“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination.” Jimmy Dean

Saturn, the taskmaster planet, who takes it upon himself to provide us with a “reality check,” whether we want it or not, turns retrograde in relationship Libra on January 26th (1:11 am EST) at 17 degrees. It will go direct again in mid-June at 9 degrees of Libra. It originally entered Libra in the fall of 2009, then retrograded out of it for a while.

Basically, we “review” or “revisit” matters during retrograde periods, and attend to “unfinished business.” Since Saturn denotes our goals, with the retrograde wrinkle, we are re-assessing our goals, reconfiguring our strategies to get ahead. Saturn also represents our resolve, hard work, self-discipline, and determination. With Saturn retrograde in Libra, the sign of “the other,” we are seriously eyeing and re-evaluating our long-term relationships, the next few months. In some cases, we may be firming them up. In other instances, there may be break-ups, or a parting of the ways.

Overall, Saturn in Libra is a period when we tend to “realize our goals” by working more in conjunction or collaboration with others. We also become more aware of how we get along with others, in general, on a one-to-one basis, as well as developing a greater awareness about what our relationships mean to us, and the corresponding work that they entail.  Saturn stays in Libra until October of 2012.

Also, when Saturn first stations retrograde, and for a few days afterwards, our affairs often seem to come to a crawl or a standstill. This “slowing down period” may seem especially frustrating to us now, as expansive, optimistic Jupiter just moved into adventurous Aries and is ready to roll.

Additionally, mental Mercury is forming a tense square to Saturn, when it goes retrograde, which could result in misunderstandings or communication snafus. We may want to be more patient in our dialogue with others now, and perhaps take more time to listen to what is being said. Also, it’s a time when we are well-served not to make too many assumptions, or to rashly pass judgment. With Mercury-Saturn, we sometimes tend to expect the worst and our focus can be too narrow.

Of course, we will also want to take note of the particular house in our birth chart that Saturn is stationing retrograde in, for more insight on how this retro period may personally play out for us. For instance, if we have Saturn transiting through our second house of money, relationships involving money or possessions, may be most impacted. We may also be re-thinking our financial strategies. In the tenth house, our career relationships would be emphasized. We may also be re-evaluating, tinkering with our professional goals. And so forth.

Fascinatingly, Saturn is stationing retrograde exactly conjunct Oprah Winfrey‘s tenth house of career at 17 degrees of Libra now, as she gets ready to wrap up her daily television show this season, as well as continue with the fresh launch of her own television network (OWN). Saturn will cross back over into Oprah’s career house, in September of 2011, and will be exactly conjunct that house again, when she signs off her daily talk show for good, on September 9th.

Transiting Saturn on the tenth house often coincides with professional endings, as well as sometimes powerful new beginnings built upon our prior experience. It can also denote the “height of achievement” of a person’s life, in terms of notable success in the “outer world” which is Saturn-ruled. With Saturn (Lord of Karma) at the very top of her chart, Oprah is leaving behind her successful daily, top-rated talk show that helped to make her the richest woman in the world for her new focus with OWN. She is embarking upon an important new chapter in her life, while simultaneously being universally recognized by the world (Saturn) for her crowning achievement in broadcasting, a very rich  “legacy” that Saturn and the tenth house are also associated with. The Saturn-ruled tenth house is our reputation, our standing in the community, and “the mark” that we leave on the world. During the retrograde phase now, she is likely going to be reflecting on all her 10th house accomplishments and also seriously re-assessing some things, perhaps deciding what to keep with her in her next phase at OWN, and what to release. Possibly cutting some relationship ties around her work, strengthening other ones. Intently focusing on, reconfiguring her business and career goals.

“Sometimes two people need to step apart and make a space between that each may see the other anew, in a glance across a room, or silhouetted against the Moon.” Robert Brault.

Patrice Thompson

Copyright 2011

Source Notes:

Oprah show: http://www.buzzsugar.com/Oprah-Winfrey-End-Oprah-Show-Sept-9-2011-6309429

Oprah Winfrey horoscope: http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Winfrey,_Oprah

Robert Brault: http://www.quotegarden.com/relationships.html

Saturn: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1045559

Felluca on the Nile: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1323974

Dean: http://thinkexist.com/quotations/goals/

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