“If my devils are to leave me, I am afraid my angels will take flight as well”
So Saturn’s retrograde actually started yesterday but because it is the planet of witches and today is Witches Night, I waited to post this! That being said, happy Saturn Retrograde! This retrograde will continue until September 18. Saturn is all about control, by mostly self control. It refers to a persons fundamental nature, the purity of ones true self. This may seem like an odd point of view to have of Saturn. A lot of astrologers will write about Saturn in such a negative light, readers have no choice but to believe it’s true. However, remembering that astrologers are also human, reminds us that they can also have flaws. A lot of people on our planet do not live in their fundamental nature; instead they live within their heads, their egos, social patterns. Saturn retrograde can be tough, yes. But it’s only as tough as it needs to be, depending how far off we are from living in our true nature.
Saturn’s retrograde is occurring in the 8th house. This house carries themes of sex, death and regeneration. It is also known as the house of other people’s values as it is opposite to the 2nd house which is Your values. The 8th house is where we look at the way we share and unite with others. It brings up themes such as the dirty details of a relationship. For example, when two people’s visions on life clash, what happens? Saturn is naturally associated with Pluto and the sign Scorpio. It cleanses and regenerates what is necessary by bringing it up to the surface. Anything that was underneath the surface hiding unresolved, is magnified now. Similar to Pluto, Saturn influences us to look at our deep core. The seeds of ideas that were planted in us at a young age, which have had a huge influence on our life, are being noticed and reflected on now.
For example, if you had you were separated by your parents at a young age or were raised by a single parent for most of your life, that fear of the other parent being gone gets buried. However as we get older and move on with our lives and enter relationships, those primal thoughts of losing a loved one (like our parent) is triggered within us. Have you ever had a relationship where you knew the person was bad for you but you stayed because they fed you “if you leave me I’ll kill myself” bs? That’s the energy of this Saturn retrograde. If you grew up in a home where your parents fought a lot, you probably overheard many conversations. Phrases like “your father is a joke” or “your mother is desperate and depressed” perhaps were mentioned. As you grow up and become involved in a romantic relationship, these ideas become heavy influencers of those relationships and your perception on how you see yourself in a relationship, and your partners. You either sabotage the relationship because you’re too paranoid, or you attract the people you feared the most. This familiar karmic behaviour will be brought to your attention now and will challenge you.
This retrograde challenges us to face our fears and tribulations of the past and deal with them head on. Dealing with these fears and traumas can lead to a “death” within, as you are having to release that piece of you for good and be willing to be reborn again as someone new. Saturn shows us the cost of our desires and attachments. It challenges us to do the real work and apply what we know from our spiritual practices to daily life. It allows us to see things for what they truly are on the material plane. There is no space for deception when Saturn retrograde is present! We are tested to see how focused we truly are on our spiritual growth and how connected we are to our consciousness. Because Saturn retrograde is occurring in the cardinal sign Capricorn, we can expect to feel a need to organize and optimize the way we use our energy. Something within us we feel is blocked and needs to be given some attention as we realize that we are not stable and even on all sides.
Saturn is square to Mercury at the moment. We can expect to feel this need for improving our skills and intelligence. We may feel this way out of fear of looking stupid in front of people we seek acceptance from or simply because our egos have talked us into the idea that we’re not smart enough. This energy can be capitalized and actually help us achieve the skills we want and need in order to feel satisfied. And by satisfaction I mean self satisfaction, no approval needed. Despite this going on, we need to be mindful of how powerful this energy can be as we may become arrogant and opinionated; giving advice or pointing out things that no one asked us to do. So if you find yourself lurking and heavily watching others, ask yourself: is this someone a crystal ball or a mirror? Someone I look to become in my future or a reflection of who I am now?
Saturn is also square to Venus at this time. If you have been feeling distant with those closest to you, you’re not alone! We may have a sense of fear of being too vulnerable with people or too close to them. And so because of this fear, we decide to distance ourselves as a way of protection. The problem with this is that we tend to be too defensive so we end up rejecting those around us, affecting our relationship with them temporarily or permanently. These aspects of Saturn can really damage our self-confidence if it’s not present. If we look at the bigger picture and see that with time and the efforts we’ve put in there has been change, we will see a change in our behaviour too as we become more comfortable with who we are. Venus and Mercury are both in Aries. Everything stated previously can occur at a slow rate that tends to escalate very quickly due to this fire/cardinal influence.
A lot of people really dislike Saturn and Pluto retrogrades but personally, I invite them! Anything that pushes me to do more inner reflecting, inner healing, destruction of my ego and rebirth of myself is a gift. Allow this retrograde season to challenge you. Accept the challenge and see how far you can go. Instead of falling for the same karmic patterns and building up walls to ignore your shadow self, knock them down! Turn those walls into steps and walk up! It’s time to level up and rise, witches! Connect with your ancestors and guides tonight in honour of Witches Night. Acknowledge the messages they bring. Meditate regularly this retrograde and remember, lean on your spiritual anchor when you need to shift. Let the shi(f)t happen!
