Posts from the ‘Saturn’ Category

Jan 21

Aquarius Fashion Idol: Narciso Rodriguez

January 27, 1961 Newark, NJ noon* (time unknown)

Born to Cuban immigrant parents in Newark New Jersey and quickly rising through the ranks of the high fashion world in New York, Aquarian fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez’s story is truly an American dream saga. The most striking thing about his chart is the conjunction of Jupiter, the planet of abundance and good luck, with Saturn, the planets of obstacles and endurance. This conjunction, which happens every twenty years, is thought by many astrologers to be a generational marker, the ushering in of a new wave. It also has mixed blessings for those born under its influence. Often it means that they will have as many downs as ups in their lives and career, that they will have to work very hard to achieve what will ultimately be huge successes, and that some of their greatest accomplishments will also hold the keys to some of their most trying challenges.

This has indeed been the case for the immensely talented Rodriguez. He demonstrated his stubborn and fixed Aquarian personality when he decided at a young age to go into the fashion industry. His parents did not approve but he would not back down; “They wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or a dentist. So when I dared to tell them, the shit hit the fan. It was crazy. But no matter how many times I heard ‘No’, I just kept going. I never thought about ‘No’. ‘No’ wasn’t an option.”

After moving to New York, he secured jobs working for Libra Donna Karan under the Anne Klein label in the 1980s, and then in the 1990s moving on to work for Scorpio Calvin Klein. His own label which he launched in 1998, carried on the great American sportswear tradition central to these two brands. His style is perhaps best described as a synthesis of the clean, simple Calvin Klein style with the more romantic yet equally modern designs of Donna Karan. There is volume and softness in his clothes, yet they remain discrete.

In 1996, Rodriguez would have a typical Saturn/Jupiter year, characterized by several highs and lows. After designing a well received collection for the struggling label Cerruti that winter, he was promptly fired for refusing to sign a two year contract. There goes that stubborn Aquarius again. By September, however, he was an overnight celebrity when Sagittarius John F. Kennedy Jr. married his beautiful bride, fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette, in a romantic secret ceremony on a Georgia island. The bride wore a simple pearl colored bias cut sheath designed by her friend Narciso Rodriguez. Suddenly, he was a household name and the slip he designed helped usher in a revolution in bridal wear. What Cancer Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding gown had done for a generation of girls who married with puffed sleeves in the 1980s, Capricorn Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s minimalist gown did for the next decade of brides choosing simple slips for a walk down the aisle. Cancer, after all, is the sign of emotional, comforting layers, while Capricorn style is streamlined and sophisticated.

The publicity from his friends wedding, whom he had met when they were both working for Calvin Klein, gave him the momentum, and financing, he needed to start his own label. His looks became a constant at parties and red carpets from New York to California, easily spotted on his friends like Arians Sarah-Jessica Parker and Claire Danes. 2003 proved to be another years of high and lows however. After becoming the first person ever to win the Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year Award two years in a row, a huge accomplishment, he began an ill-fated partnership with Italian businessman Massimo Ferretti, a manufacturer who owned several other labels. Their business and creative visions for the company differed dramatically and in a few short years Rodriguez realized he was in serious trouble, even at the verge of bankruptcy.

In 2007, with the help of many of his high powered fashion friends, like his former boss Donna Karan and the Scorpio editor of “Vogue”, Anna Wintour, he had managed to pull himself out of that partnership without loosing everything and find a more suitable partner. Ever the embodiment of his Jupiter/Saturn complex, he says of this difficult time in his life, “The worst thing that has happened to me is all of the bad advice I have received. It’s also the best thing. It’s brought me to the place where I am today.” The Liz Claibourne company purchased the Narciso Rodriguez brand in 2007 for $14 million dollars, making it one of the first times a large American manufacturer has dabbled in acquiring in the upscale niche market area. With plans underway for an accessories line and stores, this looks to be a promising partnership.

But one thing is certain, however it turns out, as a Aquarian, Rodriguez will always stay true to himself and the style of work he is passionate about. With his Mars in Cancer (and possibly his moon as well, depending upon what time of day he was born), his artistic Venus in Pisces, and his inspired Neptune in Scorpio, there is a strong water element in his chart. For him fashion is about feeling and emotions and ideas. Not about trends and sudden fads or the shock of the unexpected. As he said way back in 1997, “What I’m trying to capture with the look is something more sensual, more feminine. For me designing is such a personal thing. It’s really emotional- that’s part of my Latin upbringing.” And part of his birth chart.

Jun 15

2 Comments

Those Krazy Kardashians

It seems everywhere we look these days we are looking at those Krazy Kardashian sisters. Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and the rest of the gang are everywhere. This is because they perfectly represent the Cardinal Cross that is happening in the sky right now!!

At the moment, the planets Uranus (in Aries), Pluto (in Capricorn), Saturn (in late Virgo/early Libra), and the transiting Sun (in late Gemini/early Cancer) are forming a giant cross to one another. Saturn and Uranus are about 180 degrees apart and Pluto and the Sun are about 180 degrees apart. This is what is known as a Cardinal Cross and it is an extremely rare alignment (as in never again in our lifetimes).

It just so happens that the most celebrated family of pop-culturedom at the current moment personify this rare Cardinal Cross!

Kourtney is an Aries= she is being most affected by Uranus. Uranus is the planet of sudden and unexpected disruptions and breakthroughs.. Kourtney’s pregnancy comes to mind. As an Aries she craves independence but is now having to learn to create a different kind of life.

Kim is a Libra= she is being most affected by Saturn. Saturn is the planet of responsibility, diligence and effort. With her hectic schedule, Kim is learning that being a STAR requires a lot of patience and hard work. Her Libra qualities of diplomacy and cooperation are being tested.

Khloe is a Cancer= she is being most affected by Pluto opposing her sun from Capricorn. With intense Pluto hammering away at her sensitive Cancer sun, Khloe is the sister experiencing the deepest internal transformation at the moment- from shy family girl to married woman and national star- this is affecting her at a profound level. Creating her own family with her husband is the next big project.

Since so many of us are experiencing changes in our lives because of this deeply influential and far-reaching Cardinal Cross, we can see some of our own struggles and triumphs reflected back at us through this Krazy family- and that is what accounts for their Krazy popularity!! And while the sun will speed by pretty quickly, the rest of these planets will hold this tricky alignment for about another year , so don’t look for other stars to usurp the Kardashian throne at US Weekly just yet. And expect plenty more drama!

Dec 28

1 Comment

Saturn in Libra & the Cardinal Cross

william-blake

Saturn, the planet of restriction and realism, transited from Virgo into Libra on October 29 at 1:09 PM EST. Saturn’s shift from one sign to the next is always important but its movement into Libra holds special significance. This is an extremely important time for all of us, so pay special attention!

To begin with, Libra is the 1st sign of the second half of the zodiac. While the signs of first half of the zodiac (the signs Aries through Virgo) represent the personal world and personal experience, the second half of the zodiac (Libra through Pisces) represents the outer world. It begins with Libra, which appropriately represents balance- the balance between our personal experience and our place in the larger world, among other things. Thus, with Saturn bringing CONSEQUENCE, we will see during Saturn’s transit of Libra- which lasts until April 5, 2012- the consequences of our actions in the larger world. We will have to reassess and re-negotiate our relationships with others.

Secondly, Saturn was in Libra only July 4, 1776- the birthday of America. Thus for our country, this is a pivotal time, a Saturn return. The results and consequences of our policy and national behavior for the past 29 years, since the last time Saturn was in Libra, will make themselves manifest, for better or for worse.

Saturn is also dignified in Libra. This is an ancient classification of planets who have an affinity for particular signs. This means that essentially Saturn really “likes” being in Libra- it can really exert its will effectively in that sign. Saturn has a particular enjoyment of its transit through Libra because Libra represents equality and justice and there is nothing that Saturn enjoys more than re-distribution based on merit. We can expect an awful lot of “justice” to be doled out in the coming years.

Finally, as Saturn crosses the cusp of Libra it activates the “Cardinal Cross” that is the marker of our coming years astrologically. The cusps of the four cardinal signs- Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn- are the most sensative energy point in the zodiac. Planets opposing or squaring one another along these lines have special potency. Pluto began this aspect as it crossed the Capricorn cusp last fall. With Saturn now in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn, the Cardinal cross is in effect. These planets are in hard aspect to a third planet, Uranus, which is now in late Pisces. When Uranus moves into Aries in May 2010, the cardinal cross will be at its most potent.

The period of time in 2010 when Saturn is in early Libra, Uranus is in early Aries and Pluto is in early Capricorn, will be exceptionally important and transformative. When the moon or other planets cross over early Cancer during 2010, important events will be triggered.

It is the belief of many astrologers, including myself, that this cardinal cross is the epic astrological event that corresponds with the type of apocalyptic “2012″ scenario that is gaining momentum in our culture. A fundamental transformation of our way of life is under way. Our entire value system will be re-made (Libra loves a good make-over! Sorry to make a joke but it is all quite intense). So keep in mind… now is not the time for frivolity so if you want to make it through the Libra in Saturn and the cardinal cross intact it would be wise to keep your head down, work hard, be fair and truthful in all of your endeavors and live in accordance with your highest values.

With those goals in mind we can anticipate a very positive transformation. Pluto promises deep and meaningful change, and this could hopefully come in the reconciliations of the two opposites- Saturn (the rigid Western materialist view of the universe) and Uranus (the indefinable energy of innovation and synchronicity that is more associated with an intuitive integrated view of the universe). When more people in the world are able to see that these two views of life are not necessarily dichotomous but can, and indeed MUST, be reconciled, terrific advances in both consciousness and knowledge will follow.

May 1

6 Comments

Saturn Return & the Rollercoaster 20s

I myself am well into my 20s, as are most of my close friends and confidantes. Like any time in ones life, the present, naturally, seems to assume the utmost importance. And just like when we were in our teens, and thought nobody could possibly understand us (and likely they didn’t), the 20s come with their own set of emotional trials and tribulations. These come in three distinct waves, astrologically speaking.

The Saturn return that takes place around ages 28/29 has garnered the most recognition in the collective consciousness. Like Mercury retrograde it seems to have the highest number of non-astrological pros murmuring about it’s significance. This would of course be characteristic of it’s namesake planet, Saturn, who garners, indeed demands, a great deal of serious consideration and respect. However, the earlier two astrologically significant events one encounters in their 20s are equally interesting and significant.

Around age 24, adults enjoy their second Jupiter return. The planet Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to make a full circle of the zodiac. This means that for every person, when they are about 12 years old, and then again at 24 (yet again at 36, 48, etc), transiting Jupiter returns to the same degree in the sky that it was at when you were born.

Jupiter is the planet of luck, abundance, extravagance, faith, optimism, education, journeys, teaching, publishing, broadcasting, gambling and speculation. This is interesting because at this juncture in many a young persons life they are taking, in many ways, the biggest gamble of their lives- deciding which career path they want to follow.This is a tidy follow up to ones first Jupiter return at age 12, when we are well enough along in our development to have established certain academic, as well as social, preferences. Like happy-go-lucky Jupiter, adults at age 24 set off with the highest of hopes, an innate faith and optimism about their chosen field and the future abundance of their life. Jupiter also represents opportunities and now is the time when we feel like the world is an open and exciting place for us. And much to the amusement of everybody else, the extravagance of those in their early 20s is often well broadcast for all to see! This is understandably a high point in many peoples life.

At age 27/28 we encounter the next interesting astrological event. The progressed moon returns to the sign and degree it was at the time our birth. Progressions are different from transits. The transit moon, with it’s rapid 28 day orbit of the zodiac, passes over our natal moon once each month. This is called the lunar return and many astrologers looks at it for information about the coming months emotional character. It takes at least 27 years, however, for the moon to make one full rotation in the progressed chart which shows the internal progress and changes we are experiencing in our lives. So while both the Jupiter and Saturn returns are transits, which affect us in a more public, exterior way, through circumstances and situations which reinforce its themes, the progressed lunar return is a much more subtle, private time of reassessment and reflection.

Again this suits the nature of the mysterious, private, nurturing, loving, giving, tender, moody moon quite well. During our progressed lunar return we really get in touch with our emotional nature. With the progressed moon in our natal moon sign for a little over 2 years, all of the emotional baggage and patterns that we have been carrying around with us seem to be put under the spotlight. For many this is a time when we are getting more serious about our relationships, even considering marriage. For those who have already married, it is a time when their own notions of love, caring and support are tested. We start to understand what we really need and want from a parter and how we tend to nurture other people, as well as ourselves.

These realizations, often discovered at a difficult price, will prove invaluable as we tread through the next astrological era at age 28/29, the Saturn return. Saturn takes roughly 29 years to make one full circles of the zodiac and it’s return to our place of birth at this time in our lives in crucial. We have had some opportunities (Jupiter) and have worked through some emotional baggage (moon) up to this point and it is now our task to turn a practical, disciplined eye to the issues of responsibility, reputation and commitment in our lives.

Saturn urges caution, realism and hard work. If one has been living in tune with these values, honing their craft with effort and integrity, Saturn can be a most generous and rewarding master, having the sole ability of the planets to manifest in material ways, all of our hopes and dreams. If ones path has been more meandering and less conscientious, Saturn provides a firm, but fair, reminder that there are rules in the game and they must be followed in order to achieve success. Saturn does not care, per se, what game you are playing, but rather that you are playing it with honor, integrity, and even love. While love is not a word much associated with Saturn, it should be! Saturn does not want you to be doing some ‘practical’ job that you hate. There is nothing practical, really, about that. Saturn wants you to do what you love, in a practical, responsible way. In fact, when you love what you do, Saturn only strengthens and reinforces your ability to do it well. And any good astrologer will tell you how vitally important Saturn is to a love relationship. It adds responsibility, durability, commitment and strength. Marriage, after all, is more than candles and bubble baths!

For those who have married or are firmly embedded in their career of choice, the Saturn return is a time when we discover the practical work and effort that will need to go into making these endeavors fruitful and successful. And as we move forward with faith and commitment, Saturn is there guide and reward us. So while many find their patience, and their bank accounts, to be at a frustrating low during their Saturn returns, others find large bonuses and wedding rings in this melee. And even if your Saturn return is difficult (and parts of it are for almost everyone), that does not mean that you did something ‘wrong’ up to this point and don’t deserve to be rewarded, but rather that there may be something even better out there for you… something that will get you even closer to the material manifestation of your goals. So while it is important to be sensible during the Saturn return, it is also essential to remain flexible and open-minded; solutions will present themselves.

Each of these returns represents the tying up of loose ends as well as the beginning of a new era. For this reason they are high energy periods than can be experiences as both trying and cathartic. With the Jupiter return (24), we are celebrating the completion (for most people) of formal education and fostering optimism about the future. With the progressed lunar return (27), we are processing the conscious and subconscious emotional patterns we have been enacting in our lives, and making necessary adjustments. This is just in time for our new, hopefully more mature, emotional nature to guide us through our Saturn return (29); the time of assessing our progress and our short-comings, reaping our material rewards, and getting practical about our future.

But the good news is, that once all of this hard work is out of the way, we can really boogie down and enjoy our 30s! With no seriously daunting transits or progressions coming through.. this is the real time to enjoy the life we have chosen, climaxing in the 3rd Jupiter return at age 36. So while the 20s might not be the breeze that every angsty teenager imagines them to be, they hold the keys to a lot of important self- healing that can ensure that the rest of your early adult life is as satisfying as possible!

Dec 2

3 Comments

BRITNEY SPEARS

BIRTHDAY GIRL

December 2, 1981 Mahon, MS 1:30 A.M.

The phenomenon known as Britney Spears turns 27 today. While some pop icons fade in and our of the collective consciousness, nobody since Leo Madonna, has captured the fascination of the world quite like Sagittarius Britney Spears has since she burst onto the scene ten years ago. As she opens up to the public candidly this week for the first time in ages, we can look also past her words and into her birth chart for some more revelations about her life and personality.

Britney is a prototypical Sagittarius: adventurous, active, open, trusting, extroverted, humorous, restless, optimistic, spiritual, athletic, grandoise, exaggerated. Her sun in Sagittarius is also joined by two other planets; Mercury, the planet of communication, and Uranus, the planet of freedom and rebellion. This is very indicative of her personality. She has the need to communicate with her audience and she is a talented songwriter (Mercury) and desperately wants to be understood. But she also has a tremendous need for freedom and independence (Uranus). This is exacerbated even more by her moon in Aquarius, the sign associated with Uranus. The moon sign shows ones emotional nature and what they need in relationships. Moon in Aquarius people are alternately dedicated and dispassionate. Her first true love, Justin Timberlake, is an Aquarius and he would have known how to take care of her emotionally.

In astrology the rising sign shows ones exterior personality and Britney’s rising sign is the sociable, people-pleasing sign of Libra. She is friendly and enjoys being around people, she is charming but also can get lost trying to make up her mind or trying to please everybody else. The first house in astrology shows what other people can “see” about you and with Saturn, planet of hardship, and Pluto, planet of transformation, in this house, it shows that her struggles are very much on display for all to see. But also that she has the power to constantly transform peoples image of her. Madonna also has Pluto near the ascendant.

Britney has Jupiter, the planet of good luck, in Scorpio in her 2nd house of personal finance. Hello $$$$. But her four planets in Sagittarius, including her sun, all fall into her 3rd house of communication, again reiterating the need that she has to be heard and understood, something that she seems frustrated by in her life at this point. Writing could be a wonderful form of therapy for her as well as staying fit and active like all Sagittarians need.

Venus, planet of love and beauty, in her 4th house of home and motherhood is an indication of her strong need for a comfortable, private place to spend time. It also points towards her close bond with her own mother (for most of her life at least) and her massive desire to become a young mother herself. The 4th house is ruled by the moon, however, so has a tendency to be very moody and changeable. She clearly has a difficult time being consistent with these matters.

Her moon in Aquarius is in her 5th house of personal creativity and true love, the house ruled by Leo. This is the part of her that loves to perform and create. It is also the part of her that throws herself head first into all of her new relationships, after all, the Sagittarius energy loves attention, the Libra energy is hopelessly romantic and the 5th house makes you want life to be one big party. With Timberlake’s Aquarius sun falling within her 5th house of true love, and ex-husband Kevin Federline’s Aries sun falling exactly onto her descendant, the angle that symbolizes partnership and marriage, both of these relationships seem very fated astrologically. There is no doubt she had a strong connection with both but perhaps wasn’t ready.

One of the most fascinating, and telling, things about Britney’s birthchart is her Mars in Virgo in her 12th house. Mars is the planet of action, showing how you go about doing things. Mars in Virgo has a perfectionistic, detail-oriented quality. Britney is apparently quite a perfectionist when it comes to her art but this is a part of her the public rarely sees, not surprising considering the 12th house is the house that is associated with all that is hidden. People have trouble understanding the MOTIVATIONS of planets that lie in their 12th house, as though they are being obscured. Thus Britney may truly have a difficult time understanding the motivations of her own actions (Mars). She is more of a reactor than an actor.

Another fascinating, and counter-intuitive, thing about Britney’s chart is that virtually all of her planets, save Mars in the 12th house, lie below the horizon. A person who has most of their planets below the horizon is motivated by their own personal wants, needs, desires and creativity, rather than being motivated by external forces or a desire to find their place in a larger scheme. So while Britney’s Sagittarius/Aquarius/Libra personality is very extroverted and sociable, she is actually much more concerned with her personal life than with her public life.

For the past year Uranus, planet of unpredictability, in Pisces has been in a tough opposition with her natal Mars in Virgo, making her behavior very erratic, even by her own standards. Saturn in Virgo passing through her 12th house beginning last February, right around the time she shaved her head and was hospitalized, ushered in a time of consequences (Saturn) for her previous behavior, as the 12th house is the final chapter in a cycle.

COMING UP: A lot is on the horizon for Britney in the coming years. This February, lucky Jupiter will pass over Britney’s moon in Aquarius restoring some of her emotional confidence and playfulness. She could even very well meet a lucky someone special. Transiting Pluto will also be also be going over the cusp of her house of home and family this coming year, so expect constant evolution and change (Pluto) in her home life and in her role as daughter and mother (4th house).

Her upcoming year will be very focused, however, on her career and it looks like her comeback tour will be a huge success and she will really be enjoying working. However, her sun in the private 8th house of psychology and personal transformation shows that ultimately she is also working on reconciling with herself. This can be a difficult and lonely process, but with Jupiter on her house of partnerships she does have a lot of genuine support from the people in her life.

But Saturn in Virgo transiting through her 12th house of consequences is still a major factor. It will not be until December 2009 that Saturn moves over the cusp of her ascendant in Libra, out of the 12th house, and truly ushers in a new chapter of her life. We can expect her to be dealing with her past failures, as well as reaping the rewards of her renewed effort in her career, until then. Her fathers conservatorship over her affairs will also likely remain in place until then.

In 2010, her ascendant will be the homey, mothering sign of Cancer and her sun will be in her 5th house of creativity, true love and children. This year will be much more focused on her private life than on her career. She will be spending more time with her children and even having fun! The 5th house is associated with good old-fashion fun, so this should be quite a relief for her after all that she has been through.

2012/2013 will be the next major turning point in Britney’s life where she returns to shock the world once again. This time, though, she will be in full control over her life and career and will be loving it. While Leo will be strong in her career and she will be in the public eye, her progressed ascendant will be moving into private Scorpio giving her more control over her image and her privacy. Major aspects in her love life as well as her career are strong during this time and she could easily remarry during this period.

Astrology, Style & Pop Culture