out of bounds astrology -

Saturn Conjunct the South Node

About once every twelve years, Saturn and the South Node come together in the Zodiac. Those of us who are born with Saturn conjunct the South Node in the the birth chart are certainly not born by accident under this alignment. To this astrologer, the conjunction seems incredibly karmic.

The most crucial and incontrovertible truth about carrying Saturn conjunct the South Node is that you are born with a sizable karmic debt. This debt may carry over from past life activities or may be tied in with your ancestry. You can approach this debt like a privilege or a burden.

Synergizing the Saturn and the South Node

Saturn is not a planet that we can push around. The energies of Saturn will always deliver their results, whether we work in connection with them or try to subvert them. Saturn often has a bad reputation these days, but here at Out of Bounds we see it another way (article).

Often, if a planet is conjunct the South Node in a natal chart, this conjunction indicates a potential course of downfall. An example: for someone with Sun conjunct the South Node, attachment to ego or a chase for notoriety will leave the native feeling flattened and questioning their self worth. The key to living with a planetary-South Node conjunction in the natal chart is not, however, to ignore the conjoining planet or work against it. The key is to approach the planet with an embrace of the South Node’s qualities: an approach of sensitivity and unattachment, similar to the lifeways of our plant, animal, and mycelial co-habitants of Earth.

For Saturn conjunct the South Node, this means a life with very little material attachment. At your most dignified, you may live as some type of ascetic. And there is incredible honor in this.

An ascetic life is tied inherently to holding special wisdom—one of Saturn’s great gifts—that is much needed during these times. This is the treasure of Saturn conjunct the South Node, if a person is fortunate enough to discover it.

Living without an unattached awareness, in denial of the effect of Saturn conjunct the South Node, can lead to a life of clamoring for material gain, and doubt. In western dominant culture, we are extremely dependent on faultily constructed systems and structures. If you have Saturn conjunct the South Node, these forms will crumble and dissolve in your life quite frequently and with the ease of a blade dropped through soft butter. It’s as though you are trapped in an ever-repeating game of Jenga.

At some point, you should notice this pattern, and then set your path to a more harmonious life. Truthfully, within the systems of a society that is growth-obsessed, death-phobic, and denies all concepts of limit (completely out-of-tune with Saturn AND the South Node), no amount of perseverance will keep your downfall from meeting you again and again. This is the most burdensome and Sisyphean way to pay your karmic debt, and unfortunately, it becomes a very common loop for people with Saturn conjunct the South Node.

An Age when Saturn’s Divine Role is Polluted

Those of us born with Saturn Conjunct the South Node have been born into an incredible and important duty. At their best, they live like venerable vultures, here to purify polluted Saturn energies. (I write this as a person with immense respect and awe for vultures!)

That said, to be born in this age—in a dominant culture overrun by pollution across all dimensions—with Saturn conjunct the South Node is not nearly as smooth or beautiful as being a vulture riding the drifts. You are surrounded by toxic manifestations of Saturn, and you have an inborn predilection for Saturnian careers such as construction/building, agriculture, and large companies. Remember, synergizing Saturn and the South Node does not mean running away from these systems and structures. Rather, it is your absolute duty to practice alternative approaches that are Earth-friendly and life-affirming, even when you see very little material return from this.

And it is a responsibility that you are especially equipped to handle. You can step into a channel of divine Saturn and ride the wave. Remember, not all traditions and institutions are exploitative. Learning from Earth’s few intact indigenous cultures, or studying those which have moved on, can be an extremely potent pathway for you.

Saturn Conjunct the South Node – Karmic Transfer

September 27, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

I write during the third and final perfection of Saturn’s 2019 conjunction with the South Node, an alignment that I wrote about in May and have been closely observing throughout its duration.

A term for the alignment that has coalesced in my head is Karmic Transfer. It’s unfortunately tied to banking terminology, but I’m imagining a bank of karma, and the goblins of karma are transferring it from one life to another. Here karma is something like destiny or life purpose—things that carry great weight, meaning, and potential, like a piece of land. A human life. Like a business or place of business, a home, a domesticated animal. Like the responsibility of nurturing our planet.

The three conjunctions of Saturn and the South Node have occurred with the Sun in Taurus, Cancer, and Libra, signs that have significant orientations toward nature and beauty. Calls to action around climate change are in great saturation at the moment, while at the same time we are staring down an economic recession. Capricorn Saturn’s business powers (which by modern terms are inextricably tied to competition and capitalism) are weakened by its conjunction with the South Node; meanwhile Earth and her ways of unconditional lifegiving love are emerging through the opening.

I’m not going to leap into hopefulness or any results-based thinking. I am only noting what I observe. And when I take into account my belief that Saturn acts as a guardian for the outer planets (which are energetically geared toward our unity with each other and all beings), I’ve noticed both the beneficial and detrimental indications of those planets manifesting quite strongly since April’s initiating conjunction. A sampling:

The Self with the Other: the Wisdom of Libra

September 23, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

The Sun traverses Libra from 9/23 to 10/23, joined in part by Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the Moon (New on 9/28). Lessons and energies inherent to Libra season, and those born with Sun or Moon in Libra, or Libra rising:

Opening up to:

Aspects of grace and beauty that exist deep below the surface
Achieving intimacy and peace with yourself, and with nature. Truly, as long as you pay attention to the reflections within and all around, solitude is rich with experience, and nothing to fear.
Considering other points of view and examining a situation from all sides. As this becomes instinct, you will never take things personally (unless they actually concern about you).
Communicating beauty through your art. In this way you become one with the gods.
Sharing your keen sense of aesthetics. Some people need help noticing and finding beauty. Be the beacon!
Responsible gossiping. You’re not going to stop, so at least do it respectfully.

Being mindful of:

Suppressing your self and your truth in attempt to sustain some level of harmony in a relationship
Respecting yourself first, at every turn. Only in this way can you act in honest respect to others.
Using romance like a drug. Serial dating is a downward spiral.
The flow and balance of the space around you. Curate your atmosphere with music, color, tone of light, arrangement, and authenticity.
Telling the truth in whole. Truth leaves problems in your past; lies and omissions (even the little ones!) place problems in your future.
Indulgences. The sweet treats, parties and drinks are all around. Everything in moderation, Libra. Do it for the kidneys.
Assuming your know what another is thinking or feeling. No matter how much you strive to understand each person, you can never fully know anyone. And that’s okay.

World Astromap of the moment of the Full Moon’s exactitude

AstroCartoGraphy and the Pisces Full Moon: Major Energy in the Amazon and the South China Sea

September 13, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

The cosmic cocktail of the moment is overwhelming to synthesize:

A Full Moon conjunct Neptune and Black Moon Lilith, where the Moon is furthest from Earth
Mars and Neptune in exact opposition, with Jupiter shouldering the weight at the two planets’ midpoint
Mercury and Venus in exact conjunction in Mercury’s happy place, Venus’ cranky place (Virgo)
The hyper-intelligence of Uranus and Pallas Athene opposing each other in fixed signs
Saturn stationing direct conjunct the South Node and gearing up for the last march through Capricorn for 28 years.

I think I am supposed to be confused. Really, trying to form universally resonant messages from this potpourri would be a great misuse of energy. We’re all feeling different pieces more than others, and the energies are swirling about in different aspects of our lives.

So I find myself zooming out to a larger picture: Now as the central moment in this Virgo-rich lunar cycle, through the lens of AstroCartoGraphy.

World Astromap of the moment of the Full Moon’s exactitude

The most prominent recipients of this energetic moment seem to be the areas of Western Brazil/Eastern Peru and Ecuador (the Amazon rainforest), and the nations of the South China Sea, especially Papua and Indonesia.

In both regions we see great struggles culminating, although we see it through a thick haze. In the Amazon, with Neptune on the MC, this manifests in the physical form by way of unrelenting gargantuam plumes of smoke (from fire; thanks Mars on the IC). In Papua, with Neptune on the nadir, there are major human rights actions occurring (see the Mars culminating line) which the Indonesian government has attempted to hide and smother with an all-out information quarantine, blacking out the internet and banning all press.

I wish I could look at this more in depth right now, but I am living my own internet blackout and in the midst of sweeping and drastic life changes.

But the way this lines up has me curious to look more at lunations and other synchronized planetary alignments—such as… the crazy January 2020 Full Moon!—by looking at their AstroCartoGraphical representations. Stay tuned!

Phil

Wisdom of the Zodiac: Virgo

August 22, 2019 / whitetaildoe / 0 Comments

The Abbott’s Sphinx Moth welcomes the incoming Virgo energy, and we have a new Wisdom of the Zodiac for every Virgo’s ever-filling handbag/backpack/canvas bag/tote.

The Sun traverses Virgo from 8/23 to 9/23, joined in part by Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon (New on 8/30), and the asteroid goddess Juno. Lessons and energies inherent to Virgo season, and those born with Sun or Moon in Virgo, or Virgo rising:

Navigating the Ego: the Wisdom of Leo

July 23, 2019 / whitetaildoe / 0 Comments

The Sun traverses its favorite sign, Leo, from July 22nd to August 23rd, joined in part by Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon (New on July 31st), and the asteroid Juno. Lessons and energies inherent to Leo season, and those born with Sun or Moon in Leo, or Leo rising:

Notes on Mercury’s July 2019 Retrograde

July 7, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

Mercury’s retrograde from July 7th to the 31st joins the signs of Leo and Cancer, and includes a Full Moon/lunar eclipse in Capricorn (July 16th) and a Leo New Moon just hours before the retrograde ceases. Earth will also be receiving impactful energies from Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.

I’ve put together some notes to help us meet these energies and support our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health:

"Dandelion Roots" by Leah Fargo

Wisdom of the Zodiac: Cancer

June 23, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

The Wisdom of Cancer, and the origin of existence.

In a vacuum, there is nothing. And then, a point: o

It follows, there is a second point. And then, a line can exist. o—o

A third point, with connecting lines, allows for a plane, or face.

The plane, if tipped, turned, spun, or flipped, reveals that still it is nothing, still the vacuum. Existence requires dimension. So, the fourth point. And with it: space, form, and the capacity to exist.

The Tetrahedron of Cancer

Like the fourth point, the fourth sign of the Zodiac, Cancer, introduces depth, and with it, life. All who live spring from Root—the ancestors, the foundational root system of the Plant, the wombs of mothers—and this is exactly where Cancer energy is held.

Beginning with Solstice, the Sun traverses Cancer from June 21 to July 22, joined in part by Mercury, Venus, Mars, the North Node, and the Moon. Lessons and energies inherent to Cancer season, and those born within it:

BEING MINDFUL OF:

Loyalties that are blocking your development
Stunting and oppressing the evolution of people in your care, fearing that these people may grow beyond their need for you, and leave you behind
Hiding your feelings only to have them burst from containment, overpowering and inaccurate
Keeping emotional score in your relationships
Holding expectations over others that are based on YOUR values and abilities
Bestowing your precious, caring, life-giving energy when your gifts are not properly accepted or appreciated
Exacerbating emotional difficulties by hiding away from loved ones who could care for you
Upholding fear-based actions and habits, but calling them safety-based actions and habits
The health of the stomach, the bosom/breasts, and the womb. Stay properly hydrated.

OPENING UP TO:

Giving love and attention to your homeplace(s), including the great mother Earth!
Honoring your ancestors and their good traditions
Spending meaningful time with family and those chosen ones you hold dear
Embodying and performing your feelings (yes, this includes crying!)
Reserving time alone, for rest, reflection, and recharge. Healthy care for others begins with care for the self.
Playing—imaginatively, improvisationally—like children/with children
Giving and receiving gentle guardianship, much like the Moon’s soft glow over Earth
Attention to and faith in your emotional truth
Trusting in and residing with the tides of your moods

Cancerian blessings!

Phil

Wisdom of the Zodiac: Gemini

May 21, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

The Sun traverses Gemini from May 21st to June 21st, joined in part by Mercury, Venus, and the Moon (new on June 3rd). Lessons and energies inherent to this season, and those born within it:

Opening up to:

Earnestly studying yourself, and embracing your PLURALITY (a Gemini has way more than two sides)
Seeking your inner child
Spending time in reflection
Being an agent of connection between people and ideas
Engaging with mystery; wandering about in the mysterious spaces of your life narrative
Taking a class or learning about something you’re unfamiliar with
Divining: the Tarot, the I Ching, runes, consulting a diviner (hey there!)
Your capacity to consider a diversity of possibilities; the playful magic of uncertainty
Trying something new; now is the time for diversity
Being led by the winds or energies of the day
Approaching all with wonder; residing wide-eyed in wonderment
Reading, reading, writing, reading. BOOKS. Read a book!

Being mindful of:

The trickster within
Overbooking yourself
Exhausting your energy and not being able to fully attend to yourself or your commitments
Becoming overly focused on self
Getting lost in the library stacks
The breath, the lungs, the cheeks; breathwork provides great remediation for Gemini anxiety
Withholding information in a way that is deceitful or power-seeking
Using intentionally vague language to avoid responsibility, definitiveness, firmness. (Be noncommittal, and be up-front about it!)
Arrogance or self-imposed alienation due to your ability to observe truths that most cannot see.

These paintings are birthed from the being and brush of artist Leah Fargo, who has Sun conjunct Venus in Gemini.

Saturn Conjunct the South Node in 2019

May 1, 2019 / whitetaildoe / Comments Off

See my other writings:

Saturn Conjunct the South Node in the Birth Chart – An article on Saturn Conjunct the South Node as it occurs in the birth chart
Saturn Conjunct the South Node – Karmic Transfer – A review of Saturn and the South Node’s extended conjunction in 2019

Saturn and the South node conjoin on April 30, 2019, just as Saturn stations retrograde (the South Node’s primary direction). Usually, this once-per-twelve-year conjunction would only last about a week. But this time, they roll together in reverse, and Saturn is conjunct the South Node for six months! Thus, a short opportunity for karmic balancing becomes a major energetic influence.