Saturn Returns is an astrological phenomenon that occurs every 28 years when the planet Saturn “returns” to the degree it occupied at a person’s birth. This happens to be the very stage of live I’m in right now. Through my searches I’ve found some say it’s a time of crisis of self, chaotic feelings, and personal and professional crossroads. Others describe it as a time of clearing out of karmic baggage to lighten the load for the next phase of life. I think that’s my favorite description. It reframes a time that could feel frightening and uncertain and presents it as a time of lightness and opening up to new possibilities.

I’m not sure if it’s merely coincidence or cosmic influence but my 28th year has been filled with upheaval, new beginnings and letting go. A dear friend handed my book that has become my saving grace during this time: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron. This book is filled with absolute gems of advice so it’s hard for me to pick just one to share. But one passage that stuck with me was this: “When we find ourselves in a mess, we don’t have to feel guilty about it. Instead, we could reflect on the fact that how we relate to this mess will be sowing the seeds of how we will relate to whatever happens next. We can make ourselves miserable or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of effort is the same.” I find her sense of humor about life and the suffering we all face to be so refreshing. The cosmos may intervene, but how we react to what we receive is entirely up to us.

Body language has always been a science that interested me; “Lie to Me” being one of my favorite shows. Which is why when I saw the article entitled “The Real Body Language” in the NY Times this week, I was intrigued...

“Researchers at the University of Aberdeen found that when people were asked to engage in a bit of mental time travel, and to recall past events or imagine future ones, participants’ bodies subliminally acted out the metaphors embedded in how we commonly conceptualized the flow of time.

As they thought about years gone by, participants leaned slightly backward, while in fantasizing about the future, they listed to the fore. The deviations were not exactly Tower of Pisa leanings, amounting to some two or three millimeters’ shift one way or the other. Nevertheless, the directionality was clear and consistent. “When we talk about time, we often use spatial metaphors like ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you’ or ‘I’m reflecting back on the past,’ ” said Lynden K. Miles, who conducted the study with his colleagues Louise K. Nind and C. Neil Macrae. “It was pleasing to us that we could take an abstract concept such as time and show that it was manifested in body movements.”

The new study, published in January in the journal Psychological Science, is part of the immensely popular field called embodied cognition, the idea that the brain is not the only part of us with a mind of its own. Research in embodied cognition has revealed that the body takes language to heart and can be awfully literal-minded. ”

To read more of the New York Times article, please click here.

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February 5-11, 2010

These last weeks, even months, have worn many people down. We have been tackling big issues and real work. This week we may feel a softening, although the long-term work continues as we are in a many-year turning point of history. Gentle doors open, we can ignore it and just have a less stressful time, or look for chinks in the wall and step into a new opportunity. Our mind and heart are encouraged to expand; our understanding has a chance to grow as Jupiter sextiles Pluto, boosts our confidence and asks us to look for the light on the horizon.

We can use that expansive streak this week, because the work doesn’t stop, and the opportunity may need effort. It can be a pain to be a grown-up. A challenging Sun-Saturn aspect can make our responsibilities and our years can feel extra heavy; our conscience may lean on us like a shepherding dog or work keep us from something we really want to do.

As the weekend begins, if we are respectful enough of one another’s privacy and personal boundaries, we can have unusually deep conversations and garner new understanding. We just have to really keep the heart open and treat one another with a wash of acceptance. It may be time to share a secret fear or deal with the root of a problem.

Over the weekend we want to be part of the global community or feel our attention drawn to that big picture, but may feel a bit fed up with the fellow humans next door. Let the little problems go, they just aren’t the point. Bond on the big issues as Venus conjunct Neptune in Aquarius.

Dance in the name of a good cause as art and politics, creativity and spirit weave together. Creative solutions work far better than more of the same, healing is a matter of the heart and compassion.

Mid-week we have work to do. No getting around it, it’s time. Don’t worry about worrying; just get started under the industrious Capricorn Moon. Look ahead to see where to go, but not enough to be overwhelmed; just begin and continue, and occasionally look back to see how much got done. We become more ready to talk about collective action, though still hooked on our own ideas about how, as Mercury enters Aquarius; but let’s not waste this motivation in words alone.

Towards the end of the week our attention can scatter to the four winds unless we corral it, we dive into family life, group dynamics or life on the internet, and may get out of synch with what we really need ourselves unless we pay attention. Let’s try for balance inside and out, balance of body, mind and heart.

Friday, Feb 5: Morning may be cranky and opinionated; humor can help us play bumper cars with egos if the jokes aren’t too barbed. Mixed feelings are normal; we may be glad to be alone but hate to be isolated as the snarky Scorpio Moon battles with extroverted Mars in Leo. Scathing critiques may be more recreational than realistic, so let them roll but look for a valid point underneath. Deep understanding is available if we just keep our heart open and our mind as receptive as it is sharp. Tonight, if the approach-avoidance intensifies, take a personal retreat or be around people with music so loud no one actually needs to listen.

Saturday, Feb 6: The vibe is curious, exploratory but still rather anti-social or belligerent in the morning as the Moon squares Venus; it softens midday. Look for serendipitous moment midday as the Moon trines Uranus, and feel the mood relax and grow experimental as the Moon enters Sagittarius tonight. We’re ready to climb out of our shell and entertain a new idea or explore fresh territory as Jupiter sextiles Pluto.

Sunday, Feb 7: Although we begin the day feeling our responsibilities nipping at our heels as the Sun challenges Saturn, we have a chance to get in right relations with our soul and with our world Venus conjuncts Chiron and Neptune. Spiritual practice and art heals; we need bread and roses, beauty as well as food. Love needs a tangible form. Our dreams can take us away, or give us a goal to work towards, just watch that they don’t muddy up understanding of the present.

Monday, Feb 8: Read peoples’ body language and actions, and note where it differs from their words. Both realities are true, but their actions reveal less conscious motivations while the Sun challenges Pluto. Don’t mistake depression for unwillingness midday, find out what’s bugging them and see if they respond to a more hopeful vision. Evening, a shared moment heals; we need to feel our brethren as the Moon sextiles Chiron, Jupiter and Venus.

Tuesday, Feb 9: We feel the pinch this morning as duties and deadlines press on us like a lowering cloud. Instead of being overwhelmed by the size of the mountain ahead as a responsible Capricorn Moon conjuncts Pluto and squares Saturn, let’s get cracking on the one piece we can reach right now and make it work. Give people the facts they need this morning. Any honestly encouraging word helps, but skips the fluff. This afternoon use a break to stand back and reevaluate priorities.

Wednesday, Feb 10: Wheel and deal with the best of them as Mercury enters Aquarius. The difference between networking and gossip is our intention, choose carefully. Every move is political; work the room, check in with family, contact politicians, and meditate with community. We need to feel like we’re getting somewhere, so appreciate each step of progress along the way.

Thursday, Feb 11: If we can clear the decks today, we can wander in the more heart-centered days ahead without dropping the ball. Tie up loose ends this morning under the Capricorn Moon, and then work the filaments of connection and creative inspiration this afternoon as the Moon enters Aquarius while Venus enters Pisces.