Saturn turns retrograde every spring, and stays retrograde through every summer. On the first day of this month, it backs into Capricorn, where it has been, mostly, since the end of 2017. It will stay there through the end of this year. Saturn in Capricorn has been a doozy—both the planet and the sign deal with infrastructure, power, money, and responsibility. Given everything from the last several months, it is no mystery how these Powers That Be can impact every part of our lives; and this retrograde phase cleans up the path of destruction left by such a powerful planet working for change. On the 5th, there is a lunar eclipse also in Capricorn, which ushers in an element of emotional responsibility. How do we mother the person within us that has been scarred and hurt by the events of this year? How do we do this same thing for the people we love? The world at large? Show up when and however you can; your work now will create its own reward.
Mercury is retrograde in Cancer through the 12th, when it goes direct. It can be unclear how to take care of ourselves, but it is important that at the very least we are fed—literally and emotionally. Laugh and cry and vent and feel your anger whenever you can. Eat with intention, not quickly between things. The sun will be in Cancer through the 21st, with a new moon on the 20th. Take opportunities to build your nest and retreat into it when you can.
ARIES
This month, Saturn, an eclipse, a new moon, the sun, and Mercury retrograde are all in a square to your sign—but Mars is in your sign. Change is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. The world will show you what you need to tackle within your life and within yourself, and it is very important that you show up for this challenge. If there are people or situations standing in your way, it is important that you ask, tell, or force them to step aside, because they are not under the same pressure as you.
TAURUS
Saturn returns to a trine with your sign on the first of this month. It has been in a square since March; and while both bring a pressure to work and change, the trine is much more gentle and productive. On the 5th, there is a lunar eclipse also in a trine to your sign, and it is important that you follow the emotional epiphanies that come with it. You want change? Ask yourself where to start. Begin your days with, “What do I want?” It may not seem like much, but you get more done when you are willing to take charge.
GEMINI
The sun and a new moon are in your house of personal values this month. This addresses and confirms your personal passion and direction—and why it is worthy not only to yourself but to the world. Sometimes, in order to understand why something matters to us, we have to be tested. Do not give up. The sun will test you, but the new moon comes in on the 20th to bring new ideas for sustainability.
CANCER
Deep breath. Do it over and over this month. Take time for yourself. There is so much growth happening so quickly, and some of the most important lessons are not super easy to understand right away. Mercury is retrograde in your sign until the 11th—this can be confusing. Saturn moves into opposition with your sign on the first, and with the pressure and need for change without very direct routes, you may feel like you are spinning your wheels. Emotional work is the name of the game for the first half of the month, and the rest of the month can be dedicated to more specific physical action.
LEO
On the first of this month, Saturn moves back into your house of work and health. Saturn brings pressure to do the right thing. You know that weird thing that’s been happening with your body? Go get it checked out. If you already have, and were not satisfied with the explanation you were given, demand clarity. Get a new job. Get a better job. Ask for more money, or different roles. Ask your employer to prove to you that you are an asset. If they can’t, move quickly to line up something better.
VIRGO
Creativity is vast. As adults, we mostly flex this muscle in our work. This month, visit your creativity for emotional expression, not monetization. Make a song, meal, painting, photograph, essay, ashtray, hairdo—whatever—as a form of release. Do it because it makes you happy, or because it helps you process your grief. This is not for the benefit of anyone but you; but if it happens to help someone else, that is an extra special bonus.
LIBRA
Your relationship to the idea of home has been tangled into everything you have been doing for the last year. There has been a series of eclipses landing in your house of home, setting off little explosions of self-discovery. The eclipse on the 5th of this month will be emotionally centered. Sometimes, the place where we live doesn’t feel like home. Are there things you can do to change that? Are you happy with who you are living with, and how? This is a time to examine the duties you have placed upon yourself in relationship to home, and create more sustainable roles.
SCORPIO
On the 20th of this month, there is a new moon in a trine to your sign. It lands in your house of expansion. It is important to get out of your normal routine. Traveling is great, but if you don’t have the time or means, take a day (or several) to have fun. Get outside and put your responsibilities on the back burner. Treat fun like your job this month, because you have to show up for it to reap the rewards.
SAGITTARIUS
The lunar eclipse on the 5th of this month is part of a series that is going off in your house of self-worth. This is a time for radical approaches to self-love. It is enough to thank your body for getting you to where you are, but try to also forgive yourself for not knowing better when you made mistakes. Honor the ancestral lifeline that produced your experience. This eclipse, along with the others, brings thorough, radical awareness.
CAPRICORN
On the first of this month, Saturn moves back into your sign. This is a last hoorah for Saturn in your sign for the next 30 years. It is a time where you have to tie up loose ends. And while you have probably felt like you’ve never stopped working, if there is anything that you missed, Saturn is here to help you get it done. In practical terms, this could be as small as cleaning out a shed, or as big as a different job in a different country. If there is anything you have been postponing, now is the time to get to it. The lunar eclipse in your sign on the 5th will be an especially potent time to understand necessary emotional work.
AQUARIUS
Saturn has been in your sign since the end of March. Saturn spends every summer retrograde, backing into previously held signs and spaces. On the first of this month, it backs into Capricorn. You may feel a bit like the air went out of the room; you may feel a bit aimless. Even in the few months that it was in your sign, there were things that needed work that became evident. Continue those projects with less pressure through the end of this year, because Saturn will be back in December for a three-year stay.
PISCES
You walk around in the world absorbing the energy of every person and place you encounter. This is big, constant work for Pisces: the experience of over-feeling and over-extension. This month, Mercury (the planet of knowledge), the sun, and the moon are aligned to turn this burden into something you can harness and celebrate. Do things that make you feel like you are healing the world around you. Practice your religion or spirituality with focus and intention. If you feel lost, find the places where you feel connected to being. It is important that you bring the Big Knowing to Earth.
@iamastrology | illustration Kallie Tiffau