November 2010- Saturn Return! Change Comes to the US from Within and Without

Three planets were in the intense sign of Scorpio as we started the month of November-the Sun, Mercury and Venus, and we saw a New Moon at 13 degrees of Scorpio on November 6. Scorpio is the natural ruler of the eighth house of sex, money, other people’s money, debt and taxes, and it is within these realms that we have been and will be focused. The eighth house also rules transformation and regeneration, and often a feeling of ‘forced change.’ Scorpio is ruled by both Mars and Pluto and has regenerative qualities. Mars is called the “God of War,” and Pluto is considered the planet of transformation and regeneration, and not without good reason.
Money, debt and taxes and change were definitely on the minds of many as they cast their ballots in the US Mid-term elections November 2, ousting a record number of Democrats and taking control of the US House of Representatives and many state held offices. November 9, President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission proposed to reduce the annual cost-of-living increases in Social Security, curb the growth of Medicare, and eliminate the primary tax exemption for many American’s—interest on the home mortgage as a tax deduction. Any of these proposals becoming fact would prove debilitating to America’s older citizens, deny access or limit healthcare and cause the housing market to once again come to a standstill as buying or owning a home would cost more, and as a result that many American’s primary tax break would be gone, reducing the incentive to own, and further stress the struggling middle class in America.

Looking at America’s natal chart (July 4, 1776, 5:10 pm LMT, Philadelphia, PA) Saturn in Libra is squaring the Sun of the US at 13 degrees of Cancer, becoming exact November 15-23. At 14 degrees of Libra, Saturn conjuncts America’s Saturn at the same degree. This transit is known as a “Saturn return.”

Countries, like people have birth charts, and as the planets transit through the chart of any particular country/entity the energies the planets create are felt on a collective level. Saturn/Sun transits deal with the ego of an individual or a collective and often the individual/entity is forced to prove his ideas valid. Sun-Saturn transits often represent times of critical developments where situations from the outside create challenges that are not always expected. America will face challenges in the areas of the home/property, the personal foundation of the people, and the values the American people embrace of hold to be true. Saturn in Libra will create challenges where the laws and courts are concerned, along with medicine and education as well as finance, and issues abroad. Thus, this period will be extremely important, but not without danger, frustration, hostility and resistance to change.

Saturn conjunct Saturn, known as a Saturn return is a cyclical transit that occurs every 29.5 years as Saturn passes through each of the twelve signs. Saturn returns are usually associated with major changes in the life cycle that include hardships and difficult to solve problems. It marks a transition period where an individual or entity must take responsibility for their actions and work hard to move forward to the future. It is usually associated with frustration, unhappiness, difficult problems, delays, restrictions, anger and sadness.

Saturn rules time. Saturn returning to its birthplace marks a period of accountability for the past 30 years. If we have failed to create a strong foundation the Saturn return will mark a time of upheaval and limitations to make necessary changes. Saturn squaring the Sun/Saturn return also marks a period where the country is more venerable to attacks both from within and without. Values previously held will be questioned and debated. Saturn will return to this same position latter March into April of 2011, and again for a final pass August of 2011. All Saturn cycles last a year.

Next: The Cycles of 2011-A Year of Change in America and the World