Dear Elsa,
What do you do when you feel completely stuck and can’t make a decision? I’ve recently found myself in a situation which is very open. I can do anything with my life right now provided I can find a way to support myself. Part of me wants to take a risk and make a big move to a place where I think I could be happy, but since there are no guarantees in life, I’m nervous to do so.
I could stay put and find work in the place where I grew up, but I don’t get the feeling that that would make me too happy. Either decision feels like it’s going to be rather permanent. I don’t want to box myself in, nor do I want to go out on a limb only to fail. So I guess the main question is, take a risk or not? Are there ways to tell in a chart better times to take risks and better
times to bide time?
Feeling Stuck
United States
Dear Feeling,
I definitely think there are better times to take risks… the combination of Jupiter (luck) and Uranus (unexpected) comes to mind first but your situation smacks of Saturn and Pluto. Bottom line you are suffering security fears and heading into your Saturn return which creates pressure to get it right. So in your case, I would say it’s time to make a move but only after careful consideration which is exactly what you are doing.
Since Jupiter is in Capricorn, getting the perspective of someone(s) older than you is also a good idea but once you’ve gathered your sample, you will ultimately be forced to make this decision yourself which is exactly as it should be since you will be the one living with the consequences.
I would offer one more note on the chance it allays some of your fears. You state that your decision will be “rather permanent” and this kind of thinking can feed the terror of making a mistake and I have an analogy for this, tailored to your stellium in Cancer that rules the home.
The first time someone buys a house, they are sitting there in the closing signing what is typically a 30 year mortgage or commitment. This process overwhelms almost everyone… who the hell wants to sign on for 30 years!
However when you realize (still in the middle of signing the documents) that in reality you can sell the house, it is pretty easy to relax and I hope you get my point. Some of this is a paper tiger.
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Have you ever taken a successful risk? Ever not taken a risk and regretted it?
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I took a huge risk a few years ago. While it hasn’t been easy, I feel it was the better path for my life. I know the following is a corny quote but it’s true for me.
“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.”
feelingstuck – i sympathize. i was born a couple of months or so before you, judging from the chart. i’m currently living thru saturn conjunct my sun and my saturn return & i had an intense period of panic about my life direction (similar to what you describe) about a year ago.
currently things are looking a little greener but, i had to make some decisions to get to safety again. even though everything seemed urgent (and some things were – mostly the internal process of figuring out what i wanted), in reality, things have moved a lot slower, giving me time to revise and rethink. saturn is intense! it’s like a constant, slow, burning focus…but you adjust! remember to take vacations or recharge however you do during the process.
i noticed you also have NN in leo and the eclipses are in leo-aqu this year!
Take the risk. Nothing is truly permanent despite your impressions of being stuck right now. You’re a Cancer – you can make your home & family and that necessary security where ever you go.
Even when I’ve failed to the point of embarrassment, I think it’s better that I at least tried. Life’s tough, but it’s a lot harder when you don’t try to see if it could be better out in the unknown.
Hm… for more information, I would ask what was going on around May 2002, then through the summer and a spot of the following year, because there might be a lesson in your life experiences then that’s important to now. With a Saturn return coming up, Saturn first hits square to Venus — in 2002, Saturn was square Saturn but first conjunct Venus. Saturn-Venus transit aspects are pretty telling on the security front, especially the conjunction as it marks the finale of something and beginning of something else. Soon is the time for further alterations of whatever that was.
Apparently I have two CEO’s in my chart, one that likes to take risks and one that is cautious. Everything is great as long as they work together.
I’ve never taken a risk. I can’t bring myself to. Uck.
I don’t necessarily think I regret it, because the big walloping fear of not having a secure living outshouts every desire for fun. But I wish I was more of a daring type who didn’t care about those things. Not happening in this life though.
Take the chance on happiness…it may not come around again for a long time. Life is full of opportunities for happiness, but the key to actually getting some of it is to jump in and capitalize on such an opportunity. It’s wise to wait for the right chance, but once you see it, go for it with all you’ve got. Life is too short for being stuck, avoiding risk. Just do it 🙂
I’m in a very similar situation and it sucks. I moved back home and I know that if I stay in this town I will be here forever and I will not be happy. I would love nothing more than getting the heck out of Dodge. Dream: travel, live in Europe for awhile. Reality: Staying in this stuck little town, working crap jobs and just existing. I feel like this is my first really significant Saturn lesson. I can’t offer any advice but I can definitely sympathize.
You have natal saturn in the northern hemisphere of your chart(5th house). This indicates to me that the focus of your saturn return will be more internally manifested than external manifested.
If you move this year or early next year you will have a couple things stacked against you. Not only will you be going through your saturn return but saturn will also be squaring your natal venus by transit and that can indicate financial restrictions. If you sit tight, ride out your saturn return and wait till saturn conjuncts your mars in Libra (oct 09)you might have a better outcome. Especially since there are some nice supporting aspects in Oct 09 like transiting jupiter in your 10th opposing your north node in the fourth and creating a grand trine with your natal venus in the 2nd and pluto in the 6th. In addition, transiting uranus creates another grand trine with your natal sun/venus in the third and your natal uranus in the 7th. These aspects seem to be more supportive of the type of change you want to make in your life than aspects in the sky right now. Perhaps you can use this next year to build a solid mental, emotional,physical,and financial platform from which to make the life changes you need to make to responsibly and effectively express your unique self(saturn in the fifth).
Just my thoughts. Take care and best of luck.