Capricorn New Moon Meditation for 2005:

Trading Spaces: Moon and Saturn
by Jean Hinson Lall

Here in the depths of midwinter, the two great Lights meet under the aegis of Saturn, god of time, form and limits. Living beings withdraw their energy into their bones and root systems, guarding their light within, so that the essential forms of things become illuminated.

In this season we may be blessed with an unusually keen sense of our own limitations, but also with the realization that they are not our core identity. Viewing our own foibles and eccentricities and those of others with a dispassionate eye, we may see through them to their subtle foundations in the soul, the archetypal complexes that make us individuals. Pondering our mortality and the impermanence of all created things may lead to depression -- or it may stir compassion and deepen our respect for others and for life itself. Albert Schweitzer, a typical Capricornian (born January 14, 1875), arrived at "reverence for life" as his guiding principle.

Though Saturn can be a killjoy, Saturnine contemplation often passes beyond somber depth to humor and pleasure. When we see people as they can’t help being, sometimes we just have to laugh. Realizing that things must be as they are, we can choose to relax and enjoy them in all their weirdness and imperfection.

At this lunation Sun and Moon find themselves approaching the exact opposition to Saturn, which is spending two years in Cancer. For Capricornians and others with an earthy Saturn, this means playing against type, operating in the "inferior function," and perhaps getting better acquainted with their shadow. Instead of focusing on professional responsibilities, impersonal principles and institutional goals, they may, for example, have to give priority to home and family responsibilities, emotional issues, and personal needs.

For Cancerians and other watery types, Saturn’s transit through this sign may feel restrictive, but it may also provide an opportunity to dry out a little, to view one’s emotional responses objectively and learn not to identify with and act upon them too readily. Saturn in Cancer prompts us to get beneath our tears and behind our habitual reactions to our fundamental needs, and then to take responsibility for getting those needs met. Where Saturn is involved, we can finally stop dithering, organize a program and carry it out!

On the level of society, Saturn in Cancer raises concerns about security and supply. This may be a good time for citizens, governments and researchers to take an objective look at the nutritional requirements of the people, the distribution of resources, national security and defense, reform of the pension and Social Security systems, support for families and children, and similar matters.

However, Saturn is considered to be ‘in detriment’ in Cancer, meaning that it operates under a handicap in the sign opposite its own. So it often happens that the more negative possibilities of its Cancerian placement are the ones we see more of. Saturn in Cancer implies emotional limitations and rigidities including the inability to detach from family complexes or to question an idealized national or cultural identity. Fantasies of scarcity and of danger may color our thinking and distort the interpretation of events and research findings. Emotionally evocative slogans may be used to manipulate people’s patriotic feelings and fears, concealing rather than revealing the true nature of our problems and thus preventing genuine solutions from being arrived at. Both Saturn and Cancer tend to be self-protective, so the combination can produce a reluctance to look within, to be emotionally honest, to admit error and ignorance, and to recognize the limitations of one’s own way of life. True "national security," for example, requires that citizens have sufficient emotional resilience to take a realistic view of their own nation vis-à-vis others and the openness to learn from and about other cultures.

The Moon’s placement in Capricorn now puts her and Saturn in each other’s realms, in "mutual reception" according to astrological doctrine. Like strangers vacationing in each other’s homes, they have a chance to broaden their horizons. They role-play each other and get a better sense of each other’s motives and needs, leading to a stronger partnership. As Saturn helps Moon structure the home and strip emotions down to essence, Moon shows Saturn how to nourish living form. One teaches form, the other flow. The fulfillment of the Cancer-Capricorn polarity lies in the creative union of mother and father archetypes, with each playing its part in the creation of new life and the care of the world. Mutual sympathy and respect between the parents (often the hard-won results of an alchemical process) are essential to fruitful family life. As citizens, the inner work we do with our Moon and Saturn problems can fit us to be better stewards of our world.

As Sun and Moon unite this time, they are coming off a square to Jupiter in Libra, which counters the pessimism of Capricorn and the self-protectiveness of Cancer with an optimism about relationships and a call for justice, mutuality and balance. This T-cross in the Cardinal signs presses us to move ahead with positive action despite our fears and the limitations inherent in the system. Jupiter in Libra says, "The other guy might have a point!" -- and recognizes that, however imperfect the collaboration may be, "We’re stronger together than apart."

So this New Moon, as we absorb the intensity of the Cancer-Capricorn polarity, let’s draw confidence from Jupiter and try to walk a mile in the moccasins of the person (or nation) we least understand, so that when we next come face to face he or she will no longer be a stranger.

2005 Jean Hinson Lall