By Len Wallick
By the time you read this, old Sol will have both feet in Libra and the full opposition of the luminaries will have passed. This places us solidly into the transitional phase of what we have repeatedly referred to as the cardinal T-square. This is not to say that the astrology has changed overnight.
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Gradually, however, some components of a long standing pattern have been changing their relationship to the rest. We are now at a point where we can begin referring to at least one of those elements in the past tense.
Go back to our little drill of drawing a circle, divided into four equal segments by a cross. Remember that? The cross in the circle is a simplified zodiac. Each line in the cross represents the beginning of a cardinal sign, a new season. Thus the circle is divided into four parts, one for each season. One line for the beginning of Aries, one for Cancer, one for Libra and one for Capricorn.
Our simplified diagram illustrated the relationship between cardinal signs. Each of the four points where the cross intersects the circle are either opposed to or at right angle to any of the other three. For a long time now we have envisioned four planets occupying three of those points.
Hence the shape of the letter “T” lent its name to the interpretation of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto relative to each other. This has been our template through which we have filtered and interpreted the cycles of our solar system and the relationship of those cycles to events in our individual and collective lives.
How far away from one of those three cardinal points must a planet move before the template of the “T” is no longer considered useful? That’s a good question. As is usually the case with astrology, the answer is a matter of individual interpretation. Your faithful servant feels that for Saturn the time has now come. The reasoning is based on three observations.
First, Saturn has completed a defining process of moving back and forth across the line between Virgo and Libra three times. By contrast, Jupiter and Uranus have passed the Aries point but twice, their third crossing will be next year. Only Pluto has duplicated Saturn’s hat trick, having completed the Sagittarius-to-Capricorn trifecta back in 2008.
Next, two things in turn distinguish Saturn from Pluto. Because of a smaller orbit, the ringed one has a faster apparent motion. Also, Saturn spends less time in retrograde. As result, after two months Saturn is now twice as far into Libra as compared to Pluto’s current position after two years.
Finally — and this is where your curmudgeon correspondent is reaching way down into his intuition — Saturn has now reached the point of squaring the lunar nodes in the cardinal signs Capricorn and Cancer.
What? You may ask, what does that have to do with anything? Well, please breathe it in and hold on to it for a moment. There is some madness in the method that just might appeal to you. The lunar nodes have long reminded yours truly of Ginger Rogers. She’s the extraordinary human being who duplicated every step of that great dancer, Fred Astaire, spontaneously, in real time, backwards and in high heels. Think about that. It’s sort of like sustaining a relationship. Responding to your partner on the fly while staying balanced and in harmony.
Sure, each node has its own identity. The North node is the point where the orbit of the Moon rises above the solar ecliptic. Thus it is physiologically associated with the head and temporally linked with opportunities the future presents. Conversely, the South node is where Luna’s orbit intersects the ecliptic on its way below. Thus the association with a physical tail and with the synchronized consequences of past events. But most of all, they are inseparable, doing their retrograde dance around the zodiac. Perpetually in opposition, a single entity. A community of two.
It is from the lunar nodes that we derive our deepest and most sophisticated interpretations of the astrological aspect known as an opposition. And it is that aspect which has linked the nodes to the cardinal point events that have dominated the astrology over the last two years. And now it’s more than just that theme.
The synchronous fact that the the nodes just happen to be traversing the opposing cardinal signs of Cancer and Capricorn has finally come a cropper. It’s been over a year since they came in the back door and slowly approached the inevitable and signifying encounter that a conjunction, square or opposition would represent. Saturn is the first one to make it far enough in from the front entrance. From this perch, that’s the clincher.
Gotta blow the whistle some time. Gotta draw the line someplace. Dagnabbit, this old dude is gonna stick his grizzled neck out and call them as he sees them. If you don’t agree, pass the hat and raise enough to send me to astrology school in Wales.
Saturn is now in the house and out of the T-square. The original fellowship of outer planets has been broken. It’s been a good run for the lord of rings. Opposing Uranus to start the whole thing off with a bang. Do you remember how it felt the night we learned President Obama had been elected? Squaring Pluto while Uranus was still wet behind the ears in Pisces. Do you recall how dark last Halloween felt? Month after month, it was the handle of the bucket, holding sky’s tension. And so it’s fitting that Saturn should be the first one to take its shoes off and get comfy. It’s home, in its sign of exaltation — in Libra where it is an honored guest..
Now, there are some other things going on today for sure. Ceres, formerly main belt asteroid, now dwarf planet, has reached a position to fuel and stoke the consciousness-raising conjunction of Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. Mercury, still in its echo phase for another week, is staring down the barrel of the Great Attractor for the third time in a month. Those are auspicious things, no doubt. But hey, Saturn is home, let’s turn off the TV, put on the coffee and give it a warm welcome.
Next week we grab a bull by the horns.
Offered In Service
aword,
So sorry for your discomfort; please get better soon. Thanks for the encouragement too. Never know if I should let the insights out. Will carry on as I know not what else to do!
Angie,
I so appreciate the advice and new knowledge re: relief for sciatica and inflammation. Now, I’ve caught a cold. . stupid and complex but the short version is I’ve been sitting, and to a certain degree sleeping, in a cold draft from the A/C. It was 97 degrees yesterday and, so far, about 90 days over 90 degrees this summer, which means it gets little rest. Anyway, I’ve not had the sciatica problem for about 4-5 years, and probably longer than that since I had a cold. Sore throat. . .the whole bit.
Now, I love astrology, but this is a manifestation I was unprepared for. The major personal aspect going for me now is trans Saturn opposite natal Jupiter. Jupiter! Good grief, I do have Jupiter in the 1st house, and it is within 4 degrees of exactly squaring my Sun. This means that through October, I will be having to deal with Saturn problems, and apparently, they will be largely physical in nature. Or my home is going to get trashed. Will try the gentle massage technique, is there a finger for the common cold?
Len,
bad boy!
Len,
Finally read; enjoyed as always. Although now that Saturn has put on his robe, slippers and gotten comfortable, he’s opposing my natal moon. Does that mean he takes one off and throws it at me?
Or just throws me a middle finger?
Hm. Well – Angie – do I meditate on it? Soak it in epsom salts, give it bed rest? Joking around, but really – how do I utilize my middle finger for releasing what ails my abdomen (inflammation) and back (siatica)? Two sides of the same chakra I suppose. Shall I meditate on the color orange?
Maybe I should paint my middle fingers orange and meditate on them – ok now I’m for sure just running away with a Mercurial rant having fun – laughter is the cure of all, yes? !! ;-D
xo
Good one, Len. ๐
Both inflammation and sciatica relate to the middle finger.
Be,
ironic – I haven’t had any sciatica stuff for years – until yesterday. But then, it was probably the last day ever I’ll have to show up in court for stuff that the “x” fabricates. ( I have this tendency to do just fine until AFTER something stressful is over. Put me in charge of any crisis fer sure.) Stress it is.
Angie, I’ll try your suggestion!
Fe, not sure of any particular foods either, but cleansing relaxing diet is always good for us, eh?
Len, hahahaha. ๐
Be, I know I’ll be looking here for some of those insights you come up with!
xo
And all these years i thought the middle finger was for something else.
There are 144,000 functions in the body – 14,400 of those in each finger. Gently holding the middle fingers is great for inflammation.
Could be Fe, not sure which foods would cause inflamation. What I do know is how stress influences the arrival of these symptoms. Get rid of the stress and I get rid of the symptoms; when I’m tied up in a wad over, say too much to do in too little time, or unexpressed anger and this goes on for days and days, my bod sends me a message and it always includes discomfort! I’ve released myself from the need to meet a couple of deadlines and right away I felt better. What I’m doing now (bedrest and IB) is to give the bod the right environment for it to heal the damage. When will I ever learn, huh?
be:
How are you doing food-wise? Are you eating foods that cause inflammation? I found that eliminating some foods actually helped alleviate chronic knee problems for me.
Speaking of bulls, but totally off the subject, Sedna is in the degree of Taurus where, 10 years ago, Saturn and Jupiter began their 20 year cycle. I’m obsessing over this particular cycle for some reason, but all the sealife problems we’re having that I’ve largely attributed to Ceres (as so much of it becomes food) could be augmented by the fact that Sedna’s been on the 22+ Taurus point for some time and, well, . . . Venus was close by when the Gulf fiasco happened, and now all these belly-up fish and then the genetically modified salmon. . . . It just makes you wonder where it’s leading because of the emphasis on values (Venus, Taurus) and all. Oh well, back to bed.
be
Makes sense to me Len. Intuition is a good thing. . .and a very valuable tool isn’t it? That’s a cool visual too. . .Ginger and Fred doing there thing they did so well.
It’s got me wondering about the south node and the “physical tail” business as I’m dealing with a bout of back problems and “would be” sciatica. Having had previous occurances with this, I know what I’ve got to do to combat it in order to stay mobile. It requires “letting go” of course, and this time it’s letting go of what I felt were pressing responsibilities and the voices of authority. In other words, Capricorn stuff. It requires hours and hours of bed time and many ibupropen if I want to stay pain free. However, I do some of my best thinking when flat on my back and (preferably) under the covers.
I associated the problem with the T-square of course, but hadn’t considered the nodes, and that’s odd, since the south node just passed over my Sun recently. Well glory-be, I believe you have provided some great insight today Len. Many thanks!
be