Ok folks, it’s time to put down the donut, turn off the travel channel on TV,  and roll up our sleeves as we get down to the brass tacks of Saturn in astrology.

To be completely transparent, before I started this blog post, I didn’t know much about Saturn’s influence in our lives astrologically. What I did know was that Saturn is sometimes nicknamed “the planet of discipline” and can bring on themes of maturity, duty, and responsibility. Now I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “discipline,” “duty”, or “responsibility”, I don’t exactly clap my hands and jump for joy. Discipline conjures up in my mind maybe a penalty for one’s misbehavior or else some soul-sucking act of self-restriction- like disciplining myself not to eat that 4th Krispie Kreme donut from the box I bought at our local animal shelter fundraiser. Very hard to do. Honestly, I can really get behind eating donuts to help out a good cause, can’t you? The words duty and responsibility evoke similar feelings, like ordering a plate of boring, no-fun, hard work, with a heaping side of drudgery. 

But to my great relief, and hopefully it will be to yours too, I came to find out this interpretation wasn’t giving Saturn the fair shake it deserved. What I learned was that we are actually quite lucky when Saturn marches into our lives to give us a little cosmic boot camp. It’s a nuanced planet that has a knack for turning our pie-in-the-sky dreams into something real and tangible. It may not seem like it in the moment, because we will for sure encounter restrictions, hard work, and a touch of sacrifice. But we can trust that the sacrifices Saturn guides us to make will be better for us in the long run.

Utilizing Saturn’s energy is sort of like reaching for the apple in the basket behind the box of donuts. The one that’s been on my counter for 3 weeks waiting like a good little apple to be picked up and eaten. Much better choice. (Editor’s note: When you put down the donut, just make sure not to throw away the whole box, and for goodness sake, pause your TV show so you can come back to it later.) 

Anyway, when Saturn crosses your path, you’re not being corrected; you’re being refined. You’re not being restricted; you’re being trained. If you hear the word “no”- it doesn’t mean that you are unworthy of nice things; it means that you may need more preparation so that you will be able to handle and not waste whatever it is you want. Receiving a “no” from the Universe could also actually be preventing you from going down a path that ultimately isn’t aligned with your true life’s purpose.  We’ve all heard stories like this before: “blessings in disguise” or “divine interventions”.  You get the point. Could it be that sometimes our parents do know what’s best for us? Some of you may want to insert a throw-up emoji here. That is Saturn’s energy.  But here’s the big twist- you might just start to feel really good about yourself when you commit to what Saturn is asking you to do. Saturn’s work builds confidence, character, and expertise. And that is pure gold that no one can take from you once you have it. 

But before we get deeper into all of that, let’s look at the astronomy of Saturn…

I’m going to have to start this discussion with Saturn’s famous accessory that makes it so tragically hip- the Rings.  You can’t mistake Saturn for any other planet because of its fanciful bands of rocky, icy, asteroid, comet, and moon-bit collections circulating around it. When they’re all pulled together by Saturn’s gravitational force, from a distance, it gives the appearance of solid rings. Did you know that some of the ring debris can be dust-sized but also as large as a mountain? Yikes, I wouldn’t want one of those rings on my finger. I like a big rock, but that would be taking things a bit too far. 

Saturn has seven main rings. Using their creative imagination and astute intelligence, astronomers came up with names for these rings: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G-not in that order. Glad to know the smart people are in charge. 

Saturn is also considered a “gas giant” like Jupiter because it is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium gas.  But it has a small, dense metal core of nickel and iron surrounded by liquid and metallic helium. Pretty cool. Despite the metal core, Saturn is still one of the lightest planets. According to NASA, Saturn has such low density that it could float in a bathtub of water if there was one big enough.  Sometimes, if I’ve had too many cans of flavored seltzer, at the end of the day I also feel like a gas giant that could float in my bathtub. Can you relate? If so, Saturn understands.

Like Jupiter, Saturn has a quick rotation: a little over 10 hours, but a long orbit around the Sun: just over 29 years. It’s about 5 times the size of the Earth, and it has a smaller, but still very powerful, magnetosphere-enough to cause some serious butterflies and eyelash bats from its admirers. Despite the smaller size in its… ahem… magnetic field… Saturn has Jupiter well beaten when it comes to groupies; it has over 274 moons orbiting around it, with cute names like Phoebe and Titan.  Quite the charmer.  Must be the rings. 

Here’s one more interesting fact: because Saturn has a tilt, it experiences seasons like our own planet. Except those seasons last about 7 years each. Whoa, I wouldn’t want to go through that winter. Hitch the rocket, honey- let’s find a timeshare on a warmer planet! If you’re tired of consulting the celestial overachievers at NASA for all of your planetary facts, Astrophotography Lens also has a quick but good write-up on Saturn.

Although harder to see, Saturn is still able to be seen with the unaided eye, so like the planets we have spoken about before in this blog, Saturn has been known for millennia by astronomers.  How did these early astronomers know that these bright dots in the sky were not just another star, do you ask?  I wondered the same thing, so I went looking. Apparently, ancient civilizations like the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Greeks carefully observed that some bright spots in the sky moved (planets), whilst others stayed still in the backdrop (constellations).  Of course, they didn’t call them “planets”; they called them “wandering stars”, but they were duly noted and named. If you would like to read more on this fascinating subject, Early Astronomy has a great website on, well…early astronomy.  

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

So that is where we get to the planet’s namesake: Saturn.  Who was the deity that ancient stargazers named this bright traveling dot in the sky after? Saturn was the Roman God of Agriculture (Greek counterpart: Cronus- not to be confused with the word Chronos or time).  Saturn was the father of that fun guy from my last blog post-Jupiter. Saturn also had many other children-some of the more famous ones were Neptune, Pluto, Juno, Ceres, and Vesta.

Mythologically, Saturn was an interesting figure. He ruled the act of “sowing seed”; I’m referring to agriculture. I thought some of you might appreciate that clarification-but as always, no judgment here. He also governed the soil and the abundance of harvest. If you can’t eat, well, good luck trying to do anything else.  His reign, before Jupiter, was known as a “Golden Age”, where folks behaved the best they could and as a result, life and civilization prospered. It kind of reminds me of that thing Spock from Star Trek used to say when he held up two fingers like a V.  Under Saturn’s reign in the Golden Age, folks lived long, healthy, and prosperous lives.  Roman priests used the myth as a reminder to Romans of why they should all follow the rules and do good: that the perfection of humanity can be achieved and it is good for us all to aspire to. For more on this, take a gander over at  Roman Mythology. 

I forgot to mention something else that made Saturn fairly infamous: he tried to eat his children. Before you jump to any horrific and terrifying conclusions, let me explain (although you still may be horrified)…One fateful day, the ruler of the Universe, Saturn, received a prophecy that in the not-so-distant future he would lose all power and authority to one of his own children. Now you might be thinking- isn’t that the normal order of doing things when it comes to a “rulership”? A ruler dies, or gets too old and begins to make incoherent, incessant demands like banning coffee, taxing facial hair, or giving a horse a position on the royal court. And then the torch gets passed to his offspring (usually a firstborn son- but not always). But for Saturn, this impending loss of control scared him to death. Or maybe he was looking forward to making those incessant, incoherent demands just for fun. I can’t blame him- one of the perks of having all the power. 

So anyway, to make sure he didn’t lose his authority, what did he do?  Well, of course, like any good father, he set about to eat all of his children.  I know, I know, it sounds a bit extreme, but here’s the good news- he wasn’t able to eat them all, thankfully. At some point, his wife, Rhea, wisened up to his antics, hid his last child (Jupiter – Zeus to the Greeks), and instead fed him a rock swaddled like a baby. And thanks be to all, he fell for it. Hooray for the wife! Jupiter grew up in hiding, and when he was old enough, he gathered some folks to go back to Saturn and forced him to vomit up all the siblings that he ate. I can’t imagine the belch after that one. But again, it worked. This led to Jupiter taking the reins and being blessed with the power of thunder and lightning. I guess standing up to your parents sometimes does pay off. There are many psychological interpretations of this myth, one of them being a cautionary tale against absolute power. For more on the mythology of Saturn, you can consult Theoi.com or HistoryCooperative.

Ok I’m glad I got that out of the way. Now onto the fun stuff…

How exactly should we interpret things when Saturn spins into our astrological universe? Saturn is the designer, planner, and builder of the zodiac- the engineer, so to speak. It takes ideas and turns them into reality. It is the traditional ruler of the sun signs of Capricorn (the empire builder) and also Aquarius (the intellectual innovator-although modern astrology also assigns the planet Uranus to Aquarius after the discovery of the planet in 1781 with the telescope).  

There are a few ways that Saturn can influence your life according to astrology. One way is by looking at which house the planet lands in your birth chart.  This will tell you which area of your life you may experience some hard knocks, but as a result grow, mature, and achieve wisdom and success. Maybe those orphans in Annie were onto something.

So, for instance, if Saturn was in Taurus when you were born, and you are a Capricorn, that means that Saturn is in your 5th house of creativity and self-expression.   It rules what you make and put out into the world; yes, that includes any offspring you might produce. But it also includes art, recreation, and romance.  Where would Saturn instill a little refinement, structure, and success in your 5th house? Well, you may just achieve expertise in a creative hobby or pursuit. It could be that you become a fantastic home chef through many years of learning and practice. Because we’re talking about Saturn here, it’s also likely that life pushed you in that direction- perhaps you or your child had specific dietary needs that were difficult to achieve anywhere outside of the home.  So you came up with a plan, and as a result, later in life, you became a masterful chef who can create meals that beautifully satiate yours and your family’s taste buds (very Taurian)- while also adhering to a particular dietary plan (very Saturnian). 

Whichever house Saturn lands in your birth chart, you will be given the tools, lessons, and purpose to achieve mastery and maturity – oftentimes later in life.  Natal Echo has a great interpretation of the Natal houses.  And because this blog’s concentration is Sidereal astrology, I have to put in my token reminder to consider your Sidereal sign as your first house. Cha-ching- there it is.

The other way that Saturn influences our life story is through its transits. Transits are when a planet is moving through a particular sun sign.  Different planets have different orbital lengths, and so some transits last longer than others.  Interestingly, the planets that are said to have stronger and more transformational influence in your life are the outer 5 planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, specifically because of the amount of time they spend in a sign due to their lengthier orbits.  Astro Transit Academy is a great source if you’d like to learn more about planetary transits in astrology. The name of this site has a very Star Trek vibe to it, doesn’t it? Astro Transit Academy. I’m sensing another theme here…

Saturn completes its transits roughly every two years. To utilize the energy of Saturn transits, first check to see which constellation Saturn is residing in today.  Then use your birth chart to figure out which house that sign is in in relationship to you. You can then look at this information in two ways.  The first is the area of life (what the house in your chart represents) in which you are receiving Saturn’s call to refine. The second is the manner in which Saturn will be telling you, dictated by the sign that it is currently residing in.  

For instance, today, Saturn is in Aries. Uh-oh, discipline just put on a wingsuit and jetpack and is looking for a cliff as we speak. But never fear, sometimes a little bold direction is all we need to get the job done!

If you are an Aries, that means Saturn is currently in your first house of identity, appearance, and first impressions.  Saturn wants you to work on yourself! Have you been happy with the way you look? What is your approach to life? What things do you like to do? Saturn will be refining these areas while it’s in your sign. And to boot, Aries is the driving force behind Saturn. That means Saturn might come on strong. Maybe you sign up for kickboxing class, or enter a competition that spurs intense training on your part. Of course, watch for impulsivity with your self-discipline. Ponder whether the class is right for you before you sign up and take a breather now and then so you don’t burn yourself out. 

You will most certainly see results by the end of this transit.  Aries is already a sign with a great deal of integrity, but Saturn will press you to work hard on this aspect of yourself by showing up consistently. Another bonus is that you may also finally learn how to let go of some things that have been holding you back, such as negative self-talk or an outdated wardrobe. Hooray! You can finally get rid of those platform sandals and that velour tracksuit in your closet -or better yet, tuck them away until the next 90s revival! 

Maybe you are a Pisces.  That would put Saturn in your second house of money, resources, and self-worth.  There’s a strong chance you will learn how to create and implement a budget for yourself so that you can buy that big-ticket item you have been longing for. You might also cancel a few subscriptions that you no longer need or do not add to your life in any meaningful way. By the end of this transit, your finances should be in good shape, or at least you will have a plan to get yourself there. And of course, because Saturn is in Aries, you will approach this boldly, intentionally, and with some added gusto! Again, pacing yourself and taking breaks with an Aries Saturn is a good idea. Should I unpause the travel channel now?

I know this is a long post, but I almost forgot to mention what happens when Saturn goes into retrograde. (FYI-It is in retrograde right now if you are reading this post at the time it was written.)

Retrograding Saturn changes things a little. Saturn’s retrograde period lasts approximately 4-5 months each year- that’s quite a while.  When any planet retrogrades, it can be interpreted as a time to review, reconsider, and sometimes inhabit the reverse energy of the planet.  With Saturn in retrograde, you might become aware of areas in your life that are currently quite undisciplined or immature.  Are you procrastinating or avoiding responsibility for something? Saturn retrograde will make this evident. Can someone say, reality check?

Saturn retrograde can also be a time when you release yourself from a responsibility or obligation. Maybe that third volunteer position you committed yourself to isn’t necessary after all. Another effect of Saturn retrograde is that things could feel unstructured, or there may be a lack of organization that is beyond your control.  We might feel as if we are not accomplishing anything given the amount of effort we are putting into something, or that there are so many obstacles that make it nearly impossible to make any effective progress.

And lastly, Saturn retrograde could also be a time when we play things by ear, take it day by day, or follow our intuition instead of sticking to a plan. Maybe a day at the beach is in order? Or maybe we just need to be home, eating good food, and enjoying each other’s company for a while. Twist my arm, why don’t ya? These are all themes of Saturn retrograde.  We shouldn’t use this as an excuse to shirk our responsibilities- that’s right, put the donut and remote back down- but rather see what is not working, take a break, come back, and make some revisions. And then you may need to make more revisions after that.  Hopefully with all of that downtime to review and reflect, you will have a worthwhile goal to strive for and a thorough plan to get there once Saturn turns direct. 

What house is Saturn transiting in your life right now? Do you feel the call to put in the work? Or if retrograde is the current situation, maybe you feel the urge to lighten your load?  When Saturn is direct, your effort will be rewarded with achievement, accomplishment, and possibly even recognition; more importantly, you will be a step closer to that paradise you have been dreaming about. Your job is to get clear on your goals, make a plan, and be willing to take the first step. Are you up for the challenge? Saturn thinks so.

Next up on the agenda, we’ll be taking a visit to the revolutionary planet full of surprises -Uranus. Please, get the pronunciation correct first so you can read the post with a straight face. Until then, may your stargazing calendar be wide open and your telescope aimed directly at that wandering star with the lovely rings. 

“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” -Confucius

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