Whew!! Virgo-Suns and Virgo-Risings are breathing a sigh of relief! Finally, the taskmaster and his whip, which he enjoys using generously, are finally leaving Virgo to enter Libra. On October 29 at 1:09 p.m. ET, Saturn will test the Libran air for a few months until April 7, 2010. Then, while retrograde, he briefly returns to Virgo, before settling in Libra for the long haul. Saturn's re-entry in Libra is on July 21, 2010, where he remains through October 5, 2012.

Saturn is said to be exalted (best placement; greatest strength) in Libra. Saturn is the taskmaster of the zodiac whose karmic lessons, once learned, remain with each of us throughout our lives. He represents reality, challenges, structure, foundation, obstacles, hard work, obligations, restrictions, and limitations. He is cold, distant, stoic, determined, persistent ... all business. His function, as he transits through the houses of our birth charts, is to teach us our life lessons.

Libra governs partnerships, relationships, and the ties that bind us through commitment. By nature, Libra is objective, fair-minded, logical, social, charming, friendly, peaceable, seeks balance, and appreciates the aesthetic beauty in its surroundings. Saturn in Libra teaches us about the challenges in relationships, the commitment and work required for healthy connections, the equality and justice within our partnerships, and the objectivity that is sometimes needed especially when passions, emotions, and righteousness arise

Those born between 1982 and 1984 may be experiencing their first Saturn Return (embarking on adulthood); and those born 1952 to 1954 may be going through their second Saturn Return (decisions made during the first Saturn Return often determine the ease or difficulty of the second return). Saturn Returns represent the end of one life cycle and beginning of the next phase.

On the day of Saturn's initial entrance in Libra, Venus is also transiting Libra to help us (and Saturn) get adjusted to the personality change Saturn undergoes. Venus governs our relationships and also rules the zodiac sign Libra. In Virgo, Saturn is practical, analytical, rigid, meticulous, exacting, detailed. In Libra, Saturn is freer to think, move, socialize, interact; it's less about perfection and more about the experience. A few weeks later on November 15, Saturn will begin his stressful square dance with Pluto. This influence lasts through most of 2010 as they square off exactly, move away a little, get closer again, and repeat a few times.

For me, as a late decan Virgo-Rising, most of Saturn's transit in Libra will happen in my natal 1st house (self/potential) while still influencing my natal 2nd house (income/self-worth) which is the house actually ruled by Libra; and as a Cancer-Sun, he will visit my solar 4th house (family/home). Saturn's lesson during his transit in Libra, after having just left my natal 12th (subconscious) and solar 3rd (mind), may be to practice what I've learned/been made aware of mentally. His recent visit through my natal 12 and solar 3rd houses illuminated some things that's been "hidden" from my conscious self. Having been awakened, I'm compelled to act upon them. Money may be tight for a while, and I may have to continue employing some creative budgeting :-) But handling finances is one of his lessons when transiting one's 2nd house. As Saturn turns on the pressure in my natal 1st house of conscious will and personal potential, challenges lie ahead as obligations and my role within the family unit undergo a significant "shift."

==> Updated August 10, 2010: My Twitter and OwningPink pal, Jennifer Shelton of FemCentral (the Virtual Institute for Women), posted this vlog that I found very relevant and useful especially during Saturn's transit in Libra ~ Relationship Patterns & What Your Shadow Says About You. Check it out.

How will this Saturn transit influence your birth chart? Look to the natal house/s ruled by Libra. Match the signs with the house cusps on your birth chart. Use the list of zodiac signs below to identify the Libra zodiac sign on your birth chart then click here for a brief explanation.