Astrology of Now: Saturn Drinks in Libra's Last Chance Saloon

Marc Chagall,
The Eve of the Day of Atonement

Today, 27 September 2012, is the Jewish Day of Atonement. The Books of Life and Death have been closed, the tally of good and bad deeds has been taken for the year, and you've apologised to your family, friends, colleagues, the milkman for the dumb stuff you did or said this year, and now it's time to pray.

Does God write the names of those who are to die this year in a big book? I doubt it. Does he/she/it/whatever care if we pray all day today? Shrug and wave of the hands. 

But I like the idea of taking a moment to look back at your year and weigh up how well you have done in your relations with others. And then deciding to mend a few bridges – or not as the case may be.

Observant Jews should have been making amends for the past ten days or so. For them it's too late until next year, but for the rest of us it's not too late at all. In fact, this year is really special in terms of setting the record straight, saying sorry and doing the right thing. Saturn, the planet of retribution, is in the final degree of Libra, justice and balance, until October 6, when he moves into Scorpio.



Librans across the planet and those with Saturn in Libra will be heaving a mass sigh of relief. It's been a tough one, even tougher than usual because Saturn was locked in conflict with both Uranus, shock, and Pluto, awe, for some of the time. It's almost over, yay.

So we have two more weeks to weigh up our own behaviour. At 29°, Saturn is in Libra's last chance saloon, drinking his final piña colada before putting on the floor-length leather coat and striding into Scorpio, getting ready for some vengeance.

Now the 29th degree of any sign is an interesting one. Some astrologers call this, and the very first degree of a sign, critical degrees. The qualities of the sign are said to be magnified. Isabel Hickey calls this the "degree of expiation" which means atonement.

Saturn is the planet that keeps score. He takes a tally. He's an accountant. When he's in Libra, he's concerned with justice and fairness, with equal relations between people. Just like those observant Jews going around the neighbourhood asking forgiveness, this is our last chance with Saturn exalted (that is behaving well) in the sign of fairness, to fix broken relationships using charm and diplomacy. Now is also the opportunity to look back over the last two and a half years when Saturn was in Libra and see how you've done. What lessons have you learned about relationships, about justice, about politics?

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." That's the Bible, and it may be as well to keep those words in mind when Saturn goes into Scorpio, the sign of revenge.

 Saturn in Scorpio takes no prisoners.