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.

Jupiter in Aries and Saturn Retrograde

                                                               Jupiter

Well, the' full speed ahead' energy of Jupiter going into Aries has been having a tug-of-war with the 'let's stop and consider' energy of Saturn going retrograde in Libra.  And I couldn't slow down long enough to write about it until now.

Jupiter is by far the largest of the planets. It is more than twice as massive as all other planets combined; if it had been only about 100 times more massive at birth (not so much by astronomical standards) it would have become a star instead of a planet. Then the Solar System might be a double star system instead of a single star with a planetary system.

So it makes sense that Jupiter has a big personality, because he was king of the Gods of Rome.   Jupiter symbolizes all that is expansive, excessive, curious, boundless.  Zeus, who was the Greek version of Jupiter, had a boundless appetite for lovely ladies, making him (literally) the father of the Gods.  Whatever Jupiter touches, expands - whether it's your waistline or your wallet.  

On Saturday, January 22, Jupiter moved into Aries (again - it was there for a few months last summer from June 5-6 to September 8-9).   You might be experiencing a rush of energy - that full speed ahead feeling I mentioned earlier.  Expansive Jupiter in combative, adventurous 'it's all about me' Aries will certainly get the juices flowing and I get the feeling that people are finally starting those exercise regimes they intended to begin on New Year's Day.  

Jupiter will travel quickly through Aries, entering Taurus on June 4th.  So take advantage of this energy during the winter and spring months.  It's time to discover a new identity.  We are all being asked by the Cosmic Story to step into our power and purpose.  We, the People of the world, must take our destiny into our own hands and create a better future for our children's children to the 7th generation.  So open to the archetypal energy that you were born to incarnate, and step up to the plate with your part of the story.

                                                   Saturn

Saturn is Jupiter's father, and yet in the old stories, Saturn swallowed all his other children for fear of losing power.  Jupiter's mother, Rhea, hid him in a cave and gave Saturn/Chronos a rock to swallow.  So you can see, they were antagonists right from the start.  

Saturn's personality is limiting, restrictive, disciplined, testing.  Whatever Jupiter wants to expand, Saturn wants to contract.  They just have opposite points of view.  Saturn is the god of time, and the limitations of time.  Jupiter opens us to the timeless realms of possibility. 

Saturn retrograde in Libra will help us figure out just what we need to do to relate in a fair and balanced way.  Saturn first tests us, and then he gives us time to consider what we did wrong.  And you can bet he'll test us again, once he goes direct on June 12th.  A lot of us have the outer planets in Libra - there is the Neptune in Libra generation (1942-1957), the Uranus in Libra generation (1968-1975) and the Pluto in Libra generation (1971-1984) - and this Saturn transit through Libra will bring those qualities to the forefront.  Can we bring our Dreams (Neptune) into reality?  Can we learn to be free (Uranus) and equal (Pluto) in our relationships?  Only time - and our choices - will tell.


On March 28th, Jupiter and Saturn will oppose each other, letting us know how well we have integrated our new identity into our relationships.  Keep working at it.  The future is calling our names!


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