Saturn is the making-it-real planet, as well as the one that reflects the establishment of systems within culture. Therefore, in addition to how it may impact us personally depending upon our natal chart, Saturn transiting into and through a new sign—something it does about every two and one-half years—can have very clear effects upon collective trends and social consciousness.

Saturn is a taskmaster whose aim is to help us create structures of lasting value, those that are reality-based and purposeful. As such, Saturn tests limits, finds the weakest link, and applies pressure—all for the sake of showing us how to forge a creation that has integrity and meaning. Given that Saturn is about doing the work, and not about the quick-and-easy, many people struggle with the energies of this planet. Yet, if we listen as Saturn provides us with guidance, following its one-foot-in-front-of-the-other reality-based tactics, we will be rewarded tangibly since Saturn represents the material and the mundane.

When Saturn transits through a sign, those areas of life ruled by that sign are what the planet of structure focuses its attention upon. What does and doesn’t work is brought to light in a way that we often become very aware of; you can see a lot of it if you focus on themes in the “news.” Hopefully, once faced with knowledge of what doesn’t work, we—both individually and collectively—take this awareness and responsibly work to refine and recreate the broken pieces so that the whole better serves our needs.

A new Saturn mini-era is upon us since on October 29, 2009 Saturn will move into Libra where it will stay until April 7, 2010. After a three-month retreat back into Virgo, Saturn will again take up residence in Libra on July 21, 2010, where it will remain until October 5, 2012.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Looking back to the past two-plus years that Saturn has been in Virgo can serve as a great way to see how this planet works when it transits through a sign, giving us a foreshadow of what Saturn in Libra may offer. Known as the sign of the harvest, Virgo rules agriculture and our food supply as well as healthcare, crafts, labor, and pets. These are among the areas that have caught our collective attention during this time.

For example, questions about the integrity of our food—Where and how is grown?…Is it safe?…Is it genetically modified?—are now on the minds of a much broader audience than in the recent past. As we’ve seen the fallibility of the commercial food industry in such instances as salmonella-contaminated peanut butter and e. coli-tainted hamburgers, we’ve also see the rise of farmers’ markets and the grow-your-own-food movement as well as an increased scrutiny about the way our food is grown, processed, transported, and sold. Another example of Saturn making its way through Virgo is our focus on healthcare, a premier Virgoan arena, something that has taken center stage during this time in the United States.

Saturn in Libra Trends

Saturn in Libra will have impacts upon varied aspects of our culture. Under this sign’s purview are law, femininity, relationships, art, fashion, cosmetics, weights and measures, and other areas related to the Libran ideals of fairness and grace. These sectors of society are likely to face scrutiny and go through litmus tests as we also turn our eyes to focus on questions related to equality and justice. That which has integrity will likely flourish while transience is uncovered. Saturn through Libra will potentially expose areas where fairness may be a concept or ideal but is not being practiced as a reality.

This period of Saturn in Libra is certain to be evocative. That’s because while Saturn’s cleaning house in Libra-related areas of our lives, it will be doing so with assistance from other planets with whom it’s in relationship: transformative Pluto (Saturn/Pluto square: 2009-10), unconventional Uranus (Saturn/Uranus opposition: 2010), and expansive Jupiter (Saturn/Jupiter opposition: 2010).

As I find Saturn transits fascinating, it’s tempting for me to write more here about a wide array of potential trends. But, I want to honor Saturn and create a narrow framework for this article, one more in sync with Planetary Apothecary. Therefore, I’m going to hone in on how its residence in Libra may affect some of our perspectives on health as well as the wellness trends it may usher in, while offering suggestions on self-care practices that may be especially beneficial during this time. Read More…

If there were something in your food that scientists, healthcare researchers, and consumer advocates thought questionable, you’d probably want to know, right? Well, if you live in the U.S., this information may be more difficult to obtain than you’d think.

The reason: Our country doesn’t require labeling for foods that have been genetically modified (GM). While genetic modification of food is a complex process, the bottom line is this: the DNA of the seeds from which the food is grown have been altered, oftentimes by mixing it with the genetic code from other species.

Why don’t we have the liberty to know which of our foods are “real” and which are grown from manipulated GM seeds?

While the answer is complex and beyond the scope of this article, it is worth noting that the government committee responsible for setting GM food in motion was headed by a chemical industry executive and included no members of the USDA or FDA. (This committee was actually spearheaded by ex-VP Dan Quayle, which is kind of ironic when you think that the man infamous for not being able to spell “potato” played a great role in casting the dye for this arena of our government’s food policy.)

If GM seeds were just a novelty, this may not be much of an issue. But novelty they aren’t: in fact, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, more than five years ago, had estimated that about 70% of all packaged foods sold here contained a GM ingredient. So chances are you’re likely to come across these foods on any given grocery-shopping outing. And yet not know. Read More…