Saturn turns retrograde at 16 Sagittarius on Friday, March 25th. He’ll retrograde back to 9 degrees, turning direct on August 12th, 2016. Saturn will clear his shadow period in late November, 2016. Now what’s this mean?
It means you’re going to regroup. If you have Aries in your chart, you may frustrated, but only because you’re not seeing the big picture. A true winner realizes there are times when it’s best to retreat, restock, rest or replenish. Lose the battle, win the war.
There is no better analogy for Saturn but to think of a mountain one must climb. If you’ve never climbed a mountain – I have. Let me tell you how it works…
It’s a big mountain, visualize it. It’s entirely possible to come to a point on that mountain when you realize there’s an easier way. You might have gone off the trail.
When this happens, it may give a tactical advantage to backtrack until you find the path that will ultimately lead you to success.
In another case, you may have underestimated the mountain or overestimated yourself and your abilities. Basically, you see that you’re not going to make it unless you go back for something foundational. Food. Another canteen. A blanket. So basically you’re Progressing As You Retreat.
Now Sagittarius is concerned with faith. You may be held back for no reason you can discern. In this case, I’d try to develop the belief, the universe is conspiring in your best interest, even if you can’t discern the mechanics of it.
It will help to remember you are part of a very big picture. You may have to sit on the sidelines for awhile so someone else can go first…or perhaps be taken out so they won’t impede you when it is time to move ahead.
I hope you get the gist of this. Saturn retrograde with be mashed with Jupiter and Neptune throughout the entire period. Control freaks are at risk of going insane. Many people with Pluto (or Uranus) in Virgo will be deeply affected.
If you do struggle during this period, I have two things that will help:
Saturn in Sagittarius – A True Education
Saturn Square Neptune – Keeping It Together As Things Fall Apart
These workshops are cheap and effective. Both, together cost less than one hour of therapy. Your sanity is priceless.
Further, if you can come to truly understand these things, the knowledge will pay dividends for the rest of your life.
If you don’t need them, fine. But if you do need them, don’t hesitate. I put them together with great deliberation.
How do you see Saturn retrograde playing out in your life?
Thanks, Saturn, for running a train across my Sag moon not once, not twice, but three times.
My Ascendant will be feeling your pain. :/ *tired fist bump*
Hi Elsa,
Love your mountain analogy. Can you speak a little on why Aries will be particularly so frustrated? I was just starting to enjoy my “Birthday Year” delicious with all that fire energy and waiting for Venus on April 7th, and now is this the first bump in the road – and so early March 25th? Any advice would help!
Blessings,
Aries Rising
Aries is go, Go, GO! Also, now, Now, NOW! But the highest expression of Mars is when he’s in Saturn’s sign, Capricorn. So think of that.
There’s your game…and then there’s your advanced game.
No one plays an advanced game, right out of the gate. This include child prodigies, okay?
What a flash of insight: “the highest expression of Mars is when he’s in Saturn’s sign, Capricorn” … that’s his next stop. But what you point out to me is how the long haul of the climbing the mountain analogy plays in my life. With Saturn conjunct Mars in Leo natally, it is later in life that the highest expression takes place. The paths change on the way ‘up’ or ‘down’ and it’s a different body doing the climb as we age. Beautiful!
“It will help to remember you are part of a very big picture. You may have to sit on the sidelines for awhile so someone else can go first…or perhaps be taken out so they won’t impede you when it is time to move ahead.”
I never thought of it that way before.
Thank you Elsa! I will do that. ?
My Pisces Moon conjunct Chiron and Virgo Pluto are opposed natal, zero degrees.
This Saturn retrograde and direct will square both exactly for the transit until November.
I thought Saturn square Saturn last year was tough, this is proving to be no better.
I will be glad to see 2016 come to an end, and it’s only Spring.
Me being a Capricorn with Saturn being good to me in my progressed chart (for the most part) I’m not sure what to make of this…
Ah never mind. I re-looked. I was wrong. This should be awesome for me actually.
…my problem right now is satuen and Pluto square Venus…progressed though…but I’ve been looking into this in my progression hipstory and have been making some connections. Like, the man that’s been sort of in my life lately. Total Pluto/Saturn type of guy. Was scary at first but now it isn’t. Because I’ve gained strength and sort of transitioned. He even commented on it, “I can feel you changing and I don’t know if I like it.” Then he broke up with me. Then right after he called me back to tell me he was in love with me and couldn’t let me go. I don’t know what’s going to happen with this…
My Pluto is at 7 degrees Virgo, so Saturn will be going back to squaring it. It will also be squaring my Chiron at 9 degrees Pisces. Don’t know what to expect, but if anything significant happens I will let you know.:)
This is a great post, Elsa!
Thank you. 🙂
I have decided to try and aquire more college credits, I class or course at a time so as to be eligible for a home appraiser course as I just got my real estate licence And will be attending septic inspector cram course. Boo yay I am Capricorn home family water values who am I and driving a bus not enough?
“Many people with Pluto (or Uranus) in Virgo will be deeply affected.”
Uh oh! Both myself and the love of my life have Uranus AND Pluto in Virgo. We have both been going though the toughest times of our lives…. <>
I think Saturn retrograde is also a perfect time for long-postponed weight loss.
Agreed, Anna! Saturn in Sag is in my first house, I’ve read that people often lose weight or undergo some exterior transformation during this time. I clearly have not tackled this when Saturn was direct, I just got a new driver’s licence today, the photo is awful! I thought “time for a haircut and some weight loss” as I was driving home from the DMV.
Elsa, I love the mountain-climbing analogy. When I was in Austria years ago my friends and I got off the trail hiking in the Alps. We went down into a valley where there was a little lodge, thinking that somehow that would get us back down to Innsbruck since we were so far from the gondola lift that took us up to the top. The lady there, speaking mostly German, was able to tell us that no, we had to go hike back to the top, to the peak of the ridge of that mountain, then go over it to the other side and all the way back down. I was like “are you kidding me” but yes, we had to backtrack to ultimately go “forward” again to get off the mountain before dark fell. We made it. I will never let my friends navigate a hike again! I will try to remember my own mountain analogy during this retrograde time!
Elsa, you are too good! This is the best explanation I have come across for Saturn retrograde. I guess this applies to other planets as well.
Superb!
This shadow period has been slow, for me. But I’ve made some good out of it. I think I’m going to keep doing what I have been doing, and just observe everything as it unfolds. And definitely regroup.
With both Saturn and Jupiter in my first house,and both Pluto and Uranus and Virgo in the 8th house,I am sure to feel this influence.
Thankyou Elsa! Feel better now my birthday is over, with celebrating to do.
What if you have natal Saturn retrograde
The first thing that comes to mind is you’re probably more comfortable with the concept of falling back for a purpose. 🙂
Lose the weight of my dad’s negativity. I don’t need to carry that shit in my body anymore.