It’s time for some woo-woo. If you’re not here for woo-woo, that’s okay. Scroll on down to ways to work with the woo I’m about to discuss without the astrological framework.
~*now entering a woo-woo zone*~
Okay, here we go — Saturn entered Aquarius for the first time in 29 years on March 21. Since then, we’ve experienced a global pandemic + a truly inspiring resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. It really has been a heck of a year.
According to the queer LA-based astrologer, Chani Nicholas:
The last time Saturn was in Aquarius (1991-1993), apartheid was dismantled. Before that, Saturn was in Aquarius from 1962-1964, just before the Civil Rights Act, which banned school segregation and employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex or national origin, was signed into law in the United States. And before that, Saturn was in Aquarius from 1932-1935. The Great Depression had begun in 1929 causing unemployment to reach 25%. These years of Saturn in Aquarius saw the beginning of FDR’s New Deal, which brought social security, government infrastructure and banking regulations to the US.
While none of these measures have been perfect, they’ve all been revolutionary humanitarian feats — a hallmark characteristic of Aquarius.
Saturn will retrograde back into Capricorn on July 1, where it will stay until the end of 2020. In December, Saturn will enter back into Aquarius and stay there until 2023. How will you harness the energy of this revolutionary transit? How will you use the next 5ish months that Saturn retrogrades to Capricorn to reimagine and dismantle existing oppressive systems (white supremacy, capitalism, the patriarchy…) so that we can reconvene in 2021 when Saturn returns to Aquarius for the next two years to recreate those systems into something that empowers the collective?
We have work to do, let’s get started.
Yours in solidarity,
Claire
These helpful tips for white people engaging in anti-racist work are pulled from a post on Instagram relating to the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in Seattle. The post came from a white person and are directed to white people. I slightly modified them to relate to all white folks, not just those considering going to CHOP.
Link to a post with Black organizations to send your $$$
Some Sacramento-based orgs to send your $$$
White Women Opt-In for Transformation + Social Justice
Eliminating racism in the white women's movement is by definition work for white women to do, but we will continue to speak to and demand accountability on this issue.
Earlier this week, I attended this live webinar run by the women (Aurora + Kelly, an Afro-Latina and white woman duo) that offered steps for white women to take action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Follow this link to watch the hour long recording + check out their podcast.
The success of the feminist + Black Lives Matter Movements will be defined by the way we treat the most vulnerable populations we advocate for. Preserving the rights of the most vulnerable, in this case Black Trans women (particularly the houseless and sex workers), is inherently intersectional. We must de-silo ourselves — are you a white feminist woman? You must also be anti-racist and anti-transphobic.
Black Trans folks are killed at an alarmingly high rate, and two Black Trans women were killed just this week — Riah Milton in Ohio and Dominique “Rem’Mie” Fells in Pennsylvania — as the President rolled back protections for transgender people in the US healthcare system. Stand up for and with our transgender community, because by ensuring their human rights we are ensuring the human rights of us all.
More podcast recommendations
Last week, I offered two more podcast recommendations. This week, I wrote an article on 5 anti-racist podcasts we should all add to our queue.
If dreaming is a form of planning, as Gloria Steinem said, then daydreaming is productive.
What kind of world can you imagine?
What if you embodied the feelings of abundance that come from your ideal life right now?
What kind of person do you want to be?
What is one action you can take right now that is in alignment with that person?
I am working on a longer form course centered around the topics we cover in my Shadow Side of Creativity and Inner Critic as an Ally courses. Stay tuned for more info coming soon.