Tag Archives: Maturation

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Progressions: Your Inner Universe

qtq80 EcDkX6 150x150 - Progressions: Your Inner UniverseThere is a universe inside of you as magnificent and meaningful as the one surrounding us. Each planet represents an inner drive. Over time, these planets progress, or evolve. You outgrow certain foods, styles, people. When you were 18, what made you want to get out of bed in the morning? Feel alive and on fire? Assuming you’re not 18, you’ve matured beyond those 18-year-old drives. If not, you’d appear goofy and uncentered.

These changes aren’t obvious at first. They’re initially experienced as feelings. Seeing things differently? Is your communication style different than it was? You’re probably having a Mercury event. I was a lively, outspoken kid until I was 9 and a scooch. For reasons no child shrink or concerned parents could figure out, I suddenly became painfully shy. I began stuttering. I couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. I kept my thoughts to myself.

What happened? My Mercury became more self-conscious. I was born with Mercury retrograde (there’s a high probably that you were, too). I saw the world through my own lens. When it went direct, it felt like taking waterproof earplugs out after a long swim. I became painfully aware of what came out of my mouth and what it might sound like. I used to happily hum to myself in grade school, confident that I couldn’t be heard. When Mercury went direct? Another student asked me why I was humming. I never did it again.

 

Career, Holiday Gift Certificates, Personal Growth, Prosperity, Relationships, Saturn in Capricorn

Reaching Your Peak in 2018: Saturn in Capricorn

qtq80 Lcw48M 150x150 - Reaching Your Peak in 2018: Saturn in CapricornYou’re sitting at the foot of a mountain. At your side, wiry and steady, Saturn the Timekeeper is neatly folding up the multi-hued garb of Sagittarius the Philosopher that he’s worn for 3 years. On 12/19/2017, he will be donning the commanding robes of Capricorn until 12/17/2020.

“I have 3 questions for you,” he says, in a voice like quiet thunder. “One: How have you proved yourself to yourself this year?” Two: What new beliefs can you can commit to and live by as a result?” Three: “Are you ready to climb this mountain?”

You look up, straining your vision. The mountain, defined by stark shadows and hungry light, is tattooed by the fall and rise of twisting paths. Dense clouds bodyguard its peak. Simultaneously, you’re struck by twin jolts of emotional lightning-excitement and fear.

Say “yes,” to the challenge of Saturn in Capricorn, and you earn self-respect, dignity and wisdom. Remain at the base of the mountain and emotional arthritis may well set in. You know which choice is right for you.

Standing, you strap on your backpack. It is sturdy and well equipped with determination, focus and faith. In parting, Saturn presses a small bottle into your hand. It is unbreakable and will never run dry. It is filled with the elixir of courage.

Now, your first step. Beneath your feet, the mountain trembles, a growl of welcome. There is no turning back. Nor would you want to.

Eagle-eyed Saturn squints into hazy sun as you ascend. He knows that you will succeed.

So do I.

In fierce joy and celebration,

Joyce

Prepare for this extraordinary journey and 2018 with an Evolutionary Astrology reading. Gift certificates are also available online at https://joycevanhornsf.com/shop If you’d like to purchase a 30 minute reading for only $95 (holiday offer only), call/text me at 415-518-5818 and I’ll send you one through email, the USPS or you can stop by my office. They never expire.

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Saturn in Scorpio: Sex, Death & Power

On October 5, 2012 (PDT), Saturn moved into Scorpio. Scorpio scoffs at superficiality, denial and avoidance. It sees in the dark, and in the darkness lies the unknown, the unseen and, often, the feared. Ponder where our precious metals come from: the bowels of the earth, deep pockets of treasures which must be prised from that which conceals them.

Saturn wields the sword of  integrity alongside Scorpio, the bearer of shamanic truth. Together, they are unstoppable, probing for what lies buried deep inside of you, waiting to be brought into the light. These are your personal veins of gold: those parts of you that are messy and tenderly human. Exiled by shame, blame and judgment, made wrong by others who feared them, they’ve been forced underground. Saturn in Scorpio commands that they arise from the dead and be alchemized from grit into gold, to initiate you into the highest, clearest and cleanest version of power.

Scorpio is the sign that deals with the deepest recesses of intimacy. In love or looking for love? Be courageous. Plumb your depths. Invite your shadow to dinner and eat heartily. Then you’ll be able to look that someone special in the eyes and have nothing to hide and everything to gain.

If you were born between 11/29/82-5/6/1983, 8/24/83- 11/16/85, Saturn was in Scorpio and you’re experiencing your first Saturn return, moving along the path of wisdom and growth (if you do it consciously) into adulthood. Born between 10/22/53-1/12/56? You’re in your second Saturn return, exiting mid-life and entering wise elderhood (or old farthood, depending on how you deal). Through June 14, 2015, you will experience a series of pivotal life changes, often indelibly altering your life and opening up the possibility for emotional maturation.

We all emerge from darkness. Make peace with it, explore it, be rewarded by it. The choice is yours.

 

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Venus Retrograde: Retracing the Steps of Love

Venus Retrograde: Retracing the Steps of Love

It’s May 15, 2012. You and your main squeeze are waiting for dinner to be served at your favorite restaurant. You’re chatting about nothing special. This scenario is familiar, it’s comfortable, you’re happy enough.

Then s/he says, “There’s something we have to talk about.”

Your heart starts a manic drumbeat. Panicked, thoughts tumble into your mind: “What did I do wrong? Is there someone else? Is it over?”

But your sweetheart smiles, takes your hand, and adds, “It’s okay. I love you. But I think we’re taking each other for granted.”

Dinner arrives and you eat without tasting. The main course is kind but radical honesty. A review of where you’ve been. A reassessment. A revision of some of the ways you’ve been relating. How to improve on what you have together.

Venus retrograde: The great lady of relationships, values, connection, paused in her starry dance on May 15 to help you look backwards. Venus, speaking in the voice of curious Gemini, asks, “What have you gotten lazy about?” “Where did you make assumptions that were never discussed?” “Are your values the same as they once were?” “Are you playing fair with one another?”

Through June 27, 2012, when Venus again twirls into direct motion, you have the chance to renegotiate. To reveal what you’ve been holding back. To release old relationship patterns that get in your way. But you’ve gotta open your mouth and share what’s in your heart.  Be diligent about pruning and weeding out what prevents you from deeper intimacy during this 6-week period. Plant trust, truth and a commitment to talk things through as they come up. If you do, Venus then hits the reset button on June 27 and things are better than good. You’re bonded in a way that wasn’t possible before.

If you’re lazy, or shut down, stagnation can choke the life out of what you hold precious and dear. This doesn’t have to happen-but it’s up to  you.

Single and looking? Do research. Ask good friends why they love and value you. Then ask them to tell you, straightforwardly, what they really thought about someone you’d once been involved with. This will help you make more self-aware relationship choices in the future. Personally, reflect on what made you happy with a past paramour as well as what got in the way. As a result, you’ll gain a much clearer perspective (Gemini) on what you want–and don’t. Use this time to fertilize, compost, prepare the soil for the right relationship, one of give-and-take, one of compromise.

Express rather than repress what you must say, to your partner, a friend, anyone you truly cherish. Love is the blood in our emotional veins.  Love is all there is.

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Hard Heart Work: Saturn in Libra

Marriage. Kids. Commitment. Break-ups. Divorce. Family growing pains. Notice how there’s lots of this goin’ around ’bout now? Why? Labor-intensive Saturn in balanced Libra is demanding maturation and responsibility within relationships. This is a growth cycle that no one escapes–and it’s all about you, me and we.

It’s a mountain you’ve gotta climb. If not, good luck–you’ll find yourself stuck or sliding on silt. So put one foot after the other and look ahead, not back.  Saturn is at its best in relationship-driven Libra–but sometimes the scales tip too far one way or the other. You need to remember that you’re not alone and prove it.

Some of the stories I’ve heard lately: “I was thinking of riding my bike out into the street,” said one 13-year-old. “Mom moved in with us,” says a dutiful but distraught daughter of 38. “Now my husband sleeps on the sofa.” A marriage of nearly 30 years comes to a close, especially challenging because both husband and wife are in business together.

Saturn stares you grimly in the eye and says, “Get real, bro. Stand up for yourself, sister. This is about love. And family. And connecting. Prove it or things will get ugly.” Yep, there’s that boulder poised to fall on unsuspecting you as your girlfriend runs off with your best friend. Why, you plead? “You took me for granted for too long,” she says. You do a mental re-run of the past 6 months and realize you remember more about TV shows you’ve watched together than memories you’ve made.

It’s time for true grit, darlin’. No wimps allowed or you’ll fall off the mountain. After all, you don’t build emotional muscle without feelin’ the burn. Saturn doesn’t stand for  slackers or there are consequences. So do those crunches and pay attention. Otherwise you might find yourself all alone on a romantic moonlit night. Or feeling bored out of your skull by keeping company with someone you’ve simply gotten used to.

Saturn is the planetary CEO and has assigned you the job of honoring others as you would like to be honored, capiche? Libra gently reminds you that you have to bend to give, but not break your back.

So take some time to really see and hear your amour/partner/spouse/child/parent. Look deep into their eyes and ask them not only how they are but who they are. Through October 6, 2012, Saturn in Libra is the testing ground for love . And hey! If the world is really gonna end like some prophets claim, make the most out of it. After all, love is what makes the world go ’round.

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Saturn looks back at where it’s been: How to develop your dreams

Saturn goes retrograde in Libra on Wednesday, 1/13/10 at 7:56 AM. Saturn is the planetary workhorse, CEO and leader. In Libra, we now go into a time of honestly, thoroughly and ethically examining our relationships, values investments (both in time and money). Some people will decide that staying together is a better option than breaking up due to financial or family obligations–and that there are solutions that are workable. Artistically, what has proven to endure over time becomes more precious. What do the old masters have to say that we now value still more?

Saturn moves back into analytic Virgo on 4/22/10, demanding that we get things right–that we find solutions for our needs. Think of this as a time of healthy criticism that can clear the way for when Saturn goes direct for the final time on 5/30/10, moving back into Libra once and for all on 7/21/10…when you can use what you’ve learned (if you’ve been discriminating and practical) relationally, creatively, aesthetically and practically. Hang in there–it’ll be worth it.

Saturn Return, Transformation

The Second Saturn Return: Passage to Wisdom

Everyone who lives to be 57 or thereabouts goes through their second Saturn return. This means that they have reached a point in their life journey where they are entering the earliest stages of “old age” or elderhood. Like the first Saturn return, it is once again a cycle of maturation involving significant life passages. People retire, they become grandparents, their own, aging parents may die, they may move, values changes, bodies change. This is hardly the end of the road, however. It’s actually just another beginning.

Saturn wants these folk to climb their own mountain, too–only it’s a far different one than the one of the first Saturn return. There is a gravity to their efforts, and a sense of less time ahead than before them. Therefore, an urgency often arises to pass on what they know. Many people who volunteer, for example, are older. It may, in part, be as a result of extra time due to retirement, but that’s only part of it. They want to give back.

Older doesn’t mean wiser, of course, but it does mean that someone of 60 has had more life experience than someone of 30. All of us have had the misfortune to have to sit and endure an older person pontificating about “the good old days.” How boring is that? We don’t learn, or want to learn, from such lecturing. Those are the individuals who fail the second Saturn return, to be left alone in Saturnian loneliness and solitude, cut off from the kind of meaningful connection that can occur between youth and elders.

The Cool Old Man or Woman, who traverses this critical life cycle elegantly and consciously, shares examples of his or her life. In that way, younger people want to hear what they have to say, because they’re not being judged and the stories close the gap between the generations. Think of Dustin Hoffman–he’s funny, wise, enjoying the hell out of life and is eminently human.  He still acts, but his main focus is on his family and truly taking time to do what he enjoys. He doesn’t care what other people think. He’s one cool dude.

The second Saturn return, done correctly, allows the person to chill and mellow. To notice what’s important now, not in the doing, but in the giving. In the sharing. In the reflecting. Life tends to become less serious and sweeter. If someone tries to ignore this passage, they may face end-of-life fears which could manifest concretely as lack, restriction and  loss of faith.

I approach my second Saturn return this year. I look to it with curiosity, openness and respect. I have a sense of what it will bring, but I choose to make the most of it. Meanwhile, I surround myself with people younger than I am, who remind me not to get rigid, to go with the flow, to be curious, open and celebratory.

Saturn Return

Saturn Return: What Is It, Who Does It and When?

Born between November 17, 1977-September 20, 1980? You’re experiencing one of the most pivotal, life-changing astrological events of your life: the first Saturn return. When did it begin? September 3, 2007. It comes to a close on July 21, 2010.

Saturn is the planetary CEO. The Goal-Setter. The Timekeeper. At the time Saturn returns to the place and sign it was when you were born, it’s time to grow up–for real. The twenties are a vision quest, during which you make youthful mistakes and prepare to enter adulthood. In the later twenties, there is a sense of urgency. The need for direction. An awareness of responsibility, and the consequences of your actions.

The Saturn Return is a red-flag. It alerts you to the fact that you’ve matured beyond certain beliefs, attitudes and conditioning of family, culture and society . It’s a series of shocks: it heralds such life-altering events as marriage, divorce, becoming a parent, buying (or selling) a home, changing careers, leaving it all behind and traveling the world, developing a new philosophy.

How to optimize this experience? There is a certain ennui, or boredom, built in. A sense of stagnation. An urge to change things up in a way that reflects your entry into true adulthood. You must choose mountains to climb. Goals to reach. Worthy challenges to face. This requires faith and true grit. Meet these demands and Saturn helps you achieve them. What you achieve during this time lays the foundation of your life until the second Saturn return at approximately 57.

Fail the Saturn return and you fail yourself. I did this; I left my husband at 30 and began living the wild life I’d lived before in my 20’s. Before too long, it became obvious that my friends were settling down. Becoming adults. I was a big kid in a grownup’s body. It took a long time to get back on track–Saturn is the planet of karma. It will be patient for a long time, but then there is payback. On the heels of this realization, however, I began to devote myself to my astrology practice which, over 25 years, now thrives. If I had used my Saturn return time wisely, however, it would not have been such a long haul.

On October 31, 2009, those of you born from September 21, 1980-August 23, 1983 begin your Saturn return. It concludes on Oct 6, 2012. You’ll notice that yours overlaps with those a few years older than you. More about that later.