A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece on Saturn and how his transits are akin to mountain climbing. This post on Zen Habits says it better than I ever could! Not an astro site, but absolutely worth reading for hints and suggestions for a simpler life. Enjoy.

My latest post for ivillage is here.

Robbie Williams at Albert Hall (Pic from BBC.co.uk)

Robbie Williams, Live from Albert Hall, on YouTube

Everyone has a song (or two or three) that makes them pick up a hairbrush, wooden spoon, wine glass, bottle of beer- whatever you have handy-  and sing into it. These are your own personal power ballads. One of my faves is Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, but I also love doing the drum solo in Kiss’ I was Made For Loving You and just can’t help doing the dance to Mamma Mia (complete with scoop step and back to back bits). But my absolute all time can’t help but belt it out really loud (and tunelessly)song is Frank Sinatra’s My Way. 

A few years ago Robbie Williams, as part of the incredible Swing When You’re Winning album, did a single show at the Albert Hall. He ended that show with one of the best renditions of the song I have heard. Last night as I was cooking dinner (prawns marinated in beer with asparagus & cooked on the BBQ) this song came on my ipod. As I finished serenading the dog (who was, I must say, impressed) it occurred to me that this could very well be the quintessential song for Aquarius, sung by Robbie, the quintessential Aquarian (albeit with a Scorpio Moon- possibly an irresistible combination).

Aquarius is one of the most misunderstood signs in the zodiac. The squiggly lines which form its glyph look like water- yet it is an Air sign- the squiggles are supposed to be representative of knowledge. Aquarius is associated with all that is free and laid back and flexible- yet it is a fixed sign. Aquarius is associated with rebellion and fresh ideas and innovation and rage against the machine- yet its traditional ruler is Saturn.

Aquarius has a vision, a theory of humanity, an idea of the way things are Meant To Be. The substance behind that may be a particular cause, a firmly held opinion or simply a rebellion for no real reason.  At the root of all Aquarian visions is the idea of personal freedom and individuality.

My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain

Aquarius is a fixed sign, and like all fixed signs resists change. Where Taurus will hold onto possessions, and Leo needs to maintain a strong grip on his ego to feel secure, and Scorpio keeps grasp of her emotions, Aquarius will stubbornly hold onto an idea- regardless of whether anyone else believes it. Aquarius has the mental capacity to think outside the square and the ability to communicate their view of the truth clearly. He will also use that fixed energy to pursue that idea through to the bitter end.

Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception

Aquarius is about so much more than personal ego. As the opposite to Sun ruled Leo, Aquarius resolutely takes the crown off his head, throws it away and twists the spotlight around to focus on what matters more than himself. We see this every day in freedom fighters, humanitarian aid programs, every time the Sea Shepherd takes to the Southern Ocean in defence of whales. We are seeing it now with the Haiti Relief efforts. We see it every time a group of people come together and put their own personalities aside.

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway

Anytime a cause or a common belief is able to galvanise a group of people towards action, structure is needed in order to build real lasting change. This is where Saturn comes into the picture.

Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius, whilst Uranus is the modern ruler. Uranus the quirky, electrical, unpredictable bringer of things to shake us out of our lethargy and Saturn the mature, responsible builder of structures and boundaries.  How can this be?

Uranus provides the zing, the impulse to think and theorise in a new and innovative way. Uranus provides the impulse to rebel outside of the conventional structures of society. But all of this will mean anarchy without the commitment, maturity and internal structure offered by Saturn. This is how change happens.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall

Although initially revolutionary change is constant and evolutionary. Once implemented, it becomes part of the structure of society and conventional. It is at this point we can meet Aquarius’ shadow. Change for the greater good requires the ability to detach oneself from the ego and the emotions. It is here also that we meet Aquarius’ shadow.

Aquarius can be stubborn, holding onto an idea long after its sell by date- just for the sake of “seeing it through”. At this point there is no freedom of thought or end position of greater good involved, just a stubborn principle. It is at this point too that we see rebellion for no real reason other than for its own sake. This is not progressive or forward thinking or belief orientated- it is destructive. This is the teenager who insists on looking or behaving in a way which goes against societal norm just because she can. This is pure Uranian anti- Saturn rebellion.

To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way…

Despite their reputation for coldness, Aquarius is as human as the next person. It is his ability to detach and analyse his thoughts and feelings which can make him seem aloof, uncaring and commitment-phobic.  Despite his wit, his surface lightness, his apparent sociability, through detachment Aquarius can feel alienated. In order to feel complete, he must also recognise that others are not so able to compartmentalise their feelings or put aside their ego. He must learn to recognise his own achievements for what they are and remember that although he is part of something bigger, all groups are essentially still individuals.

Back to the divinely inked Mr Williams…In the video clip you can see him getting all emotional at the end. I love that part the best- where we see that emotional Scorpio Moon & the pride of his Leo Ascendant. Aside from the normal distractions (:)), watch the clip closely and listen to the essential message of Aquarius:

Oh, and more, much more than this
I did it my way 

Birthdata from a number of sources on the net, including www.astrotheme.com, www.bbc.co.uk. If anyone is interested in looking at his chart, I have printed it below.

(Pic courtesy of www.dreamstime.com)

Back in August I wrote a post about Leo. My Capricorn sister read it and asked when I was going to write something about her. At the time I replied flippantly that I would need to think of something nice to say about Capricorn… ouch! So, this blog is for my Cap sister Bec, her Cap husband, Cap children and my Cap Moon Dad, with apologies to last weeks Muse for the Miley lyrics… but seriously, they just work!

I read books to escape from the every day-tales of fantastical journeys and sweeping romances and mysteries with twists and turns. Anything from Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Ian Rankin to Harry Potter, Twilight and, my latest obsession, the Outlander series. If I do read non- fiction, they are either astro texts or travel stories- the ones where people leave their normal lives behind and escape to somewhere else. I live in a world where bad people get their karma in the end. I like to cry from happiness rather than at misery. Having so much Pisces and water in my chart, it is imperative to my emotional survival that I don’t take on the suffering of people I don’t know.  I refuse to watch the news and have been accused (and rightly so) of living in a fantasy world.

My Cap sister, Bec, on the other hand, dislikes escapism. Reality and triumph over adversity or seemingly chronic conditions does it for her, but leaves me cold- I don’t have the focus required to dwell on setbacks- give me Jamie Fraser and his swashbuckling plaid any day. But Bec likes to learn from the experience of others- reading about hardship and challenge reinforces the importance of stability and security in life. She also firmly believes that reading about these difficulties will reinforce a survival spirit- especially when others are so much less fortunate than yourself. A mother of 4 she is practical, secure and with an Aries Ascendant which gives her the energy to run her household and the competitive spirit of achievement required to transport 4 children to different activities on a timetable that would exhaust many a lesser mortal. Whilst I live in a fantasy world, Bec is well and truly grounded in reality.

As kids we would play Monopoly (possibly the ultimate Capricorn game?). I would buy whatever property I landed on, generally lose focus and go bankrupt quite quickly- not that it mattered, after all, monopoly money is only play money. Bec would play the game strategically, aiming for the quality properties and utilities, quietly erecting hotels on each and then waiting for the sting. She would wait until I had become bankrupt so she could buy up my defaulted properties and immediately improve them as well. Bec and my Aries brother would then generally battle it out to the death (or tears- usually when Mr Aries would pick up the board and throw it- hence the reason that Monopoly is now banned at my parents’ home).   The combination of that Capricorn Sun, Aries Ascendant and focused Scorpio Mars was way too much and too disciplined for my Aries brother.

Why tell these stories? By associating with a person or a scenario, I am able to understand the Capricorn Sun a little better.  Every astrologer has a sign (or two, or three) that they find difficult to identify with and difficult to write about. This doesn’t mean that we don’t like that particular sign, (or the people who have placements in that sign) but rather that we find it difficult to understand- usually because of differences within our own chart and with our own motivations.

As much as I love my sister, Capricorn is one of those signs for me. Not just because I have no planets in Capricorn myself, or because I have a difficult relationship with Saturn (the ruler of Capricorn), but because the motivation of Capricorn is so entirely different to that of my Pisces planets.

Most signs have something in their key descriptive words which is sort of interesting or even slightly glamorous sounding. Cancer is caring and empathetic, Libra social and decorative and Taurus tactile and musical. Capricorn, though, is ambitious, goal orientated and hardworking- motivated by the attainment of security, stability and societal respect. Positive traits indeed, but difficult to live up to- especially when young… Capricorn doesn’t want to jump off anything and everything, escape into their dreams or run off to fight a crusade- and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Capricorn is, however, one sign which really grows into itself- quite possibly one of the reasons that people with Capricorn Ascendants and Suns (or with Saturn in the 1^st house) age so well- they literally grow into their own skin. As Indiana Jones once said, ‘It’s not the years, but the mileage.’

However, mention these motivations to Capricorn and the response is likely to be ‘I am nothing like that, which just goes to show that astrology is a crock of s%^t,’  or, ‘You make me out to be motivated by nothing but work and I am nothing like that, which just goes to show that astrology is a crock of s%^t  ,’ or ‘you make me sound so boring and I am nothing like that, which just goes to show that astrology is a crock of s%^t.’

I also find that most signs have a shadow side that they are secretly willing to admit and even more secretly are proud of. Aquarians like their detached and quirky side, Gemini jokes about duplicity and Scorpio revels in her paranoia and revenge fantasies. Sag brags of his excesses and Pisces her addictions, but Capricorn has difficulty admitting to her shadow side. Materialistic? Elitist? Social climbing? ‘Not I,’ they will say, ‘I am nothing like that, which just goes to show that astrology is a crock of s%^t.’

"The Master," card by Symbalon

All zodiac signs are a function of their modality, element, ruling planet. Therefore Capricorn is:

• A cardinal, feminine, earth sign with Saturnian characteristics.
• Energy is introverted and inwardly focused rather than outwardly expressed. 
• Earthly attributes of practicality and stability are paramount.
• Change and initiation will occur when security and societal respect are threatened.

Saturn represents maturity, mastery, containment, boundaries and restriction. As such:

• Capricorn is by nature cold and dry, with not a lot of vital heat- this is the energy of discipline and hard work.
• Capricorn rules the parts of the body that represent structure- skin, joints, hair, nails, teeth, the skeletal system.

Saturn structures get stronger as they mature- as experience and wisdom is absorbed and storms weathered and survived. So too with Capricorn:

• Despite protests to the contrary from Capricorn Suns, Saturn does tend towards gloom, prudence, economy, melancholy and worry. Capricorn tends to “lighten up” with age.
• Capricorn careers tend to peak later as achievement is based on practicality, prudence and perseverance rather than charisma and light-bulb moments.

Symbolically, Capricorn is represented by the image of the Sea-Goat, a mythical creature with the body of a mountain goat and the tail of a fish. The symbolism of The Mountain is inherent when we think of Saturn and Saturn transits. Where the mountain for Sagittarius is part of the adventure, existing as a challenge to get past, jump off and see what is on the other side; for Capricorn, it isn’t about what is waiting on the other side- it really is all about the Climb.

Capricorn achievement is not of the “look at me” fame and glory nature. It is quieter and more intrinsic. It is about mastery. It is about understanding the gravity and reality of life and confronting issues honestly and with wisdom and integrity.  It is about maturity and becoming an adult.

Capricorn needs to feel that their experience, wisdom and knowledge is appreciated- with or without the supporting feedback. As such, Capricorn does tend to internalise when down and can be prone to depression if she feels that she hasn’t achieved what she thinks she should have achieved. The danger for Capricorn is when she becomes hooked on social approval or compares herself and her position, salary and achievements to others and finds herself envious of the apparent ease with which others have accumulated. It is at this point that the shadow of Capricorn and its’ associated “ist” words come into play.

The lesson for Capricorn is that of the hermit in the Symbalon card- inner knowledge, inner strength and inner certainty is what is important. Learn to be alone, learn to just “be”- what other people think matters less than you would imagine.

There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose

Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

(“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus)

Last month on Facebook, I changed my relationship status with Saturn to “deregistered”. Astro pals, Facebook friends, and Twitter followers would know that this separation has been a long time in the works. If asked, I would cite irreconcilable differences. By de-registering Saturn, I could therefore, in true Piscean style, ignore the transits that he was getting really serious about.

However, Saturn, as I have discovered this week, really does not like to be ignored. He is like the auditor who turns up with the same tie halfway up his chest and with the same green pen asks the same question over and over and flipping over until he gets the answer that he wanted in the first place.

As Steve Forrest has so beautifully put it, Saturn wants you to climb a mountain. Apparently you can’t just go out, look for a suitable mountain and climb the thing.  Oh, no. This has to be Biggest Loser style where you hike to the foothills in badly fitting boots so you end up with blisters. Then you get your backpack and fill it with the amount of weight you have to lose and then start the struggle up the mountain, facing sheer cliff faces, falling rocks, more blisters and other obstacles. Then you get to the top, sit on it for a while savouring the view, shed a few tears over the journey and the lessons you have learned and go back down again.  Whatever.  

Saturn, in my chart, is in the 1^st degree of Aries in the 1^st house. So, my attitude to climbing physical and metaphorical mountains is pretty well one of “getting it over with”. Once I am at the top, I don’t have time to faff around. I take a photo of the view and move on.

Saturn to me has always represented the things I dislike fear- authority, boundaries, constraints, time.  Saturn forms no (in sign) aspects to any other planet in my chart. Having no strong Capricorn or Aquarian influences, I tend not to integrate Saturn on a day to day basis. And that, I think, has really started to piss him off. It has only been in the last few years that I really started to notice the annoyance of a Saturn transit, and only in the last 6 months or so that I have actually considered what it should mean.

When Saturn was in Leo and moving through my 6^th house of, as I term it, “health stuff, feeling crap and outsourced services, everything I had outsourced, was in-sourced:

• My cleaner moved – which at 1^st was OK because it meant I didn’t need to confront her over how she kept putting things back on my sideboard in pairs and a straight line when I liked them grouped in uneven numbers and off centre.
• My Hairdresser closed
• My Beautician had a baby and closed shop
• The guy who cleaned cars at work and left a chocolate on the dash for me sold the business
• The family vet retired

Inconvenient, but hardly life-changing.

During this period, I also lost a heap of weight in an Aries Saturn fashion- quickly, without staying power. I took the 6^th house lesson without really learning it. As soon as I relaxed back into my old habits, the weight crept back on- I had not learned anything- except that Saturn doesn’t do compromise.

When Saturn was in the 5^th, I came face to face with and dealt maturely with long running fertility issues. While he was in the 4th we used the equity in our property to invest in other real estate. Unconsciously, I had done the Saturn work asked during each of those transits, so why not now? Aside from a dalliance with Jupiter (and its square to Venus) during that nasty 5^th house time, Saturn’s transits had really not aspected any of my personal planets. I had not had to confront my own Saturn story.

Now that Saturn is in the 7^th house he is opposing all of my 1^st house Pisces planets and squaring the Midheaven and IC. He is also joining forces with other members of the Karmic Council as he meets up with Pluto, Uranus and sextiles Neptune. No longer an inconvenience, this is now personal. With transits like those below, over the next 12-18 months (not even including the fun that Uranus is continuing to have at my expense), even I can no longer ignore the message:

• Saturn square MC/IC
• Saturn conjunct DC (opp ASC)
• Saturn conjunct Pluto (which seems fair as Pluto is squaring natal Saturn after having his fun with my Moon)
• Saturn opposes Sun (exact this week)
• Saturn conjunct Uranus
• Saturn opposes Chiron, trine Jupiter, trine Neptune
• Saturn opposes Moon
• Saturn opposes Saturn
• Saturn opposes Venus

Only Mercury and Mars miss out- Saturn hit them in 2008. Obviously, the Universe is telling me I need to reassess my relationship with Saturn and look at patching things up with him.

Whilst I have always preferred to lead, I don’t particularly enjoy the responsibility of a team. In the workplace, I will set goals and ensure they are completed, but personally, I have always been quite directionless. I am impatient, easily frustrated and don’t queue well. This is Saturn in Aries.

I have always felt that I am not quite good enough, that I won’t be “chosen”. I have never stopped to think what actually constitutes “good enough” or what I want to be “chosen” for. As a result, I have hidden behind these fears and excuses and my own self imposed responsibility for others and have never quite lived up to my own potential. I have succeeded in many things, but always find a new road before mastering anything completely. This protects me from rejection- from a fear that my best may still not be “good enough”. This is Saturn in the 1^st house.

With Saturn moving through the 7^th house, I also have to look closely at the relationships I need to help me with my (as yet undefinedJ) goals and to re-commit to those people. I think (and hope) I am doing that, although the process has not been without pain, insecurity and the occasional kick in the guts. And I am still not sure I am on the right track.

Over the last 12 months or so a number of people I have loved dearly have moved away. Whilst I felt their loss, it also opened my social calendar to let others in. As Saturn rules the 11^th house in my chart, it also rules my friends and community, as well as my hopes and dreams.

So, maybe Saturn is asking me to put some structure and definition around my hopes and dreams, accept myself and commit to those relationships that I need in my life, whilst removing those habits and people which quite literally are weighing me down. I am getting closer to knowing what I want, who I want to be, and how I want to be seen. I am also getting closer to understanding those parts of me which are holding me back. I am starting to realise that Saturn lesson is to learn to accept myself, to learn direction, and to learn to enjoy the journey and the achievement. I can still take the photo, but need to savour the view before moving on to whatever is next. In true 1^st house fashion, I beginning to realise that I am my own mountain.