Saturn : Structuring and wisdom
See Planetary Rulerships.
Moon – Jupiter
Saturn in Astronomy
Largest planet after Jupiter, it is the furthest planet in the solar system visible to the naked eye, this planet is famous for its ring system made of rock and ice.
Saturn is three times less massive than Jupiter, but 95 times more massive than Earth.
A gas giant composed of hydrogen and helium, winds at its surface can reach 1800 km/h, its average temperature is -290°F / -180°C.
It is speculated that its core is rocky, its internal temperature makes it radiate more energy than it receives from the Sun.
It has a strong magnetic field, although weaker than Jupiter’s.
Saturn has more than 50 moons to date, the largest of which is larger than Mercury.
See: Saturn in astronomy on Wikipedia
Saturn, astrological planet
Saturn is structuring in the sense of forming, finding boundaries, a frame, a border, also in the sense of strictness, seriousness, temporality, wisdom or even fatality…
Saturn is a planet of social and collective consciousness like Jupiter and Mars, but less voluble, more restrictive, more severe, disciplined, conservative, restrained…
Saturn is basically our fear of becoming, fear of others, fear of life, fear of loving, and all of these accumulated fears lead us to frequent questioning.
So this is the “great evil” that traditional astrology talks about ! (as opposed to the “little evil”, which is Mars)
In the image of popular prejudice, if Jupiter is the feast and the pomp, Saturn sounds the end of recess…
Yet all life, all reality itself, needs structures and limitations (even our force of action which then binds itself to foresight). Trees don’t grow to the sky, the reality principle always ends up bringing us back to the cycle notion, and cycle is part of a defined framework, therefore limited, it needs “stops”.
Is this so terrible to integrate as logic ?
We should rather thank ! Saturn brings us method, logic, taste for effort, perseverance, asceticism and solitude, concentration, discipline, the meaning to be retained from time passing and patience, stability, permanence, consciousness, organization, everything that allows us to think logically and have constructive actions, which we call our “experiments” (see the myth of Sisyphus).
Saturn is in a way the Jupiter’s consecutive balance sheet, it allows us to convert our social gains or to integrate our losses.
Certainly this Saturnian realism can be weighty, convey a certain seriousness and responsibilities that follow are heavy too (one undergoes a certain fatality), and this often leads to isolation (with sometimes a Depression) . Certainly it is not Jupiter’s “Trine feast”, or at least the reputation that one imagines of it…
But these increased capacities of introversion can lead to a greater self-consciousness, to a deep introspection, to the maturity, and once sublimated, to a refinement of psyche and mind, then to mystical states in a concrete sense of wisdom. This is the “Coagulatio” of the alchemical process, a stage so poorly understood.
Wanting Jupiter without accepting Saturn is silly and unfortunately typical of our present society… this logic of refusing to set limits stems a lot from our social problems.
When Jupiter expands, Saturn, fixes and crystallizes. It must because it has to.
When Jupiter is in the unlimited opening, Saturn is strictly limited and concrete control (often on the basis of binary manichaeism).
Saturn and Jupiter are complementary.
Fighting Saturnian’s fears requires a letting go but ultimately leads us to more freedom (see the Opposition Aspect meaning).
Let us move away once and for all the Saturn image conveyed by traditional astrology, from “misfortunes and losses”…
In the Birth Chart, Saturn informs about ambition, patience, seriousness, discipline, concentration, construction and structuring faculties, competence, stability, extended and type of knowledge, wisdom and its asceticism faculties, its mysticism tendencies…
Saturn also represents the father, not in the Sun’s creative sense, but the educator father, formative and sometimes, severe and punishing, Saturn represents education, tradition and roots.
Saturn in Birth Chart :
Saturn in Sign informs us about the conservative mode, it indicates the archetype of consciousness, seriousness, character and how to overcome difficulties and transcend the mind, and fundamentally how we take away all our maturity, our structuring abilities, and other saturnian “qualities”, how we deal with the “fears” that the planet carries, the “resonance” that we have with them.
Saturn in Houses indicates the sector of activity where the need for structuring will be fulfilled, where the native’s constructiveness and perseverance will be carried out. It is the place of efficiency and safety (at least where one seeks to bring these qualities), where prudence is constructive, but also a place of potential solitude, of gravity and of submission to authority (state, boss or others). The so-called “fear” may be more present in this sector of life, bringing out different anxieties, and asking to be justly sublimated, transcended, surpassed… Because there can really be a feeling of being held back, of delay, of neglect, of having to “do much more” than in other sectors where things are more spontaneous. And with Saturn it may take more time, where the planet is, it is often a place that will only really reach its full potential at a maturity age.
In Aspect and in transits, Saturn will accentuate the temporality, it will bring time or modify its subjective perception. The planet can also accentuate fears, anxieties, frustrations, delays… It can impose limitations, forced discipline, its cycle is that of responsibility and individual and spiritual maturity.
It often indicates the potential stages of maturity, the problems and learning that result from them, the formative tests, and therefore the evolution perspectives, reflection, responsibility and final reinforcement.
Its location therefore often indicates a certain gravity, a slowdown, a delay, a place of insistence, of inferiority complex, of culpability and of commitment refusal, a mental, emotional and sometimes even physical blockage, which must be overcome flexibly without falling into extreme rigidity and crystallization.
But it favors autonomy, it transforms psychically and sometimes even physically (often on weight, by losing weight for example, see according to Aspects).
The Saturn’s cycle represents, over 28 years and some, pivotal periods very important in development, first in the processes of Individuation and social integration, then in possible processes of transcendence.
Thus, in relation to their birth position, they form the first increasing Square at the age of 7 years old, Opposition at 14, decreasing Square at 21, first Conjunction at 28 (see the article on the first return of Saturn), and so on, 35 years old, 42, 49, 56… Each phase constituting as many stages, a process of maturation unfolds gradually, unblocking psychic elements, emotions, fears, and allowing the progress of the individual in as many successive awakenings to return to the essential…
Saturn is not a “bad planet” in itself, it is the way it is lived and integrated that will make its final “quality”, but Saturn can be very constructive and structuring !
The crises provoked, even sometimes failures and losses, loneliness, and introspection that goes with it, can lead to new bases, new goals, new motivations and aspirations… so many elements bringing the necessary changes -and even imperatives– to ensure individual personal development and a good pursuit of the future through concrete achievements.
If these changes are not integrated by the time’s force, by the way of wisdom, and if there is resistance to life coming from the native’s side, they will be experienced -or rather suffered- as so many external constraints, sometimes manifesting themselves through enemies…
Saturn often indicates the finality of things, a certain fatality : like the supreme court, it has the final word.
Saturn retrograde tends to express itself under the colors according to its second sign of rulership, Aquarius.
Saturn retrograde in Birth Chart indicates a greater introversion (structuring is based on internal factors slowing down its edification), a renewed seriousness and rigidity (strong resistance to change), or sometimes impatience and lack of maturity, it can also mean an inferiority complex (strong self-criticism and devaluation), fragility and hypersensitivity, a lack of stability or security (he is much less ambitious than Saturn direct), a repressed fear (and pessimism), a problem with the father (non-standard representation, absence) and a difficulty in finding a balance in the conquest and power usage.
On the positive side, Saturn retrograde can give a cold blooded and impassive appearance that can help in social theater; the native will be in search of the perfect control of his own nature, with a strong discipline and self-denial, as well as a sense of asceticism.
Watch for its direct motion resumption in Progression.
However, as a slow planet, its retrograde motion in Birth Chart is less significant.
In transit, its Retrograde motion lasts more than 4 and a half months and is an internalization period of its function in the chart, a limitation of ambition with perhaps additional responsibilities; this time must be used to readjust our bases, rework our goals (correct and complete neglected pending matters), review our social function and our impact in our socio-professional environment…
This questioning can range from simple awareness, to delay in any business, to further introspection and mysticism. Saturnian fears and anxieties can be reactivated during the transit by passing over key points of the birth chart.
Saturn in retrograde refines the intelligence and the long-term planning if the subject can show the necessary patience and perseverance, the planet tests our inner limits; we must continue to dig the impacted House, not give up, be attentive and accept to withdraw.
In the absolute sense, this is a good time to close old files and assume new responsibilities, but not to voluntarily initiate new important changes with new responsibilities.
Do not forget that astronomically, the retrograde arc of the exterior/outer planets corresponds to an Opposition to the Sun (tension with our will), Saturn being thus closest to the Earth, it is advisable to watch the loop development.
To be specified according to its function in the chart and in the transit, as well as the dominants of the natal chart (study conerned Houses concerned, other Aspects and transits…).
Saturnian personality traits
A native whose theme will be strongly marked by Saturne will have qualities of wisdom, realism, introversion, calmness, discretion, fidelity, pride, modesty, humility, punctuality, prudence…
Solitary, silent, calculating, ambitious, voluntary, conscientious and hard-working, hard, tenacious, intelligent with good analytical, memorization and observation skills, he has a strong responsibility and organization sense.
He is a conservative with a long-term vision, who can be passionate but who knows how to control his impulses with a mind maturity and the ability to renounce to the point of total self-abnegation.
He sees asceticism as a sculpture form of body and mind, but there is a risk of nervous “overflow” due to excessive self-control, both physical and emotional.
He is attracted to older people in general, but is not afraid of celibacy.
Saturn symbolizes the religious (monks, hermits), men of knowledge, statesmen, the administration and the state in general.
Negative Saturn : lack of affective warmth, cold and impassive, hides his feelings, misanthropic, hard and cruel, intransigent, greedy and stingy, possessive, jealous, dry fart, bitter, selfish, fatalistic, resigned, pessimistic…
Character traits that we find especially in Capricorn and to a lesser extent Aquarius (its Domiciles).
In the circle of life, Saturn represents old age around 70 years old and beyond until death, a period of withdrawal from active life, introspection and solitude.
The planet represents the old wise men, the grandparents, all experienced people…
Saturn in mythology is inspired by Cronos the God of time, see Cronos on Wikipedia.