On December 21, the winter solstice, when the Sun entered Capricorn, Saturn was waiting, having arrived there on the evening of the 19th.
We all knew this was coming, the co-presence of Saturn in his own sign at the potent moment of the Sun’s standstill.
Themes connected to Saturn’s significations would be apparent for many of us. I always keep a look out for Saturn transits: I was born at midnight and in the doctrine of sect, night births are particularly susceptible to Saturn’s more troublesome side. It is also the most elevated planet in the natal, opposite the Sun at the nadir.
I had a plan for where I wanted to be at the solstice. I’ve been missing my four siblings in New York and with Saturn entering my Capricorn 3rd house (Whole sign) I got a ticket to be in New York with them.
However, Fate entered: a close (male) family member passed away right before the solstice. I traveled instead to extreme Saturn country — way off the grid in the mountains of northern Idaho, a remote and beautiful 20 acres with a log home, constant snow (three feet when I left) and, like much of the country, frigid weather. I spent two weeks there — gorgeous, deep, solemn, silent, sacred solstice days — saying goodbye to my old and beloved friend (and tending to the practical tasks left for the living).
For more specific astrological details: I am in a profected 8th house year. Gemini is on the natal 8th cusp, so Mercury is the most important planet for me this year. The transiting South Node was at 16º Aquarius, exactly on my natal Mercury when my former partner died in December. Yesterday (with transiting Saturn making its first partile opposition to my natal Cancer Moon) I spent a good part of the day slowly writing his obituary.
Saturn delays but does not deny: I was able to postpone the trip and will get to N.Y. for my reunion with siblings and east coast family before long.
Due to its retrograde, transiting Mercury was conjunct Saturn on November 27 (27º 27′ Sag), December 22 (28º 23′ Sag) and makes its last conjunction to Saturn on January 12 at 2º 48′ Capricorn. We may have bounced against — and walked through — myriad walls and apparent obstructions as we have met Saturn’s slow deliberations during this cycle, but surely will come through to the other side more closely aligned with whatever is our next best step.
Here are a few other blogs featuring the “moving slowly” one, also known as the “Dweller on the Threshold” and “the planet of experience” — Saturn.
At The Enquirer (Jyotish) website, Vic Cara writes Saturn Liberates the Sun. “Saturn enters to smack us on the face and wake us up. ‘See, everything you are striving for is foreign to you. You are permanent, but you are trying to enjoy situations that are temporary. Wake up! This will never work!'”
Angela, the Ohio Astrologer, discusses Saturn in Capricorn — Success and Failure: “Saturn and Capricorn are disciplined and employ authority, rules, structure and caution to sustain that discipline. Think of driving a car on the highway versus driving a car in one of those amusement park rides – it’s much easier to drive when there’s a track or guardrails. In the free open space of the highway, discipline is much more difficult to maintain.”
Christina at The Oxford Astrologer has some links to What Astrologers Are Saying About Saturn in Capricorn. (She links to Steven Forrest, Jessica Adams and others.) Christina’s introductory remarks include:
“It’s been a long, strange trip around the Zodiac for Saturn over the last 27 years, but at last he’s come home. Yesterday, he arrived with the dust of the road clinging to his clothes, in Capricorn, the sign which, by tradition, he rules. Perhaps, he heaved a sigh of relief to be back in this cool, winter palace.
He left this place in 1991, and like Odysseus coming back to Ithaca, Saturn returns to find his house topsy-turvy in 2017. He has a few of years to sort things out — until 2020. But he is strong here, he knows how things work in this rocky region, and he is the king.”
Onwards, everyone. Have a good week.