 by Sissy Blue In astrology, we learn that the outer planets usually make three passes over an aspect. The planet makes an aspect to a Natal planet while in direct motion, then turns retrograde and backs up over the aspect again. Eventually, it turns direct, and passes over the Natal planet a third time. The result is three chances to get the message. For instance, picture your Natal Saturn sitting quietly, comfortable with its foundation that is strong and solid. It has been working on increasing its security for many years, constantly building higher forms and pouring more concrete, extending walls higher and higher. Natal Saturn admires its hard work and persistence. It was all worth it, Saturn thinks to itself. But one day, Saturn peers out through the bars on the window and sees a disaster coming straight at it. "Oh no!" Saturn speaks out loud. "This can’t be happening!" Natal Saturn blinks its eyes very slowly, wishing to wipe away the nightmare it sees on the horizon, but to no avail. Sure enough, the one and only planet it truly fears is looming larger and larger, coming in a whirl of lightning bolts and static electricity, kicking up the wind into a tornado force. "I’ll be torn apart!" Saturn cries as it turns away in horror. "If this was Mercury coming, we could sit down and talk this out. Maybe come up with a strategic plan that would solve problems. If this was Pluto, we could make a deal. Pluto always understands the bottom line. If this was Jupiter, we could figure out a way to expand within reason. But—with this erratic, nervous, strange planet, there will be no deals, no plans, no reasoning." Saturn turned to the window again, and stared at the monster coming towards it. Uranus! Suddenly, the dynamic energy of Uranus hit the concrete structure of Saturn, shaking the windows and producing a terrible noise as it passed. Saturn crouched in a corner and covered its head until the storm was gone, then went out to inspect the damage. The foundation was still intact, although there were a few cracks in the walls. Natal Saturn immediately set about fixing the damage, adding an extra layer of concrete to the walls. It stood back and surveyed its work, thinking that now it was safe, even from the Uranus monster. The days passed, and soon Natal Saturn forgot about the Uranus uproar. It began to feel secure within its walls once again. One day, as Saturn sat reading the local paper, relaxing in its glory of stableness, unexpectedly both windows on one wall cracked. Old Saturn managed to jump up just as half of the wall tumbled into the interior. A fierce wind swept through and exploded through the door on the opposite wall. As fast as it came, it was gone. "I swear!" Saturn said out loud. "That Uranus monster turned retrograde land snuck up on me from behind!" Not to be overwhelmed, and determined to succeed, Saturn instantly rebuilt the wall and replaced the windows. The hinges on the door had to be straightened, but Saturn counted itself lucky that it had survived the surprise attack. Time passed, and again Saturn relaxed in its familiar surroundings, not wanting to make changes. It liked things as they were, and saw no need to even think of upsetting the status quo. One terrible day, Saturn glanced up from its easy chair just as the Uranus hurricane hit. The roof caved in, all four walls collapsed, and even part of the cement floor was ripped up. Saturn was tossed out onto the ground and sand- blasted by the strength of the winds. When Uranus was gone, Saturn stood silently and looked at the destruction. Everything’s gone! Mercury stopped by to see if Saturn was all right. "Wow!" it said, shaking its head. "You must have been really stubborn!" Saturn confronted Mercury, "What do you mean?" Mercury answered, "Well, if you had listened to Uranus the first time it came through, you could have made a few changes then. Maybe you could have looked arou8nd to see where you were being stifled, or too rigid." "I don’t understand your point," Saturn argued. "You had three chances to make changes that were needed," Mercury explained. "The first time, Uranus only shook the windows and kicked up a lot of dust, trying to get your attention. The second time, on the retrograde pass, it cracked a couple of windows and took out part of a wall, warning you that something needed to be changed, but you held on tight. The third time, it destroyed everything." Saturn turned in circles, frustrated. "Uranus is just a bad planet. This is all its fault!" Mercury sighed. "You are not learning the lesson. Uranus is not a planet to be ignored. Its job is to shake us up, wake us up from our stupor, tear us from the normal, and throw us into the unknown. Uranus was trying to teach you that if you cling to a house, a job, a relationship, a belief, or whatever, when the need for it has passed—and you refuse to see the need for change—stubbornly clinging with all your might, then you force Uranus to rip the carcass from your fingers. This is your fault for being so inflexible." "I guess I do tend to hang onto things," Saturn said slowly. Mercury nodded. "One of these days, you’ll look back and realize why you had to be shaken out of your complacency." Saturn asked, "Do you really think so?" Slapping Saturn on the back, Mercury smiled. "I’m sure of it. You’ll see." Mercury and Saturn walked away from the wreckage, making plans for a new situation that would be even better than the last one. Soon Saturn was laughing as it charged up the next hill, excited about the future possibilities that it had not seen. Off in the distance, Uranus could be seen dancing around a volcano. Another success story! (Maya’s note: Uranus and Saturn squared off against one another at the Battle of Seattle, and continued to do so through the early days of the Bush Administration. They will oppose each other in 2009. Uranus is on the foundation of the Washington DC chart for the October 2 Full Moon, shaking up Washington. At the Full Moon in Taurus on November 1, catalytic Uranus has just turned direct, and we will see it in action. Revolution is abroad this month.) Sissy Blue, a former Astrological Counselor, now lives and writes in Arizona. She can be reached at sissyblueaz@yahoo.com. |