The head and claws of the Scorpion constellation reached out above the eastern horizon in the early morning sky with the planet Saturn, just back from the far side of the Sun. Saturn and the Scorpion, both now fully in the sign of Sagittarius, were in the cosmic backdrop of a land embroiled in war and the formation of a new nation.

On December 8, 1779, looking east just before sunrise, the planet Saturn rose from the ‘underworld’ after its orbit behind the Sun for about a month (hidden in the Sun’s glare). It was the first time after the US declared independence that Saturn was visible in the sign of Sagittarius (in the constellation of the Scorpion). It had entered the sign of Sagittarius back on November 25, 1779 and brought with it an ample opportunity for the baby nation to see the truth of their course of action/decision align with the purpose of the nation (Sagittarius Ascendant).

As the Gregorian calendar turned to 1780, the American Revolution was reaching a turning point. The economic cost and lack of allies was taking its toll on Great Britain. Several nations had declared war on Britain to limit the British Empire’s reach and also to seize on trading opportunities in North America. Even the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great took a liking to the new nation calling itself the USA, refusing any alliance with Britain and providing safe harbor to American ships while remaining officially “neutral” in the war (our first dealings with a future highly volatile relationship). The United States was about to realize the fruition of its Declaration of Independence.

First transit of Saturn in Sagittarius:
o November 25, 1779 – March 1, 1782
o May 19, 1782 – November 23, 1782

The leaders of the newly formed United States stuck with the course of action to rid itself of hierarchical tyranny and bring in economic freedom and total independence as a nation in the world. It planted the seeds of the future with every orbit of Saturn around the Sun in relationship to the Earth (essentially every 29-30 years). In all, the planet Saturn has visited the sign of Sagittarius 8 times since the birth of the USA. On December 23, 2014 will make it the 9th time.

Before diving in deeper into the events in the USA’s history, let’s take a gander at what Saturn in Sagittarius represents on a basic level through the lens of Shamanic Astrology.

What it means for Saturn to be Sagittarius:
In Shamanic Astrology, the intent of Saturn is growth through limits and barriers. It means doing the work necessary to reach the goals aligned with life purpose. It is about the time when reality checks in and instructs us to get it together, take responsibility and decide a course of action to take. That course of action represents a planted seed, a future to create/manifest. It is linear time being built to produce results as perceived by us humans. Saturn is the element of earth, its density and gravity and the physical construct of the material Universe. It is a time to see course through once it began (or make another choice or path to follow), to invest time, money and energy into the course as if it were a life of its own.

Through the sign of Sagittarius, Saturn instructions become more expansive, intuitive and a sense that the truth becomes tangible, like something solid one can touch. The truth becomes evident and the reality of that truth settles in for the long-haul. But Saturn’s passage in Sagittarius is also a check and balance to over-expansion, being scattered or not paying attention to what truly matters for the soul’s growth. However, the shadow of that meaning is believing in a particular truth with Saturn in Sagittarius, then that truth becoming rigid to the point of being inflexible. This is where Sagittarian’s shadow of fundamentalism comes into play. Saturn can either invite an opportunity for that belief come face to face with the reality of the choice (showing a more healthy choice, for example) OR make it even more entrenched into that belief of truth (for good or bad, it is all in how it is perceived).

Another side of Saturn in Sagittarius is blazing new trails, to take on more calculated risks and place more investment in optimism. Of all the signs that Saturn transits, Sagittarius provides for a way to make the path set alight with growth and expansion to produce results for the next seven generations.

Reality and tangibility also relates to how we responsibly manage and administer that reality, personally, socially or with our tribe/culture/nation. Or are we simply re-living and re-applying what went on from the examples set by our parents? And how are our actions contributing to the larger picture of tribe and community? How can we bring up the truth of who we are and our responsibilities toward that truth? These are some of the essential questions for Saturn in Sagittarius. But there is certainly a larger picture at work. Not only should we look at how and what takes place in our own lives, but also the tribe, community and the nation in which we live and how well are we doing in responsibly administering the direction of our nation as a people.

Saturn and the USA
Saturn’s transit into Sagittarius is one of the key elements in seeing what opportunities the US can take advantage of if it sees its own truth (as a collective people). Of course, the ringed planet doesn’t operate in a void without any influence from the other planets. There are certainly other contributions from Uranus, Pluto, etc. that are worth mentioning, but in the context of the article I am going to focus on Saturn’s relationship with the USA.

I won’t review in detail all of the transits Saturn made in Sagittarius during the last 240 years, but place more focus on the first time and the events in the 20th century. In the last 115 years, Saturn has made 3+ transits in Sagittarius (I say 3+ because Saturn was in Sagittarius for about 4 months in the year 1900). These most recent transits of Saturn in Sagittarius have brought about enormous course changes (especially economic changes) in US history. Events included boom years and 2 stock market crashes (1929 and 1987), the waning on McCarthyism in the mid-to-late 1950s, Mickey Mouse, beginnings of the Space Age, turning points in our relationship with Russia/Soviet Union, economic foci and practical applications of far-reaching technologies. All of these don’t necessarily owe sole allegiance to Saturn, but certainly Saturn had major influence in all of those events.

First Saturn Transit in Sagittarius (Nov 1779 to Nov 1782)
Going back to early 1779 and 1780, the US was paying for the war primarily through loans from France and some from other European allies. Many soldiers were not paid and food was scarce at times and relied on many volunteers. Resources were there but many of the wealthy landowners still sided with the British until the end of the war. The general infrastructure (both physical and economic) was simply not equipped to handle and/or fund the war without assistance from France and others. Many of those who fought the war died more from non-combat than they did from actual combat. Most of the civilians were left undefended and prone to raids from British allies among the some Native American tribes. The government was still new and not well-managed financially until Robert Morris became the Superintendent of Finance in 1781 and in 1782 setup the Bank of North America (from a French loan).

With all of that going against the United States, the commitment had been made and the vision was to be continued. The truth was to be manifest by continuing to invest in the future, literally banking on realization of the original idealism (equality) back in 1775-76 (while Saturn was in sign of Libra). When the US began, it already had an accumulation of a sizable financial debt to foreign nations but also more importantly to its own people (and the States). The nation was setup to begin almost from scratch and in late 1780, Saturn transited the Sagittarian Ascendant, affirming its commitment to its purpose (or original intent).

After the American victory at Yorktown in 1781, the British had mostly retreated to New York City. It was the beginning of the end for Britain’s time in the colonies. Back in Great Britain, most were losing their will to continue the war in North America. The turning point had been reached and it was only a matter of time before a treaty was signed. Britain still remained in Canada and had trading interests with the Native Americans, but the ending of the American Revolution helped setup in what is called the “War of 1812” in the United States. That war began shortly after Saturn’s second transit in Sagittarius ended in late 1811.

The Roaring Twenties

First (Full) 20th Century Transit of Saturn in Sagittarius:

• December 3, 1926 – March 15, 1929
• May 6, 1929 – November 30, 1929

In the United States, the economy was booming throughout the 1920s until the famous stock market crash of October 24, 1929. America was in party mode and prohibition on alcohol only served to take it underground where music and drinking were finding new ways to express themselves. The government had done what it could to regulate or ban drugs but it was turning out to be highly futile (as it is even today).

It was an environment that had its fill of culture wars, especially as more and more people became mobile and moved to cities. Faster ways of communicating and transportation were spreading fast and businesses were advertising across the country. Retail business took off with chain stores opening up in the mid-to-late 20s. In the time of Saturn in Sagittarius (late 1926 to late 1929), the first transmission of television took place and the first trans-Atlantic flight happened. The far-reaching transit provided an opportunity for Mickey Mouse to make his first appearance, seeding the way for Disney to become a household name. The sale of alcohol had gone underground and was booming.

The United States was becoming an economic powerhouse with trading taking place all over the globe. It was the coming of the so-called, “first-world” nation. Even the cold relations with the newly formed USSR had begun to thaw with the implementation of the “Good Neighbor Policy” after 1927. Formal trading with Russia was just beginning to show up (after going away in the wake of the Communist Revolution). But the expansion would not last. In October of 1929, shortly before Saturn left Sagittarius, the stock market crashed, heralding the Great Depression (which affected nearly the entire world). The Sagittarian expansion had ended while Saturn went into Capricorn in December, appropriately a good time to check-in with where we were and where we want to go. The contraction had simplified things for a lot of people. It was Time to get our priorities straight.

This shift at the end of the Saturn initiation in Sagittarius would create echoes in the mid-to-late 1950s and 1980s setting up a chance for us to have a deeper understanding of this process by 2015.

The so-called “Golden Age” of the USA 

• Rise of the Middle Class/Seeding the Space Age
o January 12, 1956 – May 13, 1956
o October 10, 1956 – January 5, 1959

As the British Empire was collapsing and many nations were gaining independence, the United States was in the throes of another economic expansion. The Middle Class was reaching new heights as was the Cold War with the Soviet Union. America was in another mood to celebrate, though as music took on a new cadence and entertainment actually grew to a respectable economic industry. Elvis Presley and Disneyland (about a year prior in 1955) came on the scene along with the “invention” of fast-food. Many of the industries and conveniences we see around us today were born in the 1920s and 1950s, especially during the time while Saturn was in Sagittarius.

The Cold War between the US and USSR took on a new tone during this time period with the beginning of the Space Race. Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4, 1957, well before the first American satellite. Sputnik seeded a new level of competition between the two nuclear nations, bringing about space agencies of both nations (NASA for the US).

In the late 1950s, McCarthyism went into decline even as the Cold War was heating up. A new outlook was springing forth with eyes gazed upward at the potential to launch rockets into orbit and eventually to the planets. The US began to tie its economy to the backdrop of tension between Capitalism and Communism.

The Big 80s

• Most Recent Saturn in Sagittarius Transit
o November 16, 1985 – February 13, 1988
o June 9, 1988 – November 12, 1988

The American economy was again hitting strides during the first two years that Saturn was in Sagittarius. As we look at the 2 previous occasions, we can see the economic trend with Saturn’s transit of the sign of Sagittarius. Generally, there is a high level of optimism with an outlook tending toward continual expansion. However, as Capitalism goes, there is always a shift at some point; a reality that checks in. In the 1980s, that reality checked 58 years after the 1929 stock market crash, nearly to the day. In essence, it was close to 2 full orbits of Saturn. The stock market crashed on October 19, 1987.

That crash didn’t necessarily lead to a recession or depression (at least until 1990-91), it was more that the market had been over-inflated and some speculated it was merely a large correction to a ‘normal’ level of trading.

The stock market didn’t crash in the 1950s, but appears to be a half-way mark of a 60-year period of the economic /physical infrastructures being seeded or built from the period of the mid-to-late 1920s. The other common thread through these Saturn in Sagittarian transits was the US’ relationship with Russia/Soviet Union. By the end of 1988, the Soviet Union was experiencing financial hardship, having fought a long war in Afghanistan, then beginning its withdrawal in 1988 (in part due to American guns being sent to Afghanistan). Earlier in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster took place and Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary, instituting openness (glasnost) and restructuring (perestroika) programs to revitalize the Russian economy. Gorbachev would also work closely with the United States in bringing an end to the Cold War. That end would eventually lead to another “boom” period in the middle and late 1990s.

Other items to note during this time was the Savings and Loan scandal, the Iran-Contra scandal, widespread use of compact discs, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 1986, the beginnings of a large audience for “rap” music, the rise in popularity for 24-hour news networks and Cable Television. Materialism was experiencing immense growth during this time of Saturn in Sagittarius (another connection to the 50s and 20s) including the popularity with Wall Street and new American tycoons like Donald Trump.

The Next Saturn in Sagittarius

Current transit of Saturn in Sagittarius:
o December 23, 2014 – June 14, 2015
o September 17, 2015 – December 19, 2017

On December 23rd, which is at the time I completed this article, Saturn is once again in Sagittarius. This is the 9th time in which this nation gets to experience this transit. Saturn has once again entered the area of the head and claws of the Scorpion in the early morning sky.

In the context of the times in which we live where the possibilities are endless and the Turning of the Ages is upon us, this Saturn transit could end up providing a reality check in the next three years to the US. By 2016, Saturn will cross over America’s Ascendant in Sagittarius. That will be a critical period for all of us. When we look back at the first Saturn transit and the most recent ones of the 20th Century, we can see how the financial and economic forces shift into a long-term “boom and bust” pattern. We can also see the connection with the former Soviet Union and current Russia shifting once again.

Economically, we live in uncertain times, however indications are relatively positive at the moment. There are exceptions, where the sixty-year pattern is showing up again in the area of middle-class. The middle was exploding in expansion in the late 1950s. Now, it is shrinking or contracting as a long-term trend. In addition, our relations with Russia of course began during the Revolutionary war were helpful, then receded during the Cold War, and especially problematic during the Space Race that began in the late 1950s, carrying into the 1960s. It became well-intentioned and hopeful again during the mid-to-late 1980s. Now, our relations with Russia have become colder. The Russia-US relations will continue to be vital during this new Saturn in Sagittarius transit.

Not-so-Final Thoughts

In the age in which we live and in the context of a few other major planetary alignments taking place in 2015-2017, I am imagining that this Saturn in Sagittarius transit will just as or more eventful as the previous ones in the 20th Century. The important points to focus on are what seeds and commitments were made back in 1779-1782, the first time Saturn transited Sagittarius shortly after the birth of the US. We can look how it has evolved with the financial infrastructure created, our explorations into unknown territory (over a continent, a world and into the Solar System), the type of government the founders created and looking at our truths.

Saturn will be seen moving above and the to the right of the Scorpion constellation, through claws and head and by the heart, Antares at 10 degrees Sagittarius, now only about 4 degrees away from the Ascendant of the United States. Saturn will begin to pass by this area of the night sky in December of 2015, which hidden in the glare of the Sun. This transit will setup for a particularly critical year in 2016 when most of the Saturn Initiation for the United States will take place.

The Scorpion constellation has an ancient connection to the Life/Death cycle and one can imagine that our nation will have a golden opportunity to choose a future that serves the next seven generations, choose a direction to explore in governance, financial administration and responsibly managing an inspiring course of discovery and exploration. With the star Antares being the “Heart of the Scorpion” and the Scorpion lying within the sign of Sagittarius, it can provide a way for the United States to uncover new knowledge, discover more about the truth/meaning of its Sagittarian Ascendant and let go of the structures that do not work anymore with Saturn’s transit of this celestial region.

When seeing Saturn in the early morning sky in the Scorpion constellation now or in the evening sky in mid-to-late 2015, you are literally gazing at the clock of the past, like a cosmic time machine, at events from the American Revolution, the Roaring Twenties, the 1950s and the beginnings of the Space Age as well as the late 1980s when the Cold War was reaching its end.  Saturn is a guide for linear time and this next stage of exploring Sagittarius is up to us to choose our direction.

– Erik Roth, Shamanic Astrologer

References:

• Wikipedia (US History, Cold War, Stock Market Crashes, Soviet Union, American Revolution)
• Shamanic Astrology Handbook by Daniel Giamario
• Saturn: A new look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene
• Stellarium night sky software
• Solar Fire Gold 9.0 Astrology Software
• US-Russia relations: , http://countrystudies.us/russia/10.htm
• US-Russia relations in the 1920s-1930s: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/ussr