boundaries, consequence, austerity, perserverance, restraint, rigidity, government, administration, responsibility, accountability and longevity. Saturn rules Capricorn and the 10th house of the public and reputation, where our modus operandi is for everyone to see. Saturn is where we make our mark in the world. It is what drives us to our true vocation.
Saturn is about serious business and being pragmatic. In Saturn you reap what you sow and a time to pay the piper coming to remind you of past deeds and why Saturn is often associated with Karma and cause and effect. Libra represents diplomacy, relationships, peace, fairness, equality, cooperation, collaboration, compromise and mutually accepted forms of conduct. Serious social responsibility and social awareness will become prominent during this phase. With Saturn exalted in Libra serious obligations regarding relationships, commitments and agreements will be a focus during this time. Paying and being paid our dues from relationships past may become front and center where we are forced to draw the line. Saturn is the task master and demands hard work. During Saturn transits, its a nose to the grind stone forcing and pushing you to go the extra mile. The lesson and test of Saturn is heeding these demands where the hard work will pay off. Saturn represents the late bloomer, the rewards for accomplishments may come later than sooner.
This will be a time where fairness, balance and moderation will bear a strong hold and when we form, plan and negotiate lasting contracts, relationships, projects based on solid goals and plans. The term “life isn’t fair” will get a run in for its ad nauseam derailing commentary you get every time life isn’t working as you think it should. The rings that surround the planet Saturn make sense to represent boundaries and the fortress we surround ourselves with in times of being cautious and conservative, other character attributes of Saturn. The rings can also be likened to walls surrounding and a shield not letting anyone or anything in which is Saturn in the strictness sense over correcting itself. If Saturn is the fortress and moat to protect, secure and seclude, Libra is the bridge across. Sting “Fortress around your heart”.
Saturn rules stagnation, drought, delays, blockages and a slowing process and in health the skin, hair, teeth, bones, knees, aging, depression- Libra is connected to the kidneys, diabetes, lower back, beauty, adornment. As a Saturn return we may see come to fruition or be reminded of events that occurred during its last cycle in 1980 to 1983 with similar patterns. Saturn in Libra will show the inevitable wearing and weight as well as burden and heavy obligations we feel around our relationships. Anyone with strong Saturn, Libra or cardinal energy (Aries, Capricorn, Libra, Cancer) in the later degrees strong in their chart will feel the repercussions of Saturn in Libra at this time-often with their relationships, health and career.
Libra is an indulgent sign, enjoying rich foods and sweets which may help having Saturn as a helpful deterrent and disciplinary guide to caution and moderate. Diabetes seems to be growing in excessive amounts due to toxic processed foods and chemicals (GMO foods, fructose are a few of the killers). Saturn Libra may also be a time to define different influencing messages around what beauty (Libra) stands for taking a more conservative and realistic view toward superficiality such as toning down the need to have perfectly white teeth, all dressed around puffed up botox cheeks, and plumped lips that look plastic and unrealistic and sometimes appearing more scary and creepy than appealing. While cosmetic enhancement (Libra) is a pleasant improvement, the parading of clownish faces is more like being in a circus.
Saturn is building up to oppose Jupiter however will not completely do a dance so a time of come hither go away hurry up wait. Saturn also harmonizes with Neptune into late December 2011 moving into 2012. Saturn Neptune moving together smooth out the rigid hardness of Saturn and adds a sense of fluidity to the constraints of Saturn allowing to go with the flow and mitigate the daunting heaviness of Saturn here in Libra steady as she goes balancing and keeping things in check. Its a smoother path to discipline. Takes off some of the edge but keeps us in line and in tune with pragmatic principles of moderation and cautiousness, responsibility, restoration and regulation with an eye on sound and solid productivity.
Saturn will be sitting at an anaretic degree (last degree of the sign) January and February, turning retrograde in February 2012 as it begins to separate from the opposition to Jupiter and trine to Neptune. Saturn at an anaretic degree retrograde is critical and will bring up all the issues pertaining to Saturn crystal clear. Saturn is a sticky planet and held at this degree will reinforce the Saturn Libra message forcing a time to address responsibility, boundaries, balance, fairness particularly in how we relate to others. The last degree is essentially one of completion where all the lessons should be learned however in retrograde, the work is not done yet. The later degrees of Libra are very beneficial for Saturn’s station here with many auspicious fixed stars surrounding the later Libra degrees. Saturn will remain in this motion until it leaves Libra October 2012 when Saturn moves on and we have been given opportunity to work through Saturn Libra principles.
Saturn moved out of its retrograde motion in the middle of 2011 as it began its movement out of the critical tsquare formation its been in the last few years with the outer planets Pluto and Uranus which has demonstrated the resultant global crisis we have experienced collectively. Saturn square Pluto was particularly catastrophic. Saturn Libra and Pluto Capricorn (Saturn ruler of Capricorn) moved through a strenuous connection throughout most of 2010 where we saw many large scale worldwide natural disasters bringing drastic transformations including the Haiti and Chilean earthquake, the Gulf Oil Spill, the torrential rains in China, the Pakistan flooding, the Russian heat wave and forest fires and the Icelandic Volcanic Eruption which left magnitude devastation including the after affects of the economic crisis which brought the necessary need for social responsibility and consciousness to come to the aid of the millions who lost so much of their lives as they knew it.
Pluto rules destruction and fundamental upheavals. Saturn’s principles of rebuilding, reconstructing and restructuring were called up from what was destroyed with Pluto’s demise. Here we had major government structures dismantling and being destroyed (Saturn ruled Pluto Capricorn) where fair and equitable principles and policy are being continuously restructured. Corruption, revenge and betrayal were all seen vividly with Pluto in Capricorn as it collided with Saturn in Libra with payback time with heavy austerity measures in the economy (Saturn in Libra-Libra is ruled by Venus-Venus in turn rules over money and finance).
Saturn has being riding rough shed with the outer planets for many years now starting with its square to Neptune back in 1998 where Saturn moved to square Uranus in 1999 and 2000, to then move to oppose Pluto in 2001 – 2002 and then oppose Chiron in 2003 – 2007 to then the start of Saturn oppose Neptune 2006- 2007 with the onset of Saturn oppose Uranus in 2008 with the economic crisis up to Saturn square Pluto and Uranus from 2009 to peak in 2010. Previous to the Saturn cycle of 1998, 1993 was the last stressful encounter with Saturn Chiron Pluto in a tsquare. Saturn is in Libra in the US chart which symbolizes a Saturn return for the US. Saturn returns depict responsibility coming to roost and reaping what you sow. With the current economic global climate and the necessary austerity measures (Saturn), you can see the results and consequences now being faced due to the past financial recklessness.
It’s no wonder the building of the crumbling of the economy was already in process a decade before the event as seen in these collective emerging stress points. It’s an experience of most that once they began to pick up the pieces from one crisis, another would side swipe them once again submerging them into deeper despair. The critical marker and climactic point seemed to reach its peak in the summer of 2010 as Saturn Libra played into the hard cardinal energy and still had close encounters with these other outer planetary influences of Uranus Pluto however after the fall of 2010 Saturn will begin to move out of the hard angled energy and wane away from harsh outer planet contact where we may start to see some respite and repair. Saturn moves to trine Neptune and Chiron in this next year as it moves to sextile Pluto and trine Uranus as the sequential storm subsides.
The structure of Saturn may give something to grasp as we deal with the outbursts and revolutionary change with the ensuing Uranus square Pluto although without Saturn at the beacon, it may give the impetus for Uranus Pluto to escalate farther reaching catastrophe spinning out of control without the restricting hold of Saturn. Saturn will not meet up in stress until 2016 when it begins to square Neptune and Chiron as Uranus begins to separate from its square to Pluto which may point to the repercussions and suffering we face with the debris and dismantle from Uranus Pluto. Saturn will then begin to move to conjoin Pluto in 2019 which seems like the culmination of the Saturn Pluto cycle that started with the last conjunction in Libra in 1980.
Venus and Mars lined up with Saturn Libra in August of 2010. Mars is an oxymoron in Libra. Mars means war and Libra means peace-at opposite poles. Mars entering Libra was eventful last summer August 2010 as it danced right into the cardinal tsquare block brigade of Pluto, Uranus and Saturn. I remember having the worst bursitis in my shoulder at that time which typifies Mars Saturn (muscle strain) although thankfully having the summer patio to heal and relax. Once transit Venus Libra moved in to the stellium in 2010, the pairing seemed to help subside much of the angst at the time as Venus Mars both moved forward in Libra-exact at 14 degrees. Mars, ruler of Aries is the planet of conflict, energy, drive, desire, anger and action. Mars is in its detriment in Libra. Here Mars is more concerned with keeping the peace, harmony and cooperation-being liked as opposed to being direct about any conflict while seeking social approval.
Libra is the opposite sign of Aries, so the genuine, raw direction of the Mars energy is thwarted and pacified in Libra which can quell up much of a build up of irritation, annoyance and arguing if there isn’t an outlet for any building resentments. This is how I find Libra handles anger-by debate, mediation and fairness. There has to be a sense of justice and fair play. Libra Mars would be inclined to fight the good fight for the rights of others and take issue with any inequality. Mars Libra with Venus Libra doing the tango is interesting to watch with Venus in its ruler and Mars in its opposite place with the peaceful, harmonious diplomatic dance no doubt joined up with Saturn Libra helped us over the calamity of what could have been, with only minor bruising, cuts and scrapes.