The Magic Ahead: Consciously Creating with the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction of 2020

This fall comes with big energetic shifts.  We are now embarking on the final leg of the journey leading to a significant astrological event that will occur on January 12th, 2020 - the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn.  The last time this happened was in January of 1518. The stage is being set now through the energetic prism of the current lunar cycle in Libra.  This carries with it a heavy dose of the energies of Scorpio, punctuated by the involvement of the sign's planetary ruler - Lord of the Underworld, Pluto.

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Autumn Equinox:  the Gateway to fall and Beginning of Libra Season...

With the autumn equinox in September, the sun moved into Libra - this was the beginning of both "Libra season" and fall. 

The lunar cycle always works with the themes revolving around the sun representing masculine energy in the form of our "light of consciousness" and the moon representing feminine energy by representing our subconscious - both hidden from our awareness and as certain aspects become illuminated by the light of the sun.  When the sun is in Libra, the new moon occurs when the sun and moon come together in Libra, and the full moon features the sun shining from the consciousness of Libra onto the moon in opposing sign Aries.  With Libra representing relationships and other, and Aries representing the self, and their respective rulers Venus and Mars representing the divine feminine and divine masculine, during the Libran lunar cycle we are exploring a deeper level of these masculine and feminine energies including and yet beyond the sun and moon, consciousness and the subconscious, light and shadow.  

The new moon in Libra occurred about one week after the equinox, on September 28th.  Venus and Mercury had already moved into Libra ahead of the sun, but Mars was still lingering in Virgo.

As the planetary ruler of Libra, Venus is strong here in her own sign.  Venus rules over love, relationships, love expression, beauty, and self-worth.  Venus represents the divine feminine and how we attract our desires to us and our receptivity.  Libra is the sign of relationships, harmony, balance, peace, justice and cooperation. 

Aries is the sign opposite Libra, and the sign of self.  Together they form the axis of the zodiac that asks us to balance self and other in our lives.  A good example of a healthy expression of the Aries/Libra axis is having a solid sense of self before entering into relationship with another.  Mars rules Aries, and represents the divine masculine.  Mars goes after desires directly.  Mars is our assertiveness, as well as our ability to confront, to challenge, and to protect. 

While the sun is in Libra, bringing the light of consciousness to relationships and how we achieve cooperation, balance and harmony, we begin the lunar cycle with the sun and moon coming together in Libra, focusing our intention on relationships.  But at the full moon on October 13th, the moon will be in Libra's opposite sign of Aries, and the sun in Libra will be illuminating the subconscious shadows that hide at the opposite end of the spectrum, within Aries, that might pose challenges to those intentions around relationships we set at the new moon.   

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The lunar cycle of Libra with a Plutonian undertow...

Themes of relationship, the divine masculine and feminine, confrontation versus diplomacy, and self versus other are all energies inherent to the sun in Libra and the resulting lunar cycle.  However, because of specific additional events last week, we began this lunar cycle of relationship heavily influenced with Pluto/Scorpio energy.  This was due to Pluto stationing direct in Capricorn (in challenging aspect no less to Venus in Libra), Mercury's ingress into Scorpio, and Mars' ingress into Libra.  On Tuesday October 8th, Venus moved into Scorpio, intensifying the Plutonian undertow which is growing beneath the surface of this Libran lunar cycle.

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As we set the stage for the big finale, (which is the meeting of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn on January 12th,) we do so through the energetic prism of the sun, light of consciousness, shining from Libra, the sign of other, relationship, beauty, peace, harmony, balance, fairness and justice.  

To understand how this is all weaving together, we look to the rulerships - in this case Pluto and Saturn and the signs they rule, and Libra and Aries and their planetary rulers, to gain insight as the sun moves through the signs of Libra, Scorpio, and then Sagittarius, actually ending up in Capricorn to shine the light of consciousness on the stage of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in January.

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Understanding the Rulerships of the Involved Planets and Signs and their Associations as well as Current Interaction = Understanding the Bigger Picture....

Pluto, along with Neptune and Uranus, is known as one of the "outer planets," as they were all discovered with the aid of technology and lie beyond Saturn, which is the last planet we can see with the naked eye. 

Because Saturn is the last planet seen without the use of modern technology, it carries the themes of limits and boundaries, along with time, things old and/or slow, karma, responsibility, work, discipline, consequences, structures and lessons.  Saturn was an agricultural god and resonates with sayings such as "you reap what you sow" and "freedom through discipline".  The sign of the zodiac ruled by Saturn is Capricorn - the sign of the father, authority, and political and financial systems.  

Pluto was discovered in 1930, at the same time depth psychology was rising in popularity and the atomic bomb was discovered.  Until Pluto's discovery, Mars ruled both Aries and Scorpio, but to modern astrologers, Pluto rules Scorpio, and Mars, because of its traditional rulership of Scorpio, then has a secondary affiliation.  

Mars, as ruler of Aries, is defined as the warrior, the protector, the leader, and the pioneer.  Mars represents our passion, our assertion, our motivation, our anger, and the self as well as the divine masculine that resides in all of us.  

Venus represents the divine feminine and rules the sign opposite of Aries, Libra, which is the sign of relationships.  

Saturn rules Capricorn, and represents the father, authority, and the patriarchy, as well as political and financial structures and systems.  

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The Libra-Aries and Libra-Capricorn Relationships....

In the zodiac, Libra is the element of air, and Capricorn is the element of earth; both are cardinal in modality, meaning they both begin seasons - fall and winter respectively - and they are always at a ninety degree angle to each other.  A ninety degree angle forms an astrological aspect known as a square, which represents an intersection of energies.  When these are activated by planets in these signs, at this angle in the heavens, what we experience is a challenge that brings forced growth into our lives.  Essentially we are required to find a way to bring harmony to these energies that are at odds as they play out in some specific situation in our lives.  

As we move into Libra season, the sun moves into Libra, and then the sun and moon meet to begin the lunar cycle in Libra.  The "personal planets" - Mercury (the mind, thoughts and communications), Venus (the divine feminine, love, relationships, beauty and self-worth), and Mars (the divine masculine, motivation, passion, aggression, assertiveness, leadership, drive, protection, confrontation and anger) - are never too far behind (or ahead). 

Saturn and Pluto have both been retrograde in Capricorn (remember at a ninety degree angle to Libra).  Saturn turned direct back on September 18th, just before equinox, and Pluto turned direct just last Thursday October 3rd.  Now both in forward motion, the two are moving steadily toward their conjunction that will take place on January 12th, 2020.  (This is a larger cycle at play to pay attention to now as energies are building in Capricorn towards this meeting of two heavyweight planets.)

Pluto turning direct last week in square aspect to Venus in Libra had all kinds of undertow.  But over last weekend, (the 5th and 6th) as the moon moved through Capricorn, we had an opportunity to receive our first messages (if we were listening) from Saturn and Pluto respectively, with both planets direct. 

On October 13th, the full moon in Aries will be revealing even more new information to us around all of these themes.  

While Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn represent power, truth, transformation, elimination, regeneration and rebirth of authority, themes of the patriarchy and the father, through the prism of well-established and far-reaching political, social and financial systems, the influence of Mars/Aries and Venus/Libra are adding themes of the divine feminine (and masculine), the polarities of self and other, the importance of relationship and necessity of union, along with our desire for balance, fairness, justice and harmony to the mix.  

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Pluto Direct in Capricorn, Mercury into Scorpio, Mars into Libra, Venus into Scorpio, with Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio on Deck....

Last week, the same day in fact that Pluto stationed direct, there were two additional big shifts of energy:  Mercury moving into Scorpio and Mars moving into Libra.  On top of that, Venus moved into Scorpio on October 8th, and the  Mercury retrograde preshadow will begin October 11th, with Mercury stationing retrograde in Scorpio on Samhain/Halloween on October 31st. 

​The sun moves into Scorpio officially beginning a month of Mars/Pluto ruled "Scorpio season" on October 23rd, but with all of the activity over the past week and a half involving Pluto and Scorpio, including the Libra's ruler Venus moving on into Scorpio, this Libra season is carrying a strong Scorpio vibe.

Pluto Direct in Capricorn (square Venus in Libra) Oct. 3rd
Just five days after the new moon in Libra, the god of transformation and rebirth stationing direct in forced growth aspect to the ruler of this lunar cycle, the goddess of love, had the hours leading up to midnight (mountain time) on the night of the 2nd/morning of the 3rd fraught with intensity.  Both Pluto and Saturn have been retrograde since April.  Saturn turned direct just before equinox on September 18th, and Pluto followed suit last week.  Now both direct, they are moving toward their conjunction in Capricorn on January 12th, 2020.  Saturn is the father archetype, authority, responsibility, discipline and karma.  Pluto is transformation, death and rebirth, elimination and regeneration, as well as issues involving power, secrets, and unearthing hidden truths. Capricorn is finances and work, including societal structures and big systems such as political and financial ones.  Globally the themes of Saturn and Pluto retrograde in Capricorn then moving toward their conjunction might involve us being shown what is rotten beneath the surface of our political and financial systems, in our personal lives this could show up, especially with Pluto stationing direct in square to Venus in Libra, as issues or challenges around power, authority, and finances in relationship that has to do with self-worth issues and/or a tendency to sweep problems under the rug to have things look good on the surface to please others and be liked.  

Mercury into Scorpio Oct. 3rd
Mercury is the messenger and rules our mind and thoughts.  When this god of communication moves from simpatico air sign Libra into the deep waters of Scorpio, the driving factor behind our thoughts is likely to shift from Libra's focus on creating harmony and relationship to Scorpio's focus on getting down to the truth of the matter, no matter how unpleasant. 

Mars into Libra Oct. 3rd
Mars, has spent an extended stay in Virgo and is the last of the personal planets to arrive in Libra.  Libra, being opposite Aries and Venus-ruled, is the opposite sign of Mars and therefore not a naturally comfortable place for the warrior.  We rely on Mars when we need to confront and to assert.  But these things are frowned upon in the land of Libra, so during this transit our warrior has to stretch to find ways to express and retain authenticity and sense of self that don't alienate others.  Finding new pathways to honor self and other and retain a sense of authenticity and integrity while creating healthy relationships is the high side of this energy.  Getting stuck in passive-aggressive behavior is the low side.

Venus into Scorpio Oct. 8th
The goddess of love, beauty and relationship (also of our values and value of self) moves into Scorpio - a sign ruled in modern astrology by Lord of the Underworld and god of transformation Pluto, but traditionally ruled by Mars, ruler of Libra's opposing sign of Aries.  The Divine Feminine is now in the deep waters of the collective psyche and subconscious - a place that not too long ago was ruled by her polarity, the Divine Masculine.  Scorpio is a sign of being unafraid of the dark.  It is a place where the truth is favored over comfort, where sugar-coating what is difficult to digest and telling white lies to keep everyone happy is considered blasphemous.  The truth and the dark are rich with both beauty and value.  Venus transiting Scorpio lends itself to deep soul connections and unearthing truths about our value of self and how that plays out in how we show up in relationship.  We must first have relationship with self to be in relationship with other.  We must be apart in order to come together.  We must be whole unto ourselves before we can experience a whole greater than the sum of its parts in union.   We must die in order to be reborn.

Mercury Retrograde preshadow begins Oct. 11th
Mercury turns retrograde in Scorpio on October 31st.  The messenger appears to fly backwards through the sign of the occult, the taboo, the shadowlands, truth, secrets, power struggles, transformation, death and rebirth, healing, regeneration - the witch - beginning on that night of the year when the veils are said to be the thinnest with the soul's of the dearly departed roaming the earth.  Mercury will turn direct November 20th, just two days before the sun moves into Sagittarius, where we will reclaim our fire and foundation of beliefs before entering Capricorn season when we cross the threshold into winter at solstice, and honor the nurturing we receive from the dark, on this longest night of the year.

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​With the autumn equinox, the sun brought our conscious focus to relationships, balance, harmony, fairness and justice as it entered Libra.  As we move through the lunar cycle of Libra, we will also be exploring the axis of the zodiac that Libra forms with opposite sign Aries - the axis of self and other, the axis of relationship.  At the same time, with Saturn and Pluto now direct in Capricorn, we are moving towards the culmination of a huge astrological cycle that was begun in 1518, when the last Saturn-Pluto conjunction occurred.  With Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn forming a square angle to Libra, and all of the activity now occurring there, we are now being tasked with working through some challenges between the two. Part of these challenges are showing up because of the extra dose of Pluto and Scorpio we are experiencing even from the very beginning of this Libra season - Pluto direct in Capricorn squaring Venus in Libra, Mercury into Scorpio, Mars into Libra, and Venus into Scorpio, with the Aries full moon and then sun into Scorpio on deck,  followed by the upcoming Mercury retrograde in Scorpio.  

Mercury will turn direct in Scorpio just two days before the sun shifts our light of consciousness from the deep truths of Scorpio to the personal truths and beliefs of Sagittarius.  Sagittarius brings us the optimistic enthusiasm that allows us to set off on our Fool's Journey out into the world. 

​But first, over the coming weeks, we must make that journey into our own underworld and into our own subconscious to meet the truth of our own shadows.  This need not be a journey of sorrow and loss though.  We have been doing this work for some time now.  We have been preparing for this.  And this in turn is preparing ​us for our big date with destiny in January, for when Pluto and Saturn come together in Capricorn, we are being given the opportunity - an opportunity that does not present itself once in a lifetime, or even once a century - to reclaim our own inherent power and authority and recalibrate our relationship to it in the world in which we exist. 

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