husband scoffs at astrology

After her children left home, Faye took up studying astrology as a new direction and the more her husband, Ray, scoffs at her interest the more serious she becomes about it.

"I believe astrology is a social science just like psychology," says Faye, "and as soon as Saturn, the big, bad, wet-blanket guy of the sky, started traveling through Gemini - the communication, sibling and short trip sign - I started to have bad premonitions."

Faye is a Sagittarian and Gemini is her natal sun’s seventh house governing marriage, so when Saturn entered Gemini on 21 April 2001 she wasn’t surprised that life with Ray started to become more irritating than ever.

But it wasn’t just her marriage Faye was concerned about.

"Put Saturn and Gemini together," says Faye, "and it’s bad news for everyone."

"It’s possible," says Faye, "that all the bad things that happened when Saturn entered Gemini -- especially 9/11 -- were not necessarily Saturn's fault because Pluto, the transforming guy of the sky, was traveling in the opposite constellation to Saturn - which happens to be Sagittarius, my sun sign and the traveling sign - so any bad news attributable to Saturn in Gemini was going to be affected somewhat by transforming travel vibes from Pluto in Sagittarius."

"If good news travels fast," says Faye, "then bad news travels faster, and the effect of Pluto in the traveling sign means that Saturn's bad news is going to be somewhat transformed. It sounds a bit like Chinese whispers, doesn't it? The news gets passed around from person to person until it has lost its original meaning. And, since people have a tendency to elaborate and make things worse than they are, Pluto in Sagittarius could have added to the wet blanket affect of Saturn in Gemini. No wonder there are so many conspiracy theories about 9/11!"

"Similarly," says Faye, "Pluto's transforming travels were affected by Saturn's bad news. So, for anyone who planned a transforming trip at that time Saturn was going to play havoc with their plans -- and sure enough, look at all the security measures that hit airports after 9/11."

Although the most common outcome of Saturn in Gemini would be travel delays - even car and plane crashes, such as 9/11 - a transforming trip does not necessarily have to be 'physical'. It could be a study course or an inner journey through which transformation can be attained.

If Saturn in Gemini brought bad news, or hard news, to whatever transformation experienced with Pluto in Sagittarius, we have little recourse but to wear it or bear it.

"Saturn is called the bad guy of the sky because it limits us, or causes affliction," explains Faye, "but it is also called the teacher. It comes around every thirty-odd years to teach us a lesson. Sometimes the lesson it teaches is simply to buckle down, work hard, accept our lot, keep our nose clean, don't rock the boat, and other morbid sounding clichés, but sometimes its lesson can be pure misery and that was definitely the case with 9/11 and the wars that flowed on from it."

In Gemini, the limitation, affliction or lesson has to do with communication mainly, although the constellation is also supposed to cover short trips and relationships with one's brothers and sisters.

Faye predicted that many people experienced serious trouble with short trips or brothers and sisters after April 2001, but she also wanted us to bear in mind that Pluto in the opposite sign of Sagittarius offered transformation through travel, be it mental, physical or spiritual.

"So, it is not the end of the world," smiles Faye, "we will all grow and transform through the effects of Saturn in Gemini. We survived the last Saturn in Gemini, didn't we?"

Saturn was last in Gemini late 1971 to late 1973 - coinciding with the Vietnam War; and prior to that it spanned the period mid 1942 to mid 1944 - coinciding with WWII. So little wonder, then, that Saturn in Gemini brought us the War on Terror from 2001 to 2003.

"The big sky picture was very different in 1942 and 1971," says Faye, "but when you consider that the previous Saturn in Gemini periods coincided with global wars it was widely predicted that trouble would erupt in 2001 -- and if you're around in 2031 watch out for another war, too."

"As Saturn was severely affecting my partnership area from 2001 to 2003, I wondered whether Ray and I would stay together during this period," says Faye, "but I was mindful that when kids leave home, and a couple are left to face each other, all sorts of things can happen with or without Saturn’s influence."

"The marriage survived okay," laughs Faye, "but no thanks to Ray!"