Observing Gratitude, and Putting It To Work

I covered one facet of today’s inaugural Saturn-Neptune square and yesterday’s Gemini Full Moon in the Monday Astrology Diary, which you’re welcome to review if you like. So in today’s column, I wanted to look ahead into the weekend — particularly the Sun entering the Saturn-Neptune square.

Water and structure — Neptune and Saturn — meet in the form of bubbles. Photo by Amanda Painter.

First, I’ll mention that the newly waning Moon will continue through Gemini all day today (Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.) It enters Cancer Friday at 2:26 pm EST / 19:27 UTC. This means the Moon will be making a slew of aspects to planets all around the zodiac wheel.

Some of these contacts may briefly heighten tension (especially emotional reactions to old family patterns, criticism or self-criticism, and collective beliefs you might be trying to distance yourself from). Yet the Moon will also harmonize with other planets that could ease communication with intimate partners (Venus and Mars in Libra), or foster nourishing ideas about what it means to share a meal today with others (Ceres in Aquarius). For that, I am grateful.

So today is not likely to be dull — but it should move quickly (or, at least, your thoughts about it will). Saturday and Sunday, with the Moon in Cancer, may take on a domestic tone — complete with nesting and caring impulses. One of the loveliest ways to show gratitude for someone or something is to take care of them in some way. Even the smallest ways of being thoughtful can achieve this.

Yet the most prominent aspect pattern this weekend involves the Sagittarius Sun making a conjunction to Saturn, and a square to Neptune in Pisces — both exact Sunday, essentially constituting one event. The Sun is entering the yearlong Saturn-Neptune square, though the Sun only passes through briefly.

Since the Sun represents your conscious self-awareness and Sagittarius is a philosophical, ‘big picture’ sign, you might notice a sense of how you yourself fit into this process of dissolution and visioning that is developing on the world stage.

Then again, you might not. It could be that having the emblem of our consciousness positioned so close to this process that is only beginning could make it hard to see or understand clearly. That’s okay, too; you have time to observe and process and engage with what is happening.

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Even on a ‘mundane’ or ‘everyday’ level, this astrology could feel difficult to pin down. Sun square Neptune is known for making it hard to see clearly; your idealism might be stimulated, yet you might not have the energy or the traction to push toward your loftier goals.

Yet Saturn conjunct the Sun provides some structure and direction if you’re willing to see and accept it (though it also could feel a little low-energy). Figure out what your most important responsibilities are; that is, your real duties — the ones that feel essential to you at a fundamental level; you might even notice a theme of ‘service’ involved. Those are the tasks you can tackle and make some progress with, especially if there is an element of organization or planning involved.

You don’t have to dictate that others do the same; the Cancer Moon may emphasize ‘caring’, but there are many ways to show that. Dig into whatever it is you must do, and allow a sense of gratitude — that there is work you can do to make something better than it was, for example — keep you moving.