The Nature of Saturn
Saturn is a powerful planet, one that dishes up our karmas to us- but not on a silver platter. He is our greatest suffering and sorrows, but ultimately our enlightenment. He moves slowly and methodically, taking 2.5 years to move through each sign. What Saturn offers us is the depth of our being, our humanness, whether through experiencing the human form, the physical body, or through the reactions of our actions. Life might be easier without him, but it would truly lack depth, lessons learned, and the necessity for consistent effort which is necessary for us to grow and evolve. Saturn in Sagittarius Saturn shifts to Sagittarius at 02:55 am MST, and into Mula nakshastra, where he will be transiting the majority of 2017. This is a powerful re-structuring transit. As the planet of grief moves through the star notorious for adharma (that which is against dharma), it is imperative to stay close to resources, support and guidance that will help you stay true to your inner wisdom, your dharma and life path. For a limited time, I'm sharing extra resources, support and guidance for your dharmic path. Please follow along with my Dharma Awakening Series. Join my newsletter
3 Comments
This Week's Intention: Notice the inner swells and find your grounding, your connection to Nature and her wisdom, as well as your connection to spirit. Surrender to the immense fertility being awakened in the environment- enlivened through potential and possibility. Allow the emotional body to move, change, transform and heal you. The week ahead brings a full Moon in Virgo with a penumbral lunar eclipse. The Vernal equinox has opened the door to spring in the northern hemisphere and the Holi celebrations spark the creative life force energy- inner and outer. Mercury is now debilitated in Pisces and Saturn will go retrograde this week as well. Be gentle with your emotions, mind and body. Monday, March 21st Moon in 14th tithi Just as Monday begins, Moon shifts to Purvaphalguni nakshatra, increasing creativity and life force energy. As the Moon moves through Leo, it is conjunct retrograde Jupiter and Rahu. All three planets receive drishti (gaze) from Venus, Ketu and Saturn. The emotional body is being asked to respond to complex energies. Find ways to ground into the body and spirit in order to awaken from repressed or contracted emotions. Emotional body tides are high now as Moon enters the 14th tithi (phase), nearing complete fullness. Allow your feelings to move through you and attend to your emotional body wisdom with care. Tuesday, March 22nd Moon in 15th tithi As Tuesday begins, the Moon moves to the final phase of the waxing cycle, Purnima- the 15th tithi. Just as the emotional body moves into fullness, it changes into the latter half of the Phalguni constellation, Uttaraphalguni. Aryaman rules this domain and provides creativity, fertility and sustainability for connection, creation and relationship. He's especially associated with the ancestors and sustaining one's lineage through marriage, children and dharma. The Phalguni stars are particularly potent and creative. It is said that even the gods get married during the time of Phalguni- which honor spring, awakening and fertility and celebrations like marriage. Wednesday, March 23rd Moon in 15th and 1st tithi The full Moon is March 23rd at 05:00 PDT while Moon is in Virgo and Uttaraphalguni. This full Moon coincides with a penumbral lunar eclipse, closing the two week eclipse portal that has been invoking challenging shadow work for many. The eclipse begins at 02:39 PDT, with the maximum eclipse being at 04:47 PDT, and ending at 06:54 PDT. This full Moon marks the closing of the eclipse portal (the two week period between solar and lunar eclipses). It is now a better time to begin new projects, make decisions or start anything important. Read more about the full Moon + Eclipse in the March Moon Wisdom post. Thursday, March 24th Moon in 2nd tithi The Moon continues through Hasta until late morning. Let Savitr support your awakening and increased light as you begin your day. Recite the Gayatri Mantra for gaining his guidance. As Moon shifts into Chitra, Vishvakarma arrives with an action-oriented agenda. His creativity and the action he puts behind it, can support great strides. He is considered "the divine architect" who created the zodiac. Friday, March 25th Moon in 3rd tithi Saturn goes retrograde in Scorpio at 02:50 am PDT and will be moving in reverse until August 13th, 2016. Retrograde planets act like the nodes Rahu and Ketu, which adds to the intensity of the planet and how they will express themselves. As the slowest moving planet, Saturn causes the most prolonged challenges. It's important to play by his rules and honor his requests for slow, steady action, simplicity and alignment with nature's rhythms. Saturday, March 26th Moon in 4th tithi Moon continues through Libra and Swati nakshatra the majority of the day. Mind your breath, your life force energy, and notice if you are using it intelligently or squandering it. Be in right relationship with your inner life and let this spark increased energy and enthusiasm for living. Seek balance between inner and outer, polarities and conflicts. What parts of your being need resolution and more harmony? Let the breath help you find this union. Sunday, March 27th Moon in 5th tithi Vishaka continues to rule the day, provoking unification and increased harmony within. Challenges are a reminder to make adjustments. Ask for support, call in new resources, gather your team of guidance. Where are you resisting the support you need? Where are your actions out of alignment with your inner knowing? Reach out, connect and receive. You can not thrive without increased support. Monday, March 28th Moon in 6th tithi Moon continues to transit its debilitation sign, Scorpio, while moving through Anuradha nakshatra. Anuradha inspires growth from one's depths, rising from the mud and blossoming into wisdom and beauty- as is symbolized by the lotus flower. This constellation can bring precision and exactness, as well as inspiration and growth. Saturn in Scorpio: The Depth of Our Transformation Saturn is a powerful planet, one that dishes up our karmas to us- but not on a silver platter. He is our greatest suffering and sorrows, but ultimately our enlightenment. He moves slowly and methodically, taking 2.5 years to move through each sign. What Saturn offers us is the depth of our being, our humanness, whether through experiencing the human form, the physical body, or through the reactions of our actions. Life might be easier without him, but it would truly lack depth, lessons learned, and the necessity for consistent effort which is necessary for us to grow and evolve. As per my article, Ripening Slowly with Saturn: "Saturn brings both the blessings and the curses of life- as he gives his wisdom only through the slow ripening of time, effort, suffering, loss and age. It takes time to learn the deepest, hardest and most important wisdom of life. This wisdom has to be worked for and requires effort to receive. Thus, Saturn pays us in enlightenment for the work, effort, steady actions, that we make over a long period of time. If we don't adhere to his rules for wisdom, he will make us suffer the consequences." Saturn is worth studying, working with, not against. Being very familiar with his ways is vital for life and living. This will cause less suffering, less misery, fewer health issues, and less depression and despondency. For on the other side of suffering is great alliance with Nature and her wisdom, as well as the sacred Laws of the Universe. This is one of the gifts that Saturn grants us when we are in alignment with Source. As Saturn moves into Scorpio on November 2nd 2014, our deepest transformations have the opportunity to take place. These aren't the easy kinds of transformations though. They won't be on the surface, but will be from our very old, unconscious existence. Our transformations will be on the level of old karmas, past vows, ancestral ties and lineage bonds. The changes we make over the next 2.5 years will depend on our willingness to change, to open to our shadows, our darkness and weaknesses. Scorpio does not pertain to frivolity, but instead to our core principles and beliefs, our hidden and mysterious senses, and to the magic and secrecy of existence. Because Scorpio is directly connected to the eighth house and all meanings of the eighth house, it requires an understanding of both Scorpio and 8th house matters. My How to Love A Scorpio article illustrates this double meaning well: "On the positive spectrum of things, the 8th house is linked to transformations and transcendence, as well as mystical and occult knowledge and of course our sexual nature. When life gets tough, we naturally get tougher; which is the essence of the eighth house. It forces us to surrender. To disarm and let go. We scream "uncle!" at the top of our lungs and wait in our self made prison for relief to arrive. And if it arrives, we are determined to change, re-direct ourselves, to rise above and out of the trenches. The eight house is indeed hidden, unseen, and thus relates to the unseen and hidden realms- both internally and externally. Our pain after all is solely connected to our shadows. A Scorpio is determined to shed its shadowed self which is why Ketu (the "planet" of liberation and moksha) is considered exalted here." Not everyone is as familiar with their 8th house and their Scorpio nature as they need to be. Not everyone is willing to look intimately at their shadows and darkness in order to bring greater light to it. Not everyone is determined to transform and transcend. For those that are, this Saturn and Scorpio cycle will be much easier, much more helpful. Your willingness will determine how you emerge from this Saturn cycle in 2.5 years. Scorpio is the sign that the Moon is considered debilitated in. Moon is our emotional body, our sensitivity, our receptivity, creativity, and our ability to change, re-direct and re-generate ourselves. Moon in Scorpio heightens the sensitivity of the emotional body and forces us to address its needs, our emotional messages and patterns. This will be a potent cycle for our emotional body, gaining more wisdom from its messages, and moving into greater alignment with our emotional wisdom. With Jupiter exalted in Cancer for the first nine months of this transit, we get a heightened dose of emotional body messaging and perhaps a greater ability to listen, act and change as a result. Jupiter is the planet of wisdom and is exalted in Cancer, which directly connects to our heart center and our emotional body; he's here until mid 2015. The wisdom we have access to at the beginning of this Saturn in Scorpio transit- as a result of exalted Jupiter- has the ability to carry us through the remainder of of this 2.5 year transit. So diligently listen to the emotional body messages being offered to you until July of 2015. Read more about Jupiter in Cancer. As with any growth in our lives, it is directly determined by how much space we create for the newness to enter. Since Scorpio and the 8th house have to do with losses, letting go, deaths and release, our ability and willingness to let go, release and remove what is not serving our highest Self, will determine what we can later invite in and allow into our lives for increased fulfillment and joy. If there's no space for the new to enter, you won't be able to receive. Again, the greater your willingness to let go, change and transform, the greater your ability to invite in new possibilities for yourself. The depth of your transformation for this cycle is directly connected to your resistance to change and release, as is the amount of suffering you will experience. Those who embrace the changes that are coming for them will have an easier time than those who resist the changes. Saturn is a non-negotiable planet, his agenda rules. However, we do have some options about how much we choose to suffer- which is largely based on our resistance to it. Less resistance to suffering, equals less suffering. This is yet another reminder to get very intimate with your emotions, to cultivate a deeper relationship with them, to invite in the feeling level of your life in new ways. Cultivating presence, compassion and creating a safe container for your emotional expression is vital. For those of us who are extra sensitive, this Saturn cycle will likely increase our sensitivity, so be mindful of your needs and self care. Not sure if you're sensitive? Read this. Need more resources for befriending your emotions? Here are some tips. None of this is meant to scare you, but as a double Scorpio myself, and one that has lived to tell the tale of Scorpio transiting through my own 8th house (and currently going through another sade sati) I can tell you that this transit demands your attention and intention. For those who have been floating by, resisting their biggest life lessons, this transit will not allow you to stay in ignorance any longer. The depth that every Scorpio knows so well, will usher in an increase of depth and awareness for the world that has not yet been seen before. We will each get a new look at our darkness and receive opportunities to transform our shadows. Get your flashlights out! Looking at The Next 2.5 Years Ahead Saturn shifts into Scorpio officially on November 2nd 2014, however we may notice shifts well before this. Once Saturn shifts into its sandhi placement (the gap between Libra and Scorpio at just over 28 degrees) the portal opens and the "Saturn in Scorpio" experience is ushered in. This opening begins on October 15th. Once Saturn officially arrives into Scorpio, it will still be in young degrees until it is beyond the 2 degree range (around November 19th). This is considered a delicate time, but also potent. Be diligent with your embodiment work at this time and seek intuitive wisdom. Felt senses will be higher at this time, as well as sensitivity in general. Be mindful of self care and be sure to take time for deep listening and presence with your emotional body wisdom. Use the 3 level check in to harness this wisdom. As I mentioned above, for the first nine months of this transit, Jupiter is also exalted, which increases our ability to access emotional body wisdom and awakening through Jupiter's energy. With Jupiter giving his gaze (drishti) to Saturn, we get greater balance, increased harmony and insights from the softer more gentile energy of Jupiter. From Saturn's position in Scorpio, he will give his gaze to three, seven and ten houses away from him. Look for Scorpio in your chart and then see what houses he will be looking at. This will give you an idea of what areas of your life you will be working with directly, and what Saturn will be activating for you. From his placement in Scorpio, he will give his drishti to Capricorn (his own sign), Taurus, and Leo. Saturn begins his six month retrograde motion on March 14th 2015. This is an event of re-visiting our structures, support systems- both internally and externally. The returning process is happening on an emotional body level which will demand our complete attention- especially as Jupiter continues to transit through the heart-centered emotional water sign of Cancer. The inner work that we commit to at this time will be lasting, deeply rooted change. This will bring transformation on the physical and emotional body levels Once Jupiter moves into Leo, July of 2015, Saturn will no longer receive the soft gaze of Jupiter. Instead, Saturn will be giving his more stern gaze to Jupiter in Leo. This will increase the edge, the effort, and the work required of us. It will put the emphasis back on Saturn, instead of the balancing effect Jupiter can have on Saturn's energy. Rahu and Ketu shift into Leo and Aquarius on January 30th of 2016. This ushers in a new cycle of shadow work for us. Saturn will then give his drishti to Rahu and we get the "Rudra effect" happening within Leo. Shifts, changes, upheavals, transitions on a bigger scale occur. Ego issues will play a role in our transformations and our emotional work. Be diligent with these themes as you work with your shadows and healing. August 18th of 2017, Rahu and Ketu shift again. This time they move into Cancer and Capricorn. Rahu gives his gaze now to Saturn who has moved to the edge of Scorpio. The Rudra energy of change and movement continues, but with a more intensified shadowed effect. The ultimate lessons of Saturn in Scorpio come to their peak at this time, so be looking for cosmic reminders and messages during this time period. Shortly thereafter, Saturn moves out of Scorpio and into Sagittarius on October 26th, 2017, finishing his transit through the transformational sign of Scorpio. Saturn's Transformational Effects By Sign I've indicated above the overall themes, general tendencies, and effects of Saturn's passage through Scorpio. Though it is impossible to say what the unique effects of this transit will be on you individually without looking at your personal jyotish chart, I can give you a more targeted idea by looking at each rising sign. Below, I give the general effects of Saturn's transit through Scorpio based on rising sign and the effects he will have three, seven and ten houses away. For an individualized assessment, please contact me for a personal session. Aries: Saturn transits through your eighth house of past- past karmas, past lives, past experiences. This is a hidden house, one that brings us our greatest struggles, challenges and haunts, however, it is the house that offers the biggest changes and transformations as well. These transformations will effect your career, your offerings to the world, as well as your wealth, nourishment and voice. Children, creativity, passion and education will also be effected. Work with self expression, overcoming your oldest, deepest shadows and the parts of your self that are keeping you in the dark. Relationships play a role in your transformational process. Emotions will be your most important resource and tool of information. Taurus: Your main focus is on relationships and the effects the "other" has on you. Transformation comes through recognizing who you are in relation to your partners, clients/students, family, friends and all your mirrors. The "other" is your greatest guru, teacher, for the coming Saturn cycle. Work with boundaries, co-dependency, and what your innate gifts and talents are- irrespective of giving or doing. You'll be working with the bindings the ego has on you and your emotional body. This is terribly important healing work for you to do, and essential for your personal liberation and your dharmic path. Gemini: Your willingness to work on your bad habits will determine the amount of transformation you achieve during this transit. Heal and be healed. Your personal growth can be of benefit to others, so share it and be transparent about your shadows. Use your past to courageously push you into your shadows, and the places within you that most need light and fresh air. The effort you put into your personal growth will show up as greater freedom, moksha and liberation and will ultimately serve your life purpose. Time away on long distance voyages, at ashrams, and in solitude, will help your transformation take place. Use creativity, communication and the arts courageously and take bold action steps. Children, passions and education are beneficial, while friends and monetary gains take extra effort. Cancer: Passion, creativity, children and education are the main players in your transformation process. Relationships are effected and require your consistent effort and commitment. The "other" is also enlivened to give you a powerful mirror for your growth. There can be gains and losses through friendships and money so work consciously with the waves. Speech, voice and self expression play a role in your nourishment and support. Emotional body work is a non-negotiable part of your effort for this time period. Career requires your diligent efforts as well as your past karmas and shadow work. Leo: Saturn will have you working directly with heart, home and emotional body wisdom. Your mother will play a role in your process and your transformation. Looking at parts of your shadow that are tangled into the emotions will be an important part of your process. Who are you without your giving, sharing, leading and offering? Heal and be healed. Let your work in the world be a resource for your personal transformation. Who are you becoming and what is your intention for this change? Who and what is holding you back? If the shadows and haunts were removed from your heart, who would you be? Creativity, courage and the arts are well worth your effort while dharma, teaching and gurus require extra attention and intention. Virgo: Creativity, courage, communication and the arts are hugely transformational for you as Saturn transits your third house. Seek teachers, gurus and guides to help you with your journey and dharma. Teach, advise and offer your wisdom to others as a means of personal growth and development. Let your passions, children and education inform your growth and desires. Long distance journeys, solitude and time on retreats and in ashrams will serve your overall liberation process. Wealth, nourishment and support come with courage and effort. Your shadows and overcoming your karmic past require the most effort, but will be the most worthy of your time. Libra: Nourishment, wealth and self sufficiency are your main areas of transformation during this transit. The past informs your efforts, so work diligently with old shadows, stories and limiting beliefs. Emotional body, home and heart, can provide greater stability with your consistent efforts. Gains, friendships and wealth fluctuate, providing you with new awareness through the ups and downs. Learn and grow through creativity, children and educational opportunities. Gains come through self growth and self effort. Relationships, however, may require extra effort and willingness on your part. Scorpio: Saturn will have you changing from inside out as he transits through your first house. This 2.5 year transit marks a fresh Saturn cycle for you. This transit takes your ultimate courage and creative efforts and is a beginning for you on many levels. Let the arts, the hands, and communications inform your process. Work directly with relationships and what the mirror of "other" is showing you. Take all of these pieces of awareness and put them into your career. It's time for you to start sharing, working, and being seen in new and different ways. Your past efforts will start paying off, but not without the personal growth and healing efforts you are accustomed to. The work never stops as you know well, but let it help you re-invent yourself from the ground up. Sagittarius: Use long distance travel, time alone, retreats and ashram living for this transformational time period as Saturn transits your 12th house. This is an inward time, so use it for introspection, meditation and inner growth. Work with your bad habits, and seek healing support. Nourishment, wealth, and support issues are important places to put attention for your journey. Seek the wisdom and guidance of teachers, gurus and guides and also share your wisdom with others who can benefit from your inner resources and rich inner life. This impacts your dharma and what you are hear to do in the world. Friends and money become important assets, while children, passion, education and creativity require your greatest efforts and consistent actions. Capricorn: Friendships and monetary gains ebb and flow as Saturn transit your 11th house. These are your main areas of focus during this transit. These themes will insist on your efforts and will also help you learn the most about yourself in the process. Children, creativity, passion and education provide greater awareness. Transformations and shadows that involve your ego play a major role in your overall changes and growth, but will also be the hardest part of yourself to address. Let the old stories and paradigms tell you where you need to look more deeply at your shadows and haunts. Wherever you are struggling the most is where you are resisting the changes and transformations the most. Aquarius: Saturn's transit through your career house encourages major transformations in your work life, your dharma, and your offerings to the world. You will be changing what you offer, how you offer it and also who you offer it to. Work with liberation, alone time, ashram life, and spiritual knowledge in order to aid you in this process. Heart, home and emotional body, as well as mother, are main contributing factors in your personal growth and development. Work directly with relationship matters, concerns and struggles- they will require your attention and focus as well. Teach, share, advise and get support from gurus and teachers. Your communication, creativity and artistry will require extra effort, but will be worth it. Pisces: Saturn transits your 9th house of wisdom, dharma and higher learning. This is a transformational time for your path and purpose, who you are and why you are here. Use creativity, the hands, communication, the fine arts and your courageous action steps for increasing your growth and understanding about your path. This is a time of healing others and being healed as well. Work with your ego, bad habits and the parts of yourself that refuse to be vulnerable. Friends and time alone can be valuable for your process, while money, relationships, and past karmas require your greatest efforts. Because Saturn is such a slow moving planet, one that can bring us our greatest struggles, his changes are considered major planetary transits. It is advised to have a yagya done for such a poignant shift. Find out more details about yagyas and how to sign up for this extra planetary support: Read more about yagyas. See the current group yagya offerings and individual planetary yagya offerings from Puja.net. Need some extra guidance and clarity? Schedule a session with me. Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a planetary update. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you. The Ways of Saturn
Saturn is a powerful influence on our lives. He is the slowest moving planet, taking 2.5 years to move through each sign. Saturn brings both the blessings and the curses of life- as he gives his wisdom only through the slow ripening of time, effort, suffering, loss and age. It takes time to learn the deepest, hardest and most important wisdom of life. This wisdom has to be worked for and requires effort to receive. Thus, Saturn pays us in enlightenment for the work, effort, steady actions, that we make over a long period of time. If we don't adhere to his rules for wisdom, he will make us suffer the consequences. Many people fear Saturn and prefer the the type of rewards the other planets offer. Quick action and reaction from Mars. Comfort, luxury and creativity from Venus. Expansion of knowledge through Jupiter. Quick playful imagination of the Moon. Saturn, however, has different means and ways. He forces us to listen, pay attention, to attend to body, mind and emotions. He gives grief- through loss and endings, through death and dying; he reminds us of what is truly important as a result. What is lasting and what is not. And all that goes beyond the material plane of existence, and the rewards we get for our effective and meaningful actions that are aligned with Natural Laws. Structure is Saturn’s domain- of the physical human form, the muscle, bone and tissues- as well as the universe. He is old, he rules old age, and also that which comes with age. He is vata, air, and dries things out as a result. The absence of water (life) brings death, and when the water of the physical body dries up, we die. Saturn is a loner, and brings loneliness and separation. He reminds us of what is important as a result. In other words, we don’t get to take anything with us when we pass from this lila- this play of life. Just our karma’s. Saturn helps us ripen, like fruit on a tree. Once ripe, we loosen our hold and release our connection to the tree of life. This is why Saturn rules fall and winter, when vata increases, when fruit and leaves have ripened, fallen and dropped. The tree becomes bare, empty, and goes into a deep rest phase before awakening with the movement of sap in spring time. Working With Saturn, Not Against Him Saturn helps us ripen. He helps everything in our lives ripen. He helps us grow better with age. And when we resist his ways, we suffer. He wants consistency; methodical action. He wants us to be in tune with the cycles and rhythms of nature and the cosmos- not man made cycles and rhythms. (Ayurveda is the premier health science of Saturn. If you want to suffer less in the physical body, study Ayurvedic wisdom and the timeliness of eating, sleeping etc.) Saturn is a planet of renunciation, hard work, routine, asceticism, old age, the cycles and rhythms of life. (This is why Saturn is the planet of yoga and yoga is a metaphor for Saturn's ways: your hard work pays off, but it requires consistent practice). Obey Saturn’s disciplined guidelines, and you will be in alignment with him and with Natural Laws, but disobey these Laws and he will make you miserable. Perhaps this is why Libra is such a good position for him. Libra, after all, rules over balance, legal and political ideals and business markets. The overarching ruler of life, however, are the Laws of Nature, not man made laws. Nature's Laws are karmic. Think: every action has a reaction. This is the domain of Saturn. Saturn likes hard work, suffering, and has a “no pain, no gain” attitude. Though some of these darker tendencies may be mitigated being in a friendly sign, expect some tears and hardship before happy resolutions. After all, Saturn rules grief. How will you know Saturn is asking you to re-evaluate your actions? You will feel a pinch, some displeasure, anxiety, depression or grief. When the pain comes, as it surely will, this is our guide post along the Path; our reminder of where we are clinging and what we are clinging to, what changes we are resisting. If we hadn’t seen the attachment prior to this struggle, we have an opportunity to see it clearly now in the face of tragedy, our tears, our suffering. As Pema Chodron reminds us in her book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change: “When we resist change, it's called suffering.” And when we resist anything, it will ultimately hurt us. Working with Saturn's ways and not against him will help ease the suffering he brings. How Does Saturn Effect You? Looking at your own jyotish chart, see where Saturn sits. What sign is he in? What house? What planets does he sit with, if any? Saturn gives drishti to three, seven and ten houses away from himself. So these areas of your chart will also feel the slowness, the need for balance and age, in order for you to ripen properly. His effects on the 7th house will create slow ripening in relationships- either with late marriage, no marriage or to an older person. Saturn's effects on the 10th house will create a slow ripening in the career. This can effect how you offer your work and who you offer it to. It can also indicate that you are working with the physical body, with the elderly, or that you put in hard work and physical exertion for your career. Saturn connected with the 5th house can indicate having children very late in life, no children, or suffering through the children in some capacity. These are some examples of how Saturn can effect parts of our life based on the jyotish chart. In my next Saturn article, I will share more about Sadi Sati, a 7.5 year Saturn cycle that offers many lasting, life changing effects. Stay tuned! Need some extra guidance and clarity? Schedule a session with me. Plan your week in tune with nature. Never miss a Moon Mind post. Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Was this post helpful? Please share it with a friend! Thank you. Alexandra Levasseur. Title: Limbo #3 This painting by Alexandra Levasseur sparked something in me this morning. I identify with it on a visceral level; as if it is a painting of my insides. Recently I've been working with the theme of "limbo" in my personal artistic and therapeutic process. This theme started to emerge from my shadows as I painted and danced, using my intermodel body centered expressive art therapy practice. It's here. It's been here as long as I can remember, yet only recently was I able to identify it for what it is.
Limbo: it's a neither here nor there type feeling. It's not firmly grounded, yet not entirely uprooted either. There's a sense of always "preparing" for something that might be next, just around the corner, arriving today- or tomorrow, or the next. Limbo requires that we don't fully unpack our bags, that life stays in boxes ready for the inevitable changes of life and moving on. Limbo can be used as a protection mode, an internal set point that allows us to not get fully hurt or damaged. "It didn't really matter that much? I'll be moving on soon anyway." Limbo can show up as resignation, a sense of futility, a passivity in our energetics. We may try to take action, but we use limbo as our buffer to give padding for inevitable pains and disappointments. A session with my shaman and mentor was a catalyst in helping me identify this physical response. The tendency for me to "roll out" of my physical body too easily as a protection mechanism has been a default for me since childhood but I've been unaware of its consequences. This is actually quite common for those who have experienced trauma- especially early in life. Staying separate from what's going on within can be like having a "safe zone" to go to when things get too tough. But this doesn't bode well for life, or living fully, nor for one's sense of embodiment. This "neither here nor there" type feeling can be likened to a death process- the in between realms- when a soul is neither in a body nor in the higher realms. And so limbo is thus mirroring death in some ways. (Another reason it's so important to work with the emotional body and somatic embodiment awareness so that we can ground into what is happening rather than push it away. This is a big reason why I'm so passionate about a body centered approach to therapy- and of course the arts- as they are a big messenger for the inner landscape). Limbo can show up in our emotional body, our mental body and our physical body. It can appear as confusion, indecisiveness, lack of clarity, lack of purpose, a sense of disillusionment and overwhelm. It can cause us to lack commitment or refuse to commit. It can hinder action steps and send us into a state of depression as a result. As with any inner process that I'm witnessing in myself, I take it into my jyotish practice. I look at my chart. I assess the transits. I feel into the planetary implications- the felt sense of it all. Limbo can be related to sandhi planets. Sandhi is the gap; the inbetween space. The netherworld between signs if you will. Most schools of Vedic astrology consider this placement to be weak, to lack strength and clarity. Sandhi planets, who are just entering a sign or just leaving a sign can lack clarity, purpose and focus, just as I've described about the sense of being in limbo. Sandhi planets are indeed in limbo. (You can check for this in your own chart by looking for planets that are less then 2 degrees or over 28 degrees). It's true, sandhi planets lack the grounding and stability that a planet who is clearly situated within a sign may offer. It is as though the planet hasn't fully decided if it is in the house that it is in. It is on its way in or out, but hasn't decided which one it will be. Its bags are still packed, boxes are still full, and it may not know if it's here or there. It's a traveler. It's in limbo. This sense of here nor there, however, can offer some profound insights and awareness. Nothing is all good nor all bad, and this is quite true with sandhi planets. The gap offers us a connection to the mystical realms, the nether realms, and can offer great depth and awareness with what feels untouchable most of the time (or all the time depending on the individual). Planets that are sandhi offer potential, possibility, unique insights and depth as a result of their "otherworldly" connections. These are flexible planets and of course that can show up as versatility in a person as well. We can let this lack of grounding hinder us or give us great awareness. That is a choice. I like to remind my clients that what may appear to be a "negative", is in fact a great gift of some sort just waiting to be discovered. If there's any part of a chart that gives this type of indication so clearly, I think it is sandhi planets. The type of planet and its sign placement will effect the experience of the limbo dance, and the gift or offering within the chart as a result. In my natal chart I have a sandhi Saturn. Saturn represents the physical body, its structure, as well as our sense of support, stability and the ability to be consistent and methodical. The placement of my sandhi Saturn indicates that there may be some issues with these indications as a result of his "neither here nor there" placement. However, the gift here is that he offers me a very real experience of the physical body and the physical structure of the universe, that is beyond the mundane, the tangible. My lack of physical grounding has insisted that I put in much effort to change that; hence my passion for embodiment work. It will be my lifelong work, but I will gain much growth and grounding as a result. His placement in my 10th house insures that I will share my experiences of the body (internal body as well as universal body) with others as a result. This is not without constant effort, but knowing this expression of Saturn has been profound for me. As a result I've been working with my "limbo dance" in a very different way. Letting Saturn give me insights and awareness that I may have not been looking for if I didn't understand his complexities and unique placement in my chart. And perhaps all of this limbo work will eventually lead to unpacking my boxes and landing somewhere more permanently. As the planets change (every 2.5 days to 2.5 years) each goes through a time period of sandhi. These time periods offer us an experience of possibility and change, immense creativity and potential. At these times, we may feel unsettled, poised for change, but uncertain when it will come. These junction points may cause us to dream and scheme for something new, yet feel frustration that it isn't arriving soon enough or fast enough. Sandhi times are like a grace period and should be treated as such. Don't rush things, force agendas, or take untimely actions. Let the planet arrive firmly into its house before you force change, make decisions or take forward action steps. Find ways to surrender to your depths, to listen intently, quiet the mind, and settle into your inner knowing during sandhi planetary dances. The gap is a perfect time for meditation. These are times to harvest your inner riches; special times that are otherwise unavailable to us. Listen intently and use these time periods of sandhi, the gap, for the value that they can offer. Was this article helpful to you? Please share it! Not on my newsletter list yet? Please sign up! |
The Dharma BlogThe Dharma Circle FB GroupPodcasts
Archives
March 2017
Categories
All
|