Saturn ♄, the planet which rules the important practical foundations of our lives, has been retrograde since January 26, slowing down external results while we integrated the past and discerned where we needed to work quietly and steadily on long-term or serious projects and relationships. Now that Saturn is turning direct tonight, we will begin to see the fruits of our labor and move forward toward our goals more directly.

The reason I mention relationships, not a word typically associated with Saturn, is because Saturn is currently in Libra ♎, the sign that rules partnerships of all kinds.

Venus ♀ square Neptune ♆ — true love, soul-mates — or a mirage? When Venus, the planet of love, is in a challenging relationship with Neptune, the planet of divine union but also illusions/fantasy — it’s not a bad idea to ask this question... Indeed we can do so without becoming jaded or losing faith in inspired possibilities...

Inevitably through life we suffer wounds along the way. We strive to heal the best we can and acquire wisdom from each experience. As Chiron (the wounded healer/teacher archetype) goes retrograde, reflections upon this process could arise. If we become aware of an old scar or a current hurt, we also can see how far we have come and how much we have learned. The myth of Chiron suggests we all help to “heal” others through our own work to heal ourselves.

“The soul seeks wholeness. At the North Node [a point shown in the birth chart] you’re meant to expand your range and achieve new understanding and competence. If you entered life as an adventurous narcissist, the greater adventure could be falling in love and starting a family. If you were a monk in a prior life, the noise of the marketplace and the thrill of competition might be calling you now. Moving in the direction of the North Node can get you back on track. Nothing restores purpose and enthusiasm quite as magically as the North Node.” ~Dana Gerhardt

Find out where your North Node ☊ of the Moon is. The sign and house indicate helpful guidance about your growth edge in this life. Find out where your South Node ☋ of the Moon is (It is opposite to the North Node by sign, degree, and house). The sign and house show previously developed strengths, automatic tendencies that draw you backwards, and possibly unfulfilled longings as well. If you don’t believe in reincarnation, the South Node also refers to your past in this life, or the genetics/ancestral attributes with which you were born.

“Think of the North Node as the head, and the South Node as the stomach. The stomach has the hunger, but the head has the mouth. So you fulfill the desires of the South Node through the energy of the North Node.” ~Molly Cliborne

Jupiter ♃ enters Taurus ♉ to stay for 1 year. The projects and ideas, which were born during Jupiter’s year in Aries, have the opportunity to be stabilized and grounded now. Taurus persists and brings into manifestation the inspired beginnings of Aries. Also, hopefully this will be good for our economy, since Taurus rules resources and Jupiter expands everything it touches.

Neptune ♆, the planet of union with the Divine, subtle perceptions of the inner realms, and also paradoxically delusion and glamour - went retrograde today. The retrograde phase (now through mid Nov) reveals the process of discerning truth from deception and reality from illusion. This is the time to listen carefully to your intuition, review what you believe to be true, and align with your spiritual path.

I read this headline today, which deepened my understanding of Neptune retrograde:
“A federal grand jury charged two-time presidential candidate John Edwards on Friday with soliciting and covering up the secret spending of more than $925,000 to hide his mistress and their baby during the peak of his 2008 campaign for the White House.”

Spiritual alignment will happen sooner or later, with our conscious intention or not, but it’s more pleasant to go willingly toward Truth, instead of being caught and imprisoned by that which we would prefer to deny.