Saturn Has Just Gone Direct in Aquarius
Illustration by Amber Jay (me!)
Many of us are very familiar with “Mercury Retrograde”. It’s a phrase that instantly inspires fear and worry, due to the wild stories and bad omens that seem to crop up in and around the event. But “Mercury Retrograde” is actually short for “Mercury retrograde period” because it refers to a period when the planet Mercury slows down in the sky so much so that it appears to be moving backwards to us here on Earth. Understanding these details completely changes the symbolism behind what a retrograde period means. It goes from being about things going wrong and acting up, to being about reflection, reconsideration, and recalibration. Retrogrades force us to slow down so that we can see and feel things we previously weren’t able to.
Did you know that all of the planets have retrograde periods? A very important planet’s retrograde period has just come to an end: Saturn, the planet of time, discipline, bounds, and limits; the planet that says “no” for our own good.
A very important planet’s retrograde period has just come to an end: Saturn, the planet of time, discipline, bounds, and limits; the planet that says “no” for our own good.
For the last four and a half months (since May 23, 2021) Saturn has been in a retrograde period, meaning that it was moving slowly and deliberately “backwards” through the sign of Aquarius. This means that the energy of time and discipline was encouraging us to slow way down and to practice a sort of methodical reflection on how we perceive our reality. What are we bound by in this existence? We were made to review the restrictions and rules that we are held to or that we hold ourselves to.
Some restrictions are good, like formulating and sticking to a budget in order to create financial freedom for yourself. But some are bad, like insecurities, which are beliefs you have about yourself that restrict you from going after the blessings you deserve. When Saturn is retrograde, it invites situations into our lives that help us to think about where the Universe is saying “no” to us. Over time, we see that some “no”’s are actually to our benefit. Maybe somewhere down the line you see why it never worked out with that crush you had, because it turns out you were meant to meet the love of your life four months later. Or maybe you understand why you never got a call back to a job you applied to because someone tells you all about what a disorganized company they are. There are many rejections we receive that are actually reroutings to a better path that we just can’t see in the moment.
Sometimes Saturn retrogrades work by making us hyperaware of our personal boundaries, if that’s what we need.
A Saturn retrograde period will make it loud and clear where you are lacking healthy boundaries, and this can be hard, and even painful to accept, especially if you realize that you’ve been allowing your boundaries to be crossed by someone or something you love. It can make you feel trapped in a relationship, job, or lifestyle that all of a sudden doesn’t feel fair or beneficial. Be careful not to feel shame about this. Saturn retrograde is what makes you aware of it, but Saturn direct gives you opportunities to correct it.
With Saturn going direct, it’s time to put all of the knowledge and wisdom you’ve been accumulating about the vision of your life into physical practice. What type of friends do you have to have? What do you want your daily life to look like? What types of networks do you want to be apart of? And what limits, restrictions, rules, and regulations can you adhere to to make sure you get to where you’re trying to go? You will know if a restriction is good or bad by the freedom it grants you over time, or by the bondage it holds you in for what feels like forever, respectively. Saturn going direct will let you know if the rules and restrictions in your life are working for you or against you, and what, if anything, needs to change.
