July 30th ~ August 6th
“Distant Thoughts” by Wilhelm Amberg
Reality is that which, even when you don’t believe in it, doesn’t go away. ~ Peter Viereck
This coming week, at the Superior Conjunction of Mercury, when we are at our most objective in the Mercury cycle, when Mercury’s wings are fleeting, and we are filled with clarity; the Sun and Mercury will also be opposite the stern and forbidding specter of retrograde Saturn. It’s time for a check in with reality.
Each year the Sun opposes Saturn in the middle of its retrograde phase. This is when we are made most aware of the limitations, delays or obstacles Saturn is strewing across our path; causing us to stumble, reassess our options, and stand in awe of our current circumstances. The rose colored lenses are being peeled from our eyes, and we can no longer ignore the reality that we find ourselves in. Saturn is usually what we don’t want. It limits us, freezes us in our tracks with fear, fills us with anxiety about the future, and regret about the past. Saturn can be an absolute pain.
As we stand in stark relief, and in the throes of Saturn Retrograde this week, you might want to objectively look at what obstacles, delays or limitations are standing in your way. And while you are pondering these challenges and/or limitations, you want to also ask yourself if there is anything you can do about your current problems or limitations? And if so, are you also willing to make the sacrifices that would be necessary in order to allow those changes to be made?
We can tie ourselves up with promises, obligations and responsibilities to ourselves and others. Saturn does give us permission to set our own limits, and to say No when we need to. This would be especially true if you are particularly exhausted, tired, ill or feeling the stress and strain of your Saturnian obligations. As I am writing this, Simone Biles courageously stepped back from her team finals at the Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health concerns. Retrograde Saturn is about honoring your limits and boundaries and being clear about when you need to say No.
It may also be, when you explore your choices, that you decide not to do anything, and stick with what you have and what you know. That is also okay. But having the clarity of your decisions, and what is driving them, Knowing your Limits and what your own Boundaries are, is essential.
It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave. ~ Mandy Hale
After opposing Saturn, Sun/Mercury will then trine Chiron, our healer and advisor, before going on to square Uranus just before the New Moon on August 8th. Chiron asks: Can you fix it? Here are the tools, here is the advice. And if not, are you able to learn to accept your current limitations by changing your perspective? But do note… if that does not work.. if we merely try to ignore the issues that Saturn is presenting us, they probably will not go away on their own, and could get even worse. And as Sun/Mercury reach the square to Uranus and the New Moon in Leo, we will find our problems intolerable and unsustainable; and the necessity for change at this point will become inevitable.
The planet Mercury can not be seen in the sky right now. It is caught up in the rays of the Sun. But 5 days after the superior conjunction on August 1st, Mercury will appear once again as an evening star on the western horizon, setting soon after the Sun. Just in time for the New Moon in Leo.
Saturn stationed for its retrograde phase on May 23rd, and will station direct again on October 10th. What these retrograde phases of Saturn are good for are internalizing some of the more positive traits of Saturn, such as self-respect, self-restraint, strategy and attention to detail. It’s about taking the higher road, doing the right thing, and acting like someone who has maturity and integrity.
It’s also a time to take care of the practical details that will allow us to proceed with our goals later on when Saturn is direct again. And a time to confront the negative traits of Saturn, such as fear, anxiety and stagnation. Those things that freeze us with inertia and defeat. Working on these obstacles, and cultivating the positive traits of Saturn helps us to clear our path from these challenges that block our progress, making the terrain smoother and easier to navigate in the long run. But do note, Saturn is almost never a piece of cake. It requires hard work and often hard decisions. But it also brings us the clarity and objectivity that is needed to do so.
If a problem can be fixed, and you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. Either way, there is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. ~ Dalai Lama XIV (Quoting Shantideva)
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: