Saturn In Cancer: Sept 2004-July 2007:

Here in the Summer of 2007 we are acutely aware that Saturn is in the process of shifting from the Sidereal sign Cancer to the Sidereal sign Leo:

It is a particularly radical shift from the essentially negative resonance of Cancer to the powerfully positive resonance of Leo. It is a shift too from the Cardinal Cross where it is all about doing and not-doing to the Fixed Cross of being and not-being. The Cardinal Cross is active in the charts of all those born on the following dates or those with major planets in these sidereal signs:

July 17th to August 17th: Sun is in Sidereal Cancer.
October 17th to November 17th: Sun is in Sidereal Libra.
January 15th to February 15th: Sun is in Sidereal Capricorn.
April 15th to May 15th: Sun is in Sidereal Aries.

Saturn in the house of the Moon and the exaltation of Jupiter lends depth and scope to emotions which are deeply held and retained often throughout the whole lifetime. In a chart that shows the carry over of content from previous lifetimes these retained feelings can extend that far back.Just like the coming transit of Saturn through Leo which is not ‘normal’ because of the opposition of Ouranus in Aquarius the transit of Saturn through Cancer is not ‘normal’ either. The reason for this is the presence of Neptune in Saturn ruled Capricorn.

Saturn was last in Cancer from July 1975 to May 1978. The cycle before that was from the 15th of June 1946  to the 02nd of August 1948.

One of the most troublesome possible aspects is the opposition of Saturn to Neptune. The characteristics for this aspect are distrust for all others in competitive situations and fears that a conspiracy is afoot to deny the real winner their just reward. There is an irrational fear of failure and a corresponding retreat from all objectively verifiable knowledge and evidence, which in turn breeds suspicion on the part of others thus confirming the natives irrational fears.

In this atmosphere of deception others appear cunning and deceitful, lacking all ethics. The native nevertheless anxious to achieve success feels fully justified in using the underhanded tactics so obviously being employed by the competition. This may not be the case at all and the opposition may be playing a relatively or completely clean game and in the end the native will be exposed as a corrupt and untrustworthy schemer.

An enormous burden of guilt can accumulate within the native and in an attempt to assuage this guilt through sacrifice, the native exposes themselves to all manner of ruthless exploitation by others, thus tightening the vicious circle.

Obviously under these circumstances personal relationships become a source of agonizing insecurity as the native is unable to clearly distinguish between sincere overtures and cunning manipulation. Victimization is almost guaranteed at an emotional and financial level.

In the long run, unrealistic idealization leads to persecution until the native is finally forced to face the complex and many sided reality of others at both their best and worst. Failing this the native may remain an immature self protecting loner subject to depression and psychosomatic illnesses.

Saturn is the rock that most of us stand on, a barren wave and wind torn rock to be sure, but a rock all the same.

When Saturn is transiting an opposition to Neptune that rock becomes porous permeable and vulnerable. Severe inner conflict induces the native to profound feelings of self doubt and insecurity. Wildly unrealistic ideals are confounded by the agonizing disappointment that these ideals are unattainable. The native feels crushing sensations of shame inadequacy and guilt at not being able to live up to these unrealistic ideals which seem all the more real and compelling the more unattainable they become.

Illusion becomes indistinguishable from reality. Guilt over past misdeeds both real and imagined distort perception to the point of remorse and self persecution.

What has been and remains particularly pernicious about this current transit of Saturn to Neptune lies in the fact that Neptune is sitting in Capricorn, the place of Saturn, cutting it off from it’s normal foundation of stability and balance.

The majority of Astrologers seem absolutely convinced that there is something spiritual about Neptune. This is a mistake, there is nothing inherently spiritual about Neptune, spirituality resides in the Sun Venus Mercury and Jupiter, combined with a well placed and aspected Moon with Saturn playing the role of quality control. The real cheerleader and instigator of radical spiritual breakthrough and illumination is Ouranus.

Neptune is an alien and reality corroding influence, which unlike Ouranus does not replace illusions with the stark and wondrous reality of the spiritual, but simply replaces one delusion with another.

If you are a strong minded and clearheaded individual you have escaped the worst of this transit of Saturn in Cancer culminating in the opposition to Neptune. Still in all probability you have witnessed its effects in some of the people around you. Don’t forget it’s not quite over yet!