Saturn Stationary Retrograde (December 31, 2008)
Saturn’s annual four-month retrograde cycle starts December 31, 2008 at 21/22 degrees Virgo. It turns stationary direct on May 16, 2009 at 14/15 degrees Virgo. The highlight of this retrograde cycle is Saturn’s opposition to the Sun on March 8, 2009 at 18/19 degrees Virgo-Pisces. Saturn retro will also make the second of five oppositions to Uranus on February 5, 2009 at 20/21 degrees Virgo-Pisces.
The collective consciousness is now recognizing a daily routine based upon busy-ness and detail overload with Saturn in Virgo from September 2, 2007 through July 26, 2010 (minus a brief entry into Libra from October 29, 2009 to April 7, 2010). Saturn is the individuated consciousness, or how each soul structures its awareness of everything in the space/time continuum. During Saturn in Virgo, details and crises from the “to-do list” overload rule the day and night. As we move through the last half of December – Saturn slowing down – the details seem to be increasing even more. This is especially true if the contracting economic cycle finds us making our holiday gifts or cooking more meals at home to save money. Saturn in Virgo is showing us how precious time really is.
This Saturn retrograde cycle will be intensified by a Mercury (rules Virgo) retrograde cycle from January 11 – February 1 in Aquarius-Capricorn. The need to prioritize what is important in our daily routine is the message. Saturn retrograde in Virgo points to its polarity sign Pisces. Overload and overwhelm can lead to a desire for escapism. It creates a need to simplify. Today’s westernized world is an information overload (check your emails lately ) that necessitates creating peace in the midst of chaos. We can do this through daily routines of meditation, deep breath work and exercise.
Saturn’s changes of direction are reality checks. Saturn retrograde will show us the areas of life that are no longer working or going forward. It is time to review. In Virgo, Saturn will learn there is another way to accomplish its goals in life. We may be spinning our wheels or repeating the same patterns over and over. Virgo creates crises in order to bring about changes – to let go of whatever is no longer working.
This particular Saturn stationary retrograde at New Year’s can be utilized to create self-improvement plans. Those New Year’s goals in need of implementation must be repeated until successful. This is another Virgo theme, one foot in front of the other until we reach our goals. Saturn retro in Virgo must discern whether it is time to let go of certain actions, do them a different way, or just keep on truckin’.
The health themes of Virgo will re-surface. Health crises may arise as Saturn turns direction and throughout the remainder of its Virgo transit. We get to recognize on new levels that diet, exercise and rest – Virgo themes – make a difference in creating illness or creating wellness. Virgo is an earth sign ruled by Mercury: mental energy in the physical domain. Is the cup half-empty or half-full? Thoughts are things. Saturn retro in Virgo is a chance to change our left-brain, conditioned thought patterns that eventually condense into matter. It is opportunity to create lemonade out of those lemons in our life.
Another theme will revolve around the Virgo-Pisces archetypes of human-made conditionings such as religions, and the judgments created from these arbitrary standards of right/wrong conduct. Some, many or all of these default behavioral references are in direct contrast to the natural spiritual laws and principles which are observable in nature and therefore related to the archetype of Sagittarius (square to both Virgo and Pisces).
Saturn in Virgo can find us full of such artificial judgments, many of which are simply conditioned thought patterns internalized via religion, society and family. This retrograde cycle is a time to question the basis of our judgments and throw off those standards of right/wrong conduct that do not make sense to us anymore.
Saturn retro in Virgo is a time to search for the deepest connections to Universal Source energy, or God/Goddess. This is Pisces domain, and in natural laws this energy is inclusive. It is recognizing that everything is interconnected to everything else. Virgo frustration and overwhelm is answered by Piscean re-connections to God/Goddess. The whole is greater than the parts that make it up. This is the Pluto in Virgo lesson, and those souls born from 1964 through 1969 will feel this retrograde cycle impacting them to the depth of their soul. Self-forgiveness will be a major theme, along with self-love. Saturn’s two-plus year transit through Virgo demands that Pluto in Virgo souls create new realities.
Work and career is another possible theme through Saturn in Virgo. Virgo is the day-to-day details of work, the routines. We can get comfortable in those routines even when we do not like our jobs. There is nothing like a “pink slip” of losing your job to create a Saturn in Virgo reality crisis. It is important to remember that the purpose of crisis (Virgo) is to create self-improvement. The transits of Pluto and Jupiter into Capricorn have shaken up the economic patterns, and financial structures are in need of major changes. Individually and collectively, fiscal responsibility is the lesson. The current economic upsets will test our consciousness to the max, to remain calm and energize the directions we desire to create in the physical world.
Saturn will make five oppositions to Uranus from 2008-2010, with the second opposition happening on February 5 at 20/21 degrees Virgo-Pisces. This second aspect happens with Saturn retrograde, which means Uranus in Pisces will be able to shake up Saturnian realities even more. Saturn retro points to Uranus, both by aspect and by its retrograde nature of lifting the “veil” between the conscious and unconscious worlds. It is important to find quiet times to pay attention to the subtle, and maybe not so subtle, messages of Uranus in Pisces. We all need de-conditioning from the past in order to evolve and become our real, liberated selves. Collective groups will do the same.
Life is evolution. Saturn retrograde serves the purpose to further growth, even when we are kicking and screaming NO. Slow down and breathe deeply. Let your own soul consciousness guide you into the awareness of your new realities continually emerging. It is time for simplification into what is really important in your life.
December 31, 2008 – Saturn stationary retrograde at 21/22 degrees Virgo.
March 16, 2009 – Sun opposes Saturn retrograde at 18/19 degrees Pisces-Virgo.
May 16, 2009 – Saturn stationary direct at 14/15 degrees Virgo.