Posted
May 31, 2003
Saturn
in Cancer
©2003
Lisa Dale Miller
All rights reserved
PERMISSION MUST BE GRANTED BY THE AUTHOR FOR USE ON WEB SITES
AND FOR OUTSIDE PUBLISHING
On
June 3, 2003, Saturn will enter the sign of Cancer and remain there
until July 15, 2005. Where Cancer is all loving and compassionate; Saturn
is harsh, unforgiving, and judging. There is a schizoid quality to this
combination: Cancer sees the goodness in all things and Saturn mirrors
the dark depressive realms. Cancer is all-giving and embracing; Saturn
is withholding, limiting and the great imposer of rules and structure.
Cancer is the archetypal nurturing mother, and Saturn is the archetypal
judgmental, demanding father. Cancer teaches with love. Saturn instructs
through discipline and hard work. As you might imagine, integrating
these two energies isn't easy, especially during these fragile and charged
times in which we live. During the next two years, opening our hearts,
practicing compassion, forgiveness and nurturance will be harder, but
the payoff will be enormous. So big, it might just save our lives. Saturn
is all about long-term commitment. Saturn in Cancer is all about long-term
commitment to spiritual values and the lessons of opening our hearts
even in the hardest of times.
To
get a good idea of how powerful is Saturn's influence, we need only
look back at the last two years of Saturn in Gemini. Usually Saturn
brings some forms of death. Gemini rules information. During these years,
Americans saw the death of the Internet economy, our rights of free
speech severely limited, and the final demise of what was left of our
independent, objective media. Thanks to the Saturn/Pluto opposition
we also had quite a bit of death delivered by air transport (Gemini/Mercury)
in powerfully belief-altering (Sagittarius) ways. But more importantly,
there was a death of talking, and a resurgence of hegemony, imperialism
and just plain bullying for power. This time has coincided with America's
withdrawal from more negotiated international treaties and agreements
than ever before, the two-year armed Intifada, Israel's martial occupation
of the Palestinian Territories, Sept 11, America's wars on Afghanistan
and Iraq, North Korea's nuclear threat, and a complete breakdown of
international cooperation via the UN. So, with this awe-inspiring list
of influences in mind, let's turn with equal seriousness to what may
transpire during the Saturn in Cancer years.
During
the last two years, death and fearful experiences (Saturn) came out
of the air (Gemini) by way of moving vehicles and anthrax, a respiratory
infection. With Saturn in Cancer water will probably become the primary
delivery mechanism for expressions of fear. This could take many forms
like, contamination of drinking water, waterborne biological agents,
or damage to energy facilities that use water as their cooling mechanism.
We may also see natural or ecological disasters at sea, in lakes or
possible dam failures.
However,
more than any other quality, Saturn represents inner fear. During the
last two years, due to Gemini's rulership of the mind, our thoughts
turned to fear. Fear has been the primary cause of the reigning in of
our Gemini ruled freedoms of speech, press, and thought. If we do not
take measures now, this fear of "the other" and "other points of view"
will expand to include the cutting off of sympathy and compassion for
others. Due to the Moon's rulership of Cancer and its irrational fears
of the unknown, the hunker-down mentality we saw after 9/11 may become
more prevalent during the next two years causing people to isolate themselves
and cling to home and hearth. Up the Terror Alert, close the borders,
seal the airports, keep out the intruders; this is Cancer gone haywire.
A Saturn in Cancer foreign policy sounds more like, "You are either
part of the family, or you might as well fend for yourself." Or as our
President, a Cancer native put it, "You're either with us or against
us." It is up to each of us to resist this growing paranoia and cynicism.
Don't allow Saturn to limit your ability to reach out in a gentle way
and welcome others who look, sound or act different.
Since Cancer is compassion and Saturn confers great seriousness, it
is possible that if enough of us insist on acting in accord with these
principles, even if it means going against popular sentiment, we can
redirect our nation's personality back to one of caring for and loving
all people. If you think spirituality has nothing to do with politics
and national identity, think again. Your spiritual practice has a great
deal of influence over how our nation behaves. The more of us that insist
upon kindness, compassion, and emotional openness in our own lives,
the more our leaders will reflect these values.
America
is a Cancerian nation. Remember the inscription on the Statue of Liberty:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe
free…." America has its natal Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Part
of Fortune in Cancer, and Saturn will conjunct all of these important
planets during the next two years. Saturn conjuncts natal Venus from
June 15 - July 7, natal Jupiter from July 5 - August 5, and natal Sun
from September 11 - October 24 (retrograde from October 25 - December
21) May 22 - July 1, 2004. The US' Sun, Venus, and Jupiter are all in
the 7th house, which rules the nature of our nation's relationships
with other countries. Saturn's depressive nature will weigh down the
American psyche, especially with respect to our worsening public image
overseas. Though we are a young nation (a little over 200 years old,)
due to the US' strong planets in Cancer (archetypal nurturing mother)
and natal Saturn (authoritarian father archetype) in the 10th house
(destiny) in Libra (relationships) America has managed to convince itself
that we are mother and father to the world: acting as the all-knowing
parent. "What's good for us is good for you, so follow our example without
question."
The
next two years of Saturn conjunctions will bring a reality check to
America's emotional arrogance. Saturn's conjunction to the US' natal
Sun (ego identity) will be particularly tough. As long as conformity
and compliance (a very Saturn in Cancer demand) remain the basis of
our foreign policy, America will continue to be further rejected and
feared by nations all over the world. With Jupiter in Cancer, the US
has a lot of resources to give, but our "nurturance" in the form of
foreign aid, comes with heavy strings attached. Gaining the US' love
(Venus) and acceptance (Jupiter) is highly conditional and we usually
only give when it is in our own (Sun) best interests. This is an expression
of the emotionally needy, smothering Cancer mother. I expect that we
will see a lot of lashing out and acting out by our foreign partners,
especially when Saturn in Cancer resides in the US' natal 8th house
(our partner's resources) from July 29, 2004 - July 15, 2005. The US'
isolationist rhetoric could become particularly strong when Saturn conjuncts
the US' natal Mercury from August 19, 2004 - June 22, 2005.
Cancer
rules the archetypal feminine, and by extension, women. Saturn is the
hard hand of the law. Saturn in Cancer is fraught with bad news for
women and women's issues. With so much conservatism and fundamentalism
running rampant around the globe, I suppose it was just a matter of
time before the women's rights clock gets set back significantly. Just
look to the growing number of countries where fundamentalist religious
law prevails, preventing women from obtaining education, voting rights,
and the right to work and own property. (Take note: if our own Fundamentalist
religious leaders had their way, American women would be forced home
as well.) Saturn
rules authority and Cancer rules women. What will it take for women
to come into their power in this world? It seems unthinkable, but if
we don't raise our voices we could see Roe vs. Wade struck down. Saturn
rules authority and Cancer rules women. Saturn says, "Get serious!"
If you don't want to see your rights eroded, get active. Especially
young women, who take for granted the advantages that older women had
to live without: equal pay for equal work, sexual harassment and gender
discrimination laws, Title 9 for girls sports, and access to contraceptives
and safe abortion services were all won in last 40 years. We worked
hard so you could have these rights and together we all need to work
hard now to make sure they remain intact and get stronger. So wake up
and get active! Run for office in your town and vote other women of
like minds into government.
Here
is another Cancerian issue. America readily spends billions on war making,
but we nickel and dime our future, which lies in raising intelligent,
healthy and happy children. Since America is the only developed nation
that does not provide medical care, adequate housing, nurturing day
care environments, and high quality education to all its children, it
certainly appears as though this country cares little about its children.
Saturn in Cancer will worsen this problem through continued restricting
of funds for education and caregiving of all kinds. It is up to the
parents of this nation to stand up for their children and redirect our
national resources (Jupiter) back to the Cancerian values of nurturing
our nation's children and communities.
Saturn
in Cancer could mean the death of the traditional family, as we have
known it. Some may think this is a good thing; that the days of the
nuclear family were over long ago and popular culture just needs to
catch up. Saturn represents rules and structure, and Cancer represents
a shell we use to shelter ourselves from those we consider outsiders.
Since emotional and personal security is the underlying issue for all
Cancer natives, Saturn will be forcing all of us to redefine who we
think of as family, who we turn to in tough times, who we would welcome
into our own shelter should the need arise. In all of these cases, the
definition of family must be extended to include many more individuals
than just our blood relatives and close friends. It is true that a first
impulse might be to hole up inside one's own shell, but this would be
counterproductive to the times. Uranus in Pisces is calling all of us
to connect in, not disconnect and drop out. Isolation is the first impulse,
but reaching out and holding tight to as many as possible is the real
lesson of Saturn in Cancer.
With
respect to health, Saturn in Cancer could bring severe cutbacks in research
funding for women's health: especially breast, ovarian, and uterine
cancers. Let's hope this will be two years of serious breakthroughs
and new therapies to cure these cancers rather than a Saturnian dry
spell. We could also see a significant rise in infertility among both
men and women due to environmental factors. Emotionally, Saturn in Cancer
coupled with Uranus in Pisces has two diverging expressions. One is
a serious upswing in the incorporation of meditation, yogic and chi
practices into our health care system and the other is mounting depression
and melancholia leading to higher rates of drug use (both prescribed
and illegal) to dull feelings of despair, anxiety, fear and stress.
The last time Saturn was in Cancer 1974 - 1976 this country had astronomical
rates of drug and alcohol use among young people of all classes and
races. Human beings can only take so much stress and fear before they
begin to emotionally crumble. So use this time to rid your life of excessive
stress. If it means turning off the TV and radio: do it!
Saturn
in Cancer insists that we all get serious about mindfulness meditation
practice as a way to relieve stress and feel happier. To quote from
a recent Reuters' science article on Buddhist meditation, "Using new
scanning techniques, neuroscientists have discovered that certain areas
of the brain light up constantly in Buddhists, which indicates positive
emotions and good mood. This happens at times even when they are not
meditating…. The scanning studies by scientists at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison showed activity in the left prefrontal lobes of
experienced Buddhist practitioners. The area is linked to positive emotions,
self-control and temperament. Other research by Paul Ekman, of the University
of California San Francisco Medical Center, suggests that meditation
and mindfulness can tame the amygdala, an area of the brain which is
the hub of fear memory. Ekman discovered that experienced Buddhists
were less likely to be shocked, flustered, surprised or as angry as
other people."
The
Saturn in Cancer years will be a time to reinvigorate our caring, nurturing
selves and reign in our judgmental, fearful selves. We will be tested;
that is the nature of Saturn. Saturn is the teacher, and instructs us
to pay attention to the destructive traits and behaviors that live deep
within us. We all must heal our impulse to fear, to withhold, and to
imagine ourselves as anything but responsible for the terrible conditions
in which our brothers and sisters around the globe live. If we each
use this time properly, we will all come out of the Saturn in Cancer
years with stronger, more open, more compassionate hearts, and a world
that is committed to the Cancerian values of love, peace and harmony.
By
the way, our President has his natal Saturn and Sun in Cancer in the
12th house, which is why he readily denies his own shadow side and insists
on projecting all evil out onto others. Over the next two years, Saturn
in Cancer will be a tough teacher for George W. Bush. Having a Natal
Chart consultation is the best way to learn more about what Saturn in
Cancer may be constellating in your life. Click on the Astrology consultation
button below to get information on astrology session prices and offerings.
Then feel free to contact
me if you wish schedule a session.
©2003
Lisa Dale Miller
All rights reserved
PERMISSION
MUST BE GRANTED BY THE AUTHOR FOR USE ON WEB SITES AND FOR OUTSIDE PUBLISHING
If
you wish to comment
please
contact me
