Stars in Motion by Michelle Saya

Saturn in Between Worlds

“The inflated imitations of gold and silver, which after the rapture are thrown into the fire, all is exhausted and dissipated by the debt. All scrips and bonds are wiped out. At the fourth pillar dedicated to Saturn, split by earthquake and flood: vexing everyone, an urn of gold is found and then restored.” Nostradamus Note from Michelle Hey friends! It’s been a minute since I last dropped an episode here. With Uranus now transiting my 1st house in Gemini, I’ve been in this ongoing conversation with myself around identity, who I am, how I want to show up, what actually feels true now. And honestly, this podcast has always been more of an organic unfolding for me than anything overly structured. So I’m leaning into that. Letting it be what it wants to be. Flow feels like the medicine right now. Anyway, before we dive into today’s episode, I wanted to give you a little backstory. This episode is a conversation with my good friend Terri [https://westofthefourth.substack.com/]. We first crossed paths back in 2022 when she booked a birth chart reading with me, and from the very start, I felt this immediate soul connection. Since then, our friendship has evolved into something I can only describe as a kind of sisterhood. It’s been effortless. One of the biggest things I admire about Terri is her deeply grounding presence and aura. She’s a Cancer Sun with Taurus Moon and Rising. As a Scorpio Moon and a Gemini rising myself, I find talking to her simply soul nourishing and deeply calming for my nervous system. In this conversation, we sat down with tea and opened up about what Saturn’s been teaching us as it moves between Aries and Pisces. If you want to go deeper into Saturn, I did write a separate deep dive that you can click to read below: Anyhow, this episode is us two friends unpacking the lessons, psychic knots, and spiritual breakthroughs that Saturn has been dragging to the surface recently. We talk about psychic boundaries, ancestral messages, people-pleasing, spiritual attacks, authenticity, burnout, the beauty of saying no, and what it means to come home to yourself after walking through the fire. If you’ve been navigating Saturnian lessons in your own life lately…especially around identity, boundaries, or your place in community, I really think this episode will speak to you. Also our cats made an appearance in this episode. I’m shamelessly plugging my cat tax. Note from Terri Well firstly I will showcase my cat tax upfront to balance the scales: Meet Shilo and Oreo, my roommate’s pets that have quickly become an extension of my own life. Or rather, I’ve become an extension of their family after a few months here. Shilo has been guarding my room more often than not the last week with her sassy diva-self while Oreo is my spirit kitty who - in his old age - often feels uncomfortable from that undeniable process but is always there the moment I do spiritual work. He has cracked me open with tears I’ve held on to for years with his calm wisdom. Both bring such peace to my life and so I hope they do the same for you all now 💙 Michelle has always surpassed any limits and/or expectations in her own forthright, fully authentic and humble self. I am always amazed at her razor-sharp ability to say exactly what needs to be said even when it’s uncomfortable while packaging it all in a way that is inviting and deeply rooted in the sacred stars and lessons attached to them. Needless to say, she inspires many including myself and so to be a part of this flowy space is the biggest gift. She’s always seen the best in me which makes me tear up every time I think about it – Always validating in a way only a sister would. Thank you for this opportunity with you Mich. As for comments about the pod… We knew it was pertinent to collaborate on something special like this. It’s a meeting space amongst witches who see the transits and the often-times insane synchronicities or pre-ordained events that follow. With Saturn now entered into my 12th House in Aries, we knew using me as the proverbial ‘guinea pig’ for testing how Saturn plays out while offering education around it with this podcast acting as check points would be key. To start, I feel surprisingly better than I did after the battering of Saturn in Pisces where mannnnnny lessons were learned but you’ll hear all about it in this episode. Many say that your first Saturn Return is a rite of passage into adulthood. It’s been up to you to work through your fears and traumas and passions in healthy ways or else at this time it will catch up with you. Don’t delay! You’ve got this! Anyhow, give this episode a listen to get all the tea on the start of Saturn in Aries 🔥 You won’t want to miss it! If you liked what you heard, feel free to sign up for my first ever virtually-hosted Goddess Workshop called The Sacred Shift: Harnessing the power of Metamorphosis through the Goddesses on August 28th. Get a double-whammy of potent information with Michelle’s second installation of the Chiron Alchemist Live Workshop Series [https://michellesaya.substack.com/p/the-chiron-alchemist-live-3-month?r=qu2ac] on the same day! (Different times of course!) What’s it all about? This workshop will traverse through Lord of the Rings New Zealand like-terrain to reach the hot pools above in the wondrous mountain ranges where we will discover the power of metamorphosis and what gifts it can bring through shedding old identities and embracing new ones. It can come through experience, trauma, travel and love, etc. which we dive into through the lens of the goddess’s teachings by their own stories of lived-experience. What’s Included? An opening circle meditation and grounding exercise to bring clarity and unique energy to the space based on those who attend, insight on the goddesses such as Hecate, Isis, Brigit, Lilith, Kurangaituku, and Persephone, and their powerful stories of becoming from ether to solid personification. An exercise in connecting with the goddesses that speak to you most and a collective channelled message from Spirit to forge your path ahead in confidence. When? August 28th, 6-8 p.m. MST Where? Via Zoom. Once subscribed as a paid member for West of the Fourth [https://westofthefourth.substack.com/], you will receive a link to access the live workshop. A recording and summary will be provided afterwards for those who cannot attend live. Who’s it for? The type of people this workshop will resonate. The ones who feel the flame of Bridget and Isis burning brighter every day in their inner temples the more they feel discomfort over their current reality. This is for the feminine souls who yearn to be seen in their fullest expression but have no idea where and how to even start. Beginners to more advanced souls who have done ground work on their inner healing. Magik Makers are all welcome ✨ Can’t wait to see you all there! T This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellesaya.substack.com [https://michellesaya.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

If the old world no longer works, where does that leave you?

This episode is my version of a hug to those who think too much, feel too much, and still somehow choose to believe in magic. I woke up at 5 a.m., staring blankly at the window where the old oak tree in my yard stands, bare-limbed and resolute as always. I find her so utterly beautiful. Its branches, stripped of leaves, look like veins against the colorless cold sky. Sprawling, tangled, alive in it’s own emptiness. And a voice inside my head (that sounds much older) croaks back at me: “You’re not okay. And okay, all at the same time.” The voice is hoarse, like it’s been inflamed from years of suppression. It does not sound like my mother’s [https://open.substack.com/pub/michellesaya/p/total-lunar-eclipse-in-virgo-blood?r=qu2ac&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web], though for years it did. No, this one is older. Much older. It carries the weight of something ancient and immovable, something that has witnessed countless revolutions, countless endings, countless misguided attempts to outpace the inevitable cycles of life. And when I close my eyes, I feel it. The voice is coming from the oak tree itself. Channeling My Yard’s Oak Tree I see you, Michelle. Every morning, you stare at me. Watching the planets shift between the death of Pisces and the restless birth of Aries. You call yourself a tragic optimist, and you call this era a Tower moment. But you already know…this didn’t happen overnight. You humans. We. are watching a world reset. This is not a glitch in the matrix. This is a collapse and a restructuring so profound that even the air carries the charge of it. The unease. The inhalations that are shallower, the collective nervous system bracing for impact. I feel it through the exhales of the humans around me. Humans. They are funny in a way that they always think they are separate from history. Until they are not. I have stood here for 250 years, long before you c alled this land The United States of America. Long before the land beneath you had borders, long before men drew lines in the soil and called them nations. I have seen people rise and fall, fight and love, build and burn. Human history has shown this. From the Holocaust.From Pol Pot’s regime.From Gaza.From Ukraine.From Tiananmen Square. You may not remember. But your past lives remember. Your ancestors remember. Genocide is not new. Greed is not new. I have seen people slaughtered for this land long before your modern wars, before your digital battles of ideology. I have seen the human heart stretch itself to impossible capacities of both violence and love. I have witnessed your kind at your highest and your lowest frequencies, spiraling, playing them out like a song stuck on repeat. And now? You feel it in your bones. The unraveling. You don’t need me to tell you that a shift is happening. You don’t need another headline to remind you. Institutions that once seemed unshakable are buckling under their own weight. The systems built on control and punishment are rotting from the inside out. You call it the economy, politics, power. But I call it the weather of the universe. Storms come. Structures fall. Life will always continue. And yet, you wait. humans wait. Holding your breath. Hoping for the world to course-correct, for something external to signal that it’s safe to move forward. But here’s the truth you already know: the world is not going to get better anytime soon. At least not in the way you’ve been conditioned to expect. Not in the way that restores a false sense of certainty. Know that destruction always comes before the rebirth. The old paradigm, the one that worships control, force, and rigid structures is collapsing. The way we’ve been taught to approach life and success itself is no longer compatible with what’s emerging. We’ve spent generations living in a system that rewards aggression and punishment, where security is tied to external validation, and where effort is only seen as legitimate if it’s accompanied by suffering. But there’s something else coming. A new frequency. A different way of being. This new frequency that’s emerging from all this chaos is flow. Feminine energy. Receptivity. This energy will hold you. Show you how to move. When to be still. It is already here. Don’t be distracted by the noise. Stop tethering your emotions to external chaos.Stop waiting for permission to thrive.You are one of the many architects of the new world. And it is being built through your every choice, every belief, thought, creation, connection. Every frequency shift, every refusal to bow to fear. My oak tree conversation ends abruptly. I hear Yuto’s small, insistent paws tapping into my bedroom. He meows at me, impatient. Unbothered by the fate of humanity. Existentialism. Just hungry for breakfast. I pour his kibble into a ceramic bowl and step outside with my coffee, the morning air crisp and full of something I can’t quite name. The tree stands before me, silent, present, knowing. And I realize: I am still here, too. Not waiting. Not wishing. Not bracing for the future. Just here. Just breathing. Just remembering what it means to belong to something bigger than fear. The world is resetting. And so am I. Personal Reflections Updates This month has been quite intense. Not just in the world at large, but in my own home, in my own mind. There’s so much heaviness. But also movement. I can feel clarity breaking through the heaviness. And I’ve noticed something strange. Something that feels almost paradoxical. The more I see the world unravel, the more my creativity vibrates stronger. The more old structures dismantle, the more clarity I feel in my own work. When I witness struggle, collapse, and uncertainty, my will to create, to connect, to contribute my part in humanity grows sharper. I don’t just want to observe history…I want to help others shift their timelines within it. I want to guide people in making empowered choices even in the face of fear. Offering, contributing ideas, pathways forward in a world that is still learning how to rebuild itself. Less than a year ago, I started this Substack. I remember the sensation of treading water, pushing against my own resistance, wrestling with writer’s block. I tapped into the energy of Aries. A new journey. A willingness to move before feeling ready. And I wondered if I’d ever find my rhythm here with Saturn in Pisces transiting my 10th house… Now, as I write this, I’m just one subscriber away from reaching my first 100 paid subscribers. I feel affirmed.I feel deserving. I’m so grateful. I also feel lucky. It’s a strange mix. To recognize both the work and the grace in getting here. But more than anything, I feel an overwhelming sense of joy and resonance with this platform. And I know this feeling well. I remember this feeling from my many past beginnings. * The first time I read a birth chart for a paid client while we were in COVID lockdown, my hands slightly trembling as I delivered my first interpretation as an official astrologer. * The first time I launched my beta group for Embody U [https://michellesaya.com/embody-u-program] in late 2021, unsure if anyone would find meaning in what I was building. * The first time I realized that my work didn’t have to fit into someone else’s structure. It could be my own vision, my own altar, expansive and fluid, deeply personal and widely resonant all at once. It’s always the same sensation, like surfacing from the amniotic fluid of Pisces and stepping into the raw initiation of Aries. Like something I planted long ago is finally breathing. And as someone with a Sagittarius Sun and North Node, I’ve learned to pay attention to these moments. To the first flickers of luck, instinct and opportunity when they appear on the horizon. This month, when my higher self whispered that I would be releasing an Activate Your Luck Workshop [https://michellesaya.substack.com/p/register-for-marchs-workshop-unlock?r=qu2ac], I listened. I quieted all the Virgo inner chatter, all the doubt and over-analysis, and I moved with the energy instead of against it. And now sitting in the middle of the storm of this eclipse energy, I can see that we need to share these principles now more than ever. Because when people think of luck, they often scoff. They dismiss it as randomness. They tie it to privilege. They think it belongs to other people. But I don’t. I not only want to explore this with you in our upcoming workshop on March 27th, I want to show you how to recognize luck when it presents itself, even in the middle of a Tower moment. How to cultivate it. How to step into what your soul wants to receive in this lifetime. Because maybe you haven’t lost your luck. Maybe you’ve just forgotten how to see it. Especially with all the distortions going on around the world trying to bring your frequency down as a means to control you. This is why activating luck, aligned manifestations into material reality is such a powerful antidote, especially if you’re feeling ungrounded. When we set our intentions, our energetic frequency, and our actions in alignment with what we’re here to strengthen and receive, the universe responds. Through messages. Through people. Through situations that invite us to jump in. If you’re interested in learning more, you can check it out in the link below. I’ll be sharing more soon. But for now, I just want to say, thank you. For being here, for reading, for co-creating this space with me. We are all walking through the dark, holding a candle to the vision of what we’re building. And the next door is already waiting to be opened. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellesaya.substack.com [https://michellesaya.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Reflecting on Mars in Cancer going direct this Sunday

Before we get into today’s episode, I want to remind those listening in that I’m hosting our 1st ever live workshop this coming week on the Pisces New Moon on Thursday, Feb 27th at 5 PM PST. If the past few months, maybe even the past few years, have felt like trudging through wet sand, where every step forward is met with resistance…especially when it comes to the creative projects you swore you’d bring to life this year then this one’s especially for you. Or maybe you’ve been holding back on making a huge life change due to fear of uncertainty. Maybe you’ve been holding tightly onto the safety of the known. The warmth of what’s familiar. Even if that familiarity has grown stale, even if it no longer fits. If that resonates, I encourage you to join me live. Or, if you can’t make it, sign up as a paid subscriber to access the recording and the workbook I’ll be sharing exclusively on Substack. I’ll include the link below where you can learn more about the workshop and I hope to see you there! Mars finally goes direct in Cancer This past week, something subtle yet undeniable has shifted. You’ve felt it, even if you can’t quite name it. A slow return of energy, a hint of momentum. Not all at once. Not a flood. But enough to notice. Enough to know that something inside you is reawakening. That’s Mars, finally preparing to station direct tomorrow. And before it does, it forms a trine with Mercury. If decisions have been stalled. Of you’ve been feeling tired, protective of your energy, needing to retreat away from others - we will start to see some improvement in the weeks to come. If the past few weeks have felt like wading through indecision, exhaustion, the need to withdraw—know that relief is coming. But not all at once. Mars in Cancer is still an uneasy placement. By mid-April, we start to feel something shift. Mars gathers strength, no longer second-guessing itself, no longer lingering in hesitation. Mars enters the sign of Leo on April 17th. That’s when the fire returns. When confidence comes back like a long-lost instinct. When the urge to shrink, to hesitate, to overprotect dissipates into something sharper, something bolder. But until then, we still have all of March to get through. I like that at the end of February, we have this New Moon in Pisces. By then, you may have clarity on what intentions you truly want to call in for this year with the north node being in this same sign. If there’s a situation you’re in that feels insurmountable - this is the New Moon to manifest something that requires the muscle of your faith. This is the new moon to do automatic writing - channeling the wisdom of your higher self. Your ancestors. Live script as if you’ve fast forwarded yourself into the timeline of life you believe so strongly in. Even if it’s not your current reality. What Could’ve Came Up for You During Mars Rx in Cancer During the mars rx cycle in Cancer, anger may not have erupted in clear or decisive ways. Frustrations can stem from just an overall feeling of emotional unrest that’s hard to pinpoint or name. Home. What it means and it’s many different forms came up for question. Questions around our sense of belonging. Do we feel at home within our family? Do we feel safe around other family members? Our community? Do we feel safe in our country? How do we feel being rooted where we are? Mars Rx Cancer also unearthed old conflicts with family, generational expectations that now has evolved into unrest/resentment. Tension. Walking on eggshells. No one knew how to quite address the underlying discomfort. Maybe it wasn’t even talked about. But the feeling is there. For me, I have a natal mars in Cancer. During this retrograde cycle, I’ve been processing what moving abroad would look like with my husband and 2 cats. And what that would mean for my parents, the rest of my family, my grandmother. I’m having to sit with this feeling of restlessness where I’m not suppose to arrive at a clear destination. I know a change is needed. I know at some point, I’ll need to initiate it. But this retrograde cycle - it was going through the root of why I’m even wanting on doing this. And the anticipatory grief I’ll experience, my family experience if and when I decide to make this official. Regardless. Now mars is stationing direct, clarity begins to return. Conversations that were once too loaded to have may now feel slightly more accessible. The challenge, now, is learning to act from a place of emotional truth rather than reaction. Energy for March And learning to act from emotional truth, grounded in our body will be a challenge in March for many. March’s transits can test our emotional tolerance with others. March is a theme on emotional reactivity. If you’ve been sitting on any unspoken frustrations, biting your tongue, or swallowing your anger, March will test just how long you can keep it in. Spoiler: you probably won’t. Venus has been in Aries since February 4th, but on March 1st, it enters its retrograde cycle. There will be a significant Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on March 13th, shaking the foundation of our routines, our expectations, and our tolerance for anything that doesn’t align with our integrity or having equal power exchanges with others. Emotional discernment on the people you have around you will be super clear during this eclipse which can be a good thing. Right the next day on March 14th, Mercury stations retrograde in Aries. This may add abrasiveness to communication, patience, and whatever fragile diplomacy we’ve been clinging to in any unhealthy dynamics we’ve be holding on past it’s expiration date. For months, there’s been a kind of constipation in how we express our frustration thanks to processing we had to face when Mars rx in cancer. March is the breaking point. A pressure cooker moment where containment is no longer an option. We say the thing. Bluntly, without sugarcoating, without any preemptive apologies. Venus Retrograde in Aries is combative. It’s a weapon we don’t realize we’re wielding until the damage is done. And just as easily as we dish it out, we’ll find ourselves on the receiving end. Offended, triggered, reacting to words that hit where it hurts. This is a month of karmic adjustment on how we wield verbal aggression & power. Where have you yielded too much, stayed silent when you should have spoken up? Where have you let others dictate the terms, overpowering your voice? That tolerance is wearing thin. If you’ve been historically conflict-averse, March may be the month you snap. A breaking point. A foot-down moment. A necessary reclaiming of space. And if you’re the one who tends to dominate, who’s used to talking over others? This month could bring a rude awakening. Because patience is in short supply. No one is interested in being steamrolled. Both eclipses—March 13th in Virgo and March 29th in Aries—signal severance. We’re cutting away from outdated dynamics, stagnant relationships, and patterns that keep us small. The throat chakra is unblocking. Words are spilling out. For the sake of self-advocacy, for the sake of truth. And for better or worse, there will be whiplash. We won’t realize how sharp our words have become until we see the aftermath. What’s relieving is on March 27th, Venus retrograde dips back into Pisces, softening the edges of what’s been so brash and reactive. Mercury will also retrograde back into Pisces days after on the 29th. Communication, which has been fiery, blunt, and at times merciless in Aries, begins to soften. Words that were once sharp now hold more nuance. We begin to see the emotional layers behind what was said, the deeper truths beneath the anger. Apologies may come, but not in the way we expect. Sometimes understanding arrives in silence, in reflection, in knowing when to let things be. The relationships that survive the fires of March will be revealed as the ones that nourish us, that sustain us, that don’t require us to constantly defend our right to exist as we are. Some connections will fall away. And let that be okay because they’ve run their course. Others will be illuminated as sources of genuine, unconditional support. March is messy. March is loud. March is confrontational. But it’s also a necessary form of excavation. It forces us to own our voice and to understand the responsibility that comes with wielding it. Clearing the Shadow Frequencies of Aries I’m personally using the month of March to do a cord cutting ritual with past connections I have with people where it’s energetic imprint still lingers. From my social media platforms, my email list. Also people in my personal life. It’s funny because the past couple of years - the people that have hurt me the most with their words had prominent Aries placements in their chart. I’ve had an Aries stellium student tell me off on a live group call because I was helping other students who submitted a question pre-call (which is a requirement) and she didn’t. But she had the audacity to air her entitlement thinking she’s above the rules of the container and wanted to “cut in line” from others who have actually honored the guidelines of the container. I also had another Aries stellium client befriend me over on social media only to find out she stole my masterclass content word for word and marketed/sold it as her own right under my nose. I confronted her and she played the “I’m sorry my VA didn’t know any better” card. 🤦🏻‍♀️ None of these moments define Aries as a whole. Every sign carries both its light and its shadow, and I’ve met Aries placements who are deeply inspiring—fearless in their pursuit of what matters, bold in ways that ignite action rather than destroy. Some of the most evolved, magnetic people I know have strong Aries energy, embodying leadership without arrogance, confidence without cruelty. In fact, I’ve found that clients with Midheaven in Aries are some of my favorite to work with. Maybe it’s because their IC (Imum Coeli) in Libra gifts them with an innate understanding of balance, a natural inclination toward justice, fairness, and harmony. They know when to push forward and when to hold space for others. There’s a sense of equilibrium in them. A fire that doesn’t burn indiscriminately but instead fuels something greater. Chiron, the wounded healer, has been moving through Aries over the past few years though, and depending on where it falls in your chart. For me it’s the 11th house of social groups, clients, friends lol. We’ve all been forced to reckon with the shadow side of this sign at some point or another. The fine line between confidence and entitlement. Between self-assertion and aggression. Between directness and harm. Venus Rx in Aries. Mercury Rx in Aries will make these shadow octaves in your life - show up super clear if it hasn’t already. Every sign carries a spectrum of expression—its highest octave and its lowest. And if I look at this through the lens of evolution, I can see that I was meant to meet Aries energy in its most unrefined form as a teacher. To show me where my own boundaries were weak, where my voice was too soft, where I had let my anger dissipate into water instead of fire. Mars in Cancer, my own natal Mars, has always struggled with this. It’s formless, adaptive, inclined to flow rather than fight. Personally for me. March is not a month for flow. It’s a month of learning how to sharpen our edges. How to say what needs to be said, without guilt or hesitation. Not all fires destroy. Some fires purify. Some fires clear the deadwood so that something new can grow. Let that be what March is for. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellesaya.substack.com [https://michellesaya.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Year of the Wood Snake: Astrological Lessons & Themes for 2025

It’s easy to invest in a lot of hope in the year of the dragon which happened just last year. The dragon symbolizes our own internal desires to soar to new heights. It represents ascension, charisma, achievement, reverence. But then, just as quickly as Dragon year arrived, it ended. And life may not have unfolded as we may have imagined. Maybe we set our sights high, maybe we saw the higher vision of where we wanted to go, the potential of what, who we want to become during dragon year. We got glimpses. Flashes of insight. But couldn’t yet step fully into it. Last year, many of us could have realized the gap in where we currently are and where we want to be, was too wide. Fast forward to today, we are officially in the year of the wood snake. Unlike the dragon, the snake doesn’t get as much as a warm reception. On an almost primal level, I think we distrust the snake. In Christianity, religious text depicted snakes as hubristic temptation [https://christianpure.com/learn/serpent-symbolism-christianity/], sin, and even a representation of Lilith. Humans also have an instinctive, genetic predisposition to fear snakes naturally due to evolution of us knowing we were python’s prey [https://www.smu.edu/news/archives/2012/thomas-headland-mother-nature-network-23mar2012]. Even in Chinese culture, the year of the snake has negative connotations which is why many people choose to get married or have children the year before (dragon), or the year after (year of the horse). I’ll personally admit - due to pressures from my own family’s culture and wanting to tie the knot before the election chaos & results, part of the reason we got married last year was to also ride the wave of the dragon. So I feel like a bit of a hypocrite right now. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hindsight is 2020 though. While I don’t regret when and how my wedding happened, would it have been so bad or different if we got married in 2025? I really don’t think so. Aside from this, I think we’ve misunderstood the snake all along… If we go deep into the stories of Chinese mythology, the snake is actually a dragon in waiting. A "little dragon," as it’s sometimes called. The renowned modern scholar Wen Yiduo [https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2024/07/wen-yiduo-the-poet-the-martyr/] (闻一多) proposed that the primary prototype of the dragon [https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2024/02/chinese-idioms-about-dragons/] is the snake in his groundbreaking study on ancient Chinese mythology, Research on Fuxi (《伏羲考》), in 1942. It is said that after 500 years, a snake can transform into a jiao, a lesser dragon. After 1,000 years, it becomes a full-fledged dragon. After another 500 years, it grows horns. And after another 1,000 years, it gains wings, ascending into divinity. I love this connection between the snake and the dragon. And I want us to go into year 2025 not feeling like we missed out on any opportunities from last year. Maybe last year was never meant to be the moment of arrival…maybe it was simply the introduction to the version of you that you’re now being called to step into. If the Dragon year confronted us with possibility and showed us who we could be… then the Snake year asks us: Are you willing to do the work to become it? This year is the shedding, the releasing, the unlearning. The shedding Snake doesn’t carry dead weight which are the old stories, outdated beliefs, identities that no longer fit. It leaves behind everything it cannot take into its next evolution. The north node that entered into the sign of Pisces on January 11th of this year aligns with this very notion of letting go and surrendering. In fact, I see the archetypal qualities of the snake being in beautiful alignment with both Piscean and Virgo qualities, when both oppositional signs are in balance. Here are some of the themes and astrological crossovers between Chinese and Western astrology I want us to take with us as we move into the rest of 2025. Some of the most striking astrological signatures we’ll be experiencing this year is Venus’s extended journey between Pisces and Aries. And also Neptune’s journey between these two signs as well. Venus first entered Pisces on January 2nd, but because of its retrograde cycle beginning March 1st, it will move back and forth between Pisces and Aries until April 30th, before finally settling into Taurus on June 6th. I’ll include a mini chart below of the cycle of both Venus ♀ & Neptune’s key dates so if you’re listening to this, be sure to scroll down to make a mental note of what i’m about to discuss: Venus Journey Between Pisces & Aries 🌀 Jan 2nd - Venus enters Pisces 🔥 Feb 4th - Venus enters Aries ⏪ Mar 1st - Venus stations Retrograde in Aries 🌊 Mar 27th - Venus Retrograde enters Pisces ⏩ April 12th - Venus stations Direct 🔥 April 30th - Venus re-enters Aries 🌿 June 6th - Venus enters Taurus (finally😮‍💨) Neptune's Journey Between Pisces & Aries 🌊 March 30 - Neptune enters Aries 🔥 July 4 - Neptune stations Retrograde in Aries 🌊 Oct 22 - Neptune Retrograde enters Pisces 🔥 Dec 10 - Neptune Direct in Pisces Venus & Neptune in Aries & Pisces Venus in Aries is traditionally said to be in her exile - you can also call it in detriment as Aries natural planetary ruler is Mars. This can show us where we are hot and cold, or too willful in our engagements, dynamics with others - causing unnecessary friction and destructiveness. It’s also a bit competitive in energy, it can be self-focused, which is the antithesis of Venus in Pisces which is an exalted placement where Venus actually thrives. We will go back and forth between these two flavors with venus to teach us where we need to dissolve our ego, and being discerning on what and who we’re actually fighting for. Neptune has spent over a decade in Pisces (since 2012), dissolving boundaries, softening our perceptions of reality, and immersing us in the depths of the collective unconscious. It’s been a time of spiritual seeking, artistic expansion, and, in many ways, avoidance. What can heighten Venus in Aries energy is Neptune will also ingress into the sign of Aries on March 30th. Neptune is also traditionally NOT comfortable in Aries. So this is an added feeling of disruptive energy, or investing our life force energy impulsively or being led astray from being emotionally reactive. Neptune hasn’t been in Aries since 1861–1875, a period that saw the American Civil War, the unification of Italy, and major ideological battles over freedom, identity, and sovereignty. Neptune here isn’t about soft spirituality—it’s about fighting for ideals, turning dreams into action, and sometimes, the distortion of belief into fanaticism. This placement can create a spiritual battlefield, where people become warriors for their beliefs, whether grounded in truth or illusion. Expect surges of:- Radical movements driven by ideals, whether utopian or destructive.- Personal awakenings that demand action—no more passive waiting.- Friction between intuition and impulse, between surrender and control. This is Neptune’s most “activist” placement. It will test whether we are capable of moving from faith to action without falling into delusion or aggression. Here are some things to consider when Neptune ingresses into Aries (with the crossover of Venus in Aries as well) 🔴 The Dangers * Spiritualized warfare → Beliefs become weapons; people fight in the name of ideals, whether justified or distorted. * Fanaticism & disillusionment → The shadow side of Neptune can make people easily manipulated by grand promises, false prophets, and aggressive utopian dreams. * Acting without clarity → Neptune in Aries can cause people to impulsively act on dreams without fully understanding the consequences. 🟢 The Gifts * Turning visions into action → This is the time to bring spirituality, creativity, and higher ideals into real-world movement. * Courageous healing → Unlike Neptune in Pisces (which tends to escape), Aries forces us to face our shadows directly and fight for what we believe in. * The end of passivity → No more waiting for fate to intervene—this transit will make people agents of their own spiritual and creative evolution. Therefore, this Snake year almost serves as a totem if you will, a reminder to be tactful, precise, in how we engage with others. If Aries charges forward without thinking and Pisces drifts wherever the current takes it, the Snake moves differently altogether. Snake energy doesn’t rush nor does it act blindly. Snakes will study it’s environment, and trust when it’s the exact moment to take action/strike. Where Neptune in Aries burns bright but fast, the Snake undergoes slow, methodical transformation, ensuring it doesn’t self-destruct. Neptune in Aries can burn everything down in its rush for transformation—but the Snake ensures we don’t destroy ourselves in the process. So here are some things to consider for the greater first half of this year. Not every battle needs to be fought. Timing is important this year. So check your tempers. Direct your anger productively & intentionally. Knowing moments of when to surrender (choose your battles) is also not passivity. Don’t mistake the two. Venus in Pisces is teaching us to soften into our inner faith, guidance, acting when you’re in a state of peace rather than trying to gain control, compete, or prove a point here. Both Venus & Neptune in Aries AND Pisces need to learn how to not waste their energy. Aries energy (especially rx in Venus & Neptune) can waste their energy leaning too much into impulse, creating a bunch of false starts with projects and other people. Venus in Pisces can waste it’s energy giving too much to other people that there is no boundary - causing depletion. Part of being precise is being discerning on where you may be overextending yourself. Invest your time, energy mindfully, thoughtfully this year because the shedding you’ll be undergoing is going to require you to not be on all the time. We got two more important astrological signatures I must also mention. Uranus will enter Gemini on July 7th. I’ll include a mini chart below of Uranus’ key dates as well so if you’re listening to this, be sure to scroll down to make a mental note of what i’m about to discuss: ⚡ Uranus Journey This Year ⚡ 🌀 Jan 30 - Uranus Direct at 23 Tau 16 🌪 July 7 - Uranus enters Gemini 🔄 Sept 6 - Uranus Retrograde at 1 Gem 28 Once Uranus ingresses into Gemini, we will begin a new 7 year cycle of disruption & also chaotic growth when it comes to how we communicate, share information, knowledge, news, connect with other people on a larger societal level. There is so much flux energy. Uranus does tend to fracture anything that’s old and outdated but it can also make us distracted. 📡 There will definitely be a shakeup in areas of: * AI, media, and digital communication → The battle between free speech and controlled information intensifies. Who controls the narrative? Who gets to decide what is truth? * Education and learning systems → A radical decentralization of how knowledge is shared and taught. Traditional education may begin to collapse under the weight of self-directed, decentralized learning. * Social movements and activism → A new wave of intellectual rebellion, where words, ideas, and technology become the ultimate tools of revolution. Most of all, we will need to grapple with how to handle disinformation. Meditating on the wood snake energy, here are some things to also consider: * Change will be inevitable. It’s quite clear with all the changes going on in 2025 on an astrological level. But how you change is a choice. You can adapt and change deliberately. Don’t let Gemini energy push in you a hundred different directions. Observe the changes happening first before you immediately react. * One of the snake’s greatest skillsets is using their words wisely. Something we will deeply need with so much shadow energy of Venus & Neptune in Aries already displaying it’s destructiveness (just see how the political administration handles responsibility and blame - it’s ego-filled and wild) Words now more than ever are powerful. They will be used as weapons, as medicine, as tools of both liberation and control. Know when to speak and when to remain silent. And HOW you deliver the message is just as important as what the contents of the message is. Jupiter in Cancer on June 9th Another big astrological signature this year will be Jupiter entering into the sign of Cancer on June 9th to June 29th, 2026. Jupiter is exalted when in the sign of Cancer. I am seriously looking forward to this energy because it will create some balance with the cerebral rush that is Uranus in Gemini. Jupiter's Cycle This Year Feb 4 - Jupiter goes direct in Gemini June 9 - Jupiter enters Cancer June 15 - Jupiter square Saturn in Aries June 18 - Jupiter square Neptune in Aries Nov 11 - Jupiter stations Retrograde in Cancer If Uranus in Gemini electrifies the mind, Jupiter in Cancer swells the heart. This transit brings us back to emotional intelligence, deep intuition, and the question of what home truly means. Cancer is the archetype of the nurturer, the guardian, the protector but this time, Jupiter is expanding this concept beyond personal comfort. In a world moving at lightning speed (credit to Uranus in Gemini), Jupiter in Cancer will help slows us down, reminding us that knowledge without feeling is empty. Here are some trends that may come about during this 12 month period. Jupiter in Gemini filled the world with information but Jupiter in Cancer will demand we process it emotionally. The collective exhaustion of rapid AI-generated content, constant online debate, and mental overstimulation will push people to seek emotional truth. Expect more people resisting full automation and craving real, human-made content. Instead of cold logic as well, we will see a deeper craving for meaning, for emotional storytelling, and for wisdom that can’t be computed by an algorithm. We’ll also being seeing people craving stability, deeper community bonds, and traditional family structures (both biological and chosen). Lately, I’ve been finding myself gravitating towards more interest in ancestral lineage, reconnecting with personal heritage, and finding meaning in roots instead of chasing constant newness. I think this will be further emphasized during this Jupiter Cancerian cycle. Something to watch out for though that we will have to manage is Jupiter in Cancer may intensify emotional narratives in politics, news, and cultural movements. So expect public discourse (we’re already seeing this) to become more emotionally charged, with deep-rooted national and cultural identity becoming focal points. There’s also further shift toward protectionism (countries reinforcing borders, communities focusing inward, and a deeper divide between “us” vs. “them” mindsets). The rise of compassion-based policies—healthcare, childcare, mental health support—but also nationalist rhetoric appealing to nostalgia and security. Expect a rise in emotional well-being becoming a status symbol—people prioritizing rest, slow living, and deep satisfaction over productivity. More people leaving high-stress jobs for emotional fulfillment, security, and a slower pace of life. I definitely see businesses shifting toward nurturing environments, mental health integration, and sustainability over constant growth. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a deeper push toward analog experiences—handwritten letters, printed books, in-person connection over virtual. Emotional marketing and storytelling will be key in 2025 - 2026 people want to feel something, not just consume content. So whenever you find yourself too much in your head as Gemini so often finds itself, ⟶ Shift from, “What do I know?” → “What do I feel?” So here’s the choice we face in 2025: Do we react impulsively to the chaos of change, burning ourselves out in the process? Or do we move like the snake—calculated, precise, shedding what no longer serves us so we can grow into something wiser, stronger, and more aligned? The astrological transits ahead will test our patience, our discernment, and our ability to balance instinct with strategy. Neptune in Aries may ignite passion, but passion without purpose is just a wildfire. Venus’s back-and-forth between Pisces and Aries will show us when to soften and when to stand firm. Uranus in Gemini will shake up the way we think, while Jupiter in Cancer will ask us to feel, to nurture, to find meaning beyond the noise. The wood snake reminds us: Change is inevitable, but transformation is intentional. Move wisely. Move with purpose. And above all…move in a way that ensures you won’t be shedding the same skin twice. Until next time, take care and I’ll see you in the next podcast episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellesaya.substack.com [https://michellesaya.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Pluto in Aquarius Lessons We'll Encounter

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. -Bertrand Russell Yesterday at 4:28 am pt, we experienced a Pluto Cazimi in Aquarius. This piece in particular has been hard to write because Pluto is so loaded. So is the weight of the world. The words finally started poured out organically once I started my period today & entered my lunar return a couple hours after the moon entered Scorpio. Since Pluto ingressed into the sign of Aquarius last November, I've been in my own katabasis (especially with my Midheaven in Aquarius). To start, let’s first address what a cazimi is. A cazimi occurs when a planet aligns closely with the Sun (we call this a conjunction), infusing both planetary energies with a heightened sense of clarity and power. Pluto, the planet of the underworld & transformation, lays bare to what is decayed, hidden, or entrenched in shadow. When Pluto enters the Sun’s spotlight, there is no room for illusions—only the stark reality of what needs to be transformed or released. This Monday, the United States swore in its newly inaugurated leadership that ironically coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Personally, it has felt so incredibly oppositional, confusing. I refused to turn on the TV, but I could feel the energy of the collective even with the screen turned off. The fear. Being on edge. One of the most powerful words MLK delivered is from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop [https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm]” speech. I highly recommend reading the full speech to feel this dichotomy yourself. MLK’s vision of justice and equality is quintessentially Aquarian. His natal Mercury is 11° in the sign of Aquarius if that’s not telling enough. The sabian symbol of 11° Aquarius is: “During a silent hour, a man receives new inspiration which may change his life.” Aquarius can at times be eerily prophetic. MLK ends his speech with: “-I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land-” The next day after King delivered this speech, he would be gunned down, he would be assassinated. Pluto’s energy pulls whatever sign it touches into the underworld, compelling us to explore the depths of its shadow frequencies. In this process, we are confronted with questions about our beliefs, values, and the structures we’ve constructed to navigate our human experience. Pluto Cazimi in Aquarius makes us confront both the existentialism of the human condition, of human progress, and strengthen the causes we choose to stand for. MLK’s vision is a future-forward dream of unity and freedom for all. Yet the current political landscape is clearly marked by oppositional values. And this poses a question that cuts to the heart of Aquarius’ paradoxes: How do we reconcile conflicting visions of progress and freedom? In Aquarius, one of the tallest orders & challenges is to become “the visionary,” the progressor who moves the world and society forward. But to do so, we must first confront the shadows of Aquarius that we’re currently seeing play out in the world: censorship, nihilism, rigid dogma that alienates the “other,” institutionalized systems of control, and intellectual elitism. These shadows manifest when ideals of progress and freedom become so rigid that they suffocate the very individuality they claim to champion. Pluto in Aquarius will have us grapple between future-forward vision becoming so focused on the collective that it forgets the humanity of the individual... to the other Aquarian spectrum where we can become so fixated on contrarianism and standing apart that we as individuals lose empathy and trust in others. Individuality without connection breeds isolation. This is our collective katabasis journey. We will explore if it’s possible for freedom of expression to thrive without dogma or rigidity creating censorship and stifling the individuality of others. Over the coming decades, each of us will be called to envision what freedom looks like on a personal level and to choose the social causes that are worthy of our time, energy, and devotion. Regardless of who is in power, Aquarius throughout history has seen many times disruption giving rise to grassroots movements, rebellion—a focus on the people. Aquarius begins by forming micro-communities that support new movements, ensuring that no one belief, no one dogma, institution holds too much power. It’s a form of equilibrium that the universe has woven into the archetype of Aquarius. Progress isn’t handed down from above; it rises from the collective ingenuity and collaboration of individuals. Sidenote: The above art piece showcases Zeus who transformed into an eagle and abducted Ganymede, a mortal prince to become the cupbearer to the gods. This act of bearing nourishment for the gods is directly mirrored in the symbolism of Aquarius as the Water Bearer, who provides life-giving waters to humanity. So…the big question is how do we begin? How do we start this pluto journey? Our own katabasis into Aquarius? With Mars in Cancer Retrograde right now, we may naturally latch onto the comfort of the old. But just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean it was ever truly working. Aquarius often brings its greatest ideas forward during times of existential adversity, when we’re forced to confront the limitations of what we’ve known and dare to imagine something different. And it’s solution is not wrapped in easy answers. If it was, I don’t think I would need to write and explore this. There’s no clear roadmap ahead and my fixed scorpio moon and mercury naturally dislikes that. Aquarius is confusing, elusive, abstract in this way. This water bearer doesn't progress through proven roadmaps but through experimentation instead. And also, let's not forget that America was founded on an experiment of democracy. To see if we can uphold it. What can you do? Start at the individual level. Do not give in to nihilism. Do not succumb to fear. Being emotionally reactive to the theater of media or the stunts of those in power is the kryptonite we are here to overcome. Instead, uplift people. Empower them. Start small. This creates a powerful ripple effect that can’t be understated. Share your ideas and invite others to be curious. This curiosity builds bridges, fosters human connection, and ensures that creativity and empathy remain at the forefront of Aquarian progress. This Cazimi marks the beginning of this katabasis—a descent into the underworld of Aquarian themes. Fear, Pluto’s domain, will be our guide. The journey begins now. And while it will be messy and uncomfortable, it is also necessary. We won’t see the extent as to what has unfolded until 2043. And it may even be unrecognizable. And it's easy to give into apathy. Nihilism. Have you ever seen a Sagittarius lose faith? It's not pretty. But I think a crisis of faith is also a part of the human experience to find it again. And the Lunar Nodes entering the signs of Pisces & Virgo will further facilitate this. We go through this underworld journey to understand our place in society, the world at large by first tending to how we treat ourselves, our mind, our spirit, and how we treat the people around us. This Cazimi, I invite you to not give into the fear of these times. We need each other now more than ever. Let this be an opportunity for us to examine the authentic roots of what freedom means for us, equity. Equality. Without losing our empathy, our humanity in the process. Let’s carry forward the Aquarian dream of progress, not as a fixed ideology, but as a living, breathing practice that honors both the collective and the individual. I still believe in us. This world we inhabit. I think in addition to finding silver linings, we are in a position to create silver linings for others too. So let's do that please. The decades ahead depend on it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellesaya.substack.com [https://michellesaya.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]