This week the Sun will move into Gemini and Saturn will begin its five-month-long retrograde in Aquarius. Air signs are the domain of information, and a slew of revelations are inbound. During its journey through the mutable air sign, the Sun will oversee two eclipses, the next Saturn Uranus square and the retrogrades of Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. In fixed air, Saturn is offering stoicism, structure and a pause for reflection. Ruler of Gemini and font of the 411, Mercury, will go retrograde next week. The simultaneous retrogrades of Mercury and Saturn suggest an examination of the recent past and where needed, a revisioning of future plans. Originally Saturn dipped into Aquarius from March 21st – July 1st last year. In the midst of the outbreak of COVID 19, making any sense of Saturn’s exploration of the sign was difficult. For one thing, aspects don’t happen in vacuums, and 2020 also saw substantial action involving Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. For another, Saturn only made it to 1 Aquarius 57 before turning retrograde last May 11th. When its retrograde begins on Sunday, Saturn will be at 13 Aquarius 31. In the second decant, a sign’s character becomes clearer. Saturn’s retrograde will bring it back to 6 Aquarius 53, the point it first reached on February 14th. In 2021 most of the emphasis has shifted onto Saturn’s three squares with Uranus. When Saturn initially crossed this retrograde’s shadow point, its first square to Uranus was only three days away, on February 17th. Their next square is set for June 14th at 13:07 degrees.
Saturn often gets a bad rap. While Jupiter says yes and more, Saturn says no. The ringed planet symbolizes limitations. When in fire or water signs, its doses of reality have passionate and emotional expression that can be quite dramatic. In earth it can dole out harsh financial reality checks. In air, it challenges us to think and find meaning. Inquisitive, ingenious Aquarius possesses an exceptional talent for problem-solving. But we must stop and ask relevant questions before we can benefit from its brilliance. While the coming retrograde will end on October 10th, the Taskmaster will remain in Aquarius until March of 2023. Its final square with Uranus is due on December 24th, and on January 15th it will exit this retrograde’s shadow and probe further into the air sign’s stronger degrees. In other words, what we put off now will definitely be back, and in a more robust form. In the immediate cycle, the Gemini Sun will trine Saturn on June 3rd and conjoin Mercury on June 10th. Like Aquarius, Gemini is naturally curious. At home, Mercury’s insights can be transmitted instantly and with striking clarity. Unfortunately, Gemini and Mercury can also have the attention span of a gnat. Saturn is lending its renowned discipline and longevity to the Messenger’s ideas and discoveries. Their combination is a remarkable tool for processing the incoming disclosures. It all starts on Thursday, when the Sun enters Gemini.
