A major astrological story since 2008 has been the transiting opposition of Saturn and Uranus, with five passes. Here is the rundown of the dates and degrees, with the degrees rounded up, as well as the Sabian Symbols for the degrees involved.
November 4, 2008 at 19 Virgo/Pisces
– 19 Virgo: A Swimming Race
– 19 Pisces: A Master Instructing His Disciple
February 5, 2009 at 21 Virgo/Pisces
– 21 Virgo: A Girls’ Basketball Team
– 21 Pisces: Under The Watchful And Kind Eye Of A Chinese Servant, A Girl Fondles A Little White Lamb
September 15, 2009 at 25 Virgo/Pisces
– 25 Virgo: A Flag At Half-Mast In Front Of A Public Building
– 25 Pisces: A Religious Organization Succeeds In Overcoming The Corrupting Influence Of Perverted Practices and Materialized Ideals
April 26, 2010 at 29 Virgo/Pisces
– 29 Virgo: A Seeker After Occult Knowledge Is Reading An Ancient Scroll Which Illumines His Mind
– 29 Pisces: Light Breaking Into Many Colors As It Passes Through A Prism
July 26, 2010 at 1 Aries/Libra
– 1 Aries: A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her
– 1 Libra: In A Collection Of Perfect Specimens Of Many Biological Forms, A Butterfly Displays The Beauty Of Its Wings, Its Body Impaled By A Fine Dart
I like how the Sabian Symbols tell a story. We begin with a sense of both competition and of being taught and watched over by someone who has more life experience than we have. At the midpoint we mourn the past as we also eliminate anything that is corrupt and outdated. We then move into a state of illumination of mind and spirit. Finally we have a new beginning which is somehow both beautiful and bittersweet.
My Ascendant is 19 Virgo, and the first pass of Saturn opposite Uranus was exactly conjunct my Ascendant to the minute! I have been undergoing a lot of changes since this transit began, that’s even without mentioning that transit Uranus flirted with my Descendant for over a year before this opposition involving Saturn hit. I want to talk about two of the biggest changes, love and moving to a new home, which are somewhat related.
In September or October 2008 I decided I wanted to move, preferably west. I have lived in Michigan my entire life and during a trip to Sedona I decided I was ready for a big change. This was just before the first exact hit and at the time transit Saturn was also squaring natal Saturn and my Midheaven which are conjunct.
Saturn opposite Uranus falls in my 1st house to 7th house axis and I think it’s important to remember that even when the 1/7 axis is not in orb of a square to the 4/10 house axis that 1/7 is by nature square 4/10. I heard Noel Tyl make that point once and I think it is very important. It is why people feel torn between career (10) and family (4), and between the needs of their committed partner (7) and their own needs (1). But I digress, and my Midheaven is at 17 Gemini so is certainly in orb of a square to my Ascendant anyway. What I am trying to say is that when the four angles of the chart are affected, all areas of life are affected: self, other, home and career. And only one of those angels needs to be touched by a transiting planet for all four angles to be affected.
I wasn’t sure how I would manifest a move out west but was certain I wanted to do this. I let the idea be for a time.
On January 31, 2009 (a few days before the 2nd exact pass of Saturn opposite Uranus) I met a wonderful man. My birthday is February 15 so the opposition was in my solar return in a tight aspect for 2009 as well (and it fell in the 4/10 axis in my return chart). We started dating and by the next exact pass of Saturn opposite Uranus in September 2009 we had decided to relocate to San Francisco together. My sweetheart grew up there and desired to return, he had stayed in Michigan to court me. We moved in together in Michigan on Halloween 2009 in preparation of moving across the country.
I strongly desire to change my career as well as my location. Of note I took a Reiki class in October 2008 and became a Reiki Master in March of 2010. I plan to transition into a career as an energy worker and Reiki Master when I move to California and I think the timing of these things speaks to this transit, too.
Currently as I write this in April 2010 I am trying to figure out the logistics of moving to California from Michigan. I have a lot to figure out including an upside-down mortgage in a rotten housing market, but I see the 4th exact pass coming up and I know it will help take me where I want to go. The 4th pass falls at 29 Virgo/Pisces and is in harmonious aspect to my 4th house ruler Jupiter at 29 Capricorn.
By the time the last pass hits in July I should be established in California with my sweetheart. My home, relationships, career and my approach to life all will have changed dramatically. Since my progressed Venus is in my 7th house at 1 Aries I think I can speculate on how that final pass might manifest itself, but I’ll keep that speculation to myself.
I could point to a lot of other influences during this same time period from all the planets, notable transits from Pluto, Neptune and even Jupiter. But we can learn a lot from looking at just Saturn opposite Uranus. Old versus New. Tradition versus Innovation. Habit versus Change. Things will never again be the same, and that’s a good thing.
There is one more change I need to implement while this aspect is still going on, and that is weight loss. I have gained some weight during this opposition, even with transit Saturn in my first house. I think it is the extra stress. But now I need to use my Saturnian discipline while Saturn has returned to Virgo to make the needed changes and stick to the desired regimen I need in order to successfully lose weight.
Nikki Neal
This Aquarian Life 