After three long hard years in Scorpio, Saturn will finally arrive in Sagittarius on September 17, 2015 for an extended stay. Few signs can mark such a stark divide. If Scorpio is a passage through life’s darkest experiences, then Sagittarius is the light and faith to see us through to the other side. For that Sagittarius is the philosopher, the preacher, and the explorer. It’s a sign that teaches us to reach beyond the four walls of our every day world and to set out in search of adventure.
Sagittarius lines up with the center of our galaxy, the ribbon of stars we call the Milky Way. There’s a sense of distance with Sagittarius, whether it’s setting sail toward uncharted territory or looking up into the night sky and realizing that we’re infinitesimal compared to the stars above. Carl Sagan once said, “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” And so over the next three years, with Saturn as our guide, we will set out to discover the incredible.
In astrology Saturn is the planet of mastery. Although no longer in Scorpio, he will still hold us to his exacting standards. His hard lessons will encompass such subjects as religion, beliefs, and dogma. If you are not sure what you believe in, you sure will by the end of 2017.
Saturn will also make education a top priority over the next few years and we may be working on a degree or going back to school during this time. PhD? MSW? LAc? MD? To reach the top of our professions we will have to earn those titles first. Prepare to hit the books!
Additionally, Sagittarius is the first sign to take us into the transpersonal — beyond the intimacy of one-on-one relationships and into broader human themes. It’s a sign with a global reach. With that in mind, foreign travel and long distance journeys will be a major focus in the coming years — especially pilgrimages. And since Sagittarius loves a good story, we’ll have many tales to tell after we return.
(For a Sun sign guide to Saturn in Sagittarius, click here.)
What other themes can we expect to wrestle with from September 2015 to December 2017?
- Spirituality
- Spiritual Leadership
- Faith
- Truth
- Existential Questions
- Mythology
- Storytelling
- The Exotic
- Optimism
- Adventure
- Publishing
- Intellectual Authority
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Academia
- University
- Law
- The Church
- Opinions
- Perspective
- Ideology
- Cannon
- The Hero’s Journey
- Space
- Exploration
- Fundamentalism
- Self Righteousness
- Bigotry
A couple of things to note:
One, if you were born roughly between 1970 and 1983, you have your natal Neptune in Sagittarius, a rather mystical pairing of planet and sign. This was the decade plus that gave rise to the West’s fascination with Eastern religion and anything outside the cultural norm. It also gave us cults (eg, Jonestown). So the next three years Saturn will activate this generation’s spiritual longings. New gurus and religions may arise, while others may abandon their beliefs all together.
Two, if you were born roughly between 1956–1958 and 1986–1988, you will be ramping toward your Saturn Return. This is a major rite of passage that only happens every 29 years. If you are new to the Saturn Return, check out an interview I did with Sara Brooke over at The Space Between.
In closing, we may have left behind the indelible darkness of Scorpio, but we still gather in our arms the weight of our experiences. What do we do now? What do we believe? How will we use what we’ve learned to guide us into the next chapter? What does it all mean?
The quest begins.
Thank you Katie. So glad to be saying FAREWELL to the darkness of Scorpio and start the “Quest” of Sagi!! YAY xx
I was overwhelmed by just the first few sentences. Lovely, thank you so much.
Saturn restricts right? Does this mean it restricts the Sagittarius qualities of freedom, travel, adventure etc? I am just learning about Saturn and am confused. thanks.
Saturn can restrict and certainly has a reputation for it, but ultimately Saturn is giving us the resistance or push back to work even harder. Saturn is like going to the gym and suddenly you’re at a higher level on the machine. You feel the burn.
I loved this article. I think you meant “rite” not “right” of passage.
Indeed! Fixed.
Katie, This is a lovely read for myself and friends. Thank you for the happy side of change. Your post on energy management was a guiding light in the Scorpion path we’ve been on. We are so grateful. Many blessings to you for the new year.
I’m a sag and this is exactly where I’m at in life. I’m searching for the truth. I want to travel so badly but do not have the financial resources to do it but hopefully that changes in the near future.
Love the simplistic yet flowing manner in which you write and explain the possible impact of these astrological changes.