Saturn in Cancer inevitably brings motherhood to the fore. Two new books deconstruct long-held stereotypes about mommyhood and womanhood.

Deborah Siegel says that “American popular culture has long cast women — and in particular, mothers — according to rigid scripts.”

Well, now that Saturn’s settled into for his once-every-thirty-years visit to the sign of the archetypal feminine, expect some upheaval in this arena. Birth control, the abortion debate, and the threat to women’s rights — we’ll visit all of these issues over and over until Saturn leaves Cancer in the summer of 2005.

Last time Saturn was in Cancer, by the way, Roe v. Wade was decided.

Maybe we’ll make some progress this time around, too…