The next few weeks

October is winding down -- or rather, should we say "winding up"? I feel a sense of anticipation, but I'm not sure whether it is intellectually or energetically based, since I consciously know of the upcoming Pluto-Saturn square and could be building on that awareness.

Saturn enters Libra next week, on the morning of October 29 (Pacific Time). My sense is that if we haven't already, we will shortly after that ingress begin to notice the influence of the square with Pluto, which will be exact on November 15.

In preparation for that square, it might be interesting to explore our personal histories with regards to the Saturn-Pluto cycle, which brings up themes of how we take charge of our lives, how we deal with internal and external influences that seem outside of our control, and how we embrace important opportunities for transformation and empowerment.

The two planets were conjunct (at the same degree) in late 1982, and were fairly close to each other through the spring of 1983. That period marked the beginning of the Saturn-Pluto cycle, and so the initiation of some corresponding cycle in our individual lives, depending on the location in our birth charts. For me, the two planets were conjunct my Ascendant, initiating some major changes in my life: the beginning of an intense karmic relationship, and a move to Montana after having lived in California since birth.

The first Saturn-Pluto square was exact in March 1993, October 1993 and January 1994. This was the first test of the seeds planted in 1982, seeing how far we had come in the ability to take charge of our lives and in our willingness to undergo transformational changes.

The Saturn-Pluto opposition was (as I write these words, just glanced at the clock and it is 9:11 a.m.!) exact in August and November 2001 and June 2002. The numbers I just saw on the clock speak the impact of that period of time. That opposition fell on the Ascendant line of the U.S. chart, and so manifested in the "us vs. them" polarity that the entire world became invested in.

Now we have the culminating square of the Saturn-Pluto cycle. Where are we in the "us vs. them" dynamic -- both personally and globally? Where are we in our individual and collective ability to manage the intensity of emotions that can be raised during such transits? How willing are we to claim responsibility for the manifestations of our lives, rather than blaming the "other" for what is occurring? And are we ready to be transformed, to use upcoming events as the catalyst they are intended to be, to become more fully empowered versions of ourselves?

These are the questions these two planets raise. It might feel overwhelming to ponder how we will answer -- and yet, we have help now that we didn't have during the dates of the earlier transits, in the form of the Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter alignment in Aquarius.

This triple conjunction truly feels like the "angel on our shoulders" that we can call on to help as needed. This is the healing of our belief in separation, the opportunity to create spiritual community, and the potential for expanding our consciousness and our understanding of meanings and purposes. This energy is building again now, and with Neptune and Chiron both going direct within the next two weeks, all three planets will be moving forward, ready to lead the way into greater Light.

And with that, I breathe a sigh of relief.