Most of us know there is an eclipse in early April and eclipses are always noteworthy. However, in many ways, this moment belongs to Saturn.

Saturn is the most misunderstood and dreaded of all planets. He really does not deserve the awful reputation he has but being a truth bringer often results in negative reviews. Saturn is a master teacher who has great patience and persistence in his quest to show us the nature of reality and truth.

Our egos like to believe that, even though there are approximately 8 billion people sharing our planet today, one’s individual story is special and of paramount importance. Since human beings have a social side the ego will allow room for others deemed to be part of one’s “tribe” to be of importance but, even within the tribe, many believe that their own story is, at least, a notch higher in importance than other members of their group.

Like it or not, we are also all part of a nation and we deal with the karmas of the standards and actions of that nation. This is important because right now America is at the height of a cycle known as “Sade Sati.” This phenomenon happens every 28 years when Saturn returns to the same position as the Moon sign in a natal chart.

For America this takes place whenever transit Saturn occupies the constellation of Aquarius because the chart of America has the Moon in Aquarius. The Moon always signifies the “people.” Aquarius is the most universal and humanistic of all signs. It is this placement which helped America become an independent nation. The values of an Aquarius Moon are lofty and it can be a challenge to constantly reach for the heights.

The nature of Saturn is to deny, delay, demand and, sometimes through various circumstances, to enforce non-action. It is the nature of many people to push back, dread and despise the methods of our friend Saturn. However, what Saturn brings is wisdom, patience, and truth. Saturn will never encourage one on their drive home from work to stop off at a casino and gamble their rent money with the false promise of tripling one’s money. (We’ll leave those impulses to Jupiter and Rahu.) However, Saturn might help someone remember to stop on the way home and grab a protein bar so that their blood sugar level stays stable.

I was fortunate enough to have studied with teachers who had high regard for ancient scriptures and wisdom. Today modern science is in the process of validating much of the esoteric knowledge of the ancient seers as they have been handed down for thousands of years. For instance, as meditation became more mainstream studies were done which validate the ancient teachings of the “subtle body” as it confirms the effects that meditation has on the brain.

Eventually modern science will find different terms to validate the chakras but in the meantime: The ancient yogis taught that there were 7 primary chakras which are located along our spinal columns and 72,000 “nadis” which are the energetic channels which carry the life-force of “prana’ throughout our bodies. It is these connective channels which allow massage, reiki, acupuncture, and other modalities to facilitate healing.

The ancient seers assigned a planet to the 7 primary chakras and this knowledge was important to the companion science of Ayurveda which was the medical modality of these ancient systems. The 1st chakra (Muladhara) is placed at the base of the spine and is ruled by Saturn. This chakra is known as the “Root Chakra” and is the chakra of stability, security, and has an influence over whatever grounds you to stability in life. The root chakra can affect how we connect to the world and how we manage feelings of survival, ambition, dependency, and stability. When the first chakra is blocked telltale emotions that may flood the system include fear and anxiety and can lead to a strong scarcity mindset. Struggling to share, selfishness, and having a victim mind-state stem from an underactive root chakra. Other emotions that may circulate are pessimism, avoiding conflict, and inability to feel energized or motivated.

Of course, we know that negativity is based on the ego’s fear of loss and pain. In today’s “Kali Yuga” world this fear often translates to a mad dash towards financial solutions as the cure to fear: “If I can get a new car I’ll be free; If I find a bigger home I’ll be safe; If I get that job I’ll never worry again.” One look at the tired, bitter, and worn- out faces of our current crop of business titans should be a lesson in understanding that money is not the panacea to fear.

In addition to the 7 primary chakras the ancients taught specifically of lower chakras known as “Pashuchakras.” These chakras or energy centers are located below the hips and translate into lower or “animal” chakras. The entire area from the toes to the hips house these spheres of consciousness – a state of consciousness at a lower level of development than the human genus. These chakras have been found to be active in people who are violent or steal and cheat. We can sit in a place of understanding these chakras but that does not mean we should allow those who have open pashuchakras free reign to terrify the rest of us.

Terrify is the key word here because people are operating from places of fear which is not helpful on any level. Suppose that rather than resenting the so-called restrictions of Saturn we work to understand the truth he is trying to give to us – that fear is not the solution nor is having everything our egos want – not one of us gets out of suffering on planet earth.
The bigger point though might be rather than shaking our fists at the heavens when Saturn comes along and says “nope, you can’t have that at this time” one accepts the moment. This does not mean surrendering all dreams and energy but simply to accept the moment rather than fighting it. The right attitude sees Saturn is helping to guard one against moving into the pashuchakras and prevents one from bringing forth a life of anger, resentment, dishonesty and even violence. Saturn is a sentinel to keep one from lowering their own vibration.

Many people really do believe that their suffering is an outrage and are completely disconnected from the suffering of others. I’ve actually heard people going through grief express anger because someone reached out in compassion but did not express their compassion in suitable words. This disconnection is a function of the ego not the heart/self.

One of the unavoidable connections we all have is to the policies, norms and morals of the nation will are connected to in a lifetime. The fact that America is going through its Sade Sati cycle is important because it affects all of us. If one accepts the truth of Saturn as the master teacher who deals in reality and not fantasy it stands to reason that on a collective level we are being affected by the roadblocks and caution signs Saturn is giving to our country.

Collectively we have been trained to be consumers and have been misinformed that our freedom means that we should have whatever we want and that we do not have to suffer. All of this has truly led to a collective social delusion and resulted in fear, anger, and a disregard for compassion. America’s Sade Sati is trying to get us to pull back from the madness and to understand that fear does not disappear with money, that a new car does not buy freedom and that our economy should not be dependent on a stock market reading or giving nepo babies tax free inheritances.

Each of us can easily let in the energy of the narrative of fear surrounding us and those fears can settle into the 1st Chakra. If we understand the painstaking lessons of Saturn we can understand the truth behind his energy. We most certainly do not need to move into the energy of the lower chakras.

We cannot individually change the world we can focus within ourselves to work towards less fear, more compassion, and an understanding that whining, anger, and blame do not serve any of us. If we each take care of our own consciousness we can elevate our society in general. Certainly, we can all take time to look at whatever mundane desire we are pinning for and notice those who are pinning for a simple place to live? This attitude can foster compassion and a balanced outlook.

An Aquarius Moon promises peace that comes from understanding connection and compassion. The ruler of Aquarius is Saturn which requires the truth of our connection to one another and that is a truth which requires us to work on our awareness as well as our desires.

In tune with Saturn the next cycle is going to be quiet as we approach the New Moon of March 10th. The New Moon will be in the sign of Aquarius along with Saturn and Venus. This is not an energy of trying to push the tides. Relax with it – we may not be in charge of the world but we are always in charge of our reactions.