Saturn has been in Libra for more than two years and has just seven more weeks to accomplish its mission here, which is to straighten out imbalances in relationships and in the greater society, as well as to bring karmic judgment to bear on issues of justice, equality and fairness. This does not apply only to Libras, but to any person, nation or company with planets in Libra. For instance, the USA was born with Saturn about halfway through Libra and we had our "Saturn Return" from Dec. 2010 to Aug. 2011. The final part of that coincided with our AAA credit rating being downgraded last August after our debt ceiling fight in Congress. Saturn is famous for meting out punishment for bad behavior, although it's fair and also rewards good behavior. So examine your relationships, where you may have made some missteps, or where they are out of balance. Before Saturn leaves Libra, you could make amends or offer someone the chance to do right by you.

When Saturn goes into Scorpio (where it will remain until until 2014-15), we will have tests about how well we share common resources, such as water, which is expected to be the next big battle. The environment is another hot topic. Scorpio relates to cleaning things up, getting rid of what's not healthy or serving us. It's a great sign for fresh starts. It also relates to money and power, the financial industry, economics, and Plutocrats. Saturn has a reining in function, so we will watch to see what regulations are imposed on the banks and markets. Saturn arrives in time for a US Presidential and Congressional election with a huge influence of big money on politics and a candidate who is not just part of the one percent but the .0001 percent. (That's just a phrase I use. I don't know the exact fraction of the one percent that Mitt Romney is.) After last summer's Occupy Wall Street movement, you may wonder what this summer's protest will be. I suggest you check out the plans for Burning Man's "Burn Wall Street" art/protest. Very pun-ny! This coincides with the parties' national nominating conventions and I hope it gets some press.

In your own chart, look for the house where Libra shifts to Scorpio. That's where Saturn is visiting and presenting you with personal tests to see how mature and responsible you are. It can also help you get that part of your life in ship-shape. When it goes Retrograde, it gives us three chances to work on something, especially if it contacts a planet from the range of degrees through which it backtracks. The next Saturn Retrograde is from 2/18/13 - 7/8/13, moving between 4-3/4 degrees and 11-1/2 degrees of Scorpio.

To find out how the planets affect YOU, contact me to schedule a personal reading.

When studying astrology or your chart, you might like to have handy my Cheat Sheet outlining the keywords for planets, houses and signs. You can download it for free from my website. You can also download the free 2012 On a Page that shows the planets' retrograde dates and degrees. These tools are incorporated easch year in my Janet's Plan-its calendars. (And, yes, there will be a 2013 version. I'm working on it now. If you have any suggestions for improvements, let me know!)

Earlier this month, NASA engineers cheered as we successfully landed an exploratory Rover robot on the surface of Mars to look for signs of life and send back pictures. It strikes me as ironic that our science fiction scared us for decades about "men from Mars" invading eath, and now instead, robots from earth have invaded Mars. If there are little Martian creatures, what must they be thinking? Have they worried for years about Earthling invasions, and now they have manifested their fears? It's something to ponder as you stargaze some night.

No, the sky was not falling but my bedroom ceiling was. A big crack got bigger and bigger. Then a couple weeks ago, from the other end of my apartment, I heard a giant thud. About a fifth of the plaster came down and miraculously missed my precious antique four-poster bed that was my grandmother's best guest bed. No big damage at all, but replacement was no longer a wish but a necessity. And that's happening this week. It's a great opportunity to throw out a lot of stuff that's accumulated over the nearly two decades I've lived here. And a wonderful chance to have a fresh chi, better feng shui and an updated look for the room. The New Moon last Friday was very close to the degree of my natal Pluto. So thank you, Pluto!

Pluto is visitiing my Chiron in Capricorn in my fourth house of residence. Chiron shows the weakest link or a way in which we suffer a wound. Pluto gets rid of what's outworn. Chiron is in the sensitive middle point of a T-square in my natal chart, which is being activated by the current potent Uranus-Pluto square. When I saw it coming my way, I hoped it wouldn't mean a problem for my mom. The fourth house rules moms, and mine's a Capricorn whose Sun is close to my Chiron degree. When the ceiling fell, I was relieved for that to be the manifestation of this transit: destruction and reconstruction in the home. Mom is fine and my bedroom will be, too - very soon. I took this as a good omen, and it illustrates what I like to see transits do: something appropriate for their symbology but not harmful!

Maybe you have an interesting transit tale with a happy ending to share. Send it to me and I'll pass it along.