In the Sky Now: Mercury-Saturn
Lean into the Mercury-Saturn alignment this week and explore the cosmological weather through the writings of George Orwell, the silent films of Charlie Chaplin, and the principles of Ray Dalio.
Mercury, the planet of the mind and intellect is in a harmonious alignment with Saturn, the planet of structure and wisdom. With this transit, the cosmological weather for the unfolding week will have flavors of organized thinking and serious discussions.
Transit
Mercury-Saturn is the aspect of the mathematician. With the trine (120º), a sense of ease may be felt around mentally rigid tasks.
Iconic Figure
Writer, George Orwell, was born on June 25, 1903 with a Mercury trine Saturn alignment. Orwell is famously known for his dystopian fiction novel 1984. The word "dystopia" is in itself a Saturnian word–indicating some thing, or some place which is "bad", shedding light on a valence of Saturn which entails hardship. Orwell had a knack for dystopian writing–his Mercury-Saturn alignment can be considered to be a gift as he was able to express the Saturnian archetype with tremendous clarity in his novels. In Why I Write Orwell shares:
“It is bound to be a failure, every book is a failure, but I do know with some clarity what kind of book I want to write.”
Orwell's repetition of the word "failure" is a profound expression of Saturn. Yet, in that pessimism he finds a gem radiating with clarity: his dedication to write. A truly Mercury-Saturn way of life. If you haven't already, read a novel by Orwell and follow the intellectual trail of hard-earned wisdom.
Film to Watch
Charlie Chaplin, the king of comedy and silent films was born on April 16, 1889 with a Mercury trine Saturn alignment. In fact, he was so deeply embedded in his Mercury-Saturn alignment that he refused to move into sound films in the 1930s when everyone else around him was. His first sound film was The Great Dictator, a 1940 film satirizing Hitler.
The Mercury-Saturn combination expresses itself in Chaplin's strong identity with silent films (Saturn: limitations and Mercury: communication), as well as his initial rejection of the upcoming trend (Saturn: traditional and Mercury: thinker).
While you can watch any of Chaplin's silent films, The Gold Rush would be the best one to watch this week as the film was released on June 26, 1925 during a Mercury-Saturn trine. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush, the film follows Chaplin's iconic character, Little Tramp, as he braves the wilderness in search of fortune. Enjoy Chaplin's expressiveness (Mercury) through his maintenance of silence (Saturn):
Activity to Explore
Investor and hedge fund manager, Ray Dalio, was born on August 8, 1949 with a Mercury-Saturn alignment. Dalio has published several books on finance and economics and is most well-known for his 2017 book Principles in which he thoroughly establishes the principles that have guided his personal and professional life. Saturn is associated with integrity and discipline. Thus, as a Mercury-Saturn individual, Dalio expresses this combination fruitfully in his endeavor to share the essence of a principled life.
He recently released a guided journal through which you can create and develop your own principles. I highly recommend it, especially during this short but meaningful world transit. Take some time to reflect and organize your thoughts, and then slowly write down the things which you value the most.
