Wheel of Light Astrology by Rio Olesky - December 2017
Saturn changes sign about every 2-3 years. It’s been in Sagittarius since December 2014, with a brief return to Scorpio from June-September 2015. This month it will enter Capricorn. This is more significant than other Saturn ingresses for several reasons. First, this is one of the signs that Saturn is said to “rule”, that is the energy of Saturn flows with no impediment through the filtering mechanism of Capricorn. Second, Saturn enters Capricorn about a day and a half before the Sun does. When the Sun enters Capricorn each year it is called the Winter Solstice. For many early human cultures, this was one of the most spiritual days of the year. It was the shortest and darkest day; hence it brought the promise of the return of the light. This meant a return to the growing season and the continuation of life. Third, Pluto is already in Capricorn and has been since 2008. Although this is not news it is, has been and will be a significant factor in major transformations facing humanity from climate change to political upheaval to economic shifts. The Sun will leave Capricorn in a month. Saturn will remain until 2020 and Pluto will remain until 2023-2024. A final factor will be the transit of Jupiter into Capricorn in December 2019. These major outer planets all aligning in Capricorn suggests the possibility of major changes affecting all phases of life.
For a more complete delineation of the New Year, I invite you to my annual Perspectives talk which will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 7 PM at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. For now, however, I will focus on the potential influence only of Saturn in Capricorn.
The energy of Saturn is comfortable expressing itself through the Capricornian archetype. The qualities associated with this planet and this sign are similar, if not identical. Saturn is goal oriented and likes to achieve and produce. It likes to establish rules and parameters that can be organizing principles for anything from a business to a collective body politic. When one is off-center, Saturn can bring fear and a corresponding defensiveness that is designed to protect from that which is seemingly threatening. Similarly, it can impel one to go on the offensive and seek to control the source or cause of the fear. When one is centered, Saturn brings a healthy self-discipline and sense of organization that enables one to both establish prioritized goals and to eventually achieve them.
Capricorn can represent structures and organizations through which goals can be achieved. When one is centered, the pursuit of those goals combines clarity of direction with a sense of personal honor. It’s not just about getting something done, it’s also about how it gets done. Similarly, the centered person focuses on self-respect in the process, whereas an off-center person tends to focus more on recognition from authority figures.
One of the qualities of life that both Saturn and Capricorn focus on is authority. An off-center person either gives their power away to external authority figures or seeks to become the dominant person in a situation. The centered person, pursuing their goals with integrity, will accept a leadership position in order to achieve goals that are beneficial to both the self and to others.
Institutions that Capricorn addresses are things like governmental bodies, corporations, and financial institutions ranging from banks to mortgage companies to insurance companies. We could assume that the next couple of years will see the rise in power of those elements of the global culture that already have immense power and control. This assumes an even more patriarchal power structure. In turn, this would lead to limitation of freedom for individuals, compromise of democratic institutions, the continuation of economic equality, decreasing visibility of women, and scapegoating the LBGT community. Worst of all, it could indicate greater environmental devastation.
There is, however, a potential emerging light in this dark picture. There is a spiritual side to Capricorn. I think of Capricorn as the sign of the initiate. This sign is inherently goal oriented. So the question is, what’s the goal? We have to address that first on the individual level before we can organize and proceed collectively. If our goal is consciousness development and spiritual growth, this combination of planet and sign can provide assistance. Saturn and Capricorn can pertain to limitation. This could be externally imposed or self-directed. If we continually choose thoughts, words and actions that propel us toward self-realization, the understanding that we are all manifestations of Divine Love and Light, we can use the next few years to make a profound difference in the world. We can focus on the material plane in ways that enable us to stay grounded and secure, even as we allocate resources to both our own inner work as well as working together to overcome the collective challenges of our time. These could be they environmental, political, economic or sociological. If we don’t give in to the low-level, off-center insecurity and ego centrism of those in power, we unite in a collective vision that strives to create a world not based on materialism but one based on the greatest good for the greatest number. In so doing we can, individually and collectively, be initiated in the light of Greater Awareness, feeling liberated and empowered by this process.
