A Quick Planetary Weather Update

This is a quick look at some days and times for Thanksgiving week.

Today the Moon is with Mars and will be very close to Mars on the 25th (Tuesday). It will be a day of short tempers and we can choose to not participate in irrational anger.

Until the 27th (Thursday) the daily ascendant will go from the heavy Saturn energy right into Mars aspecting the ascendant. This energy can bring out the worst in people and it is advised to use common sense and restraint from 4:00 PM until 10:00 PM Eastern Standard time. Please adjust these hours according to your time zone.

This is a fast moving energy pattern which will begin to clear up by Thursday. Just like we have to sometimes adjust our activities and expectations due to weather sometimes adjusting to a planetary pattern is helpful.

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More on Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn has now been in Scorpio since November 2^nd, and many are struggling with the new position of
Saturn in the sign of Scorpio. Saturn stays in one sign for approximately two and a half years and, just as
he moves slowly, it is often the case that we slowly get used to the energy of Saturn in a different
constellation. Most astrologers consider Saturn to be the planet which is heaviest in energy and Scorpio
to be the heaviest sign of the Zodiac. That so many are feeling negative at the moment is not a surprise.

The heavy nature of Saturn and Scorpio is compounded by the fact that Saturn is currently sharing the sign of Scorpio with the Sun and Venus. The Sun is considered a natural enemy of Saturn and, when they are together, Saturn can block the energy, enthusiasm, and confidence normally associated with the Sun. Venus, while not generally an enemy of Saturn, does get his bright energy blocked if he is too close to Saturn. The New Moon takes place on the 22nd which means that we are already experiencing the low energy of the New Moon cycle. This particular New Moon cycle will take place with the Moon being in his most difficult placement – Scorpio. It is important to remember that because Scorpio is an emotional sign,  most of what we are experiencing is emotional dross and is not a true picture of life. It’s as if one is trying to view a piece of art with the lights dimmed.  It is impossible to see the beauty of the picture if the view is marred by darkness.

An astrological map takes into consideration the placements and interactions of all of the planets.
Saturn is a strong planet,  but he is also affected by the other planets. At the moment,  the peacefulness
and discernment attributed to Saturn is not being felt because the grouping of the majority of planets
does not allow any space from one another, and it “can” feel as if we are walking through mud in
the darkness of night. This particular intensity will be with us until approximately the first week of
December which is when the planets begin to get distance from Saturn.

Vedic Astrology comes from the same source of teachings which gives us the wisdom of yoga. The
combination of these two disciplines gives us a more proactive approach to working with the planets.
Saturn is considered the planetary energy of the first chakra which is located at the base of the spine. The first chakra is considered to be the most earth-bound of all of the chakras and is connected with our ability to achieve stability on a mundane level. It is important to our attitudes toward security and is considered  to house our fears. A malfunctioning first chakra can lead to a fear-based life as well as a totally unbalanced attitude towards finances. That imbalance can lead to laziness or overworking. It can lead to attitudes of greed or to a poverty/victimization outlook. Of course, on the higher level is the truth of Saturn which teaches that true security comes from the knowledge that safety comes through consciousness and knowledge of spiritual existence. If one works with the energy of Saturn as truth and peacefulness, attitudes toward  “mundane security” easily fall into balance.

After the current planetary jam in the sign of Scorpio, we still have a long time to experience the
teachings of Saturn. Saturn will move deeply into that subconscious area of our existence which takes
our inner fears and turns those fears into self-negating thoughts and actions. Saturn also has a tendency
to suppress our physical energy as well as the chemicals in our brains which work towards keeping us
positive and engaged.

Saturn has a strong influence over us – especially with regard to being responsible for our physical and mental well-being. Giving into our subconscious dross may satisfy some parts of the ego, but if we allow those emotions to rule our lives,  there will be little light at the end of the tunnel and we will have little  ability to manifest mundane security. Saturn demands honesty, fairness and action. Without the work, Saturn will bring misery to one’s life even if the subconscious emotions bring one the temporary satisfaction of blaming others and the world for one’s problems and failures.  In the final analysis,empowerment in the 21st century depends on inner strength, discernment in thoughts, and positive actions.

This can seem like a tough road to walk if one allows the heaviness of Saturn to be in charge and if effort is not made to overcome the lethargy… or if one decides to live through an out-of-balance first chakra and believes that lack and restrictions are all that life has to offer.

Fortunately, Saturn does bring rewards and light if one makes an effort and, at the very least,approaches the physical body in a way that offsets a stuck first chakra while energizing the body and stimulating the brain endorphins.

Obviously, Saturn is going to respond well to physical activity  – – a walk in the sunshine, time at the gym,swimming, boxing,  or running will  wake up  the body from t he Saturn lethargy. If one participates in yoga,Saturn and the first chakra respond well to spinal flexes, standing and stretching poses, and specific  pranayamas.

Pranayama is one of the quickest ways of redirecting the energy of Saturn and stimulating some of the chemicals and neurons of the brain. I’ve written before about the benefits of the standard “complete breath” which is done by inhaling through the nose, holding the breath in, and then exhaling through the nose making sure that each part of the breath is equal in timing, ie., inhale for 5, hold for 5, exhale for 5. There is a fourth step that can be added which will help stimulate the positive brain chemicals, and this fourth step is good for working with Saturn energy ; after the exhale –  and for the same amount of time –  do not breathe at all; then begin the cycle again. It is important that the timing of all four parts to this breath be the same and to never add time that forces the body to be uncomfortable.

Saturn responds well to positive and responsible work habits along with physical exercise,  breath work and  mantra. The specific mantra for Saturn is Om Hlim (hleem) Sham Shanaye Namah. If there is any confusion about the pronunciation, it is advised that you seek out someone who knows the proper pronunciation or even find it through Google. Saturday is the day of Saturn and is a good day to chant this mantra. There is a specific sadhana that goes along with the chanting of this mantra.  Please contact me if you are interested in doing the sadhana itself.

To make  the most of  the healing and personal growth  opportunities of Saturn in Scorpio,any of the above will assist in the journey. Not everyone is going to work with the Saturn energy, but if nothing else please know that December is going to be better than November and the upcoming movements of the planets will offer relief to all of us.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE POSITIONS I GIVE ARE BASED ON SIDEREAL CALCULATIONS AND WILL NOT MATCH THE MORE COMMONLY KNOWN POSITIONS OF THE TROPICAL ZODIAC.

FINALLY, THIS WEEKEND’S NEW MOON IS GOING TO BE A HEAVY ENERGY – TRY TO PLAN SOMETHING RELAXING AND STAY DETERMINED TO NOT ACT ON “NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.”

Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn is now in the sign of Scorpio and, for all of us, the focus of our opportunities and challenges changes. This shift follows the July movement of the nodal points into the signs of Virgo and Pisces.

As mentioned in an earlier post, the movement of the nodal points into Virgo, the sign of health, signals a time when health-related issues will be brought to the forefront. Rahu, which is known for media, misinformation and generalized anxiety, played his role perfectly in the recent Ebola scare. Rahu does not generally have great staying power, and it is easy to see that the panic has now left the media airwaves. Hopefully, people noticed that there has been no outbreak here in America and that, on a positive note, the media hysteria did result in more assistance to those areas actually dealing with a major Ebola crisis. There will continue to be other health-related news for approximately the next fifteen months.

Events which can be attributed to Rahu and Ketu tend to be surprising and can be either positive or negative, but the events will generally be done quickly and can sometimes appear to have no rhyme or reason. The same cannot be said for the planet Saturn. When Saturn is influencing a situation, the action moves slowly and the effects can be long-lasting.

As an astrologer ,I was thoroughly frustrated by the fact that most of the two and half years that Saturn spent in his exalted sign of Libra was marred by Rahu being in Libra and the influence of the Mars retrograde. Saturn in a good sign often brings in stability and common sense to most situations – this aspect of Saturn in Libra was greatly lessened by the Nodal points and Mars.

Libra is the sign of relationships and is opposite the head-strong Aries which prefers individuality and impulsive actions as compared to the cooperation and communication preferred by the sign Libra. Many people experienced great challenges in their interpersonal relationships as the nature of individual needs versus relationship cooperation came into conflict. I’ve noticed some relationships ended, but many improved during the long transit of Saturn in Libra especially with regard to hearing what others had to say and for mutual patience within relationships.

Saturn has a bad reputation because of the delays generally experienced whenever Saturn is in charge. He is also known for obstacles as well as taking the fun out of life. Many people can experience a lack of hope in the areas of life which Saturn signifies in a person’s chart. People who tend to view life through a negative point of view can have a more difficult time with Saturn’s energy. Saturn will absolutely give the lazy and immature state of mind a hard run of it.

Saturn is also the planet of peace and truth. His influence may seem to be harsh – –  especially for the impatient among us. However, the path of Saturn is fairly straight forward – be honest, be mature and take care of your responsibilities without looking for quick solutions or instant gratification. The ability to be neutral, honest, and hardworking brings “inevitable” success and eventually one sees that what may have appeared as denial of one’s desires was most often a delay and the reward greater than what was originally the goal.

Now that Saturn is in the sign of Scorpio, the focus is not so much on relationship except for the sexual energy that is a feature of specific relationships. Scorpio is ruled by Mars just as Aries is ruled by Mars so the worldwide conflicts and individualized anger issues will continue to play a role in our lives. However, the Scorpio energy is different from Aries and certainly from Libra. Scorpio is known to be a mystical sign filled with secrets, perception, and –  far too often –  an inability to flow with the ever-changing nature of life on planet earth. Scorpio is one of the rulers of the subconscious mind and is also a water sign which indicates an emotional approach to life.

Saturn’s goal is always to bring us to truth and, now that he is in the sign of Scorpio, he will be busy bringing up the deeper-seated emotions we all store within our subconscious mind. This subconscious stuff accompanies us throughout our lives and is often the root cause for fear, anger, jealously, domination, and depression. We all can expect to be dealing (throughout this time period) with old emotional issues. On some level we will be moving from being able to focus on how relationships (Libra) are the cause of our discomfort or problems to having to force ourselves to face our own individual blocks to full awareness and inner peace. The goal of Saturn is ultimately to bring us to recognition of the fact that we and we alone are responsible for our ability to live a peaceful life. Saturn works to bring us to a state of mind in which the mundane has its place but is not our complete reality and existence.

During the times when Saturn is strong in our charts there are usually not many diversions or light-hearted solutions for a respite from our problems. Under the Scorpio influence, the nature of the energy is to bring us to a fuller understanding of ourselves and the nature of life. No sign or planet holds the potential for healing and awareness like Scorpio or Saturn. Fearlessness is to live life without fear while courage is to be able to function despite the fear. Saturn in Scorpio is not the time to give into fear of our shadows;  instead,  it is a time to have the courage to face our own shadows along with the trust that within the truth, a light will be there to dispel those shadows once and for all.

The positive aspect of Saturn energy is that he is a planet who responds well to thoughtful and conscious activity. For those who have not completely healed old wounds, Saturn in Scorpio is a once-in-a- twenty-eight-year opportunity to get into good therapeutic modalities. Talk therapy, acupuncture, healing massage, yoga, meditation are greatly favored. This is a good time for physical check-ups with an eye toward wellness and changing of lifestyle habits. Saturn is the planet of yoga and, for many, this is an opportunity to find a really good yoga class since Saturn will give energy to discipline which will aid in a good yoga practice and the potential for self-transformation that yoga brings.

Saturn responds well to physical activity which is a good boost to the lower physical energy of Saturn. This is not a time to ignore responsibilities or to continually put off till tomorrow what can be done today. Productivity is greatly favored by Saturn and this is the time to set career goals as well as to take care of chores that have been ignored. It is productive activity that allows us to lose sight of emotional victimization, anger, resentment, and the yearning  for a life of  ease. This is the time to “willingly” take on responsibilities or to welcome maturity and all of the benefits that come from hard work and self-discipline.

Those who have strong Scorpio or Taurus in their charts will feel the glance of the teacher Saturn strongly,and some may already be feeling burdened as Saturn does not come to visit with a box of chocolates in hand. For those who are under the Saturn energy, it is an opportunity to redefine life and experience some real growth; all that is required is discipline, courage and the willingness to do the work. The rewards will be well worth the effort because, unlike the rewards of the Nodal points or Jupiter, the rewards of Saturn will stay with one for a lifetime and beyond.