Rebirth and Responsibility
By
Sarah Varcas
Saturn stationed retrograde in the 17th degree of Sagittarius. This degree is one of rebirth, with Saturn our midwife in the coming months. In true Saturnine form it may not be an easy birth and the labour may be long, but the outcome, when it stations direct in August, will reveal the value of our efforts. This rebirth will reanimate part of us which has become lifeless and stagnant, trapped in a state of suspended animation having encountered a challenge, shock or disappointment that took the wind from its sails. Wherever we’ve had the life knocked out of us by the twists and turns of fate, the decisions of others or our own unpreparedness for the path ahead, Saturn retrograde offers an opportunity to regather our energy, regain our balance and breathe new life into old hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Saturn in Sagittarius demands we maintain a bigger view of our lives, beyond our personal present. It enables us to identify connections between apparently random experiences and reveals how past decisions, attitudes and behaviours have painted the picture that is our life today. If we find ourselves frustrated or struggling against opposing forces that seem set upon our demise, it suggests we seek their genesis within and consider how well or not we have previously honoured the mystery of life. To what extent have we ignored a greater intelligence which invites us into alignment, or sought to control rather than allow life’s unfolding? In Saturn’s world a mere shift of perspective doesn’t change the past or arrest the force of its influence upon the present. It demands, instead, that we acknowledge and take responsibility for all we have been and all we have done, welcoming their current ripples of consequence as great teachers bestowing precious wisdom.
We must now face without guile the impact of who we once were. In embodying the wisdom born of doing so, we can live life with an open and enquiring mind, a faithful heart and a willingness to honour truths difficult to embrace. Saturn now offers a chance to process in the quiet of our own souls the lessons and insights which have arisen since its arrival in Sagittarius last September. Cast your mind back to then and reflect upon all that has happened since: changes welcome and otherwise, shocks and surprises, the new that arrived, the old that left and those things which seem forever intransigent! Saturn speaks most deeply about the latter now, revealing why we struggle to change that unhelpful habit, get a grip of that negative behaviour or marshal our inner resources in a constructive way. In doing so it reveals exactly what we need to sacrifice in order to be free. Where we hold ourselves in chains of old attachments born of comfortable familiarity with a status quo that keeps us safe. Numb and stagnant, but safe nonetheless.
In the coming months we can discern how to use our gifts, skills, knowledge and wisdom effectively. We can learn more about what stops us from doing so, the petty things we allow to distract us from what matters, our lack of discipline or unwillingness to do the work needed to manifest our dreams. Saturn delivers nothing on a golden platter as we lounge upon a velvet bed! Its rewards are hard won and earned through commitment, patience and application of the whole self to the job at hand. A hard taskmaster for sure, but also a fair one, and efforts made produce commensurate results. So if our efforts are failing to deliver the goods, it’s a sure sign that something is out of alignment or our timing is off. In the coming months Saturn retrograde will help us get to grips with timing, application of attention and patience with the process of creative change. It asks of us commitment to the journey and a willingness to do what needs to be done rather than fantasising a changed world whilst doing all we can to sustain the old one!