Speak to the Dark Parts

Welcome to Loving the Dark Parts, where we shine light on the parts we’ve been taught to hide with the help of astrology. This one is a deeper look into where I’m currently at in my business, which honestly feels quite vulnerable to share. While it’s vulnerable, it is a physical representation of the current cosmic weather, so here we are.

I used to think burnout was loud.

I thought it would show up with a bang, but it’s more like a quiet hum. Blink and you might think it’s a bad case of the Mondays, until you realise Monday never ends.

One thing I’ve noticed, especially since leaving the world of being employed by others to becoming employed by myself, is that it’s really easy to miss the signs if you’re not paying attention.

I’m not sure if it’s burnout per se, at least not full blown yet, which I’m grateful for catching before it has me completely immobilised, but it’s definitely something that has me feeling “not myself.”

Maybe it’s easier to catch partly because I’m now aware of how I feel in general since getting sober and un-numbing myself, most days. I tend to go through these phases in my business (and life) where things feel… strange. I try to keep doing what I’ve been doing because it worked before, only to find out that what once worked and had me feeling so excited now has me reaching for a new series to binge instead of doing the work I love.

This shows me that something needs to shift.

The funny part is not actually funny at all because it makes sense:

When I feel flat and I’m bordering burnout, my income stalls and things don’t flow like they did before. I bleed paid subscribers, bookings are non-existent, clients nowhere to be seen, and all of a sudden I’m not excited to show up to do the thing I once loved. Then I feel guilty for not showing up in the same way I did before until that one day during my luteal phase comes around and I need to physically peel my finger off of the big red “BURN IT ALL DOWN” button before I make a big mistake that I’ll regret in a couple days.

And don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe income as an entrepreneur is meant to be linear or always growing—I’m a lover of cycles after all—but it is interesting to look deeper at the correlation between money and how I feel on the inside.

It’s all energy after all.

I had one of my highest income months in January of this year. And I can’t help but notice that after the expansion of income came in, my nervous system collapsed under the weight of it. It wasn’t as easy for me to show up in the same way I had been. Even though nothing changed on the outside, my insides were freaking the f**k out.

Then I stopped showing up completely.

My body froze, and all of a sudden the limiting beliefs came flooding in like:

* Who am I to deserve this?

* When will they figure out I’m actually a fraud?

* Maybe it’s not as great as they think?

* It was a fluke. Don’t get used to it. Hide before they realise.

* You’re not going to be able to keep up with this.

I’m sorry, what?

You’re telling me the moment I actually start getting what I asked for, suddenly it feels like too much and I need to hide like it’s groundhog day?!

This is literally all I’ve wanted.

To make enough money to live comfortably, travel to see my family and a new place every once in a while, and give back to and support causes and people I believe in from my own creations and skills I’ve been developing for the past six years (and my whole life, if I’m being honest) so I don’t have to ever go back to a soul sucking nine-to-five. To help people fall in love with themselves and feel confident (the irony is not lost on me) to do what they love.

Now there are signs of it happening and you can’t survive under the weight of monetary success?????

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and I’ll keep saying it until the day I die:

Entrepreneurship is one of the quickest avenues to personal growth that has ever existed.

In the past I would be panicking at the lack of funds reaching my bank account and the increasing expenses, but this time I’m oddly calm about it all.

I’m trusting that this is the season I’m meant to be in, and that once I find that spark again, momentum will build in the way it’s meant to. I’m teaching myself how to feel safe when things happen, either good or bad, because none of it means anything about who I am.

These are the moments I get to build capacity to hold what’s coming next. These are the moments where everything I’ve intellectualised turns into practice and embodiment.

The moments where I practice feeling worthy even when the numbers try to tell me otherwise, because I finally understand the two are not related. Sometimes we just need to clear space in order to make room for what’s coming next.

Solo travel and entrepreneurship have also allowed me to build self-trust that I didn’t have before. I know things are always working out in my favour—so that’s what I’m leaning on during this time.

If there’s one thing I know, hustling and pushing and forcing and panicking is never the answer, so this time: I trust that everything is happening as it should.

I will not panic. I am safe. I am worthy.

Instead of panicking and hustling, I’ve decided to do something slightly insane—pour into myself.

I’ve started learning pottery again because it brings me joy. I hired a coach to hold me through this season because having someone to hold up the mirror is valuable to me. I move my body at pilates every week. I’m getting massages and acupuncture. I hired a cleaner to free up some of my energy. I’m flirting again, with life and men. I’m meeting new people and putting myself out there in new ways. Heck, I even went on my first, first date in four years just the other day.

A lot of these things cost money, and in the past I wouldn’t allow myself to invest in myself in fear of my bank account running dry, but this time I know the ROI is going to be worth it because loving on myself has never been a bad thing. My bank account may be dry, but I refuse to be. I trust that these things I’m feeling called to do are serving me in the way I need. I have faith that by pouring into myself I will then be able to pour into my business and my life and my community in a way that lights me up again.

I’m excited to see what happens, because this time instead of freezing I’m taking action on the things that actually infuse me with life, even if it doesn’t feel practical.

Wondering who the heck I am?

Hi, I’m Kaitlyn! Professional astrologer, certified coach, and sober Canadian expat living in Thailand with her dog, Lady.

There was a time I could be found sitting under the fluorescent lights at the desk outside of the corner office. In 2016 I quit my job, sold my things, and booked a one-way ticket out of the country. Little did I know I wouldn’t be returning and my life would be looking a whole lot different than I had expected.

After getting sober in 2020, I dove head first into serious astrology studies to learn about myself, and now I help others fall in love with themselves, too. You can learn more about me and what I do here.

Want to book a session?

I offer 1:1 astrology readings and astro-coaching sessions where we can go deeper into what makes you, you. In these sessions we cover what’s current in your life, and you’ll get practical tools that will support you in the current season of your life. Leave feeling deeply seen, understood, and ready to move forward with confidence.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of Saturn Stories 🪐 we’re joined by Erin Shetron who opens up about her experience with having Saturn in Capricorn in the 7th house in her natal chart, while reflecting on how the challenges and gifts of Saturn have shaped her life until this point.

We explore themes of career, relationships, early childhood responsibilities, sensitivity, and being on an aligned path (rather than one that sucks the soul out of you).

Saturn as an Archetype

Saturn is often a planet that is feared or looked down upon in the astrology community, and I’m hoping to change that with these conversations.

Saturn’s lessons can feel hard, as its placement in our charts is where we are here to learn in this lifetime. The best kept secret to Saturn is to make friends with this part of your chart. Learn how to step into and embrace this energy by taking responsibility in this area of life—the sooner you do, the easier it will get. Oftentimes these calls to “step up” happen at each Saturn cycle, especially the Saturn return period (between the ages of 28-31), but for some the willingness may come easier, or harder depending on how connected we are to this archetype.

About Erin

Erin Shetron is a former startup boss turned newsletter strategist. With her signature combination of "big brain/soft soul," she works with writers and entrepreneurs to help them produce their best, most aligned, most alive work yet. In her down time, Erin enjoys walking her two scruff potatoes (one senior scruff, one puppy scruff), reading fantasy and memoir, dreaming up new visions for the feminine economy, and espousing the benefits of radical, loving honesty. She recently launched Brain Flow Sessions, hour-long containers for creatives to get clear, motivated, and back in their flow. You can learn more about her work at erinshetron.com.

Check out her newsletter FREQUENT CRIERS CLUB if you want to feel alive again, because she’s doing amazing things over there.

Saturn Placement: Capricorn in the 7th house

earth: practicality, responsibility, tangibility, grounded in the 3D

capricorn: devotion/discipline, excellence, responsibility, maturity, leadership, ambition, earned wisdom, goal focused, grounded in reality, old when young and young when old

7th house: relationships, partnership, the shadow, the other, agreements, people as a mirror

Where is Saturn placed in your chart? Let us know in the comments!

Those with Saturn in Capricorn, was 2020 a big year for you too?

The Saturn ‘7-year itch’ Cycle

Saturn times are a time where we are often called to step up and take responsibility. Saturn wants structure, devotion, and respect. During the periods where Saturn communicates with our natal Saturn (approximately every seven years), we’re often faced with big decisions or opportunities to step into our gifts or recommit to the path we’re on—sometimes through facing challenges along the way.

Erin’s Saturn Story (and a touch of Neptune)

Saturn Return (29/30 years old): Capricorn

* falling out with start up

* was on a “traditionally successful path” but not quite the aligned path

* drinking more than ever (read Holly Whitaker’s Quit Like a Woman) while reconsidering use

* relationship was not right

“I have to know it and I have to take responsibility for myself and get myself out of this situation and not wait for us to come to some agreement and peacefully part from each other.” ~Erin

The Lesson:

“You might be the most aware person of your situation, you might know exactly all the ways that it is unhealthy, and not working for you, and perhaps even retraumitizing and triggering and just deeply upsetting and you might think that you being on top of it with all that awareness is the thing that’s going to keep you safe, but it’s not… Turning that awareness and transforming it into action is the best way to protect yourself, to live authentically, to make the life that you want… Your awareness isn’t going to save you, it’s the action that comes with it.” ~ Erin

Neptune crossing the Midheaven

Erin talks about how things started shifting for the better after working with Alex Dobrenko` on a fun creative project, which was right around the time Neptune was transiting her midheaven in Pisces.

She talks about how she was feeling rejected from the traditional marketing world—the doors were closing and she stumbled onto a more aligned path.

When we lean into our Saturn lesson, things begin to flow and we’re often met with deep fulfilment and a sense of purpose on the other side of it.

Erin found herself on this new path, and her life “exploded” through word of mouth referrals. She talks about how quickly things took off when she leaned into authenticity and creativity. If that’s not alignment, I dunno what is!

Saturn crossing the Midheaven

At the time of this conversation in 2025, Saturn was crossing over Erin’s midheaven. We talked about how she was feeling that this path could be real and she could get comfy here. What once felt “too good to be true” is now feeling like “oh this could be (and is) a real thing.”

Want to explore your own Saturn Story?

Download this PDF Saturn Guide and follow along with this series. In the guide you will learn how to find your own Saturn placement, gain insights on what themes and lessons show up in your life, and explore your own Saturn story through timeline style journal prompts and self-exploration.

paid members have access to this workbook for free in the Paid Member Goodie Box 🎁.

Or, if you’d rather have the heavy lifting done for you, book a 1:1 Astrology Reading and I’ll guide you through your chart in depth, including your Saturn story and lesson in this lifetime so you feel empowered to take aligned action.

For an opportunity to be featured as a guest on Saturn Stories 🪐, fill out the application form here. If you are selected, I will reach out with more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

I had SO much fun chatting with you guys about the solar eclipse (and the current astrology). There’s something special about being in live conversation with you, because we get to create the experience together. Special thank you to those who were in the room.

“Honouring our uniqueness is what’s going to save the world.”

We talked about:

* what an eclipse is

* the energy of the current solar eclipse in Aquarius

* what makes us unique/real/human

* what we’re feeling pulled (or pushed) towards

* outrage and our ability to access anger

* desires as a compass

* and so much more!

I also exposed my truth geckos 🦎🫣 since they had a lot to say.

Which house is 28° Aquarius in your chart? This might be where you’re feeling an activation in your life.

There’s nothing you need to do, but notice what is coming up. Eclipses can come in to move things around and rearrange what’s needed, so if there’s something ending or beginning, trust there’s a reason for it.

Happy eclipse season & lunar new year!

If you’re looking for extra support during eclipse season, my books are open for 1:1 sessions. You can book a reading here.

New moon workshops for paid members will be back in full swing starting March 18th/19th (depending where in the world you are) under the Pisces new moon. You can sign up here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com

In yesterday’s New Moon Workshop we touched on the energetics of the new moon in Capricorn and began envisioning our year ahead.

This is the first new moon of 2026, and the last new moon before eclipse season next month! Getting clear on your vision can truly set the tone of what’s to come in the year ahead, especially with Saturn and Neptune about to make their move into Aries, Uranus moving into Gemini, and the nodes shifting signs.

Big moves are happening in the sky—and as above, so below.

Getting clear on your internal desires now will create clarity for when it’s time to take action. Plant the seeds of desire so the Universe can meet you halfway.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of the world and our responsibility in it. Each individual change we make shifts the collective, and I believe that’s what 2026 is about. Less about looking outside at everything that’s wrong, more about coming home to ourselves and leading by example. Every move you make ripples out into the world—it doesn’t need to be loud, but it does need to be you.

This is the year you become more of who you are, accepting all parts of yourself, hugging the parts you’ve hidden, and allowing all of you to show up. That’s where true, sustainable change begins.

Thank you to beej, Erin Shetron, and Shaista Ali for joining in on the call!

Below you will find the oracle card pull, a visualisation to gain clarity, and the worksheets we used in the workshop. Upgrade your membership to paid to access the full workshop—which includes a special vision board practice to set the stage for the year ahead. I’ll also be opening up an extra session where we can work on our vision boards together in a cozy setting. More details below!

On this episode of Saturn Stories 🪐 we’re joined by Shaista Ali who opens up about her experience with Saturn in Virgo in the 7th house in her natal, chart while reflecting on how the challenges and gifts of Saturn have shaped her life. At the time of our conversation, Shaista was also coming out of her most recent Saturn opposition, so we talk about the huge changes that were taking place in the present moment.

We explore themes of service to self and others, relationships, being in the body, and honouring our needs first.

Saturn as an Archetype

Saturn is often a planet that is feared or looked down upon in the astrology community. Saturn’s lessons can feel hard, as its placement in our charts is where we are here to learn in this lifetime. The best kept secret to Saturn is to make friends with this part of your chart. Learn how to step into and embrace this energy by taking responsibility in this area of life—the sooner you do, the easier it will get. Oftentimes these calls to “step up” happen at each Saturn cycle, especially the Saturn return period (between the ages of 28-31), but for some the willingness may come easier, or harder.

About Shaista

Shaista is a seeker. Of connection, of beauty, of truth.

She finds it in the corners of the mundane, in the obvious wonders, and even in the shadows of the horrific. Sometimes especially there.

Heart Chambers is her Substack of nearly three years, where she tenderly unearths the contours of her inner world. It’s been an exploratory place to remember our shared humanity, to trace the invisible threads that connect us, and to decode ancient blueprints that reveal and find at once.

Born of a rich and storied lineage that informs much of her truth, she writes occasionally through the lens of first-generation, while gently releasing identities that no longer serve. She believes we will see the liberation of Palestine in our lifetime and that there is much to learn in the eyes of the oppressed.

In this episode, we explore Shaista’s relationship with Saturn in Virgo in the 7th house. Shaista talks us through her own Saturn story as we connect the dots between the astrology chart and lived experience, exploring themes of giving to the point of burnout to learning to create healthy relational dynamics through caring for the self first.

Saturn Placement: Virgo in the 7th house

Earth: mundane, grounding, practicality, structure, boundaries, the body, physical matters

Virgo: practicality, discernment, finding spirit in the mundane, service to self, service to others, health and wellness, connection of body mind and spirit, being rather than doing, routine, one day at a time, beauty in the small moments, purpose

7th house: relationships, partnership, the shadow, the other, agreements

Where is Saturn placed in your chart? Let us know in the comments!

If you have Saturn in an earth sign, in Virgo, or the 7th house, can you relate to any parts of Shaista’s story?

The Saturn ‘7-year itch’ Cycle

Saturn times are a time where we are often called to step up and take responsibility. As Saturn wants structure and respect. During the periods where Saturn communicates with our natal chart (approximately every seven years), we’re often faced with big decisions or opportunities to step into our gifts or recommit to the path we’re on—sometimes through facing challenges along the way.

Shaista’s Saturn Story

Saturn Return (28/29 years old): Virgo

* working abroad, tense relationship with boss, finding the boundaries between self and service to others

* ending a relationship

* entering a new relationship

“I realized I had more power than I thought I did.” ~ Shaista

Saturn Opposition (44/45 years old): Pisces

* clear shift of no longer accepting what was accepted before

* dynamic of partnership has run its course

* putting self out there again (interviews, new job, writing)

“My capacity is no longer the same.” ~ Shaista

The Lesson:

“I want to give and connect, but I’m not going to compromise my own needs.” ~ Shaista

This lesson shared by Shaista ties beautifully into her Saturn in Virgo in the 7th house. She talks about how making these changes to put her own needs first didn’t mean she had to lose anything. The boundaries she has learned to set in her relationships has made the dynamic of her relationships better and more fulfilling. Shaista also ties this most recent Saturn cycle in 2025 back to her Saturn return in 2008, now knowing when to let a relationship go when it’s run its course instead of staying in toxic loops that don’t serve either person in the relationship.

By leaning into Saturn, we create more space for our purpose to unfold naturally.

Want to explore your own Saturn Story?

Download this PDF Saturn Guide and follow along with this series. In the guide you will learn how to find your own Saturn placement, gain insights on what themes and lessons show up in your life, and explore your own Saturn story through timeline style journal prompts and self-exploration.

Paid members have access to this workbook for free in the Paid Member Goodie Box 🎁.

Or, if you’d rather have the heavy lifting done for you, book a 1:1 Astrology Reading and I’ll guide you through your chart in depth, including your Saturn story and lesson in this lifetime.

For an opportunity to be featured as a guest on Saturn Stories 🪐, fill out the application form here. If you are selected, I will reach out with more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

This post is highly Northern Hemisphere centric, so keep that in mind as you read if you’re from the south (or closer to the equator). There’s a lot of discourse in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, specifically in the spiritual community, around the seemingly contradictory nature of having a new year in the dead of winter (although I’m about to outline why it’s not contradictory at all and it’s exactly how nature intended).

Capricorn is a feminine sign (where we got it wrong)

Capricorn is a feminine sign—earth, yin. It was never meant to be a sign related to the hustle and grind, but somehow this sign and time of year has been long associated with an external measure of success—money, status, material possessions. A dick swinging competition that leaves us feeling dry and empty over time.

I believe the resistance comes from misunderstanding the natural world and looking at the sign of Capricorn with a patriarchal lens. As time went on, productivity was pushed on us until January 1st became something it was never intended to be, a time of immediate action and productivity.

I used to view Saturn (the ruler of Capricorn) as a man. He was grumpy, authoritarian, and carried a stick around to beat me into shape when I would fall out of step. He had expectations of me I couldn’t uphold even if I was doing everything he said I needed to do. I thought nothing good would come without working hard, even if it killed me in the process. I thought hardening my sensitivities and pushing through with brute force would get me where I needed to go. I thought I had to climb the corporate ladder as I gained more prestige, money, and power above those beneath me. I thought I had to claw my way to the top using the bodies of everyone who was also racing for success because if they got there before me it would mean I had failed—maybe there wouldn’t be enough room at the top by the time I got there.

But it never quite felt right.

Until one day I realised Saturn is a woman—a wise grandmother, the matriarch—kind, encouraging, soft yet stern, and deeply present above all else. She’s the one who holds the vision for me when I can’t hold it myself, and instead of beating me into shape with a stick, she gently guides me to find my own wisdom from within, allowing me to find answers that are true to me rather than telling me how to do it her way. She knows what she’s responsible for while holding healthy boundaries, and that inspires me to learn what I am responsible for, too. She shows me what it means to be a true leader of my life by holding leadership in her own life—inspiration over authoritarianism, integrity over performance.

Softness isn’t weakness, saying no to responsibilities that aren’t mine to shoulder isn’t selfish, listening to the cues of my body and respecting how I feel isn’t failure—it allows me to be present with purpose, and purposeful in my presence. Knowing what I’m responsible for creates clarity, devotion, and a true sense of fulfilment because I know exactly where to place my front foot as I move forward. It allows me to focus on the follow through because each step forward creates muscle memory. I feel so filled with purpose that if my mind tries to have my foot step on someone else’s path it wouldn’t be possible because I’m so in step with who I’m becoming that my body wouldn’t let it happen no matter what my mind has to say about it.

The true Capricorn measure of success is what fills you with purpose from the inside. It’s the ability to be present with what is, and having the courage to change course or recommit to your future.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” — the Serenity Prayer is grandmother Saturn, the essence of Capricorn energy.

Darkness comes before the dawn: the return of the light

This time of year in the Northern Hemisphere brings long nights and shorter days for some, depending on where you live. Things slow down, take longer to wake in the morning, and retreat earlier in the night. There’s a quietness of winter, like when the snow falls and everything around seems to have lost its sound until the only sound you can hear is the snow crunching beneath your feet. It’s barren, cold, and to the untrained eye it could seem like everything is dead—but that’s not the case.

When it’s quiet we can hear our inner thoughts without the external noise, which is why this time of year is arguably the best time to set goals, because if we are met with external silence and aligned with our innermost workings, our goals are more likely to be aligned with our true essence and purpose.

In modern times, New Year’s Resolutions have taken a different tone, unfortunately. People around the world set goals based on the outside world, they search for the noise even in the dead of night—get thin, get money, get the things that make me look good rather than what makes me feel good.

When we remember that Capricorn is a feminine sign, we remember to include our intuition and our inherent sensitivities in our decision making process. We soften into the body, we feel our desires, we notice what’s alive within us knowing that under the blanket of snow is a dream waiting to be birthed, a seed ready to sprout at the first sign of spring.

Grandmother Saturn reminds us we are already whole as we are, there’s nothing to fix because we were never broken.

The New Moon

A part of my soul withers when I see an astrologer discredit this new year, because how can someone tell me the new moon—the darkest night—is a new beginning, but somehow the darkest days are not?

Everything begins in the dark. There’s a quiet preparation that happens when there is an absence of light, but societally we’re conditioned to believe the dark is bad and scary, quiet means something is missing, fast pace and productivity rule over presence.

Even when the snow covers the land, there are seeds forming under the surface, hot spot embers waiting to catch wind and reignite when the snow melts, dreams waiting to be realised, death nourishing new life. There’s a reason we only dream while we sleep.

It’s the mother who wakes up in the early morning before the sun and her kids so she can find presence within herself before taking on the day, connecting with self and creating the structure to be able to hold her responsibilities with full presence after tending to self first.

The darkness is the new beginning, and just because it looks like nothing is happening on the outside, there is so much happening under the surface. After the darkness comes the light in both the lunar and solar cycles.

The beginning of Capricorn season in the northern hemisphere holds similarities to the new moon phase. Capricorn season begins on the day the light of the sun begins its return—the days start getting longer and our life force slowly comes back. Much like the new moon phase where the light of the moon is returning too. Is returning of the light not cause for celebration itself?

New beginnings are slow. Good things take time.

Capricorn energy and grandmother Saturn know things that last take time and care to build and bloom, yet in a time where we place more value on speed and convenience, we tend to lose patience for delayed gratification and purpose that’s rooted in integrity.

Some of my best ideas were born during the darkest days and nights—both physically and metaphorically. It’s where hope lives, where we can hear our own voice, where we can take a blank slate and create something new out of nothing.

Connection to the natural world

Those who are closest to the natural world know this time holds great value in the process. I grew up in a community where farming and fishing fuel our economy, and let me tell you—things don’t stop just because it’s winter.

The winter is the time where those who work hard during the on-season now have time and energy to celebrate after a long season. As thing…

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com

In our recent New Moon Workshop we explored the energetics of the new moon in Sagittarius.

This new moon felt different.

It was the last new moon of 2025, a 9 year in numerology, the year of the snake—there are endings happening in our individual lives, as well as collectively. If you’re an extra sensitive human, you may have felt the energy deeply as we let go of what was in order to make space for what will be.

The oracle card pull said it all!

Big thanks to Sam Rhoades and Erin Shetron for taking time out of their morning (and holiday season) to join me for this hour. It was so nice to spend time with both of you.

Below you will find the oracle card pull, tips, journal prompts we used in the workshop, and the link to sign up for the first call of the new year (a special vision board workshop). Upgrade your membership to paid to access the full workshop replay where we talked about the new moon, the significance of the rising sign, and shared the excitement of witnessing a friend see themselves through the lens of their astrology chart for the first time!

On this episode of Saturn Stories 🪐 we’re joined by beej who opens up about her experience with having Saturn in Leo in the 11th house in her natal chart while reflecting on how the challenges and gifts of Saturn have shaped her life up until now.

We explore themes of early childhood responsibility, drug use and overdose, unexpected pregnancy, and the reclamation of play and purpose through inner child healing.

Saturn as an Archetype

Saturn is often a planet that is feared or looked down upon in the astrology community, and this series is my effort to give Saturn the respect it deserves. Saturn’s lessons can feel hard, as its placement in our chart is where our biggest lesson lies in this lifetime. The best kept secret to Saturn is to make friends with this part of your chart. Learn how to step into and embrace this energy by taking responsibility in this area of your life—the sooner you do, the easier it will get. Oftentimes these calls to “step up” happen at each Saturn cycle (approximately every seven years), especially the Saturn return period (between the ages of 28-31), but for some the willingness may come easier, or harder.

About Brandy

Brandy is an operations manager in the semiconductor industry, and has spent the past few years navigating intense shifts. This period has challenged her to redefine what success looks like for her, to let go of unhealthy relationships, and to embrace creativity to keep her brain active. Through it, she has discovered a deeper sense of self-worth, purpose/self-awareness, and is excited to share how Saturn’s lessons have shaped her path. Today, she focuses on daily desires—whether it involves her latest passion for swimming, reading books again, or asking herself what she’s thankful for, all whilst continuing to grow through the cycles of transformation.

In this episode, we will explore Brandy’s relationship with Saturn in Leo in the 11th house. Brandy will talk us through her own Saturn story as we connect the dots between the astrology chart and her lived experience—from childhood responsibilities taking the place of being a kid to making play a non-negotiable as an adult.

Saturn Placement: Leo in the 11th house

Fire: expression, play, inspiration, adventure, instinct, passion, life force energy

Leo: inner child, the self/ego, play, creativity, children, self-expression, authenticity, vulnerable expression from the heart, overcoming the fear of being seen, standing in the spotlight, generosity of spirit

11th house: community, friendships, big dreams and aspirations

Where is Saturn placed in your chart? Let us know in the comments!

If you have Saturn in a fire sign, in Leo, or the 11th house, can you relate to any parts of Brandy’s story?

The Saturn ‘7-year itch’ Cycle

Saturn times are a time where we are often called to step up and take responsibility. Saturn times call for structure and respect. During the periods where Saturn communicates with Saturn in our natal chart (approximately every seven years), we’re often faced with big decisions or opportunities to step into our purpose in a more aligned way or recommit to the path we’re already on—sometimes through facing challenges and overcoming hurdles placed along the way.

Brandy’s Saturn Story Through the Years

First Saturn square (7 years old): Scorpio

* brother was born, had to take on more responsibility at home

* making meals, changing diapers, etc.

* “kids are to be seen and not heard”

“I didn’t get to be a kid.” ~ Brandy

Saturn opposition (15 years old): Aquarius

* mom helped her apply for her first job

* starting to contribute financially for things at home

“I’ve always worked. I’ve always had to work.” ~ Brandy

Last Saturn square (23 years old): Taurus

* overdose, car wreck, and having to be brought back to life

* unexpected pregnancy that inspired her to turn her life around

“The pregnancy is what made me snap out of everything.” ~ Brandy

Saturn Return (29 years old): Leo

* getting involved in a new community

* full-time student while working, being a mom, and volunteering in her community

* re-living childhood through her kids

“I could feel it—like, okay, I’m doing the right thing.” ~ Brandy

The Lesson:

“I’m worth the investment” ~ Brandy

Brandy shared that her biggest lesson during this time was faith and time-management. She learned to be her own biggest cheerleader when she realised that others weren’t going to cheer her on in the way she needed, because she was carving an unconventional path. By moving over 2,000 miles away from her family and finding new community while juggling it all, she was able to build faith and trust in herself to not only make it work, but to thrive.

She now intentionally invests in the things that light her up like swimming, art, unplugging when she can, and travelling once a month.

Want to explore your own Saturn Story?

Download this PDF Saturn Guide and follow along with this series. In the guide you will learn how to find your own Saturn placement, gain insights on what themes and lessons show up in your life, and explore your own Saturn story through timeline style journal prompts and self-exploration.

paid members have access to this workbook for free in the Paid Member Goodie Box 🎁.

Or, if you’d rather have the heavy lifting done for you, book a 1:1 Astrology Reading and I’ll guide you through your chart in depth, including your Saturn story and lesson in this lifetime.

For an opportunity to be featured as a guest on Saturn Stories 🪐, fill out the application form here. If you are selected, I will reach out with more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of Saturn Stories 🪐 we’re joined by guest, Kris Onyx, who opens up about her experience with Saturn in Cancer in the 7th house in her natal, chart while reflecting on how the challenges and gifts of Saturn have shaped her life.

We explore themes of home, family dynamics, relationships, mental health, emotional wisdom, and finally finding a shell that fits.

Saturn as an Archetype

Saturn is often a planet that is feared or looked down upon in the astrology community. Saturn’s lessons can feel hard, as its placement in our charts is where we are here to learn in this lifetime. The best kept secret to Saturn is to make friends with this part of your chart. Learn how to step into and embrace this energy by taking responsibility in this area of life—the sooner you do, the easier it will get. Oftentimes these calls to “step up” happen at each Saturn cycle, especially the Saturn return period (between the ages of 28-31), but for some the willingness may come easier, or harder.

About Kris

Kris Onyx is a reluctant admin assistant, aspiring world traveller, and proud parent of Bodhi the kid and Baxter the cat.

In this episode, we will explore Kris’ relationship with Saturn in Cancer in the 7th house. Kris will talk us through her own Saturn story as we connect the dots between the astrology chart and lived experience—from latchkey kid to finding a sense of home from within.

Saturn Placement: Cancer in the 7th house

Water: sensitivities, emotions, intuition, flow — learning about the emotional body

Cancer: healing wounds from childhood, nurturing self first, letting go of the past, building legacy from emotional maturity, finding/creating home, family dynamics, traditions, parental relationships

7th house: relationships, partnership, the shadow, the other, agreements

If you have Saturn in a water sign, in Cancer, or the 7th house, can you relate to Kris’ story?

The Saturn ‘7-year itch’ Cycle

Saturn times are a time where we are often called to step up and take responsibility. As Saturn wants structure and respect. During the periods where Saturn communicates with our natal chart (approximately every seven years), we’re often faced with big decisions or opportunities to step into our gifts or recommit to the path we’re on—sometimes through facing challenges along the way.

Kris’ Saturn Story Through the Years

First Saturn square (7 years old): Libra

* challenging family dynamics, and parents’ separation

* learning to cope by isolating and getting lost in books

* emotionally detaching from the family unit

“We were all just going our own way.” ~ Kris

Saturn opposition (16 years old): Capricorn

* left mother’s home to live with dad

* reinvention of self, identity shifts and redefining “home”

* a new sense of independence

Last Saturn square (22/23 years old): Aries

* moved into punk house

* paying the bills and taking the role of “mom” while shouldering the responsibilities of the house

“I was the mom. I paid all the bills. I had two jobs. I lost myself completely.” ~ Kris

Saturn Return (29 years old): Cancer

* navigating depression, exhaustion, and health challenges

* identity crisis, feeling like a shell of herself

* hearing about the tsunami in Thailand and feeling an urge to help

“By my 30th birthday, I didn’t even know who I was anymore.” ~ Kris

The Lesson:

“Knowing where my home is, and not making my home in other people.” ~ Kris

This lesson shared by Kris ties into the themes of Saturn in Cancer and the 7th house beautifully. The goal with this placement is to make home within yourself first by nurturing your needs. Trusting the signals of your body and intuition are important. Nurturing the emotional body by letting emotions flow and be released from the physical body will create space rather than letting emotions get stuck and stagnant. Once a sense of safety is created from within creating safe and intimate connections with others will come easier.

When we lean into our Saturn lesson, things begin to flow and we’re often met with deep fulfilment and a sense of purpose.

Want to explore your own Saturn Story?

Download this PDF Saturn Guide and follow along with this series. In the guide you will learn how to find your own Saturn placement, gain insights on what themes and lessons show up in your life, and explore your own Saturn story through timeline style journal prompts and self-exploration.

paid members have free access to this workbook in the Paid Member Goodie Box 🎁.

Or, if you’d rather have the heavy lifting done for you, book a 1:1 Astrology Reading and I’ll guide you through your chart in depth.

For an opportunity to be featured as a guest on Saturn Stories 🪐, fill out the application form here. If you are selected, I will reach out with more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe

When I first saw Katie and Amanda B. Hinton’s live video here on Substack where they talked about Katie’s photo of the East Wing demolition going viral, the first thing I thought was, “I need to know what was going on in her chart.”

A misconception about astrology is that it’s all woo, but astrology is actually a language built through collecting data points across the timeline of life and history. It’s a continuous experiment, and experiences like Katie’s are a great opportunity to add to the collection.

In our time together, we talked about what astrology is, how it can be helpful for nervous system regulation and being ready for moments like this, and how embodying your natal chart can open opportunities when the planetary transits come around so we can be ready for “right place, right time.” We touched on some signatures in Katie’s own natal chart, and how the sky was activating her natal chart the day she took the photo of the White House from her seat on the plane that day.

Right place, right time

Katie’s photo took off as quickly as the plane she was on that day. She explained that there were many moving pieces that had to align to make the picture possible—like getting upgraded last minute, her phone camera, and even being present enough to look out the window and pay attention.

Not only was all of this in alignment, it wasn’t anyone else on the plane who took this photo (although it could’ve been)—it was Katie.

“It’s what happens when you’re living your chart and moving in alignment with your own energies.” ~ Kaitlyn

The first thing I noticed about Katie’s natal chart was her Scorpio sun conjunct Uranus in her natal chart. She’s got built in intuition, and Uranus on her sun can have things moving and changing at lightning speed, allowing Katie to be quick on her feet.

This intuitive signature was activated by the moving planets in the sky on the day she took the photo. The moon is our emotional reaction; Mercury is the mind, communication, and even social media; and Mars is the instinctual action—these three planets in conjunction to her sun (identity) and Uranus (the unexpected) made magic happen in real time.

“I don’t even remember taking the picture, I have to be honest. I think I blacked out. I’ve tried to remember the moment. I remember being like, I should look out the window, and then I remember looking down at my phone and I have pictures. I don’t remember.” ~ Katie

Not only was this signature activated, but at that moment the North Node in Pisces was activating her career and public image (MC) and her emotional body (moon) in a favourable way.

This one gave me goosebumps.

It could’ve been anyone on that side of the plane in that moment to take that photo, and Katie did it by pure instinct. She couldn’t have planned in the moment what would happen after sharing it with the group chat (then socials). It quickly took off and was picked up by major news outlets and her photo was suddenly in the spotlight.

Co-creation and being prepared for when luck strikes

In our conversation, we talked about how being prepared is just as important as the moment itself. Katie is living her natal promise and she was ready for the moment when the opportunity was there for the taking.

“It’s not just the fact that it was that moment in time and getting lucky in some of those things, but it was all the things that I did before that to be prepared for that particular moment.” ~ Katie

She had already been building before the moment happened—like her relationships with news outlets and social media following. Katie was doing the work in alignment with her chart (whether conscious or not), and all of those pieces led her to being prepared for that moment of fate.

Katie referenced Ina Garten’s memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens—it’s not just the moment that makes things like this happen, but rather how we approach it and move within the moment that makes it work, or not.

“We kind of have to do that work in co-creation with the outside forces. It’s not just like this will happen on this day—it’s like, okay, this is the energy that’s available, and are you ready for it?” ~ Kaitlyn

Living authentically

In order to do this co-creation work with the outside forces, we need to be living in alignment with who we truly are, rather than what others expect of us. If we’re trying to follow someone else’s path, opportunities like this will pass us by because we aren’t in the place to receive them.

Katie talked about her own life and how she lives unconventionally (hello, Uranus on the sun). Knowing about her Capricorn moon on the MC in the 10th house helped her release guilt around finding fulfilment in her career rather than more traditional path.

“I’ve been finding that the more I’ve been learning to work with energy—my energy, the collective energy, the energy of people I’m closest to—I’m becoming more and more in tune with my intuition. It keeps getting louder.” ~ Katie

As we walk in alignment with who we truly are, our intuition gets louder and we build the trust muscle with the Universe. We’re able to recognise what is for us and feel confident in moving towards it, even if it looks different than what others expect from us.

Be sure to check out Katie’s work at Anchor Change where you can find “curated news, thoughtful analysis, and personal reflections that bridge the gap between tech and democracy.”

Thank you to Katie Harbath for joining me live.

And thank you Kristen Luiso, Benjamin, and many others for tuning into our chat! It was nice to have you in the room.

If you’re curious about your own natal chart and how you too can live in alignment with your life, strengthen your intuition and trust muscle with the Universe, and be ready for moments of opportunity when they strike, book a 1:1 astrology reading here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaitlynramsay.substack.com/subscribe