REVIEWING & RENEWAL WITH 3 PLANETS TURNING RETROGRADE
Flower in Puriscal, Costa Rica. Photo by Deb
Hello everyone,
Well, it has certainly been an intense time. The Saturn Pluto of January has done its job of a global shift and the Jupiter Pluto starting in April is awakening everyone to looking at a different life, what everyone seems to call “the new normal.” This past week we had a Full Moon in Scorpio. Although it had some sparkling and auspicious qualities to it because of the lovely, smooth aspect to Neptune, I would say it was really potent and relentless and somewhat draining. On some level I felt like I was getting dragged into murky energy. But I also knew that it was temporary. I heard a variety of stories of people being exhausted, some people saying the energy was too much. I have a Scorpio friend who was bitten by a scorpion during the Scorpio Full Moon. No metaphors there!
To continue the power and fervor of this year, this week we have 3 planets shifting direction and going retrograde: Saturn on Monday the 11th, Venus on Wednesday the 13th and Jupiter on Thursday the 14th. Lots of movement in the heavens. Whenever such activity happens, especially simultaneously like this, it is indicative of a time where we turn inward. Now of course I have been talking a lot about going inward because we've all been instructed to go in and stay in. Jupiter and Saturn turn retrograde for months every year. But Venus does not, her retrograde only happens every 18 months. The fact that these three heavenly bodies are starting their journey at the same time means their messages are intricately woven together.
We know that Saturn and Jupiter have both been spending time in Capricorn with Pluto, so as they make their apparent backwards journey, they will revisit the area of the zodiac where they have been busy these last months. For Saturn, this means not entirely going back to connect with Pluto again. But revisiting the months since the end of January, but especially the end of January, February & the first 3 weeks of March. This would be the beginning of the pandemic and its affect on our lives. What were we doing then? What were we expecting that did or didn't happen? What structures and opinions did we have then that we need to revisit and will they still hold true for us? We had no idea at that point that such dramatic turns of events would happen. Saturn moved into Aquarius on March 21st, but now as it stations to retrograde it will make its way back to Capricorn in early July and finish its journey there in December. During those months, we will revisit our feelings and determine what needs to remain in our lives and what needs to be cast aside. One of Saturn's jobs is to make us aware of anything that is superfluous or unnecessary in our lives and show us how to eliminate the excess. At the beginning of this year, most of us were living very different lives. Now as we take these months to review, we will make decisions that shift our focus to a more fulfilling experience of our lives. Where we can live more simply and humbly. Where we can bring more order to where there had been chaos before. If something wasn't working, we are more likely aware of it now and will make the necessary corrections.
On the other hand, Jupiter will definitely go back and make another connection with Pluto, two more times. Once Jupiter retrogrades on the 14th, it will make its journey towards meeting with Pluto for the second time on June 30th at the same place in the zodiac where they met on April 4th. What did you become aware of around the time of April 4th that you have been planning and possibly putting into motion? This is where we get to create something new in the space where Saturn has cleared away the unnecessary. This is a very important step and should not be overlooked. Whatever you started building needs to go forward into its next chapter. This is about expansion that allows for a transformation of your life. While Saturn may be closing some doors, Jupiter will be finding new ones and opening them. Seek opportunities where you didn’t recognize them in the past, where you didn’t realize there was a chance or a place for you. Know that the next right path is waiting for you, whether you knew what it was and saw it coming or not.
Then there is Venus, which will spend the entire retrograde of 6 weeks in the sign of Gemini. When Venus goes retrograde we review our relationships and our finances. These are the very areas of our lives where we are probably feeling the highest effects of the new normal. People have had to work differently, cut back on spending, they have watched their work and personal relationships change. Perhaps the volume got turned up on one or more of these matters and we get to decide what's working and what isn’t. There is no one right way - for some people, working at home has been a blessing for them and their families. For others, a very bright light has illuminated the cracks in the foundation. Venus in Gemini wants to communicate, discuss, rethink - this is all part of the restructuring going forward. The idea is to find your fulfillment now, what makes you happy - Venus is what we desire, maybe in the areas of relationships or finances your needs have not been met properly and you need to create from a new place.
The other interesting component of Venus being in Gemini is that the ruler of Gemini is Mercury - which is now joining her in this sign. And for the first time in 18 months, the Nodes of Destiny have changed signs and the North Node is now in Gemini. This means that we are being asked to trust our own ideas, our own thoughts and opinions, rather than what we are being told by the zillion opinions that are out in the world right now, no matter how educated the sources are. This is the time to be thoughtful, focused and to listen to and trust your intuition and heart. You know what to do.
Most importantly during this time, remember to love yourself, stay true to yourself and your vision. This is the way to empowerment. There’s no room for self criticism here. Be the most loving and greatest ideal of yourself that you can possibly be.
Warm wishes,
Deb
