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The 28 1/2 Year Saturn Cycle: History Repeats - A Personal Story Of The Cold War, The Iran Hostage Crisis, Jim Jones… And Love Unending
Astrology in real life
The Saturn return of a relationship. It’s been a long time since I wrote about this but I’m bringing it back up because I think it’s symbolic and strikingly so. It’s also a chance to bring some new people further up to speed so they better me and what goes on here.
Most of you know the soldier and I met when we were kids, 17 and 19. We were together on and off for about 3 years but failed to marry for reasons that are complex, heart-wrenching and damned near unfathomable. Whatever those reasons were, this is they way it played and while the soldier and I got in contact in 2003, we did not get back together physically until Saturn returned to the where it was when we met the first time.
I don’t have record of when we met but was able to narrow it down to the month via events in history. He had to go help clean up the bodies of the dead who drank the Kool-aid at Jonestown with Jim Jones and this was right before we met. He was on the plane that flew into Iran to rescue the hostages - we were together by then. The movie, Apocalypse Now came out and we saw it together on opening day. This further narrowed the time down.
Now it is funny how history repeats. We met during the cold war and right now there are two Russian nuclear subs off the coast of New York. There are hostages in Iran and people are running around calling each other “brainwashed” (cult) in numbers too large to even contemplate. We were also in a recession then as we are now. The Soldier and P were together back and they are now - This time we WILL marry.
There are are about a million angles here but the one I want to focus on is the concept of putting things right. We both regret not marrying when were kids so we will fix that. It is mind-bending to turn away from a path at one point in you life only to find yourself at the same juncture 28 years later, with the same person having the same feelings.
I have much appreciation of the scope of this but what kills me is the details. 29 years ago the soldier and I were engaged, briefly. He is the type to do everything so he saved his money back them to buy plane tickets so we could fly to his home and I could meet his friends and family.
Air travel was very expensive back then. Each ticket cost $600. I don’t know what that would equate to now but I do know he made $312 a month at the time so it took him about 6 months to save up and buy the tickets which is exactly what he did.
I wound up sticking him with those tickets, at least one of them. When the time came to go, I balked leaving him to fly home alone to attend what was supposed to be our engagement party. This is exactly what he did, he went home and got famously drunk and fell asleep in a bathtub.
So now it’s a Saturn cycle later and we are going to see those same friends of his who incidentally DID marry 30 years ago and remain (happily) married. We will have rings on our fingers when we get there, having made the commitment we avoided when we were kids and I am not sure how you might interpret this but I see it two ways.
It is definitely speaks to the benevolence of the universe that we be given a 2nd chance but on the other hand, I hope this serves as a cautionary tale. Because happy, fluffy things aside we lost 28 years we could have spent together so all I can say is if you love someone… if you really love them, you might want to think twice about the fit you’re having.
As to the events in the news, we only hope the collective takes lessons from the past.
(if you want to read an account of all the events mentioned, I have written about them extensively, accessible via search.)
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27 Responses to “The 28 1/2 Year Saturn Cycle: History Repeats - A Personal Story Of The Cold War, The Iran Hostage Crisis, Jim Jones… And Love Unending”
Thanks, Terre - an afterthought and a factoid.
I don’t know if this came across but what kills me is the same party we missed is still there waiting for us and…
Back then unemployment was at 11% and inflation @ 22%. This just FYI.
Better late than never.
The tale of you and the Soldier is one of your best but what has always impressed me the most about your relationship is how BOTH of you are applying the painful lessons learned during the years apart.
So . . . are you going to marry before Saturn moves into Libra?!?! Have you read April Elliot Kent’s book on weddings? (I haven’t but am seriously thinking of getting it) However this happens, I wish you a long and happy life as a couple, living life together in your own inimitable style!! 
Neith, I don’t know when we are going to marry but I imagine it will be with Saturn exalted in Libra.
I know in Feb, sat is libra and Jupiter and Venus are in pisces so maybe then??
Oh sorry, and no I’ve not read her book. Electional astrology is not my gig and as most know, I avoid weddings as much as humanly possible. 
Love at First Sight by Wislawa Szymborska
Both are convinced
that a sudden surge of emotion bound them together.
Beautiful is such a certainty,
but uncertainty is more beautiful still.
Since they’d never met before, they’re sure
that nothing was happening between them.
What of streets, stairways and corridors
where they could have passed each other long ago?
I’d like to ask them
whether they remember–
Perhaps in a revolving door
ever being face to face?
An “excuse me” in a crowd?
A curt “wrong number” in the receiver?
But I know the answer:
No, they don’t remember.
They’d be greatly astonished to learn
that for a long time
Chance had been playing with them.
Not yet wholly ready
to transform into fate for them
it approached them, then backed off,
stood in their way,
and, suppressing a giggle,
jumped to the side.
There were signs and signals,
even if they couldn’t read them yet.
Perhaps three years ago
or just last Tuesday
a certain leaf fluttered
from one shoulder to another?
Something was dropped and then picked up.
Who knows, maybe the ball that vanished
into childhood’s thicket?
There were doorknobs and doorbells
where one touch had covered another
beforehand.
Suitcases checked and standing side by side.
One night, perhaps, the same dream,
forgotten in waking.
Every beginning
is only a sequel, after all,
and the book of events
is always open halfway through.
congrats elsa 
Don’t know but you’ve definitely got a Bronte-ian thing going on! God, I remember reading that issue of Time magazine one Saturday morning at the kitchen table when I was still at school…
Or should that be Austen-ish?!
Lump in throat. {{contentment, faith, and second chances}}
Elsa,
The Venus Conjunct Neptune in me, LOVES to hear true love stories like yours. =)
Yay now I get who the soldier is! All this time I had been very confused since I began reading your blog this year…
This fills my heart with such hope and love….a hopeful heart….my husband and I met in the Fall of 1980 and were married in the summer of 1981. On our wedding day, Saturn was conjunct Libra, Pluto was in LIbra and in his chart, his Sun, Merc, Mars were transiting his Libra!
Love that poem, Jilly…
Love, love, love to you and the soldier, Elsa…!!
my comments are not coming up…..help….
GlowStick - talk about confusion! I thought you were a bot! Sorry your comment went in the filter. You too, denamaria!!
good luck! I wonder if you look at the progressed moon in all of this?
It certainly is an amazing set of re-runs. Have an awesome time at the party this time!!
From a slightly different angle (I have Mercury in Aquarius LOL) this also reminds me that unhappy couples who stay together for years being miserable don’t achieve anything apart from being older when they finally do separate. Wasted years when they could’ve been happy!
Whoa–what a story. Such karma! Drama, too, which is also important!
the Saturn return long time ago for me was truly good..lots and lots of commitment and hard work required.. when it was hard to know AHEAD OF TIME if I was actually, really commiting to the right path– but yes, I was. (My passion led the way..)
Another Saturn return is coming for me,too..and I am sooo looking forward to it.
This is your time.. yours and the Soldiers..grab at it..cherish it.. protect it.. DEVOUR IT.
Blessings to you and Soldier.. Elsa, this was so meant to be.
yes, when Saturn is in Libra!! OF COURSE!!
JESUS CHRIST. That is incredible on so many levels. Instead of thinking of it as time lost, however, I think it probably implies that you weren’t ready for each other when you were younger. Think about it- if you had gotten married that young, there might have been other larger problems that would have driven you apart. The fact that almost 30 years later you could reconnect and still have feelings for each other and bring that much more to your relationship is most definitely a sign that this is the right way. And from what you write, it sounds like you guys have an amazing connection. That is awesome.
Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for Miss Pisces with Scorpio Stellium over here to read this entry. (No, I’m not looking in my ephemeris for Saturn’s placement at the beginning and end of every significant relationship I’ve ever had. Who would do something like that? Pssht.)
Lucy with a Y, we have looked at this and talked about it extensively. He thinks if he were married to me and had the life he had, he’d be dead. He claims to have never been distracted on the job, not for a second and does not think he’d have been able to manage this if married to me so –> dead.
But he also says he’d not have stayed in as long if he was with me so it might have gone differently, who knows. Fact is, he told me he would probably die… that he would try not to but odds were he would be killed and I did not want a dead husband - I did not want to assume that risk among about 1000 other things going on that would flip you guys on your heads if I could ever talk.
So I loved him and was afraid he would die / did not want to be in that circumstance and guess what circumstance I am in right now?
I love him and I am afraid he will die. *#$&*($ you can’t avoid your destiny.
Back when we were coming together, getting stitched we had this profound conversation. I wrote it down… maybe you can find it, it has lifesavers in it but anyway the thought was if we did not get together this time / at this point we would meet again in 28 years - the old folks home and guess where I would be then?
In love with him, afraid he was going to die.
Now if some of the thing he thinks are true / hopes are true then I am going to be with this man many, many lifetimes, eternity. He is also going to be a soldier so if I am going to always be his wife, I best get used to this dying thing.
Do you know we dressed up as man and wife when we were teens? He was a soldier, he made me put on all these matronly clothes (I was 17, wanted to be a saloon girl) but no - I posed in 100 pounds of clothes with him back then - Oh God the burden!!
I love these stories….how could you think of not telling them to us?
!!! These stories you tell just make you all the more real and human and show the blessings that come in life if we just take our time and pay attention….don’t stop writing them!
Congratulations Best Wishes !!!!!!!!!!!
syzmborska is amazing.
fwiw a powder is a trip to the powder room to powder your face. aka the escape to the ladies room clause.
wow.
How sweet..
A full saturn cycle after you first met is surely a clear indication that you both have cleared out some old karma and are now ready to merge again..
Fantastic..Yes, there is true love for sure.
“(No, I’m not looking in my ephemeris for Saturn’s placement at the beginning and end of every significant relationship I’ve ever had. Who would do something like that? Pssht.)”
*slinks out of the room guiltily* 
For some reason this post makes me want to hear a song by someone I can’t remember… maybe one of you guys can help me out? I’m all out of love, I’m so lost without you *humming the words I can’t remember that go here*
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Aw… another tale of “true love never dies”. Congratulations.