Saturn Stations Retrograde | April 17th - September 6th - re-considering our commitments, re-thinking our responsibilities, re-assessing our ambitions, re-drawing our boundaries and re-valuing our time, NO is a complete sentence

Strength by pedadue

On Tuesday, Saturn stationed retrograde at 9 degrees Capricorn. He will move backward (from our perspective on Earth) until he gets to 2 degrees Capricorn and then reverse course and begin moving forward again (in early September).

If we have planets or points within these degrees of Capricorn or any of the other cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer or Libra - we will feel this retrograde strongest because Saturn will move over our natal "hot spots" three times. He has already made one pass moving forward. Now he will move backward. Then in the fall he will begin moving forward again. His retrogrades are annual and last for about five months.

Maybe think of a retrograde as if we are pressing the wrinkles out of a shirt. We move the iron forward, then we slow down a bit and move backward being careful not to iron in any new creases. Then we make one final pass forward more forcefully before we move on. This is kind of how it goes.

Right now we are starting the backward swivel part where we try to avoid ironing in any new creases.

Generally the best use of Saturn retrogrades is going back over structural issues. Re-considering our commitments. Re-thinking our responsibilities. Re-assessing our goals and ambitions. Re-defining our boundaries. Re-valuing our time. Re-structuring our projects. Sometimes we get to see what is holding us up because it isn't holding us up anymore. Dad is on vacation folks.

The activities of our Capricorn house tend to slow down a bit so we have the time to establish a stronger foundation. 

Wherever Saturn goes, so does our time and commitment. When planets are retrograde, more of the work becomes internal.

EXAMPLE FOR CANCER/Cancer Rising with Capricorn ruling your 7th house cusp, Saturn's transit of Capricorn will be about strengthening that 7th house. Situations will arise (mostly through other people because this is your partnership house) over the course of Saturn's two and a half year journey here that will require your time and commitment to the affairs of this house. Maybe the person/people you count on will have challenging personal problems and you won't be able to count on them. Maybe you will have to step up. Maybe a relationships changes course - romantic, business, competitor. You thought it was going here and realize it is going there, or maybe it is going no where. Those Saturnian rules, goals and limits are up for re-view now. Maybe you were born with Saturn retrograde (and Saturn is retrograde almost half the year so many people are) in your 7th house and your ability to set limits and boundaries and accurately access what can realistically be expected within a partnership situation is skewed (unless supported somewhere else in your chart) and you have a predisposition to say, "yes", when you should be saying, "NO" (which is a complete sentence all by itself). So, now as Saturn stations retrograde maybe your partners' problems will ease a bit or maybe you will start re-considering your commitment to their issues. Maybe you will re-assess your boundaries and limits. With Saturn retrograde here this could be about a past relationship.

Keep in mind Pluto is about to station retrograde in Capricorn, too - this can intensify whatever Saturn has us re-evaluating or focus us like a laser beam on one specific issue.

This is an excellent time to take an accounting of what we have accomplished over the last few months while Saturn has been direct. Saturn doesn't always offer pats on the back - so let's give ourselves one now.

It is so easy to notice what isn't working that we sometimes don't take the time to appreciate what is. 

This is the time to deal with commitments and responsibilities from the past rather than taking on new ones.

For some people, just working with "NO" being a complete sentence would be an excellent use of this transit. This would also be supported by Chiron in Aries and our North Node in Leo - whenever multiple aspects are saying the same thing we know we are onto something!

When Saturn turns direct in the fall, Dad comes home and brings some external structure into our lives. This can feel supportive (if we have been doing our Saturn retro work) or like a wall/limit/roadblock (if we have been partying like it's 1999).

xo all

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