Saturn Direct + Getting Clear

I haven't been around for a while so I just wanted to write a little something today.

I've had Saturn ON the brain lately. Probably because it is currently transiting my first house and so ALL up in my business. It was retrograding (appearing to travel backward from our perspective here on Earth), and only a few days ago turned direct again.

For me, a big theme of the retrograde was realizing that I need to become more clear about what it is I want for myself. The first house is the house of the self. Not that I magically have it all figured out now that it's direct or anything, but I had to strip down to the essentials. I saw this literally, physically- I stopped wearing makeup for about a month (literally used to be unthinkable for me. Now I'm back to using a little bit), stopped using anti-antiperspirant all together.

Silly examples maybe, but it was like an echo of what's going on inside with me. As above, so below. I'm trying to move forward on my path and I get SO discouraged at times, but I know that I have to keep putting in the work. It's Saturn. I have to put the work in.

If you take a moment and peek at your chart, see where Saturn is transiting for you. That could be the area of life where you need to get rid of the fluff, get down to basics, lay out a game plan.

Does that make sense? I'd love to hear if this rings true for you.

*Edited to add instructions for finding where Saturn is in your chart. Go to astro.com. From there:

1. Click "Free Horoscopes" on the upper right-hand side

2. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and click "Extended Chart Selection."

3. In the third drop down menu that says "Please select the type of chart you want," Select "Natal Chart and Transits."

4. On the outside of the chart, there will be symbols in green. ♄ is Saturn. You'll be able to see which house it's in (houses are numbered 1-12 around the wheel). Voila!

*Note: At some point in the process you will have to put your birth info into astro.com. You can do that either by signing up or just doing a guest chart.

Let me know if you need any help! Seriously, I'm happy to. :)

Sometimes it feels like this, right? 

fire retrograde

Ah, Mercury retrograde. There's a lot of bad hype that surrounds these transits during which, from Earth, a planet appears to be moving backward through space. Offenses include: general misunderstandings, faulty communication, and technical mishaps (also not the ideal time to purchase new electronics). But it's not all bad, and I am really trying to be positive about this upcoming Mercury retrograde. Mercury (planet of communication) will be traveling backward through Leo. Leo is ruled by the sun- the center of our solar system- which can translate to this retrograde focusing around the self. A fantastic time for self-reflection, starting a new healthy habit or breaking an old one, or just trying to refocus and refresh yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically. Since Mercury rules the nervous system, and is very language oriented, now can be a really good time to do some writing to get thoughts and emotions that have been bothering out of your brain and make them more tangible; from there you can see if you're being neurotic and just need to give them less power, or if it's an issue you should try to address in real life.

Retrograde is a good time to reevaluate recent happenings in your life, and I think also to take a little chill time on big decisions or other big events that are stressing you out. Obviously, this can be completely impossible at times, so if such a situation arises, you can know that you shouldn't rush yourself when trying to figure it out, and let yourself take a step back and see everything clearly before making a decision. Rushing will make you clumsy. Also, past issues can arise (that perhaps you never fully resolved), to push you to find a resolution, peace of mind, and the ability to move on. As difficult as it can be, try looking at it as an opportunity to move forward instead of a burden to procrastinate dealing with. I've also heard that, especially during this time, you may see people from the past cropping up, in seemingly the most random of places.

Don't get too stressed out by small annoyances- they will pass- look for solutions in new places- and sometimes things just need to be turned off and back on again...