I can’t let go of the idea of writing about attachment, as great a subject as it is. I’m thinking of it both in the common meaning of attachment and the Buddhist idea of attachment.

If I understand the Buddhists correctly, we all are attached to the senses, of which there are six – taste, touch, smell, sight, sound and object of thought.

Object of thought?

The “sixth sense” that we in the West colloquially use to mean intuition or sudden, non-logical insight, is not the sixth sense of Buddhism.

If the Buddhists are trying to get us to detachment from all senses and objects of thought, then we need to detach from the world as we know it.

That’s a bit scary.

Where does astrology fit in? For me it’s the metadata of “objects of thought.” It’s the library catalog that describes all the books in the library. The “library” contains the objects of thought. Astrology is the metadata of metadata because it categorizes at the most basic level.

Fearing astrology, then, is like fearing the library card catalog. Who fears that?

For me, astrological prediction is simply having fun with the metadata. If we know a person well (their personality), we pretty much know how that person will respond in a given situation. Astrology is just peeking into a personality without personally knowing that person.

Metadata of attachment

If astrology functions as the metadata of all that we experience, then, for me, the Taurus-Scorpio axis (two signs that are 180 degrees apart in the zodiac and represent a polarity) represents attachment as we understand it in the more colloquial sense. Dictionary.com defines attachment as “a feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal, or the like; devotion; regard.”

Attachment is binding and the binding can be to something physical (person or thing) or non-physical (idea).

As Saturn enters the sign of Scorpio, it’s a good time to think about attachment as the things we are attached to might transform into things we can no longer have.

Taurus-Scorpio Axis

Taurus is the fixed, earth sign, strong and steady. What I love about Taurus is how it accepts things as they are and does not struggle with the essence of what is.

An example is how some folks come to your house and sit in your chair and visit while others sit in your chair and comment that you can find a different, better-in-some-way, chair at this-and-that place. Taurus accepts the chair while others react and want to change the chair.

Taurus is traditionally associated with money earned by self, values and physical property. Because of that, Taurus can be viewed as materialistic, focused on objects (as opposed to persons and feelings).

The opposite of Taurus is Scorpio, which is the fixed water sign. Scorpio is traditionally associated with money shared with others, sex, death, inheritance and regeneration.

What I love about Scorpio is its emotional honesty and focused drive. Scorpio teaches me that I can get what I want if I focus with honest intent.

If Taurus is attached to material objects, Scorpio is attached to emotional objects.

In the extreme, I think of the Taurus-Scorpio polarity as the hoarder-stalker polarity. I’ve wondered why we are so interested in reality shows about hoarding – maybe we’re collectively working through Taurus-Scorpio issues?

Maybe as Saturn enters Scorpio we can look away from the TV toward ourselves and see what we’re hoarding? Maybe I don’t have a house full of “stuff” but maybe I have a head full of “stuff” or an emotional side full of “stuff?”

US elections occur during the sign of Scorpio which explains the intensity of the reaction to others’ ideas. What’s interesting is how few of the campaign ideas make it into Taurus, physical, reality. It’s also interesting how we seem to have decided in the US that we must have two parties that have opposite position on ideas.

Is it truly necessary to create this duality?

Saturn in Scorpio affects each of us differently, based upon our natal horoscopes. Planets beyond Mars, however, relate to shared energies, the energies of time and place (such as the energy of an upcoming election during bad economic times).

The Scorpio area of your chart (called a house) can give insight into areas where you are most attached. Pluto’s (which rules Scorpio) placement in your chart can give insight into areas where you will be forced to let go of attachments.

Saturn will be in Scorpio for about two and a half years.

Happy detaching!