Saturn into Scorpio: Prepare the Way - Carol Ann Ciocco

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause-there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.

- William Shakespeare, 'Hamlet'

As we speak, Saturn is preparing the way for the closing portal of 2012 as this magnificent ringed planet moves out of the sign of Libra and into the sign of Scorpio today, October 5, 2012 at 4:33pm EDT.

We have just emerged from a very powerful Equinox experience (as discussed in my previous newsletter which can be found here: http://conta.cc/R1lYfM) characterized by the Uranus-Pluto square and culminating in a very intense Full Moon that brought us plenty of awareness, illumination and information. Pay attention to what happened in your life, what you were thinking about, the cast of characters, and especially how you felt, under the Full Harvest Moon of September 28, 29 and 30. If you don't remember, go back and review that time during your prayer and meditation. Review the entire 11-day period from September 18 - 29. Here you will find clues concerning what needs to be jettisoned from your life in order for you to move forward, as well as seeds for the new cycle. Your willingness to surrender to the natural process of change paves and prepares the way. 

Saturn will remain in the sign of Scorpio (minus some retrograde time) for about 2 years, until December 23, 2014. Saturn returns to any given zodiac sign approximately every 28-29 years. The last time Saturn was in Scorpio was between November 29, 1982 and November 16, 1985. In particular think back to 1982-3 and realize that similar themes will emerge for you as did at that time. This will inform your review. What did you let go of at that time? Do you need to let go of something similar now, at a higher octave? Or are you on a totally new arc on a totally new spiral? Did you resist the changes wanting to be born? What were your goals and how have they evolved? In general, how was your experience of this shift back then?

from 'Be Here Now' - Baba Ram Dass

Saturn's shift into Scorpio casts a Shadow of Opportunity. We are now invited to *shuffle off our mortal coil*, i.e. to shed our ancient ways just as a snake sheds its skin. Cayelin Castell writes: "For the next two years, Saturn is moving through the sign of Scorpio and like a snake shedding its skin will be shedding the old forms, old beliefs, old ways of being that no longer work in favor of new forms and new ways of being that are intensely, passionately alive."

Interestingly, the planetary configuration of Saturn moving into Scorpio is the doppelganger of the long-term epochal configuration going on right now: Pluto in Capricorn (2008 - 2024). Saturn is associated with Capricorn, and Pluto is associated with Scorpio. In other words, these two configurations will work very well together and will bring the point home in a way that we can't ignore. In general terms, Saturn is known as the Lord of Karma, and Pluto is known as the Lord of Death. No need to take it literally: Karma is opportunity. Death is change.

And so some of the subjects on the agenda now can include:  

SCORPIO challenges: secretive and distrustful; manipulation and trying to control people or situations; jealousy and possessiveness; using power to dominate others; inability to control anger, sometimes even leading to violence; mobsters and organized crime (with the Capricorn influence this becomes the "banksters"); an urge for destruction; compulsion and addiction; merging with other people in a way that denies them their own identity; use of spiritual power to harm others; trauma and abuse; self hatred (the scorpion, in real life, stings itself more than it stings any other creature) 

SCORPIO gifts: profound metaphysical and psychic gifts (which, on the down side, may be combined with a reluctance to use them for fear of being "burned" - once addressed a great spiritual being emerges); understanding of what is deep and hidden; the ability to penetrate into the depths of hell (the deep subconscious) for oneself and as a guide for others (as Virgil was to Dante); intense passion and sexuality; endurance and determination; right use of personal will; claiming your power and using it wisely in the world; rising up from adversity and regenerating like a phoenix from the ashes; ability to re-invent oneself; ability to use the Law of Attraction and, like a magician, create anything they desire - but learning to create only that which is in alignment with the Will of the Divine (Merlin); walking on the edge and being fully alive. 

SCORPIO modalities: hospice work, working with the kundalini, shamanism, tantric sex, psychology, nuclear power, criminology (crime scene investigators and police detectives).

It's important to know that Scorpio will not tolerate lies. Scorpio demands Truth and if you are trying to pull a fast one, will see right through you and call you on it. Politicians who lie during this election season can forget about getting away with it. On a personal level, here is a challenge for you to get honest, not only with others but especially with yourself. Living an authentic life is the mandate here. And if we aren't living authentically, forces will conspire, pressure will build, making it almost impossible to ignore the call for True Integrity in all areas of our lives.   

This is just a short list of Scorpio themes, but please do factor it in to your meditations at this time. A celestial wind is at your back. Saturn points the way toward the 2012 closing portal, creating a boundary that we can cross only after leaving our baggage behind. Saturn's presence in the powerful sign of Scorpio gives us the means to make deep and lasting structural changes in our lives.