To See or Not to See?
This is the no-stone-left-unturned kind of astrological transit.
Is that the question? Some things you can’t unsee, and it is often an unpleasant experience, especially when it is a truth that has forced its way up through the muck of a lie into the daylight. As we are in samsara, or what some refer to as a false paradise of karmic proportions, lies are everywhere. And you don’t have to look far, most of them are the ones we tell ourselves.
We’ve been in the pre-shadow phase of Mercury retrograde for 2 weeks (preparation), and Saturn stationed retrograde on July 13th. Mercury stations retrograde today, and with it comes an invitation to reflect on and retrace our recent days, conversations, situations, and circumstances. This is a fiery retrograde for both, with Saturn in Aries and Mercury in Leo. Indeed, there will be no shortage of dramatic flair.
At the Cusp of Rebirth
Saturn retrogrades through Aries and then back into Pisces before it turns direct in Pisces on November 27th, 2025, and then returns to Aries next February 14th, 2026. This is the cusp of rebirth, traversing from the wise and eldest of the zodiac (Pisces) to the youngest and most audacious (Aries). Saturn is the Lord of Karma, and the opportunity is fierce. This is the no-stone-left-unturned kind of astrological transit that will have you evaluating your integrity, cleaning your side of the street, and navigating cosmic tests to initiate you into the next level of your spiritual progression. In other words, you are being reborn, and the birth process is messy yet critical for your path.
Mercury rules Gemini, of which the shadow is the liar. Mercury retrograde in combination with Saturn’s retro-gravitas pulls us all into the reflective lens of rectification of the untruths wedged in the psyche. Give praise! This is a godsend, even when nauseating, especially so. It is a time to get well and move the unconscious, putrid waste of the false out, so your mind can be clear and discernment can reign.
What has revealed itself to you in this lead-up of the last couple of weeks? What skeletons have emerged from your karma closet to be dusted off and offered to the fire of the gods? This week has been rather, well, difficult. Or maybe excruciating. Objectively, I can observe and witness myself in this human suit going through physical pain as well as emotional shock and complete disorientation as previous realities fall away. The falling away also looks like patterns, habits, mechanisms, forms of relationships, pedestals, hair, postures, egos, comforts, and what has been known or what I thought I knew.
Suffering Is Optional
In March, I spent an extended period of time on a mountain in Mexico, embarking on a quest that marked the beginning of a process that feels like it is just getting started. I feel like a baby in this metamorphosis of being that requires a lot of sacrifice, and so far, a decent amount of suffering. I doubt that the suffering is required, but I am, and that’s ok. The suffering is coming from my attachments to old ways of being that are also literally taking me down. That could look like taking too many hits for the team, being overly tolerant of others’ destructive behavior, or giving in to the mechanics of my mind that have negative feedback looping on “endless”.
John Mini recently shared a story, while teaching a Min Jie Foundations 2 intensive, about his friend, Malidoma Patrice Somé. Malidoma was/is a spiritual teacher from Burkina Faso and a brother to John. When he was still embodied (he has passed on, but his teachings remain very much alive in spirit), he would share his journey of initiation. He said that when he returned to the village after successfully completing his initiation, all the elders would cry for him. Why? Because they knew his life would be harder now. Think about it. You initiate into a new level of being, and there you begin the rigorous practice of “training” until you are ready to pass the subsequent initiation. Kind of a brutal cycle…and one I have found myself on too.
My life does feel harder now. And, I am sure I am not the only one in this virtual space we share who feels this way. The world also seems more complex in many ways now. The last month has upleveled my human experience in the realm of challenge, and I am growing in this process, as well as the suffering I mentioned. Some of you might also be suffering, so instead of adding my details into this soup, let’s acknowledge our solidarity and recognize how amazing it is that we can suffer and still be so ALIVE. You know the saying, pain is inevitable, and suffering is optional? Well, it is the ego that suffers, so it is also a great indicator of what needs to die for the earned liberation to express.
Pain Leading to Awareness
Pain is a sensation, and sometimes pain can awaken you into entirely new levels of awareness. These are things you can work with internally for sure, and the body is an incredible teacher; it just sometimes feels like a tough love kind of lesson. Health is wealth, my Godfather, Matthew, always says, and I’m super aware of this with my Sun squared by transiting Chiron and transiting Pluto squaring my Chiron: Chiron—teacher, healer, mentor, guide. Deep, guttural layers of dis-ease are surfacing, with a promise to transform my identity and potentially my purpose. It is exciting and daunting, uncomfortable, and scary, all at the same time. I will say I found myself in the right place at the right time, studying Qi Gong and learning how to heal myself with Stone Needle Therapy (ask me about this). These are the gifts, there are always gifts…
Until next time, my friends! And remember, when the going gets rough–pray, steep in gratitude, and remember you are only here for a time, don’t waste a moment of it! Each hardship builds your character and strength, and this Saturn retrograde is going to help you to see what you don’t want to see, so you can do your inner work, get honest with yourself and others, and become the real hero you are. Onward!
All my best to you, and please receive the piece of my heart that lives inside these words,
Thank you for visiting my inner world. If you want to learn more about my work in the outer world, enjoy cielawynter.com and listen to The Astrotherapy Podcast: Interviews | CHANGE here.
We cannot change the world until we accept we are the world. This is the new conversation.