Saturn Leo
The planet Saturn enters the sign Leo on July 17, 2005.

Saturn is an outer, slow moving planet which stays an average of 2 1/2 years in each sign of the Zodiac. So this sign change marks a change in the vibe of the times. Saturn will exit Leo and enter Virgo in the fall of 2007.

Since 2003, Saturn has been in Cancer, sign of home, Mother, and security. And boy have we been obsessed with security. The United States is a Cancerian nation, and as Saturn has passed through Cancer the past two years, security has been a major issue, and out have come the biggest crab claws the world has ever seen.

The shift from Cancer to Leo is a major one. Cancer is about mothering, security and nurturing. Leo is about fatherhood, creativity and authority, and ego. As such, people who have planets in Leo crave recognition and respect. Saturn limits or inhibits the principle of the sign he is moving through. This inhibition may show up as problems with self esteem or self respect. Some will shrink away and deprive others the benefit of their creative energies. Others will feel like they have to grab the limelight. These seemingly dissimilar behaviors have a common source—an ego out of balance, a heart kept behind a wall. The big question we all need to be asking on a personal level is, what do I deserve to be recognized for? What am I proud of in my life? Is my inner child happy, truly happy?

The thing with Saturn is, we tend to “should” all over ourselves. Obsessing about what we should look like, what we should be doing, who we should impress, who we should be. And this gets in the way of our responding to our true heart’s desire.

Saturn moves through all 12 signs in 29 years. His last journey through Leo was 1976-1978. If you are old enough, you may remember what those years felt like for you. Were they easy, were they difficult? Of course your circumstances have changed after 29 years, but you are likely to encounter similar energies, similar lessons and choices.

If you’re a Leo native or have planets in Leo in your birth chart, this two year period is a heavy time for you. This is a growth period which requires great self discipline. You work for what you get, and you get what you work for. Saturn brings trials and tests that mature and sober you. The question is, can you get the job done? For some, this will be ambitions and responsibilities in your work or career; for others the work will be about developing self confidence, about trusting and becoming more and more answerable to your heart. In her book Modern Transits, Lois Rodden writes: “The order, sanity, and stability of our lives come from the methodical patience of Saturn, and from its lesson we learn to have the enduring calm that comes from inner strength.” Trust your heart, Leo, for it is the most sensitive part of your body and will literally tell you when something is up.

We are likely to see action around the ideas, industries and commodities that Leo is associated with. Those are gold, entertainment, toys, children and children’s products, fathers and fatherhood, leaders and leadership of all kinds, aristocrats and royalty (should make for some interesting gossip at Windsor Palace), egos and ego-enhancement, as well as the spiritual idea of dissolving the ego into awareness of universal oneness. Leo rules the heart. I expect that there will be even more fascinating research to come along, in the vein of Joseph Chilton Pearce and the HeartMath Institute.

Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius natives—like your Leo friends, you will have to earn your keep during these two years. Your best strategy is to do what you can to improve your situation, and resist the urge to blame others or make them wrong. Yes, other people may be at fault, but you get nowhere if you focus on them. If others are doing you dirty, perhaps you need better boundaries. The more proactive you are in your life, the more easily the time goes by.

Aries, Sagittarius, Libra and Gemini—Saturn’s passage through Leo brings you opportunities to increase your creative output, take on more responsibility, get more recognition for your work, and build something long-lasting in your world. Remember that success only comes to the degree that you put in the work. The wind is at your back—but if you haven’t hoisted your sails, you won’t get anywhere. Aim high and think long-term.

Cancer and Capricorn—the pressure of the past 3 years eases up as Saturn exits your sign (Cancer) or your opposing sign (Capricorn). The lessons you’ve learned, you get to keep, and if all has gone well, your thinking about yourself and your future has broadened and deepened, and includes a more realistic plan for materially manifesting your dreams. When Saturn enters Virgo in late 2007, it’s likely you’ll have opportunities to take it even further.

Virgo and Pisces—you have this two year period to get ready before Saturn hits your Sun again. One other major planet of change has been active in your chart—depending on the particulars, you either are, have been, or will soon be at the crossroads of change. Honor the energies by tuning in to the feelings of restlessness and exploring the possibility of making a lasting change for the better in your life.

Molly Cliborne