Saturn Ascends

Wrapping up my new year Saturn ritual with the goddess Astraea

Astraea is a Greek goddess known as the “star maiden,” ruling over justice, innocence, and purity. She famously fled to the heavens to escape the wickedness of humanity on earth and took refuge in the constellation Virgo (appropriately enough).

Her return is prophesied to herald a new golden age of peace and prosperity. Her myth persisted through the Christian Middle Ages through the Renaissance when courtly poets claimed that Astraea guided the princes they served.

In the sixteenth century, many writers cast Elizabeth I of England as a symbol of the returned Astraea who would lead mankind to peace through imperial rule, proving that a “golden age” can mean very different things to different people.

Drawing Time

I had a break from work between Christmas and January 2, which gave me a chance to draw almost every day again, which I hadn’t done since October/Inktober. I hope to keep up the habit of drawing at least once a week throughout the year, probably on Sundays.

Saturn’s 13 Day Ritual

So last week I talked about the 13 wishes ritual in detail. Check out that post if you haven’t already. I wrapped up the ritual yesterday after 12 days of burning one of my 13 intentions ever day.

I had them all written down on small pieces of paper, folded neatly so I couldn’t see what was written inside, but around the second day, I got curious before lighting one on fire, so I unfolded it and found that it was one I didn’t really mind burning. Excellent, I thought! I’ll open them and read each one before I burn it, like a countdown. It won’t change anything.

The very next day, as I was about to open the next one, I immediately knew which one it was, and it secretly had been my favorite. Slapped down by Saturn! I didn’t open any more after that.

The Twelfth Day

On January 2, I burned the second to last one and took the three-legged pig, bookmark, and coin out of the bag. I scribbled Saturn’s glyph on a mirror with (what else?) lipstick.

I took the drawstring bag containing the three stones into my storage area and smashed them with a hammer on the concrete floor. I had kept them in the bag the entire 12 days to avoid looking at them because they were so pretty, I didn’t want to get attached. The bag also made them much easier to smash.

I funnelled the smashed rocks into the glass bottle and placed it on the mirror, then searched for a candle holder that would fit the three candles. I had to shave down the sides to make them fit, then I lit them on the bathroom counter and left them to burn all the way down.

I finally opened the last of the folded pieces of paper and read it out loud before placing it in the bottle on top of the smashed stones:

“Partner on another podcast or start my own.”

And there we have it… It’s in Saturn’s hands now, because this is definitely one of those intentions that requires external intervention. When I think about working on another podcast, I envision something similar to what I’m doing with Starzology, only on a totally different topic.

I don’t want to do it alone because I don’t have the desire to create that much more work for myself, and I think solo podcasts are just less interesting to me. I like the conversational aspect of it the most.

I want to find someone who already has a great idea, entrepreneurial spirit, and equipment, and just needs someone with my energy, personality, knowledge, and extreme dependability to bring it to fruition.

So I’m putting the intention out to there to Saturn and the rest of the universe that I’d like to collaborate on a new podcast this year. Let’s see what happens…

The Other Twelve

The most interesting thing about this whole endeavor has been coming up with a list of things I want, but that I’m not already working towards. Of course, there were several things on my list that I want to do anyway, they’ll just take a bit more effort than I’ve been willing to apply up until now.

Here’s my complete list:

1. Find someone to teach me to sing

2. Create a deck of Badass Goddess cards

3. Partner on another podcast or start my own

4. Paint a feature wall in our living room and add more art to the walls

5. Get a good start on an investment property

6. Learn to belly dance or fire dance

7. Win a lot of money, through the lottery or investments

8. Find a new, inspiring art class like Dr. Sketchy’s

9. Publish another book

10. Get in better shape than I was in 2021

11. Find a new, lucrative way to monetize my art

12. Learn to skate dance, and skate backwards

13. Meet a photographer or artist to partner with on some yet to be determined endeavor

Some of these things I could just decide to do, and probably will, now that I’ve written them down. In fact, I mentioned belly dancing to a friend who I did not expect to be into that kind of thing and she wants to do it together!

Because of course the algorithm spies on us, I just started seeing adds for a local studio that offers very reasonable singing lessons, so I’m thinking of giving them a try.

I will eventually publish another book, and create goddess cards. It’s just a matter of having enough material and new artwork to make it worthwhile.

Winning a lot of money would be awesome, but I almost never play the lottery, and I’m just starting to invest, so that kind of “win” will likely be a slow and steady result of good business decisions and market forces (sigh).

As for getting in better shape than 2021 (kind of my peak fitness year, since I started working out and skating in 2018 and changed my diet significantly in 2020), that was probably the one I was hoping for (aside from winning money lol).

I know the older I get, the more effort it will take, but I’m such a creature of habit it’s hard to want to change my routine. I asked ChatGPT and, given all the factors at play, it would take me approximately 20-30% more intentional effort to get into better shape than I was in 2021. Whew…

Well, I’ve already signed up for a five-week Go Go Dancing class starting this month with Melody Mangler, I’m adding more weights and variety to my normal workout, and I’m planning to take a spin class at least once a week (I started this morning!).

What about you, my lovelies? Are you making resolutions, setting intentions, asking Saturn for help (or all three)?

Check out our Saturn Ritual episode and read all about it at Starzology.

Happy fucking new year, everyone! I love you all, and thank you for reading.

(I think my next book will be a coloring book, of all my black and white drawings.)