When Saturn goes retrograde this is the time to take full responsibility and acknowledge whether your life is really going according to your true path and make changes if it is not.

Saturn retrograde can indicate that one’s life lesson is not quite learned yet. Loose ends may need to be tied up and more changes made before you can move on in life. You may have to go back and face up to some issues from the past before being released to move forward. There may be deep inner work to do. There may not be a full awareness of what your goals are in life.

So, how can you make the most of this Saturn retrograde?
• Accept responsibility for your part in all of your relationships.
• Break down old relationship structures that are no longer working in order to build new structures.
• Saturn’s position in Libra will be urging you to be more responsible in your relationships. How are equal are your relationships? Are you being authentic in your relationships? Are you receiving as much as you are giving? If not, I highly recommend Amanda Owens’ book, ‘The power of receiving’.

*If you have any planets in the middle of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn this might be an extremely difficult transit for you. Saturn retrograde periods can be excruciatingly difficult if the transit contacts an important natal planet or combination of planets. Saturn transits are fairly slow to begin with, and retrograde motion can result in three separate passes over a natal planet – one as it first passes over, a second as it goes retrograde and passes back in the other direction and a third when it goes direct and travels over it once again. Saturn may even go retrograde for more than one period during its progression through a sign. During these periods, one may feel the weight of the world and all its responsibilities coming to bear on the area of life represented by the natal planet and the house it is in. With three passes of Saturn over that point, there is little chance to escape the issues and the growth opportunities that are being presented – if you don’t get it the first time, you’ll get it the second or third time! By the time Saturn finally goes direct and leaves that part of the chart things will have come to a head and major life changes may result.

**However, if you have any planets in middle Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius you might enjoy this transit. You might feel comfortable being your authentic self in your personal relationships.

Contact your astrologer for a reading if you have any questions.

Jupiter, the planet that represents growth, opportunity and expansion, moves into Aries on Jan 22 2011 and will remain there until June 4 2011. This future oriented planet is always seeking, growing, expanding and looking for the next “big thing”. Jupiter expands and opens whatever it touches. It brings a feeling of increased abundance. It brings not necessarily tangible benefits but the opportunity for them. As Francis Bacon said “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.”

When Jupiter moves into Aries this is the time for seed planting. This is not a culmination but a time of new beginnings. There is potential for enjoyment, opportunity and expansion in your natal house where Jupiter is transiting. This could also signify more initiative, leadership, and creativity in this same natal house.

Aries, Leo and Sagittarian Sun signs will be smiled upon by Jupiter sometime during this time frame. Enjoy!

Barack Obama, born on 8/4/61, has a Leo sun. Past Leo presidents include Bill Clinton and Herbert Hoover. Leos tend to be generous, confident and creative leaders. His Mars is in Virgo, which is slightly above the average correlation to past presidents.

With Saturn transiting through Obama’s 7th house he will be feeling greater demands on his life in his one on one relationships, in his marriage, from his co-workers and from his enemies. This transit tends to tests one’s ability through confrontations with others. Hmmm…do you think Barack Obama has been dealing with THAT recently?

Uranus is transiting through Obama’s 1st house and so he might be feeling the need for freedom, change and being unique. Isn’t it interesting that Obama’s campaign has been all about CHANGE while he has had the planet of change, Uranus, in his first house which all of the world can see?

With Neptune in Barack Obama’s 1st house he is feeling the magical sparkle of Neptune. Some people find him inspiring while other people still don’t know who he is after 20 months on the campaign trail.

Sarah Palin, born on Feb. 11 1964, has an Aquarian Sun. Past Aquarian Vice Presidents consist of Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, and Adlai Stevenson. Aquarians tend to be independent, friendly, and followers of their own rules.

Saturn is transiting through Sarah Palin’s second house which means she might be feeling a bit insecure at this time. This transit is affecting her daily domestic routine where she might feel like greater burdens are being heaped upon her.

Uranus is shaking up Sarah Palin’s 8th house so suddenly an old order in her life is passing away and a new one is coming to be. There is already talk that Sarah Palin is the future of the Republican party and that she will be running for the presidency in 2012 if she and McCain don’t win on Nov. 4th. That’s quite a big change from Governor of Alaska to potential VP or President of the U.S.A.

Neptune is conjunct Sarah Palin’s Sun. Isn’t it interesting that both Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are having major Neptune transits and both of them have inspired (Neptune) their own parties? Neptune goes direct on Nov. 2nd. This means that any lies and deceptions from the past will come out now. Look to see if any “truths” come out about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama on Nov. 2nd and 3rd .

Joe Biden, born on Nov 20, 1942, has a Scorpio Sun. Past Scorpio Vice Presidents consist of John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, and Spiro Agnew. Scorpios tend to be magnetic, resourceful, and determined.

With Saturn conjunct Joe Biden’s 10th house this indicates a culminating point in his life. Everything he has been striving for in the past 20 to 24 years is now within his reach. This represents a time of harvest for Joe Biden.

Uranus is just conjunct Joe Biden’s IC which signifies a sudden change in his home environment or a change in residence. This transit will be shaking up his home, possibly bringing in new beginnings and a new family life.

John McCain, born on 8/29/36, has a Virgo sun. Past Virgo presidents consist of Lyndon B. Johnson and William Taft. Virgos are known for their humility, detail oriented focus and self-deprecating humor. John McCain has his Mars is in Leo which has the highest correlation to past U.S. Presidents.

Saturn is transiting through John McCain’s 12th house which indicates that certain elements of his life may be passing way. Activities that used to work well no longer do so. This is an end of a cycle for John McCain. Sometime people fall into despair over their “failures” during this transit. This could be an indicator that John McCain doesn’t win the election.

At the same time John McCain has Uranus rattling his 6th house. This transit generally brings disruption to one’s daily routine and one’s health. Gee, do you think hectic campaigning might be disrupting John McCain’s daily routine and health? John McCain definitely needs to be careful with his health now because illnesses or disease can manifest when one doesn’t take good care of their emotional or physical health during this transit.

One more thing, Uranus is exactly conjunct John McCain’s Vertex on Election Day. The Vertex is a sensitive point linked to fateful encounters with others, seemingly sudden epiphanies, turning points in our life and a destiny over which we have no control. Activated, it can synchronize with an experience of another whose effect registers as profound or extraordinary. I read this to mean Sarah Palin will either make or break John McCain’s presidency.

Saturn will be directly opposing Uranus on Election Day, November 4th 2008. Let’s take a look at the energies and influences associated with Saturn and Uranus, what the Saturn/Uranus opposition means, how it’s affected the U.S. in the past and how this Saturn/Uranus opposition will be affecting John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin on Election Day.

Saturn represents the patriarch, the old guard, the tried and true, hard work, tradition, what you sow you reap, and karma. Saturn sometimes makes us feel heavy and weighed down, constrained by rules and responsibilities. Saturn is reality based. Saturn is associated with constriction, restriction, restraint, boundaries, fears, anxieties and time constraints. Sounds like a lot of fun, huh?

On the other hand Uranus represents that which is new, unique, and exciting. Uranus sparks creative genius and an intellectual instinctive knowing. Uranus sometimes makes us feel excited and ramped up. During Uranus transits we will get quick intuitive hits of creative new ideas. Uranus is associated with electrical energy. When Uranus is transiting one of our planets we desire freedom. We don’t want to be constrained. We don’t want to be bound in any way.

On October 26th 2008 Saturn started opposing Uranus and the opposition will be exact on Election Day. This means that Saturn, the planet of constriction, restriction and restraint will be opposing Uranus, the freedom loving, truth seeking, innovative planet. Saturn opposes Uranus every 45 years. The last Saturn/Uranus opposition occurred in 1965 to 1967. This means that once again, the Establishment (government, big business, i.e. Saturn) is seen as the cause of all the social ills in the world. The Establishment is seen as being “out of touch” with the real world, and the “common man”, Joe, the plumber. Uranus demands change, and Saturn resists it. Uranus wants equality and freedom, and believes Saturn has lost touch with basic ideals of human rights, liberties, and fairness. Uranus wants to throw out the “old,” and usher in a brave new world that is more progressive and more in tune with the needs of the “common man.” Thus, we can expect that a major shift in the direction of the masses – the collective – will start now, and will be every bit as effective as an agent of change as was the case when these planets were last in opposition in the mid-1960′s and early 1920′s. Fasten your seat belt! We’re in for another bumpy ride!

Note: There is a positive side when such powerful and opposite forces come into contact with another. It makes the climate ripe for invention. And, indeed, these periods are characterized by many new and original- even revolutionary – ideas.

At the time of the debate Sarah Palin has some really difficult lunar transits occurring (Moon square Sun, Moon square Mars, Moon square Saturn) which signal that she might be feeling extremely uncomfortable during the debate. Biden has a better lunar transit occurring (Moon trine Jupiter) so he might be feeling a lot more comfortable during the debate.

Based on both their current transits it looks like Joe Biden might have the advantage. Astrologically speaking, I’m putting my money on Joe Biden.