Does Saturn ever smile? That old grump just might in Sagittarius. After his passage through deep and serious Scorpio, he’s ready to lighten up. We all are. Since late 2012 we’ve all been slogging through Scorpio, for as Saturn goes, so goes the culture. This is important news, because if you want to succeed in any year, you need to practice the virtues of whatever sign Saturn is transiting. For the past two years, success meant going to the underworld. We’ve had to look at truths not easily discussed in “polite” society: the realities of racism, rape, inequality, brutality, entitlement, and greed. We’ve seen the videos (an unconscious female being raped, an unarmed man beaten to death, another shot just for showing his driver’s license to the cops). We’ve heard the testimonies of women and children brutalized by violence and war.
If you haven’t been deeply outraged about something in the past two years, likely you haven’t been paying attention. We’ve had to accept new losses in privacy, call good people on bad behavior, and grieve when innocence is once more abducted and nothing seems to change. We’ve had to grapple with our shadow and face futures that scare us. Maneuvering through Scorpio is like going through a long dark tunnel. We can only hope there’s some light at the end.
There is. It’s the light that comes from Sagittarius—the expansive and optimistic fire sign that follows Scorpio—for good reason. After swimming through so much darkness, we need to lift our spirits. We need to rediscover our ideals. We need to start aspiring again. Otherwise, we’ll never build that better world we’ve so clearly seen we need. When a planet shifts from Scorpio to Sag, the collective mood brightens. The world grows bigger, more inviting. Adventures beckon. We’re willing to sign up for new subjects. It feels like we can breathe again.
“Don’t worry, be happy” sang Bobby McFerrin the last time Saturn was in Sagittarius (beginning Nov. 1985, ending Nov. 1988). Future culture guru and publisher, Oprah, debuted on national TV. Saturn-in-Scorpio introduced us to DNA fingerprinting (of course). But in the sign of the gypsy wanderer, Saturn oversaw our first disposable cameras, pocket calculators, Game Boys and laptops–ideal toys for “doing our thing” on the road. Of course there were disasters (the Challenger explosion and Chernobyl) and scandals (religious gurus Swaggart and Bakker fell). During his Sag transit, Saturn tests all areas that Sagittarius rules: religion, higher education, the law, politics, marketing, travel and publishing. Where there is weakness or hypocrisy, Saturn will call it out. That’s already happening.
When religious extremists massacred the staff of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo earlier this month, the world was shocked and galvanized. Old debates reignited: Does religion lead to violence? Should writers provoke and publish whatever they want? Such questions have Saturn-in-Sagittarius’ fingerprints, er, pencil, all over them. The pencil is an odd symbol to act as lightning rod–but it’s made of Saturn materials, wood and lead, and it signifies a most important Sagittarian virtue: freedom of expression. Of course, Saturn is testing for “truth” in Sag. Hypocrisy won’t fly. Many of those quick to say “Je suis Charlie Hebdo” are being called on their intolerance–defending some people’s freedom to speak even as they still deny it to others.
Saturn brings trouble wherever he goes. It’s really our trouble, but he likes to rub our noses in it. He’s a “tough love” guy, but he does love us. He wants us to learn from our mistakes. Even so, I’ve noticed that he does seem to be at his most benevolent when wearing Sagittarian robes. Astrology tradition says he’s neither “ruling” nor “exalted”in this sign, which means he doesn’t possess any special powers. Still, I think he kind of does. His seriousness adds ballast to our Sag enthusiasms. If we respect Saturn’s virtues, like patience, accountability, and hard work, we’ll find it’s easier to direct the centaur’s hooves and focus the archer’s arrow. With Saturn’s help we can actually accomplish our wild Sagittarian dreams.
So if something is stirring in you… some sense of a near-future adventure, pay attention. Success will come from stretching yourself now in Sagittarian directions. Take Saturn as your growth coach. You will see a great reward!
Throughout 2015 I’ll be offering Saturn-in-Sag tips on my blog. Here’s my Sag-in-Saturn Success Strategy #1!
.© 2015 Dana Gerhardt
Great, insightful, inspiring article! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.