Saturn's Theater

Saturn prepares for his debut.

More Signs of Pluto in Capricorn (and Saturn in Virgo)

As we mentioned back in the winter when Pluto first entered Capricorn, our infrastructure (the bones of the world's body) is at great risk. Capricorn, Saturn's home sign, rules structure, while Pluto is the great destroyer. Batten down the hatches, because it's already happening.

More signs of the the times: as predicted, Saturn's presence in Virgo has piqued even the New York Times interest in Peak Oil. Welcome to "Survival Chic."

The Saturnizing of Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer, the self-appointed "steamroller" of New York politics, moments ago apologized for being involved with a prostitution ring. Currently transiting Saturn is conjunct Spitzer's natal Pluto and transiting Pluto is conjunct his Saturn. This is an aggressive cosmic double-whammy involving underground, illegal activities and secrets (Pluto) and moral comeuppance (Saturn). Spitzer's public persona has always been about cleaning up the dirtiest of business. Ironic that his downfall coincides with Saturn's trip through Virgo, the sign of purity. As we predicted in a previous post, Saturn is currently forcing all politicians to come clean. Will Governor Spitzer pass the test? Only the Cosmic Taskmaster knows...

The Second Time Around: With Both Feet on the Ground

Barry Manilow said it well -- youth is wasted on the young. That's why the second Saturn Return can be a time of miracles for those between approximately 57 and 60. If you were born between late 1948 and mid-1951, you're in the second Saturn Return right now -- are you having fun yet?

The second Saturn Return is always easier if you've done the right work during the first one. If you heeded Saturn's messages and liberated yourself from external authorities before your thirtieth birthday, SR number two can be a time of joy, growth, and expansion. If you've kicked and screamed through every moment of the last thirty years, denying your psyche the growth it's been begging for, then the turning-sixty transition can be as hard, or harder, than the first SR. But the beautiful thing about Saturn is that no matter how he kicks our butts, he always offers second and third chances to assimilate his lessons. Like the best teacher of your entire life, he'll never let you down.

If you're a parent that had your first or second child in your late twenties or early thirties, you're probably first getting a taste of freedom. Your eldest has by now fled the nest. If they haven't, now's the time to gently let them know that they, too, have to be adults at some point. And as always with Saturn, now is the time. If your kids need you too much, you can't be a martyr anymore. You've been a good mom (or dad) and now you need some time to enjoy your life instead of dedicating every waking moment to your progeny's welfare. Just as you rebelled against your own parents as a teenager, you now need to rebel against your kids, at least a little bit.

The second Saturn Return takes place between the threshold years of midlife and elderhood. If you find yourself single (again) you're actually quite lucky. Getting into a new relationship carries far less pressure than it did when you were in your twenties. There are fewer societal strictures and you can love on your own terms and in your own time. The first Saturn Return was about making your place in the world and creating your own meaningful values, on your own terms. Now that you're about to be metaphorically born again, it's time to put those values into a crucible once again. Do they really represent the true you? Is your Self playing a role in your everyday life? Are you, as an almost-elder, teaching those around you how to live a full life?

Healthy Saturn Returns happen for those that are brutally honest with themselves, their families, and their friends. Be aware of what you need to say "no" to. Have a little fun, drink a little wine, start a new business, or go and see the world as your chart dictates. Saturn will award you prizes according to his house and sign placement from the moment of your birth. If you've struggled against Saturn's greater truths and you feel him trying to shake you awake, listen carefully. It's time to let go of superficiality. You're luckier than the thirty-year-old chicks still figuring out who the hell they are, and we salute you. If you want to know where Saturn lives in your own chart and what his messages mean by sign and house, find out more here.

Didn't Get Enough on Valentine's?

Read our latest feature on Lifescript: What's Your Sex Style?

Pluto In Capricorn: Dawn or Dusk?

On Saturday, January 26th, 2008, Pluto entered Capricorn for the first time since the American Revolution. Major transformations will unfold between now and 2024. Get ready to evolve.

We've already had a preview: the economy in extreme tumult, locally and globally, is one of the first signs of the Pluto in Capricorn era. Welcome to a world dominated by the energy of the Lord of Darkness (Pluto) renting out space from the Lord of Karma (Saturn). This ain't going to be Happy Days, or Three's Company for that matter. My purpose, however, is not to scare you, because there's much that we can do at the individual and collective level to address what astrologer Donna Cunningham called "Pluto Problems" in her 1986 book.

If you're wondering why the Saturn Sisters are blogging about Pluto, here's the deal: Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn, an earth sign, a cardinal sign, a sign that won't take crap from anybody. Capricorn has dominion over property, structure, business deals, maturity, Dads, rules, bones and teeth -- you get the picture. Pluto is not a warm and fuzzy planet, as evidenced by its recent transit through Sagittarius, the sign of faith. As it slowly tore through the constellation ruling religious fervor, we were given Osama Bin Laden and George Bush as our archetypes. They are the ultimate frenemies, and we were their captive audience during the last seven years. Enough is enough.

Now it's time to talk about the economy, and there is no time to be stupid about it. Saturn admonishes us to wake up, and Pluto forces us to face our darkest demons. Over the next years, we'll all be contemplating the ground beneath our feet, what we value, how we feed ourselves, and if our structures (our literal homes) are strong enough to withstand the churning of the cosmos. The subprime mortgage crisis and current recession are just the beginning. Pluto in Capricorn will revolutionize our thinking at the root level: your relationship to material wealth is bound to change. Kings of industry and CEO's won't be happy about it, but those of us suffering under oligarchy will, in the very best of scenarios. Pluto will use extreme measures to bring balance back. This recently demoted planet exists to transform, and it doesn't like the rigid rules of Capricorn. Pluto was discovered in the 1930s, not long before dark matter was unveiled by astronomer Fritz Zwicky, and it's probably no accident that both of these concepts were introduced to our consciousness so close together in time. Dark matter is the part of the universe that we can detect gravitationally but we can't see -- it emits no light. And to add to the metaphor, this was the era of the Great Depression and the holocaust.

There are mitigating factors, however, at least for the next few years. Saturn is in Virgo, an earth sign, until 2010, giving us a bit of a cushion. (Earth trines earth, preventing imminent and shocking quakes). With beneficent Jupiter in Capricorn until the end of '08, the economy may hold out for a little bit longer, giving us time to make plans. With these three planetary biggies in earth signs, the changes will be tempered. Preparation is key. I'm not suggesting you build a doomstead, but do begin thinking about savings, and at the same moment, how to eradicate global poverty. In a Pluto in Capricorn world, the only way to insure your own safety is to cast the net toward those suffering even more than you. We're all in this together, and our boat doesn't have to sink; we just need to steer communally.

If we don't get our internal ships in order, our collective Titanic could be very scary indeed. This is the stuff that only Orwell could dream up: autocratic governments wielding terrifying amounts of power, a security state that will erase the notion of privacy, or a Grapes of Wrath-like period of scarcity for those that now consider themselves middle class. So take a deep breath, balance your checkbook, and get your karmic ship in order.

A Sign By Sign Guide for 2008

Even though January is almost over, it's not too late to see what's in store astrologically for the rest of 2008. Check us out over on LifeScript.com.