Saturn in Libra: How Different Generations Will Be Affected, Part 1

“When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don't you want somebody to love, don't you...
Need somebody to love, wouldn't you...                                                                                                                    Love somebody to love, you better...
Find somebody to love”                                                                                                             Jefferson Airplane

Astrology is a spiritual map of the heavens, a map that lets us know what energies are available for us to use or abuse. When planets (the different energies) move into different signs of the zodiac (different flavors of those energies), they focus our attention on different life processes.  On the physical level, they can make things happen in the ‘real’ world, like losing a job or meeting your mate.  On a psychological level (thinking and feeling), free will comes into play and what we do with the energies is up to each one of us.  On the spiritual level, the energies ask us questions about our purpose and the meaning of our lives.

Now that Saturn is traveling through the sign of Libra, all of us will be posed questions about the realities (Saturn) of our relationships (Libra) and how we can achieve balance, fairness and harmony (Libra) in our lives and in the world.  We can either be frustrated by what happens or we can take responsibility for what happens (both Saturn qualities). Saturn is the planet that symbolizes self-discipline and reality-testing through some form of limitation or frustration.   Libra is the sign of the zodiac concerned with partnerships and harmony, social justice, fairness and balance. 

For the next two years we will be reality-testing how we deal with other people in our lives, as well as what talents and gifts we bring to the culture at this critical time in our history.   With Saturn in the early degrees of Libra (responsible partnering with others) making connections to both Uranus in Aries (personal freedom) and Pluto in Capricorn (transforming our culture), we can be sure that what we accomplish in terms of personal relationships over the next two years will be important.

While those people who have personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) in Libra will be personally affected, Saturn will also affect us on a generational level as it transits the slower moving outer planets.  Since the early 1940s, the outer planets have all been moving through the sign of Libra, slowly bringing about a change in our perception of relationships, fairness, beauty and peace.

From October 1942 to August 1957, Neptune, the planet of spirituality, imagination and compassion, moved through Libra.  From October 1968 to September 1975, Uranus, the planet of revolution, awakening and individuality, moved through Libra. From October 1971 to August 1984, Pluto, the planet of evolution, personal renewal and cultural transformation, moved through Libra.  And Saturn itself was in Libra from August 1951 to October 1953, September 1980 to August 1983, and now again from November 2009 to October 2012.  

As Saturn traverses the degrees of Libra, people who were born during these generations will be affected through these larger transformative energies.  How each of us responds personally to this transit will shape our collective future.

In the next few blogs, let’s look at how each of these generations might respond.