Let's talk about Saturn transits.....maturity through tough love

Saturn, digital illustration by Stefanie Caponi

I woke up this morning thinking about Saturn. 

2020 was a heavy Saturnian year, with so many planets in Capricorn (Saturn-Pluto conjunction, Jupiter, etc.) Personally, I was having fiveSaturn transits, FIVE! It was a lonely year of isolation, restrictions, and the universe taking everything off my plate so I could take on 3 of the biggest projects of my life.

Saturn asked if I was up for the challenge of writing a book, the guidebook for Moon Void Tarot, (which I had been putting off for 2 years) to which I said yes, and I wrote it, formatted, and self published it in three weeks. Immediately following, because of Covid I lost all of my work, except my online web stores. Because I make income selling my tarot deck on Shopify and Etsy, I did not qualify for unemployment. I was terrified and depressed. 

After two weeks of wallowing, I asked myself, if I were a client having a reading, what advice would I give myself? Immediately, I started laughing, and a wave of excitement washed over me. I would tell myself that the universe was clearing out the shit that didn't matter, even if I thought it did - to make space in my life for something else. Almost immediately after I had that insight and calmed down, the first offer came in. 

A friend from my tarot circle, who is an art director at a publishing house reached out to ask if I had time to illustrate a novel. This was a dream come true. I had worked as a professional illustrator from 2011-2014 and nothing had felt meaningful until I illustrated Moon Void Tarot in 2017. I was beyond excited for the opportunity to make artwork for publication again. 

Only three weeks later did the second offer come. Almost exactly as Saturn dipped into Aquarius for a few brief moments in 2020, the email from Penguin Random House arrived. An editor had received Moon Void Tarot as a gift for her birthday, and wanted to know if I was available to write an introductory tarot book for them - Guided Tarot, you can pick up a copy here. The project would need to be completely written in under six weeks. I knew in that moment, exactly why I had lost all of my other work. Again, Saturn was asking if I was ready to take on the most responsibility of my life, juggling two books with competing deadlines. Saying no was not an option.

The gift of Saturn, is incredible growth and strides through extreme discipline and tough love. 

Many people loathe Saturn transits, because they are restrictive, filled with boundaries, setbacks, and delayed pleasure. The older we get, the more we can see the benefit of these times. Major Saturn transits occur every 7 years to check in to make sure you're on track with your life goals. 

This year, I began 2021 with Saturn opposing my Sun. When a slow moving planet connects with a personal planet, it is sure to bring long lasting changes, growth, and moments of discomfort. 

Before we get wrapped up in what that means for the future, it's helpful to examine the past, with Saturn, do so by examining your life in seven year increments. Because Saturn is opposing my natal sun, I'm looking back 14 years ago, when it was conjunct my sun for clues on what is ending, beginning, and karmically showing up to help me grow and mature. It is also important to notice which house your personal planet is and which house Saturn is in. The story is between the energy of Saturn and your personal planet (in this case I'm using the sun as example) and the houses. For me, my natal sun is in the 10th house and currently Saturn is transiting my 4th house. So the story is 4th house (home & family) vs. 10th house (career/legacy/reputation), and sun (ego/identity) vs. Saturn (maturity, growth). 

Fourteen years ago, while Saturn was in my 10th house conjunct my sun, was the year I got married, as well as the year I left a job that had no growth potential. Saturn pushed me to grow and mature by taking on more responsibility in my relationship, as well as pushing me out of a job I could no longer move forward with. 

Over the course of those fourteen years I went back to school, began a professional career as a hairdresser, started selling my artwork and eventually landed a lucrative illustration gig with an interior design magazine, while I explored the world with my husband, opened a food truck, and moved from apartments into our first home. 

At the seven year mark I was working 2 jobs, seven days a week and my marriage was getting rocky. My ex-husband told me I needed to give up something so we could spend more time together. I was too afraid to drop my huge clientele at the salon to pursue the unstable world of free-lance artistry, and I left my illustration job (which was my true passion). I vowed to recommit to my job at the salon and focus on my marriage instead of putting my attention into learning how to make a website for my art, network, and start working more as a commercial artist. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. Not surprisingly, my marriage fell apart and I left my job as a hairdresser less than 18 months later. 

This was Saturn's tough love. 

I had to give it all up to find my way back to my passion. It wasn't easy. I was unemployed for a year, and when I took a job working as a salon manager to help pay my astronomical NYC rent while I was making Moon Void Tarot, I was fired within a year of starting. Saturn wants me to focus on tarot, on my creativity, and being my own boss. What does Saturn want from you? If you are unclear on your purpose, you can always book a reading with me here.

This year we, as a collective are experiencing Saturn (in Aquarius) square Uranus (in Taurus). There will be themes of maturity, growth, and restriction vs. freedom, change, new ways of thinking and evolution. While the energy won't be restrictive in the ways that 2020 were, it will be a slow, bumpy ride on our way to true change. Too much control will bring about upheaval, and too much upheaval will bring terrible delays. Strive for balance between focusing on your goals while staying open to unexpected roadblocks, they are actually part of the path. Look at your Taurus house and your Aquarius house for more information on your personal themes for 2021.

Saturn pulls no punches. It says, pick the real thing that lights you up and put your focus into it, no matter how many delays and setbacks you encounter. Do you really want it? Like, really, REALLY want it? If you waffle, you'll probably fall on your ass. Harsh? Yup. That is Saturn. 

I'd love to hear your Saturn experiences! Please share if you feel called.