Astro-insight: Saturn square Venus, Mars conjunct Saturn & the taming of the old codger

Astro insight: Stations are brilliant. Stations give weight and focus to a particular area of the zodiac and offer an opportunity to see that particular archetypal energy in clear focus. Saturn stations direct this week and its current sign Sagittarius is really about self-belief and principles that shape us. Saturn retrograde issued a high level challenge to our beliefs and convictions. Are we who we think and say we are? Do we talk the talk – but fail to walk the walk? The need for honesty, integrity and authenticity has never been greater. If you have done your homework these last few months, then you should be able to look yourself in the mirror, which is a good start.  Sadly – we need only look at the election in the US to see that certainly where the collective is concerned – something in the honesty and integrity department is lacking. Saturn goes direct on Saturday, but it will be square Neptune until early in 2017. Neptune likes fanfare, gloss, mass media, mass hysteria, mass anything, gossip, hearsay, the power of the dream, a reality that is larger than life. The fact that this square sometimes feels like a bad hangover is irrelevant, because the party was great and some people scored a few points. To bring this back to a personal level, soul-searching has never been more complex or more necessary.

Astro insight: Saturn turns direct and immediately squares fastidious Venus in Virgo. Vision meets pigeon hole. Venus wants to down-size, grand visions are not her forte, she wants to make things manageable, orderly, understandable, basically she wants to sanitize the wild centaur, get him to clean up his mess. Venus in Virgo is a regular vision tamer. She wants pocket-sized and wholly useful bytes. Grand ideas need practical applicable methods, certain skills, patience with a capital ‘P’. Venus in Virgo is the woman for the job. She’ll get the old codger grounded, she’ll make him see sense. The good news is Saturn picks something up to take with him on his journey. Sagittarius can be messy – so well done to Venus – for introducing a solid dose of cosmic order.

Astro insight: So… There really is a sense of getting on with business. Earlier on in the week, on Thursday, Mercury trined Pluto. This underscores the later Venus/Saturn narrative: ‘Get on with it’. Make the adjustment. Clean the decks. Make space. Mercury in its own sign is highly skillful, think small  adjustments -> big effect. Mercury has an excellent partner in Pluto. In Greek mythology Mercury guided the souls of the dead to Pluto’s realm. These two planets have a soul connection. On an individual level, Pluto in Capricorn has led to powerful journeys of personal discovery, rich inner veins have been tapped, deep reservoirs of creativity unearthed and latent potential awakened. The combination Mercury/Pluto and Saturn/Venus – produces productive and therefore powerful energy. Post pigeon hole, post clean up, the vision can truly thrive.

Astro insight: But let’s take a minute to look at the big picture, it is important. Mars finally conjuncts Saturn on August 24th in 10 degs. Sagittarius while simultaneously squaring the Nodes and Neptune. Through the rulership of Jupiter, the Sag planets share an affinity with the South Node in Pisces. However, while the pull and pain of the past is strong, the triple conjunction on August 24th of the planets, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus in Virgo trine the Moon in Taurus, invite us to be realistic, to feel the earth under our feet and be grounded in what is and honor what we have. This total combination of planets would be just wonderful for a harvest festival! Mars/Saturn the cutting of crops. The symbolism here is wonderfully fertile. At this time, while family bonds are undoubtedly strong, there could also be conflict within the clan. The presence of earth planets will hopefully serve as a strong antidote to the more unpalatable effects of Mars/Saturn conjunct (a call to arms) square Neptune (religious fervor).

Astro insight: I think as individuals, we need to do what needs to be done. A focus on details, time to analyse the finer points in an argument can be enjoyable (Venus). What we should be mindful of however, is side-tracking. Be wary of wild schemes. Look out for signs that read ‘road to nowhere’. Earth earth earth…. detail detail detail.. and when Jupiter moves to Libra, we will be truly ready to take a leap of faith… All good things… Liz

Liz Hathway, DFAstrolS, Horary Craftswoman. Liz also holds an MA (with distinction) in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, from the University of Wales, in Lampeter, and was short-listed for the 2016 Alumni Association MA CAA Dissertation Prize.