SATURN IN AQUARIUS: LEADERSHIP IN THE MARGINS
On Saturday March 21st at 8:58pm PST, Saturn entered Aquarius for the first time since 1991. For those of you with Saturn in Aquarius (born between Feb 1991 - Jan 1993 or Jan 1962 - Dec 1964), your Saturn return begins now. Here are some key dates to know about Saturn’s passage in 2020:
March 21st: Saturn entered Aquarius
May 10th: Saturn stations retrograde at 1°57’ Aquarius
July 1st: Saturn (still retrograde) re-enters Capricorn
September 28th: Saturn stations direct at 25°20’ Capricorn
December 16th: Saturn re-enters Aquarius, its official residence until March of 2023
Traditionally, Saturn is an agricultural god. Deeply in tune with the life-death-life cycle. Saturn is illustrated by the irrigation systems that send water to fertile earth and the multiplicity of workers who turn the soil and harvest food. Saturn is the labor poured into the production of life-sustaining nourishment. It is the circle of exchange between provisions and the energy required to produce them.
Saturn is an elder. Stable, measured, contained, incorporate. Saturn is the vision, the effort, and the time required to build something as enduring as Saturn himself.
Saturn understands what it takes to lead. Saturn knows how to save for hard times and how to cut losses. Saturn represents the limits of things and the authorities which determine them, for better or worse.
Saturn does not win the race because it is slow and steady. Saturn wins by understanding that loss is an essential aspect of any cycle.
In traditional astrology, Saturn is the planetary ruler of Aquarius and is the farthest planet from the Sun (traditional astrology did not incorporate Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which could not be seen with the naked eye). Saturn orbits at the extremities of the solar system.
Aquarius focuses on themes of community, authenticity and the freedoms they engender. Planets in Aquarius behave outside the box. Live beyond the boundary. Understand what it’s like to be far from the center, one of the many on the margins. And because they live in the trenches, amidst so many others, they know best what is needed in extreme situations. This is why Aquarius is often associated with philanthropy, charity, and humanitarianism. Anyone outside the norm experiences lack of access simply by living in a world that wasn’t built for them.
If Aquarius is the circulatory system and Saturn is the authority, then it seems to me that with Saturn in Aquarius, leadership presents itself at the extremities. If we are looking for guidance now, it makes sense to listen not to the handsome popularized norm, but to those who have been living on the margins. The chronically ill who have already gone to extreme lengths for their health. The unhoused who have made do with so little. The incarcerated who are practiced at being caged and alone. These are the people who know best how to survive this moment. We can and must learn to ask and listen for their wisdom.
True to form, I am seeing mostly low-income people, and those of various marginalized backgrounds, offering their skillsets, their time, and even their money to anyone unfortunately impacted by this crisis. They are acting as I like to believe good leaders do.
It is those with the most privilege who I see withholding. To be clear, this is not a judgement, just an observation. I believe everyone is acting and reacting out of what they know and what they fear.
If you already know scarcity, you are comfortable with it. It is familiar and it is easier to share what you do have. If you do not know scarcity, you are more likely to be panicked and to hoard. But this is an emotional paradigm that wedges an ever-deepening gap between those who have more than enough and those who desperately need their help.
In the spirit of these thoughts, please see the (non-exhaustive) list of links below to people and organizations to whom you can offer your resources, by purchasing their services, taking an action, or donating to help someone less fortunate than you.
Mutual aid support
Support for migrants and undocumented community in the SF Bay Area
Support for unhoused folx in West Oakland, CA or venmo @POOR-magazine
Support for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated folx in NYC during CO-VID 19
Core Collapse competencies: Sierra Seeds Seed Seva Seasonal Mentorship
Mutual aid funds and resources in Seattle, Baltimore, Chicago, Philly and Ohio
Additionally, see these resources for yourself:
If you are interested in how Saturn in Aquarius and the current astrology affects you on a personal level, you can go deeper in a reading with me.