Once every year, the Sun opposes Saturn. This is, perhaps, one of the most intense possible aspects that we experience during the year’s cycle, simply because it is a conflict between giants. So, I want to suss out the story a bit; I’ve also written brief scopes for each of the rising signs too, as part of a warm-up to writing a daily column every day during Leo season later this year!

Oppositions are, as a rule, destructive; without any kind of intervention, they are always a deadlock, a stalemate, a blowout. Feelings get hurt and assumptions get shattered. Such is the nature of the aspect. Let’s look at the chart for the opposition that’s occupying all of our minds. It perfects (in Lexington) on Wednesday morning at 9:21am, which is about when I’ll be walking into work.

I actually have a somewhat pressing conversation that I need to have with someone in a sixth house position about a fifth house matter and honestly I may need to wait for this aspect to start separating before I talk to them. Why? The Sun is transiting the back end of my fifth house and is coming up on my sixth cusp. I am in a sixth house year. The conversation I need to have is going to be somewhat touchy, and I really don’t want the energy of that opposition spoiling it. If there were any aspects from benefics touching either planet, I could be a little less tense about it, but there aren’t any aspects from the benefics (Jupiter or Venus) that are intervening to ameliorate the situation. We would see that if Venus were translating light from one planet to the other, or if Jupiter was collecting light from a Rx Saturn and the Sun.

Now, the Sun is applying to Saturn and Saturn to the Sun, since Saturn is Rx here. So both parties are moving toward each other to the point of engagement, yet the Sun is not on his own turf while Saturn is. The Sun is also representing the agenda of the Moon here, which is antithetical to Saturn’s purposes. This is because the Sun is placed in Cancer at the moment of the opposition. Saturn sees this touchy-feely Sun coming at him and shuts off completely.

He owes the Sun *nothing*. He will not hear what the Sun has to say. Whatever interests are represented by the Sun—since Leo is rising in this chart, it would be the interests of the individual approaching a situation—will be flat denied. Saturn has everything he needs where he is, being in Capricorn, though he is moving backwards and so there is a sense to which he is meeting the Sun for the express purpose of being able to say “no” to the Sun’s interests and intents.

But there’s a part two to this story that needs to be brought into consideration: the *very* next thing that happens is the conjunction of the Moon with Saturn, later in the day (11:33pm in Lexington).

This is an interesting turn of events, because the Moon is approaching Saturn from Saturn’s home turf of Capricorn, that is, the Moon is representing Saturn’s interests as she seeks counsel from him, and Saturn has an obligation to be irenic toward her. This is a change of the story if we’re focusing not on what the Sun was trying to accomplish, but rather what the Moon was trying to accomplish all along. The Sun was representing her interests and doing kind of a bad job at it, so she has to go into “enemy territory” and take care of business herself. Here’s the chart for the Moon-Saturn conjunction (which will be great to watch in real time if the weather cooperates!)

I’m not going to go into too much detail here, but as a rule, whatever conflict emerges at the time of the opposition will see some kind of resolution as the Moon brings her counsel to Saturn in his own turf. It’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows (we’re still talking Saturn here), but when there is this kind of reception, we see things go quite a bit more smoothly. Imagine if this were the chart of a relationship question: we would be able to give quite a positive report in this instance.

All that said, here are the horoscopes for this opposition for each of the rising signs! I had a blast writing these. You can read for your sun sign, but it’s always best to read for your ascendant (also known as your rising sign).

* * *

Aries: Things go off the rails when you fail to see eye to eye with an otherwise reliable creative collaborator; they’re completely under the thumb of their responsibilities and aren’t in a position to take on any new endeavors, regardless of how exciting or close to your soul they seem to you. Brace for impact.

Taurus: Emotions run high as a visit with family erupts into an all-out brawl when your folks can’t quite understand how your horizons have expanded as you’ve come into your own. The cosmos is screaming at you for you to learn how to set some boundaries and, perhaps, to set some boundaries with family. Stay the course, steady Taurus: this isn’t the first fight you’ve had with them and it won’t be the last.

Gemini: Today’s not the day to be doing any negotiating with credit card companies, bill collectors, or the tax man. Any attempt to communicate, negotiate, or asking for an extension on a late bill will meet swift and terrible denial, and your emotional appeals will fall on stopped ears. How’d you get yourself in this situation in the first place? Present the facts and make a plan if you want any shot of being heard.

Cancer: Tempers might flare today as your earnest appeal to a trusted partner for assistance, financial or otherwise, meets with flat rejection. It’s not that they can’t help, it’s that… they don’t want to help. They see your emotional appeal coming a mile away and would much rather deal with the facts of the situation and pay only the dues that they owe, no more and no less. They’re not going to do your emotional labor for you. The story will change once you’re able to see things from their perspective later today.

Leo: Today is a day to take a nap and retreat, dear Leo. As much as you want to shine brightly, you’ll find yourself tempted to put far too much of yourself out there in order to attract people to your radiant causes—which cause is you!—yet you’ll just end up hamstringing yourself, inviting nothing but torpor and headache at the end of the day. Save your strength; it’ll serve you better soon.

Virgo: Friends come calling to take you away for a time of rest, rejuvenation, and retreat, but as desperately as you dream of a time to focus on yourself, your responsibilities will hear nothing of it and continue to call you back to work—doubly so if you have children or if you work with them. Game the system by learning to find respite and retreat along the way—perhaps a story hour might be the best thing for you.

Libra: Your hopes for a promising transition in your career come tumbling down to earth when the tension between your inner vision and your outer realities erupts to the surface. “The way it’s always been” draws a hard line around “the way things could be,” and you’re faced with the need to rebound and regroup after catching your breath from an unexpected impact. For femme folk especially, the glass ceiling seems to be bulletproof today.

Scorpio: A brilliant, expansive vision of your life’s work “as it should be” has been echoing in your heart, yet as you begin to share that vision with others, you’ll quickly find that the folks you are sharing this vision with are quite content for everything to stay the same, thank-you-very-much—especially if those folks happen to be blood relatives. “Beware of casting your pearls before swine,” even though the swine in question have all your best interests in mind—but it’s their version of your best interest all the same.

Sagittarius: A distant association comes calling today with a poorly veiled attempt to take advantage of your natural generosity by getting something out of you, financial or otherwise. They have no intention for an equitable exchange, and they’ve gotten used to your willingness to help out—but, for once, the word “no” might well escape your lips for the first time in too long! Be gentle as you send them on their way; you’ll find your boundaries around your resources unusually easy to maintain today.

Capricorn: Don’t be surprised if a precipitous conflict erupts in a close partnership or covenanted collaboration today about your level of investment in the relationship. It’s been brewing for some time, but you’ll find that you’re fully in control of your reaction to what’s emerging the dynamic tension between you two (they, much less so). You’ll be speaking in facts and figures; they’ll be speaking in feelings and gestures. Let it lie; no agreement will be reached today. Hope is not lost; a third party steps in to intervene later on to translate your partner’s needs for you.

Aquarius: As much as you’d desperately like to attend to the ever-growing pileup of responsibilities that your dutiful soul has seemed to accumulate for yourself, nothing will get done today because your very body seems to be screaming for respite. There is a deep magic in not trying so hard, because to do so will only turn up the volume of whatever “I’m worthless” tape is in your internal tape deck today. Retreat and rest demands to win today, and it must, dear Aquarius. The gentle attentiveness you will need to do your part in healing yourself and healing the world will arrive soon enough.

Pisces: Allow yourself to be surprised by an ability to say “no” to the demands of pleasure that you’ve gotten yourself tangled up with. Securing your inner world through self-medication only goes so far; today, your duty is to name what it is you really want and to let that hope be your guiding star, as opposed to falling asleep—once again—to the harsh light of reality.

Featured image courtesy of NASA/JPLS/Space Science Institute, reproduced here as fair use.