Saturn retrograde until 9 July 2013

Saturn goes retrograde today until 9^th June 2013. Saturn, the great taskmaster, has been travelling through Libra on and off since late 2011and is asking us to review our relationships, our general commitments to family, friends and lovers and our levels of maturity wherever we have Libra in the chart. Saturn in Libra wants us to be serious about all kinds of one-to-one relationships that are close to our hearts – this includes personal and business partnerships.  In the sign of Libra, we are asked to address issues around fairness, balance and equality. Where have you not stood up for yourself but also where have you not been balanced and sincere about your intentions are just some of the questions are now have to answer to others and ourselves again as Saturn goes retrograde. If we have not learned the lesson of compromise and fairness, we will be confronted with the same learning experience over and over again.

Crucially, Saturn transit through Libra is accompanied by the North node or Rahu. While we may now crave a committed relationship (with Rahu also privileged ones) at all costs, Saturn wants us to learn our lessons in the right order and with patience. It can be frustrating, very frustrating, but at the end of it, we will realise that our outlook and expectation of relationships has changed completely. And this transformation does not happen over night.

Wherever we have Saturn in our chart, our barriers go up until we learn to manage expectations and rewards properly. If currently transits your 7^th house of partnership you will feel the effects in this area the strongest. It may be that your partner is putting up some barriers but in any case, lessons will need to be learned and relationships will become more mature. Some relationships won’t survive this transit but these are the ones that have no space in your new world of more sincerity and discipline in partnerships.

What happens when you have Saturn retrograde in your natal chart?

We have to deal with fears and insecurities wherever we have Saturn in our natal chart. While almost half of the population has a retrograde Saturn, the effects will be more prominent for some than for others. Retrograde planets tend to affect us internally and the energy is directed inwards. So, for example with Saturn retrograde Leo, we are even less likely to freely express our personalities and choices, while Saturn in Scorpio may have issues with intimacy.

Saturn is a karmic planet, so some astrologers say there are past life lessons that have been carried over but the challenges along the way will feel quite tough on us. Throughout the learning process, those with Saturn in retrograde will put up quite high and thick barriers due negative, early experiences, negative expectations and their own attitude. So, for example, intimacy issues become a problem as soon as the Saturn retrograde person really gets close to someone. They may find it easy enough to make contact but being intimate is scary stuff for them.

As with all Saturn lessons, neutrality and acceptance is the key! Accept your vulnerability, desires and simply who you are. Make peace with yourself, open up and move closer to the person you love and the rest will follow. It’s easier said than done but once you start thinking about what this means, you may get an inkling of what it should feel and look like. Then you can enter that room without fear of being rejected.