Tag Archives: Saturn

The Day of Vogue: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Oct. 20
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Some rather beautiful astrology today is likely to help you focus your efforts on what means the very most to you. You may find it easier than usual to integrate the various facets of your life and align them with your main purpose. In addition, your creative powers are likely to be at their height, enabling you to experience the world at its most vivid. Soak it all in, and let the everyday wonders that surround you gently enrich and open up your perspective.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, Eric has much to say about stabilizing your relationships in the chaos of the internet, getting some traction in your career, and most of all, how to frame your own reality. in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for instant access. Check out the video preview for the reading here.

Written in the Planets

Have you ever noticed how taking care of things can bring feelings of security? That could mean taking care of others, taking care of yourself, taking care of business, taking care of your immediate environment and basic needs. Is it the simple fact of taking action, or is it the sensitivity and quality of attention that makes the difference? Probably all of the above — and today appears prime for the act of caring in any form, thanks to the Cancer Moon and the aspects it’s making. Domestic pursuits are calling, yet you might also feel drawn to extend the gesture beyond your home and immediate family.

One of the aspects the Moon activates today is a sextile between Venus in Scorpio and Saturn in Capricorn. If you have detailed creative projects or business tasks on your plate, you should be able to dive into them with ease, as long as you make the initial effort. This aspect also bodes well for embracing relationship ‘responsibilities’ without them seeming like burdens; in fact, it will probably feel like it deepens intimacy.

Caring actively is a win-win for all involved, and the Libra Sun is making aspects that offer another spin on the theme. In this case, you may have an opportunity at a second chance of some kind — for example, to “be the change you wish to see,” or to behave in a way that is more ethical or more focused on the highest good, or to act in greater alignment with your sense of purpose. Whatever it is, remember that deliberating on such a thing only gets you so far. Actually acting on the option to build more balanced and just relationships is where the subtle magic happens.
— by Amanda Painter

In 2020 we have not one but two conjunctions that mark the turn of a generation, and of an era in history. On Jan. 12, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn form their once per 33-year conjunction. Then on Dec. 21. 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, both now in Aquarius, form a conjunction in the first degree of that sign. Read more here…

Chaos, Balance and Birth

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By Amanda Painter

Mercury may still be two weeks from its station retrograde in Scorpio on Oct. 31, but I feel like I’ve been noticing its effects all week. How about you? Hopefully this means the retrograde proper will be less about glitches and more about rewarding (if intensive) introspection and evolution — though that’s always partly a matter of personal intention and perspective.

Fire engine abstract #2; Photo by Amanda Painter.

Against this mercurial backdrop, the sky is offering some additional prompts to assist you on your journey of self-awareness — and in just trying to get by. Given the chaos and confusion the world is throwing at us (such as Pres. Trump escalating conflict between Syria and Turkey by turning on allied Kurdish rebels — on a dime, and apparently on a bluff), sometimes just trying to get by constitutes a day well lived.

Today’s major aspect is an opposition between the Libra Sun and Eris in Aries. On one level, this is the ‘other shoe’ dropping in our fall preview of the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, which will be square Eris.

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The Day of Moderation: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 14
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Yesterday’s magnificent Full Moon in your opposite sign is still resonating, and its power is helping you to clear the path ahead. It’s time for you to dispense with old lingering doubts and other such bullshit, so that you can proceed without interruption. Keep your promises and act as compassion requires, but otherwise be firm if anyone or anything acts as a hindrance. You will want to invest as much of your time and energy as possible in the work you most need to do.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Though the reverberations of yesterday’s Full Moon should be softening, the Libra Sun is still exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. So you may still be feeling some internal pressure, of the kind that requires you to be very honest with yourself about what parts of your life are not working. That can feel a little scary, but it has a significant up side: moving away from behaviors that keep tripping you up opens the way to focus on what is going well, and on your highest priorities. Mercury and Saturn in aspect to each other describe an ability to identify exactly what you need to do. And challenges that you succeed in tackling today may emerge as sources of strength you can call on in the future.

The Moon moving through Taurus during the second part of the day offers a more relaxed emotional tone and overall pace, which could come as a relief if you prefer to move deliberately — though Uranus may still throw a curve ball or two. Perhaps, however, Uranus simply indicates that you’ll surprise yourself with an ability to take it all in stride. Not everything that we expect to be upsetting turns out to be so. Usually this is a sign that we’ve been growing without even realizing it.
— by Amanda Painter

My autumn readings, called In These Times, offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

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The Day of the Tough Cookie: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 13
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Given that your birthday is marked by the Aries Full Moon closely square Pluto, it’s safe to say this is likely to be a big year for you. There’s a lot you can get done, and you may well find yourself holding the torch to help guide friends and loved ones into the next phase of your collective experience. Not only do you possess unique wisdom that you can share, but you also seem to have a finger on the pulse of our time in history, and a means to lead the way forward into the future.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight’s Aries Full Moon, which is exact at 5:08 pm EDT (21:07:45 UTC), brings the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction to the forefront. Full Moons are one of the most palpable astrological events we experience — both internally, and through witnessing others’ behavior. This one is like running the essence of Saturn-Pluto in through an IV line. In other words, it could feel particularly intense and marked by an inner sense of pressure to make some changes — such as letting go of unproductive behaviors and emotional habits. This is in addition to whatever friction or stalemates you may encounter with other people.

For interpersonal situations of any flavor that seem genuinely intractable, consider calling a truce on pushing it until after this evening. You can’t avoid addressing important issues, but you can be conscious about holding a space for them that’s running less voltage.

That said, sometimes things just need to get out in the open where they can be dealt with consciously. Kind of like how it’s not always obvious that a machine needs maintenance until it’s clearly not working well. Often how we address issues is just as important as the fact of addressing them in the first place. Knee-jerk reactions can fan flames rather than move people toward solutions; same with manipulative tactics, which tend to backfire in the long run.

Yet Jupiter in Sagittarius is exactly trine the Aries Moon and sextile the Libra Sun today. This offers a little buoyancy to what could otherwise be a heavy (and heavily polarized) situation — it’s the comic relief of, say, Trevor Noah and John Oliver as they observe political events, or your ability to see the absurdity of a personal argument while you’re in the midst of it. Jupiter in this position might also describe an ability to take the long view on your struggles: to connect some of the dots between current pressure or upheaval and the growth needed to achieve your broader goals. Gears are in motion, and they are inviting you to move with them.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Aries Full Moon and Friends

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By Amanda Painter

How’s your sleep this week? And your relationship to authority figures — the ‘real’ ones and the internalized ones? Where are your thoughts going, and how do you feel about it? What about your urges and responses in your more intimate relationships? How conscious are you about using your energy in a creative, focused way?

The 2015 Aries Full Moon; photo by Amanda Painter.

As we end this week, several planetary events are conspiring to drive questions like those. The headlining act is the Aries Full Moon on Sunday.

Before we get there, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde echo (or shadow) phase tomorrow. On Saturday, Venus opposes Uranus to add a little extra voltage. Let’s take them in chronological order.

Mercury entering its shadow/echo phase Friday evening is your heads up to prepare any and all things related to communication, its related technologies, spending, transit, and how you handle your frame of mind in general. As in: back up your computer, tie up any loose ends with contracts and major purchases, and begin to get back into habits that help to safeguard against sending emails that ought not to be sent.

Mercury won’t actually station retrograde until Oct. 31 (Trick or Treat!). But as you may know, things can sometimes get even funkier prior to the retrograde than during it. Mercury will station direct — still in Scorpio — on Nov. 20.

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The Day of Defiance: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 7
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Creative work often requires walking a fine line between rational thought and flights of imagination, while drawing on the strengths of both. There will be days when you can blissfully float into wonderful fantasy worlds, and others when you’re happier managing logical matters; and still others when you want nothing more than to clean house or go for a run. The key is almost always diligence and perseverance. So long as you keep your eye on the goal, getting there is all but certain.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

What does it take to convert impatience with restrictions into the self-discipline needed to eventually transcend them? This seems to be one of those questions that need to be faced on a regular basis, since it’s a cornerstone of maturing and learning how to take authority in one’s life. It’s also a question you’re likely to encounter today, as the Libra Sun squares Saturn in Capricorn. In fact, you’ve probably been dealing with whatever issue this aspect represents for the last few days.

Possibly this dynamic has resulted in focusing all (or most) of your attention on some authority figure who either is in fact limiting you, or whom you fear and assume has that power. Have you actually tried to discuss the matter, though? You might discover you have more leeway to pursue preferred activities, or to break out of a rut, than you thought. Without actually having the conversation, however, your assumptions could be making life feel more difficult than it really is — and that can sap energy you could really use on a Monday.

Luckily, there are aspects to the Sun and Saturn that suggest such potentials as: breakthroughs in understanding, an ability to express yourself (in a mature way) with minimal actual consequences, and access to the kind of mentorship that feeds your soul and keeps you pointed toward your goal. Those potentials will require some action to access them, though. You may even find that in seeking your own personal balance between self-gratification and responsibility, liberation becomes less about running wild, and more about the inner work you do.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of the Just Cause: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 5
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You’ve traveled quite a distance in the past year, at least metaphorically speaking. Ongoing, you’ll want to continue and consolidate your various achievements and successes first of all. When it comes to the setbacks, look for the lesson you’ve taken from them or the ways in which you’ve grown stronger. You’ve certainly become more resilient and more tenacious, as well as bolder. Perhaps more importantly than anything, you know what you want, and have the determination you need to get it.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

The Capricorn Moon and Libra Sun square off today for the first quarter Moon — with the Moon conjunct Saturn and the lunar South Node. Along with the kind of tension that may spur you to get moving on a project, this square also suggests a question: where is the point of balance between your need to express and gratify your own aims and desires, and your responsibility to others? Perhaps even more importantly, did you feel an awareness of guilt or habits of self-restriction begin cascading in the moment you even read that question?

We all have adult responsibilities to others that we cannot in good conscience ignore; to do so would actually undermine our own process of growth and maturity, and of taking true authority in our lives. Yet any time guilt is cropping up that’s a signal to pay attention. Are you sure you’re not restricting yourself more than you need to? Today may offer an opportunity to question that actively, in a way that lets you move forward into some new space.

Note also that with Mercury in Scorpio opposing Uranus in Taurus, surprisingly deep insights could pop up. If you’re feeling frustrated with anyone, however, just be careful what comes shooting out your mouth.
— by Amanda Painter

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Action and Resolution at the Quarter Moon

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By Amanda Painter

Full Moons and New Moons tend to carry more weight in astrology writing. Yet this weekend’s first quarter Moon happens to connect with one of the more important aspects we’re building up to, as does another event this week.

What’s in the dark under that rock? Mercury in Scorpio wants to find out. Photo by Amanda Painter.

On Saturday, the Capricorn Moon squares off against the Libra Sun. That’s the quarter Moon, traditionally describing an opportunity to lean into projects and processes you can build some early momentum with.

Yet the Moon will also be conjunct its own South Node and the planet Saturn. The South Node can represent what is familiar, ‘comfortable’ and habitual in a way that does not help us to grow. You can also think of it as karma: repeated patterns that we’re trying to learn from, so we can move on toward a greater sense of lived purpose. Saturn, of course, holds the line of authority, responsibility, limits and restrictions. Its presence also connects this quarter Moon to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in January.

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