Mars in Sagittarius (and other Transits)

'Medea' by Andrea Schiavone

(16th century, Musee de Louvre, Paris)

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The essential difference between Mars in Scorpio (which is ending as of Saturday, September 13th at 9:58 in the evening, UT/+0 time) and Mars in Sagittarius (which picks up from there) can be summed up in the style with which one concept drives us and becomes manifest in everything around us in all of life.

That word which manifests in various styles is intensity. Mars in Sagittarius is in not many but every way just as intense as Mars in Scorpio EXCEPT for the fact that Mars in Sagittarius has no boundaries and lends life a feeling of being unconfined where Mars in Scorpio is all about feeling confined...or having our feelings confined, trimmed, altered, confronted, persuaded - or any other way you’d like to see or feel it.

Or even not see or not feel it (take your pick - it all tends to come out in the human and mortal wash).

In any case, during the six weeks or so that Mars will be transiting Sagittarius we can expect things to be a.) varied, and... b.) not altogether predictable. This fact will be (or become...or be becoming) increasingly clear as it happens, about the time (just preceding by a couple of hours, if truth be known) this post hits the digital webwaves.

And that’s apt too, not that I don’t know that anyone who is an astrological clock-watcher is already mumbling about how I’m late, I’m late like I’m some sort of metaphysical Mad Hatter.

Come to think of it...

From Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland,' the Mad Hatter having his say
at the famous tea party (original drawing by John Tenniel, 1820-1914)

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Yes, that might work.

Getting back to the subject, Mars in Sagittarius all by its moon-less, rocky little self is known for its power of dissemination - as well as the response to disseminations made (here, probably under Mars in Scorpio) which have ‘violated’ some method, means, moral code or manner of teaching which humans as a flesh-and-blood ‘human group’ have decided upon.

And yes, this is as opposed to the society or corporate level of life, both of which are astrologically (or metaphysically, if you prefer) rooted in the impersonal/‘entity’ zodiacal 4th [Capricorn-Aquarius-Pisces] quadrant as opposed to the Libra-Scorpio-Sagittarius realm, a realm which is far more interactive and personal-feeling.

Mars in Sagittarius can manifest as speculative thought or speculative fiction. It’s a time when we are likely to hear a lot about errors and flaws with more theories and theorization than anyone really wants to hear about, but which we are all likely to (in our own individual and inimitable way) take part in, nonetheless. Mars in Sagittarius can manifest as the gloss on our wit as easily as the slime which coats every word rolling off too many shamelessly forked (and drooling) tongues. Mars in Sagittarius is known for great strides and great stridency, great fervor and great fervency whether said furor is deserved or merely a venting of frustration, heat, desire or despair.

And all of this is still without Medea.

Remember Medea - the sorceress who fell under an enchantment so powerful that it ended up destroying Medea herself and everything she claimed to love and cherish?

Medea (about to murder her own children) by Ferdinand Victor Delacroix (1862)

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Ah yes... a charming sort, that Medea. And for us of an astrological bent the main belt asteroid which goes by this name represents a potent sort of energetic-as-potion which we will probably do well to use sparingly.

And probably also ever so importantly...knowingly, as the astrological Medea represents fixations, our ability (or inclination) to become fixated or over-focused on something, someone or some situation or situational dynamic. Medea manifests as attachments and bond to things or people or ideas or convictions, longings or beliefs which are so strong and somehow so threatening as to drive us - internally - to personal distraction.

And thereafter to personal destruction.

At the core of Medea’s workings seems to be some thought...something which makes us think that unless “this” (whatever you are focused on) is fixed or gained or eliminated or whatever else (with every one of those terms being relative)... that unless we accomplish that, all (whatever ‘all’ is) will come to naught.

Is that true? Maybe. It could be true, but may not be true as Medea represents where we tend to get ‘spun’ on an internal basis which here, in being presented in Capricorn would refer to real structures and tangible issues, consequences, necessities, aims and ‘governance,’ whether that refers to our ability or willingness to ‘govern’ ourselves...to some governmental, ‘governing’ or national interest, act, regulation or penalty...or to our efforts to ‘govern’ circumstances so that we can create or achieve some aim or structured/structural result.

There are several challenges which come up with Medea, the first of which is (as mentioned) ultimately what most of us would stumble over if stumbling is to be/become our current lot: the obsessiveness or over-focus Medea tends to indicate. Does this mean ‘length’ of time - meaning, are we being short-sighted, and is that what Mars in Sagittarius is going to try, test and challenge us through? Is this Medea’s narrowing of focus the indicator of an incomplete picture of some type which Mars in Sagittarius will reveal in due course, giving us reason to hone efforts and tweak plans as time goes along?

Plus when we add in what we would anticipate to be 22 Capricorn (the degree Medea is going direct in) qualities, all of this could simply become our situation. In other words, we may be going about doing and being and having our happy and/or difficult life. And because we are so (overly) involved in our own ‘stuff,’ that causes us to be put into some other situation (temporary or otherwise) which on our side or that of others produces equally highly convinced Medea-like fixations (shades of cause/effect...).

And that (in the end) is what brings on the downfall or defeat - if we don’t break away from our personal mental Medea.

As with all stations, Medea should get (or should have gotten...yes, I am late in posting - it’s because my back injury and I are not getting along)...Medea should get a two-days before, two-days after ‘station allowance’ (and of late I’ve begun thinking even asteroids may deserve three-plus-three day station allowances instead of two). So that means that Medea’s station would have begun on Wednesday (September 10th), a date which was already being colored by two other asteroids, namely House and Sappho, as indicated in a chart initially posted in the Venus in Virgo post (two posts ago, in other words).

House represents qualities of ‘feeling at home,’ and in having gone direct on Thursday the 11th at 18 Capricorn (a degree known for bad actors, wholesale lying or deceit and other unlovable human habits) this indicates a need to ‘direct’ ourselves to however or wherever this energy is surfacing (whether within or externally) with a mind to holding ourselves to that level of discipline or control-of-Self which will allow one to earn respect (that most stable of Capricorn currencies) and thus minimize damage to something we may well need in the months, weeks or even the years which lie ahead.

As for Sappho, like all main belt asteroids (such as Medea and House) Sappho represents something we ‘encounter’ as we pursue our aims and efforts - something which curiously evokes a whiff of universality, more than a few notes reminiscent of poignant, natural artistry...and yet something of a raw, discordant edge.

Unlike House and Medea, Sappho is going direct in Aquarius - a sign all about universality and individualism, which argues for relatively straightforward considerations of broad-scale, long term matters at hand - which considering how the specific degree of Aquarius involved here is 5 Aquarius suggests some misunderstandings and some people just leading others astray through their conviction that they know best. This degree is known for accusations, hasty judgments and a fondness for rabble rousing and shock effects.

And the challenge with regards to Sappho is twofold. For one, House went direct (on Thursday the 11th), overlapping Sappho’s station, which isn’t exactly a recipe for peace and quiet, regardless of what does or doesn’t happen. But more to the point, Sappho will be going station/direct only about 24 hours prior to Mars entering Sagittarius - which means Mars is at 29 Scorpio from the 12th into the 13th (before moving into Sagittarius late on the 13th) as Sappho goes direct.

The good news is that we’ve cleared some form of substantial hurdle with ourselves over the past seven weeks of Mars in Scorpio. To the extent that we have purged ourselves of ills we will move ahead, though there are no guarantees that we won’t trip over a pothole or otherwise get challenged during these weeks ahead.

And to the extent that we haven’t, there’s still a Scorpio solar eclipse less than a month and a half away. Between now and then, those who haven’t yet owned up to their own ills will find circumstances knocking on their denial-lined defenses - often as others watch in dismay.

But that’s also part of Mars in Sagittarius, as this is a combination which is all about learning who we are and who we aren't...and maybe that last part most of all.
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Saturn and Medea Direct

Medea by Klara Ziegler

The mythology…and the metaphysics of Saturn come to us in many a shape and form, one of the most vital of which – and at some level perhaps the scariest – is that of Saturn as the emblem of time. The idea that time itself is infinite and that ‘our time’ is both that we must cope with as our reality and the very reality that the time we have to be part of and active in ‘our time’ is limited can be very disquieting.

There’s another aspect of Saturn’s metaphysical meanings which is equally challenging, namely of Saturn as our ‘limits.’ We’re used to think of Saturn as the ‘extent of our grasp’ and thus, in keeping with its astrological rulership of earthy Capricorn, the emblem of our achievements. We’re even used to thinking of Saturn in its more airy form, where in Aquarius Saturn serves to symbolize how our ‘mastery’ (achieving an understanding of) things helps us find our place in this world, for good or ill.

I often think about Saturn as the walls we build to keep others out or to protect our Self. That seems to be part of Saturn’s functionally ‘exalted’ association with connective and relational Libra, which in practice seems as evident with a chart where Saturn is in Libra as one in which Saturn is in the chart’s 7th house.

And maybe that’s a clue to exaltations. Exaltations, which have to do with the house a planet falls in, seem as important as planets in signs, though they sure don’t get as much attention!

I've included the 'modern' planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) in this list of 

'traditional' rulerships because it would seem all three planets have been so

widely accepted as rulers of their respected signs. Once Pluto was "downgraded"

to dwarf planet it seemed logical that all the other dwarf planets (Huya, Eris,

Sedna and Haumea, among others) should also be assigned to signs of

rulership and detriment, but that hasn't happened yet.

 

As is evident from the above, the list of traditional Exaltations and signs of Fall

don't include any of the 'modern' planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) nor any

of the important asteroids, dwarf planets or asteroids. This doesn't mean that

astrologers don't think of them as functional (I certainly think of such things) but

the world's astrological community hasn't decided to mix any of these 'new-fangled'

ideas in with those which have come down to us - principally from ancient Greece  

Beyond this is another side of Saturn – Saturn as the idea and the reality of that individuality which on one hand makes us each so unique and valuable…and which on the other side means that we’re separate. We’re not ‘part’ of anything or anyone else at that vital and vulnerable level which incites all those feelings of loneliness. Or that nobody really understands us. Or – maybe – that as much as we want to and as long as we may know someone, we really never know who they are.

Not totally.

Being that Saturn is passing through Scorpio, every ounce and measure of all those things are in play now as Saturn goes on station to go direct. The moment of ‘turnabout’ comes on July 8th at 5:13 in the morning (UT/+0 time) and that gives us a rough ‘station allowance’ window which begins on July 6th and which extends through July 10th…but which may quite possibly be ‘felt’ a bit before or a bit after those dates – especially once you factor in your particular time zone.

The degree that Saturn is doing its turn in is 4 Scorpio, a degree which by definition is personal – and perhaps even physical. How we get along with others, what it takes to get along with them and whether we are ‘aligned’ with the right people is all up for testing, and since lore for this degree stresses whether we understand the ‘art’ involved in doing whatever it is we’re doing, we can all expect a note or brush with our own best abilities and our own sense-memory with regards to weakness.

Remembering that Saturn went retrograde back in February at 11 Scorpio (a deeply emotional degree which touches on our ability to balance that which is ‘native’ to us and that we want to build or achieve in the present) this can be a time when a lot of things come to the surface. And since most of us are ‘working’ on several things at once in our busy, daily lives, this may be a good time to get some perspective on where and what you’re on track with, and what is still some sort of personal stumbling block. Events now will tend to show up where we’ve been thinking too narrowly, and where we’ve managed to create difficulties for ourselves by various forms of zealous (and emotionally driven) perspectives which at their core have far more to do with our not wanting to have some idea or concept ‘invalidated’ by its not being right for everyone, or not being accepted by everyone than anything else.

Father Time as depicted in the Library of Congress' Rotunda Clock (detail)

(Sculptor, John Flanagan, 1896)

As happens with Scorpio, the tendency will be to deny. Or to lash out. Or to project onto others the inability to accept or think more broadly or ‘take criticism’ when the real issue may well be our own narrow perspective or inability to see things in any other way than that which suits our fancy and makes us feel good.

And thus, we feel even more lonely. And we want validation. For many of us this station will have us going back to what we ‘know we do right’ which may indeed be about something we are good at.

But then, again, maybe it’s something (or some perspective) we simply love too much, a note which comes from the idea that asteroid Medea is also going direct  - in Scorpio – on the same day as Saturn (July 8th).

Before we move on here, it’s also worth noting that July 8th is a moment for two other things. The first is a New Moon in Cancer. The second is that July 8th is the last day of the Lunar Nodes being at the Scorpio-Taurus cross-quarter points.

- link to -

The Lunar Nodes at Cross Quarters

Let’s just put it like this…this is a moment when a lot of things are likely to be ‘coming home’ to us. Both the achievements and the missed opportunities and emotionally-driven mistakes are going to be felt, be known, get muddled over.

Medea is going direct at 16 Scorpio, a second decanate degree which should clue us in to the depth and perhaps the intensity of feelings which go into the issue(s) of the moment. 16 Scorpio being a degree with two very different sort of emotional qualities, our ability to reconcile (and maybe own) our part in any imbalances we see in others, in a situation or in the world is likely to be at the heart of things. And as usual with Scorpio (not to mention Medea), it’s a whole lot easier to say ‘they’re wrong’ than to be honest about that person in the mirror. (Or in our heart.)

So…what’s the challenge here? At it’s base, 16 Scorpio seems to be a test about ideas we believe in and those we are aligned with. It’s about things and people we feel an established loyalty or  easy commonalty with and whether, when someone different or foreign…someone who may not agree with us, or maybe someone who presents an idea at odds with our beliefs – how we treat them and their ideas. The issue comes down to kindness versus inhumanity, and sometimes that’s about us and sometimes that’s about the situation or other person. But in all instances, the question becomes whether we can teach others and ourselves how to be and live in this world without blowing things out of proportion or inciting difficulties because we have – in essence – blown our own position or alliances out of proportion in the situation at hand.

Perspective, in other words, is our friend now. The very dispassionate sort of willingness and ability to be ‘separate’ and uniquely ourselves without alliances (the Saturn part) is being underscored by Medea’s station-direct.

The drama of Medea many of us know from stories – principally the play by the Greek, Euripides. Medea falls in love with the hero Jason – he of Golden Fleece fame – and Medea’s love consumes her. After she bears Jason two children, he leaves her to marry Creusa (sometimes known as Glauce). Creusa is the daughter of a king, and by marrying her, Jason will seal an alliance which will further his very real and very worldly (Saturnine) ambitions.

Jason holding the golden fleece

(photo credit: Bertel Thorvalds)

Apparently he forgot about Medea – just as we may now forget (or realize we have forgotten) there that every situation and every relationship has many sides and many factors. Medea is a sorceress in her own right. She used her powers to protect Jason as he went about his heroic doings. Without Medea, it’s arguable that Jason would have never gotten to that golden fleece, the prize which entitled him to his bride.

Life is indeed very much more complicated than we often think of it as.

The news that Jason is going to marry Creusa drives Medea mad. And whether that surfaces now as anger or insanity (which sometimes look and sound alike) the idea that Medea goes to Creusa with a ‘poisonous gift’ – a dress which burns Creusa to death when she tries it on – is a totem parallel for some of the factors which go into the Saturn ‘life realities’ we are considering at this time.

Medea’s power is said to come from (or reflect) the energies of Hecate, an ancient goddess tied to the ideas of that which is unseen and those powers which ‘lie beyond life.’

Hecate by Johfra Bosschart (1973)

  

Is that death? Maybe, but not necessarily. And with Medea currently transiting Scorpio, the factors now being tapped into are far more likely to be about how life taps into our inner sense of security through situations in which we think we should (or where we want to) hold power and the ability to exercise control.

Hecate is not ‘evil’…she merely represents that beyond our understanding. Or at least our current understanding, which may be the key to this entire event. That it happens during an ongoing major planet water (read: emotional) grand trine says a lot about the strength and depth and prevalence of our feelings and about how what we are reacting to is in itself about emotionality.

But that doesn’t define right or wrong. Indeed, there may be no ‘right’ and no ‘wrong’ here, merely whether we are willing or able to employ some degree of ‘artfulness’ when dealing from an established personal ‘reality’ (Saturn going direct at 4 Scorpio) which may or may not itself be in (Medea direct at 16 Scorpio) in balance.

It’s easy to blame others. It’s not so easy to see why we – or those we love or are loyal to – incite those others to act as they do. Saying something is ‘wrong’ or ‘evil’ doesn’t fix it – only understanding it and considering why such things happen does. Denial only begets denial, as lack of understanding begets lack of acceptance.

Which is which is now playing out. The more we learn, the better off we will be – and the better we stand to become in the fullness of Saturnine time.
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Saturn goes Retrograde: The Rock, the Hurt and the Harm of Convenience

 Artists's rendition of a Huygens probe floating in a methane-ethane

lake on Titan, with parent planet Saturn looming above the horizon

image credit: NASA's Cassini-Huygens collection

Let’s just start with a freeze-dried version of the basic concept here: Saturn goes retrograde at 17 Libra on January 26 at 6:11am (UT/+0).

And Saturn will continue to be in retrograde until it goes direct on June 13 at 3:52am (UT/+0).

What a nice long time to have a nice long Saturn nice time of it!

Or maybe...not so much?

What exactly does this whole 'Saturn going retrograde' mean? And why would this Saturn retrograde adventure be any different than any other Saturn retrograde adventure? After all, don't all the major planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and...well, give or take being a dwarf planet, Pluto) - don't they all go retrograde once a year?

The answer to that is yes. But seeing that the universe (ergo, our solar system) is not a static thing, every moment in (Saturn) time and thus certainly every station and every year's retrograde is different.

Entirely different.

But let's start at the beginning, taking that very first announcement as the simple statement it is: Saturn goes retrograde at 17 Libra on January 26 at 6:11am (UT/+0).

For those of you who know and love grammar, the subject of that sentence is Saturn. As a matter of fact, the subject of the sentence is Saturn even if you don't like grammar!

The point is, all things apply to Saturnine principles in this moment.

The verb here is the 'going retrograde' part. That’s an  indicator: what happens now (and for a wee bit shy of  five months yet to come) is the examining of Self in Saturn detail, the challenging of Self in Saturnine style, and the growing and developing of our capacity as that pertains to creating a world (personal and general) that is lasting, workable and practical. Or at least pragmatic. And possible. And acceptable. And structurally sound.

Because Saturn is going retrograde all this starts on the inside. So we can challenge ourselves to grow, develop, get over ourselves and get to doing what we should do...or we can figure on life presenting us with situations, events, puzzles and relationships which cause us to be challenged at some very internal, personal Saturnine level.

That would be the good ol' basics here. Anything we add to that is a modifying clause - the lettuce and tomato on the burger...the chocolate sauce on the ice cream.

But looking at the list...? Well, it is quite the list! So let's go for the ice cream concept and say we're just having a heaping helping of sprinkles. LOTS of sprinkles!

(And not to worry - in the planetary world, extra aspects don't add calories. Asteroids don't go to you....well, never mind - you get the point!)

So here's the list - and thus the real un-freeze-dried version of the original sentence:

Saturn will go retrograde at 17 Libra on January 26 at 6:11am (UT/+0) in conjunction with Drakonia (at 17 Libra) and Haumea (at 18 Libra) while in opposition to Eris, Tantalus and Dionysus (at 21 and 20 Aries, respectively)...all as Eurydike enters Pisces, Hera enters Aries, Lust enters Aries…and with Medea going direct a few hours later at 12 Gemini.

Does this sound like a waltz in the park to you? At the very least it’s a complicated dance number. Much choreography and intricate movement involved...lots of attention needing to be paid to not swinging one’s arms and hitting someone else in the nose!

You know, the simple matter of exotica.

Okay…now since I don’t want to repeat all of the last blog, let’s just pay lip service to Saturn being a symbol of working for achievement, earning and/or the concept of walls as things which can limit, things which can support (say, a roof) or things which can for plus or minus protect us from stuff…out there (wherever ‘out there’ may be).

Libra, which is so often so annoyingly (to me) talked about as a sign of romance and marriage partners when it’s really about personal OR professional relationships and our ability to relate without any emotional intimacy implied…

Yes, you heard me – Libra is not about romance. At least not romance as I conceive of it, meaning emotionality. Libra is an air sign. It may thus be the idea of romance, but it’s not true intimacy. So if you’re someone who has this whole ‘romantic notion’ about love and SOs (Significant Others) in your head, Libra may be your idea of romance.

Then again, that may be why so many marriages fail – which also works, since Libra is the sign of ‘open enemies’ and lawyers.

Anyway, Libra isn’t about romance per se, but it is about relationships and our ability to relate. With Saturn in Libra, our concepts of same, our ability to relate and how we go about relating to others and our world is going through a Saturnine, slow-motion examination. (And for some, an exhumation, but let’s not go there!)

Saturn symbolizes ‘that which we earn we shall in time, achieve’ to the nth degree. It also symbolizes how that which we try and get away with (or avoid) ends up biting us in some fleshy part of our anatomy.

That Saturn is going direct at 17 Libra adds a note of ‘theoretical emotionality,’ whether that’s conviction about something, enthusiasm for something or objection to some idea. This is ‘a meeting of the minds’ or a clash of ideas, ideals or priorities. At it’s best it’s an agreement to disagree or a willingness to negotiate.

But don’t be too sure about that ‘willingness’ thing. Not even mentioned in the list above is the fact that at the moment of this change of direction the Moon has entered Scorpio, a sign which asks us to find solutions which take everyone’s needs into account but which tends to (unfortunately!) be our desires to have our own way.

And if you look at this – a chart of the station…

Saturn's January 2011 station 

(Aries wheel/location not specific)

….you may well notice the Grand Trine (in green) with two light blue sextiles reaching up towards the top of the chart. It’s a ‘planetary picture’ called a kite. And with kites, it’s the tail which guides the kite.

That ‘tail’ is the south node at the bottom of the chart. And since South Nodes are about ‘the easy way out’ and what with this one being in Moon-ruled Cancer, we end up back at that Scorpio Moon. 

But it could be okay, you say. 

Uh, yes, I reply. It could, but it probably won’t. Did you happen to notice that this Scorpio Moon is conjunct Niobe?

I get called down fairly regularly for being an astrological pessimist when what I’m doing is simply reading the celestial signs. What’s wrong with being realistic (she said in her most cranky voice)? Given that Niobe is the pride which precedes getting shot down, though this (yes) could be calling others on their bad or irrational or selfish behavior, let’s be real! The likelihood is that this is pride challenging us all to be more inclusive, more charitable, more caring about the emotional needs and points of views being expressed by others…but the reality is that this it’s highly, highly unlikely that those – particularly those in who have the Scorpio power (or power over money, sex or convention) in hand – it’s really unlikely they’re going to do whatever the “hard” or “unpopular” thing is. That would be the Moon ruling the South Node part.

And yet….and yet and yet and yet….The North Node, the ‘highest’ form of this figure is in Capricorn. And we are talking about a Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) station. So maybe some people will actually do the hard (North Node) thing, come what may.

Maybe. I’m not betting any mental pizza on it…but maybe.

So back to that list. With Saturn going retrograde conjunct Drakonia, the question is who is the player and who is being played? With Haumea at 18 Libra add in ‘shape shifting’ in order to get one’s way.

Is that you or someone else? And if it is you, did you play yourself or someone else? Maybe even both?

The opposition to Eris (discord), Tantalus (temptation) and Dionysus (sacred celebration) gives us a whole aura of that which is sacrosanct…which casts all sorts of questions into the fog.

 Dionysus - a 2nd century statue (Louvre, Paris)

Taken together, this is is a big giant mish-mosh of ‘what’s right? what’s wrong’ which is complicated by personal desires and (like as not) personal alliances….which….well, are they real? Are they an ‘alliance of convenience’ and dare you pay the price for that?

A lot of these questions will ultimately only be answered once Saturn comes out of retrograde this June. But the road we choose now – that definitely defines how smooth or rocky the path between here and there is going to be. And since this is Saturn – what the price for said choice is or isn’t going to ultimately be.

Personally, as I think this celestial equation through, I keep coming back to that Nodal issue with the easy way out being the Scorpio Moon. Considering Scorpio is debt, that says it’s easier to take on debt than pay it off.

Following a different cosmic chain – that which has Saturn’s position in Libra ruled by Venus and Venus in Sagittarius leading then to Jupiter in Aries and ultimately Mars/Sun/Sappho/Hel in early Aquarius, there’s a whole Aquarian and rather ‘group’ or ‘societal’ flavor to this station which would seem to be either the difficulty of majority rule or the difficulty being experienced by the greater group (or the economy OR the masses)…or that there’s simply universal (Sappho) Hel to pay which is coming from one of those arenas.

 Sappho embracing her lyre by Jules Elie Delaunay

What you may not know about this post is that it’s being written way far in advance of the actual date. Good astrology should be able to be read right off the charts, with no current news bulletins involved. So when I say my non-Sherlockian-trained instincts of deduction take me back to the South Node/Scorpio Moon/Niobe thing, especially seeing as the outcome ruler of Scorpio (Pluto) is sitting in Capricorn just out of orb to the North Node tells me that there has already been some emotional upheaval. North Node at 0 Capricorn (a whole other message we’ll get to in a moment) and Pluto at 6 Capricorn says that six months ago the ‘society’ took a turn.

Six months ago was late August. August 2010 saw fires in Russia, Bolivia and Canada, devastating floods in Pakistan, an oil spill in China, political scandals in Denmark, Italy and the Philippines, BP getting the Deepwater Horizon well sealed, and swelling debt and economic destabilization prompting labor unrest in China, President Obama’s signing of a bill to help US States and Europe dealing with debt and (in paritcular) the further  destabilization of an already overstressed Greece.

Choose your subject – it wasn’t a pretty global month and everywhere you go this would seem to be a playing out of what happened then, whether it’s dealing with death (Scorpio) of citizens (Cancer), national (Cancer) or systemic (Aquarian) debt (Scorpio) – or the Deepwater Horizon rig blowout, which has been blogged about ad nauseum and which fits this picture pretty darn well, right down to the kite, which in having the Nodes lined up vertically is a great picture of oil drilling.

A metaphysical picture, of course.

With Eurydike entering Pisces…well, I’m not sure what to say. The mythic Eurydike martyrs herself for her lover who then can’t save her because he’s either too curious or too insecure to proverbially resist opening the oven door to see if the soufflé is actually puffing up. Of course the minute you open the door, the soufflé collapses.

Talk about your self-fulfilling prophesies! Yet that could be one of the flavors of the moment; Eurydike entering Pisces is a terribly plaintive cry of agony which would apparently be because one can’t deal with their own (bad) choices (...which strikes me as somewhere between ‘eeewwww!’ and ‘ouch!’).

Hera (internal emotional guidance) entering Aries is a pointed directive to care for our human selves and all that we hold as human about ourselves. With Lust (focus) also entering Aries, this could be some being so focused on themselves and what they want that everyone else in the area is left to fend for their own needs…or it could be a very natural (re)determination to take on what one really needs to do: I guess no one else is going to help me, so I ‘d better help myself! 

The kicker is this Medea going direct in Gemini a few hours later. Tricky, tricky….

Medea by Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (1868)

Medea’s story has her using her powers as a sorceress to help her lover Jason. She will do all and anything to save him...help him...to shower him with advantages, fair or not.

Anything!

This is a woman who would even murder her own children to be with Jason, to have him, to be able to love him.

And yet...there's this one little problem:Jason's not quite as much in love with Medea.

Thus it's rather predictable (especially since this is a Greek myth) that we come to an end of the story where Medea is...betrayed. (read: dumped)

But the real issue is not that she loved the wrong guy, but that the very power of her love for someone, in the end, destroyed her.

(I think I’m now voting for the ‘ouch’ outcome.)

Taken all together, this is a rather grand set of ruffles atop the basic Saturn-going-retrograde concept. For various reasons, we had all better get more realistic about now just what we do in life or how we handle life, but what we expect out of life.

This is about proportions, not ability. This is a picture of the grandiose on all sides being unrealistic. It applies up and down the line – from among the high and mighty to in the souls of the meagerly provided for and ignored.

Saturn is perhaps the greatest symbol of ‘leveling’ we have. And in Libra, we can get leveled, be on the level or get more level headed. All this starts with and within ourselves, no question. But it’s also about what we’re willing to work for, the reality of our standards and life and the world all around us.

Pass the pizza, please. I need to have a serious think. And yes, a slice of something before I face all that ice cream and all those scads and mounts of sprinkles.

Did I mention that Saturn is known for not just durability, but cold?

See you around the old cosmic sundae!