28 September 2020
Welcome to the final quarter of 2020.
Even though there is an exact time (29 September, 1:11AM Eastern US time), as Saturn slows to prepare for the turn, then stops, then slowly accelerates into forward motion again – this whole period feels like turbulent Saturnian weather.
It might even feel like “OMFG SO MUCH TO GET DONE AND SO LITTLE TIME!”
Take a deep breath.
Yes, Saturn cares deeply that we accomplish our life purpose.
But your brain will also give you a ton of extra crap about how you haven’t done enough / haven’t done it properly / haven’t really earned or deserved the good stuff / haven’t handled the bad stuff well enough …. blah blah blah.
This is astrological weather meeting old brain habits which we ALL inherited from the cultures in which we live.
Symptoms of living in a system based on unfettered post-industrial capitalism?
Perfectionism, obsession with productivity, binary thinking with no shades of grey, judgement and hyper self-criticism.
Symptoms of living in a system based on white supremacy?
Perfectionism, obsession with productivity, binary thinking with no shades of grey, judgement and hyper self-criticism*** [my thanks to Tema Okun for her excellent research on this concept, available here in full]
In other words – it might FEEL like these are features of how Saturn operates in our lives, but that’s a myth I’m eager to bust.
When any planet goes Retrograde or turns around to move forward again, it’s an invitation to embrace a shift in perspective.
Your own personal Saturn cares deeply about your legacy – the work you came here to do, the impact you came here to leave, your true calling.
The social conditioning with which we all grew up can flip “cares deeply” into “do it properly or not at all” or “you’ll never be good enough” or “work harder NOW”.
Saturn cares that we do that thing we came here to do, and that we do it properly.
The systems in which we live take that yearning for purpose and excellence, and twist the yearning into an obsession with overwork and perfection, an inability to take credit for our own achievements, and some nasty brain habits of self-judgement, guilt and shame any time we take a rest.
Yikes.
And the kind of Saturn sky weather we’re having right now can exacerbate all of that.
The good news?
You are not stuck with this. You have a choice.
Consider the possibility that you could – this time – respond with conscious, deliberate kindness.
Binary thinking – that favourite paradigm of all those patriarchal systems – says you either work your butt off and scramble to get it all done OR you give up completely, drop the ball, sit on the couch with chocolate and Netflix until the urge to get shit done goes away.
There’s a third option.
Embrace the space between, the third dimension, where all the glorious colours live.
Pick a couple of priorities, based on what would be most satisfying to get done and/or most fun to do.
What would be the very first, smallest step you could take, however imperfectly, to getting them done?
Just do THAT much.
And then – however much gets done, and however imperfect it is – call it good for now, and celebrate the everliving F out of it; and then recharge your batteries however works best for you (me, I like to build Lego!)
Rinse and repeat.
PS if you find Saturn pressure still getting too much for you, check out this oldie but goodie radio episode I made a couple of years ago.
PPS if you’d like to get my eyes on your chart and see how this weather is interacting for you personally, this is a perfect time. Book in and we’ll figure out how best to set YOUR sails to leverage the changing winds of mastery.
*** My thanks to Tema Okun for her excellent research on this concept, available here in full, as well as her acknowledged contributors – including (but not limited to) Andrea Ayvazian, Bree Carlson, Beverly Daniel Tatum, M.E. Dueker, Nancy Emond, Kenneth Jones, Jonn Lunsford, Sharon Martinas, Joan Olsson, David Rogers, James Williams, Sally Yee, as well as the work of Grassroots Leadership, Equity Institute Inc, the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, the Challenging White Supremacy workshop, the Lillie Allen Institute, the Western States Center, and the contributions of hundreds of participants in the Dismantle Racism process
Janette Dalgliesh helps rebel progressive women create their big, world-changing dreams FAST (even if they yet don’t know what that dream is). She uses her unique blend of astrology and neuroscience-based coaching to support her international clientele — the poets, the politicians, the artists and the entrepreneurs — so they can do work which makes a difference, makes good money, and makes their hearts sing. Find Janette at her website.
