Saturn stations Retrograde

Saturn stations Retrograde

17th PDT 10:27 / 18th AEST 3:27

Saturn, the planet of restriction and maturation, begins its four-and-a-half-month backspin today, inviting us to reassess creative and spiritual obligations. Saturn has been stationary on Pisces’ 7th degree since June 1, so while this shift may not immediately be felt, it promises a series of noteworthy wake-up calls in the weeks to come.

Boundary-imposing Saturn’s sojourn in liminal Pisces presents an interesting contradiction. Since it entered the sign of the fish in early March, we have been attempting to keep time in a landscape where time seems to be collapsing in on itself from moment to moment. “Reality”, while often nebulous, has been particularly weird of late. Fish are slippery, after all, and challenging to grasp.

This is an odd environment in which to architect a stable vision. The rules of engagement appear not to apply. Therefore, cultivating wisdom and expertise can be an equally baffling process, one where we make things up as we go along and hope that that is good enough.

Saturn’s passage through Pisces asks us to trust ourselves and to become our own authority. Yet this transit is NOT about making ourselves an island. Alone on our private beach, separated by screens and sifting through media with a 20-second attention span, it is easy to convince ourselves that we are experts in matters where we have NO legitimate expertise. It is equally easy to ignore the expertise of those who’ve acquired it in silent anonymity, through the doing of work which is neither flashy nor glamorous.

Saturn’s retrograde invites us to understand where we are NOT experts. This isn’t to burst bubbles or to deny us entry into spaces. Rather, it is so we can accept the position the universe WANTS for us. For too long now, the zeitgeist has communicated that if we are to be successful, we must be All The Things. We must wear every hat, we must be a walking swiss-army knife of knowledge and know-how. The commodification of influence has created a culture of exhaustion.

The life-changing magic of Saturn retrograde lies in delineating what role we ARE intended to fill. If we do not harness the power of our untapped creative abilities, others with more moxie, but less expertise or integrity, will step into leadership positions intended for us. We are supposed to be living our truth, trusting our vision, and entering into co-creation with the cosmos. A preoccupation with following instead of leading will continue to perpetuate a reality in which we feel unfulfilled, overextended, and unmoored.

Written by Nyssa Grazda