If you’re at all familiar with astrology, the planet Saturn probably makes you cringe, at least a little. Even the mention of its name might conjure up images of that classic painting of Saturn Devouring His Own Son by Francisco Goya. But much like Saturn’s corresponding tarot card, The Devil, this is one of the most misunderstood planets in astrology.
There are no “good” and “bad” planets in astrology, although Saturn is known as the “Greater Malefic” and Mars is classified as the “Lesser Malefic.” Conversely, Jupiter is seen as the “Greater Benefic” and Venus as the “Lesser Benefic.”
Just as in life, things are not quite so black and white.
One Saturn meaning says it is the great teacher and disciplinarian. In that sense, if you can’t learn from previous mistakes, how can you grow and find fulfillment or happiness?
Known for creating limitations, setbacks, and delays, it’s often called the planet of karma. While there is certainly a strong element of that regarding Saturn astrology, that’s a very superficial understanding of a planet that can teach us the lessons we need to learn and free us from the shackles of our karmic debt.
If you look at The Devil tarot card, note the chains on the couple at his feet. The chains are so loose, they could slip right out of their bonds!
Saturn is like that, as well. Learn this planet’s life lessons and you can walk away from all those physical and mental limitations. As Morpheus from “The Matrix” films would say, “Free your mind.” Then En Vogue would add, “…and the rest will follow.”
Understanding Saturn’s meaning in astrology is the key to making peace with this planet and its astrological implications. And learning the life lessons you chose before birth to clear away those obstacles.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of only seeing Saturn astrology in a negative light. First of all, remember — for this and any other placement, you always have free will. That means you can look for the lessons from Saturn, learn from them, and overcome any limitations from planetary influences. That can create positive change, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time.
As the First House of the zodiac wheel governs the individual and their personality, people with this aspect may be seen as overly serious or as the classic “all-work and no-play” personality type. They are usually conscientious, detail-oriented, and hard-working, but when taken to extremes, they can be dogmatic, perfectionistic, or rigid in their views.
For example, people with Saturn in the First House can use those qualities for scientific research or other professions that require precision and focus. Someone with Saturn in the First House may choose a relatively low-key job such as a librarian or even an auto mechanic. They may prefer and excel more at these types of jobs than a leadership or management position.
Whatever they choose, the Saturn influence will make them more determined and disciplined than most — that’s a good thing!
Having Saturn in your Second House might be a bit uncomfortable at times since the Second House rules finances, material possessions, and money. With this placement, expect some difficulty in achieving financial success, or it might be delayed until later in life, but that means there are lessons here to be learned.
Perhaps you wasted money in a previous lifetime or abused wealth for negative purposes, so you have to learn new ways to make and spend money on a personal level and for the greater good. Perhaps you’re focused too much on material gains.
You might benefit from a money management course and re-evaluating your material priorities. Once you master Saturn’s lesson, its work ethic can break through and create material success. In addition, because you had to work so hard for it, you’ll appreciate your success more. You might develop thriftiness and fiscal responsibility when you use this placement wisely. You also may learn to value experiences over material things.
The Third House rules communication and short trips, so you may need to learn to speak up for yourself when Saturn occupies this house. Finding your voice can be especially challenging with this astrological placement, but if you master this lesson, you should see a dramatic improvement in many aspects of your life, from work to relationships.
You may tend to be a loner due to the challenges you have with communication, but you may also have great focus and commitment in projects involving writing – you’re not daunted by a long-term commitment and will see it through to the end, even if you face setbacks.
With Saturn in the Fourth House, you tend to be very conservative and may feel your home and family aren’t as stable as you’d like. Or, you may not start a family until later in life.
You may struggle with showing affection, so you may come across to people as cold and unfeeling. Work on developing a more outwardly congenial nature and expressing your feelings.
Saturn can make you more reliable and responsible than the average person, wherever it is in your zodiac chart. Here it can actually lead to a more stable home life if you let Saturn teach you the way.
With this planet in the Fourth House, you likely have a knack for investing and developing real estate, so you may consider that for a career.
Since the natural ruler of the Fifth House is Leo, you would expect this house to rule leadership, self-expression, and confidence. It also rules romance and creativity.
When facing Saturn in this house, you may need to learn to step out of your comfort zone and take charge. Don’t be afraid to take center stage and the more you do, the greater your confidence will become. A confident person is much more desirable in romance and isn’t afraid to take creative chances.
In romance, things may be rocky for you unless you learn to show affection towards partners and lovers. They may interpret your restraint as a lack of feelings. Learn to show your love and you’ll get love in return.
If you let it, Saturn astrology will show you the way to overcome fear and lack of self-confidence.
If your Saturn is in the Sixth House, you likely need to learn an important lesson about work and life balance. You may feel drained because you work too much to the point of exhaustion and are prone to burnout. The important lesson here is to work less and learn to make time for yourself and self-care.
That can be pretty challenging with Saturn in the Sixth House. Just like the Aries ram, the Capricorn goat likes to put its horns down and forward, even to its own detriment.
You may also experience difficulties with coworkers or may become a workaholic, and you may harshly judge those you feel are not working as hard as you do. Try to be less judgemental of others at the office.
Take particular care of your health. A healthy diet and exercise play an especially important role if you have Saturn in this Sixth House of health — prevention is much better than trying to find a cure.
The Seventh House rules all relationships, including friendships and business partners, and affects the harmony in those relationships. Having Saturn in this house might be an indication you need to work on your communication skills to prevent misunderstandings and promote that harmony.
You may find yourself drawn to more mature partners in love and business. Just be careful not to let them dominate the partnership — you may find they are invaluable resources or mentors with the right balance in the relationship. You may marry or form a business partnership later in life when Saturn is in the Seventh House.
The Eighth House rules death and rebirth, as well as inheritances and sex. This is a pretty intense house, so Saturn may actually make it a little easier to handle. That doesn’t mean you won’t have challenges in these areas of your life.
However, it’s good advice for everyone not to rely on a potential inheritance or overindulge in physical appetites. Likewise, use caution not to develop prudish attitudes that may hinder your social and love life. Professional counseling may help your coping skills with the grief and losses we all experience in life.
You may choose a profession in healthcare, particularly hospice if this house has strong aspects in your chart. This could be a way to make Saturn’s lessons work in your favor.
The Ninth House in the zodiac rules education, philosophy, and even religion. Be cautious with Saturn in this house not to become overzealous about religion, or too rigid if you choose a profession in education.
You may find yourself feeling a calling to do volunteer work or even be a missionary. With Saturn in the Ninth House, be careful not to become too dogmatic in any philosophy or religion.
The Ninth House also rules travel, so you may run into more than your fair share of trouble while traveling. You might want to consider things like travel insurance and careful trip planning, which should come easy to you with the Saturn focus on details.
What would be a good profession if you have Saturn in your Tenth House, the house of career, authority, and public recognition? This would be a good placement for law enforcement, where setting limitations and exerting karmic justice are strengths. There are also plenty of opportunities for public recognition in this career.
You can excel in business with the Saturn work ethic, just be careful not to get too ambitious or power-hungry. Likewise, don’t limit yourself by burning bridges in your business dealings.
Any career requiring discipline or setting boundaries would be a great advantage for those with Saturn in the Tenth House.
Since the Eleventh House is about social groups, you may find it difficult to be the life of the party instead of the wallflower. Learning to be comfortable in social situations will be challenging, most likely, but that Saturn drive will help you achieve that goal.
You’ll likely have a lot of acquaintances but very few close friends. You may feel like you’re only pretending to be the social butterfly and don’t truly fit in. If you can learn to overcome those feelings, imagine how much more fulfilling your life can be!
That’s the typical trade-off with Saturn in astrology — it may make things more difficult, but it gives you the strength to overcome any obstacles.
This is probably one of the more serious placements of Saturn in the zodiac wheel. Since the Twelfth House rules confinement and self-sabotage, Saturn’s presence here can be particularly challenging.
You know that old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” That is often true, even if we sometimes wish we weren’t quite so “strong,” thank you. Seek help if you find yourself engaging in self-sabotage or reckless behavior that could get you into trouble.
You may seek solitude and will often be a loner. That can be forced upon you or it can be your choice. You might have physical restrictions, or you might choose a life of solitude as a hermit.
A planet is transiting when it’s moving through the zodiac wheel from one sign to the next. Most of us are familiar with the Sun’s transit, which takes approximately 12 months each year. That’s where we get our Sun sign — by determining where the Sun was in our zodiac chart at the moment we were born.
Although the Sun transits through each zodiac in only 12 months, Saturn takes considerably longer — as an outer planet, it takes 28 to 29 years for Saturn to return to its placement when you were born.
While the transits of any planet are astrologically noteworthy, the Saturn return might be the most astrologically significant transit you’ll experience in your lifetime.
Some of you may have heard of the first Saturn return, and the major life transition it brings. This occurs when you’re around 29 years old. If you think back to that time in your life (presuming you are in your 30s or older), you can probably pinpoint a major event in your life as a major turning point.
This time represents when you transition from being a young adult into greater maturity and full adulthood. In metaphysical terms, the period up until you’re 29th birthday would be considered the Maiden phase of your life. Then you move into the Mother phase. Finally, at the second Saturn return, you move into the Crone phase.
So around ages 29 and 58, you can expect some major upheavals in your life. Sometimes those are positive changes, such as getting married when you’re 29, or entering a new phase of your life at 58 when you have the freedom to travel because of an empty nest.
Those are cases of well-adjusted Saturn returns, but most of us struggle through these phases of our life, so understanding Saturn’s astrological meaning is key with these transitions.
Currently, Saturn has been in Aquarius since 2020 and remains there until March 7, 2023. Then Saturn enters Pisces for three years. Given that Pisces is associated with religion, and specifically Christianity with its symbol of the fish, we can already see the influence with a resurgence of people trying to push a very conservative, evangelical perspective.
Will religious dogma take over or will we learn Saturn’s lesson about religious tolerance and freedom?
Combine the fiery, pioneering spirit of Aries and the determined focus of Saturn and you just might find the perfect leader. The fiery impulsiveness of Aries can be cooled with Saturn’s strategic plotting, and Saturn can be inspired by Aries to take action.
This combination is a natural-born leader but be careful not to combine the potentially negative characteristics of both signs — reckless impulsiveness and a tendency to work or try to achieve too much.
It’s tempting to become overly concerned with material possessions and wealth, but resist that tendency with Saturn in Taurus. It’s good to save away for a rainy day, but don’t go overboard and become miserly in your approach to finances. You’re capable of very responsible fiscal planning if you learn to maximize Saturn influences in this zodiac sign.
When Saturn is in Gemini, you tend to be very good with organization and planning. Sometimes this leads to a tendency to want to over plan everything — you overlook spontaneity and opportunities that may arise unexpectedly, so be mindful and watch for those. Careful planning is a good thing but a lack of flexibility is not.
The sign of Cancer tends to want to nurture everyone and be a motherly figure, whether they’re a mother, a father, or neither. If your Saturn is in this zodiac sign, others may feel you are smothering them under the guise of affection. Or, you may be holding back your nurturing instincts to the point where you come across in a very cold way. Find the balance between the two.
Leo is another natural-born leader, like Aries, and the hard work and determination of Saturn can be a great asset. Unfortunately, it can also manifest in not-so-pleasant ways. You can appear cold, calculating, and ruthless in your pursuit of power and leadership. Don’t lose sight of how you treat those people under you on the management ladder — always use diplomacy and tact.
A tendency toward introversion already exists in Virgo. Saturn can enhance that tendency but lend a very practical, hard-working, detail-oriented quality, making this a very conscientious employee, if not necessarily management material — these people often shy away from leadership positions or center stage. There is also a tendency toward perfectionism or even obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD.)
Diplomacy usually comes naturally to those with a strong Libra influence in their natal chart. The symbol of Libra is the scale, so law professions often suit Libra well. With Saturn in Libra, you might find some challenges in these areas that normally come very naturally to someone who might have positive aspects or a Sun sign in Libra. You also might choose to go into a legal profession later in life, after some early challenges or delays.
Also, note this placement can indicate some challenges within relationships — either romantic or business – or problems with the kidneys. Finding balance is the key between extremes.
Mars rules Aries, but it’s also considered a secondary ruling planet of Scorpio. So like Aries, the qualities of Saturn can enhance some aspects of Scorpio. However, this sign is not as impulsive as Aries and tends to be more reserved. Combined with the methodical, focused qualities of Saturn, this is a much calmer leader than Aries — at least on the surface.
However, Scorpio is prone to intense feelings that can lead to holding a grudge for a very long time. When Saturn is present, their simmering resentment and desire for revenge can be their undoing and blind them to more diplomatic solutions to conflict. One of the great challenges of this placement is learning to forgive and forget.
You might think of this as an aspect indicating a skeptic. Sagittarius deals with education, philosophy, and religion. With Saturn in Sagittarius, you risk becoming too dogmatic or fixed in your thinking, without consideration for other possibilities.
Or, you want to see proof and have trouble finding faith in anything that can’t be proven empirically. Trying to keep more of an open mind to other ideas and theories than your own.
Here is Saturn in its zodiac home. Capricorn is the epitome of organization and hard work. You have a reputation for keeping your nose to the grindstone and being serious — possibly a little too serious. Your idea of a relaxing Saturday might be spending the day browsing an IKEA store or the unique thrill of getting the latest catalog in the mail.
Try to loosen up a little.
You are often practical and compassionate when Saturn is in Aquarius, but you may be judgmental toward those who aren’t as passionate or dedicated to causes as you are. We’ve all run into that person who insists on bringing their political beliefs into every discussion, arguing the benefits of veganism at every meal, or turning a simple camping outing into an ecological lesson.
It’s great to be passionate about your beliefs, but there’s a line between passion and preaching. The latter tends to turn people off and if you learn to present things at appropriate times and without judgment, you’ll probably be more successful in making people agree with your view.
Learn to set boundaries for yourself and others if you have Saturn in Pisces in your natal chart. Pisces can be very mercurial and often feels the extremes of their emotions. They can also empathize and feel intense emotions for others. As a consequence, they can cycle from very happy to very depressed, and back to happy again. Finding emotional balance is one of the great challenges of this placement.
Saturn is about life lessons and progressing in your spiritual growth throughout many lifetimes. Before you were born, you chose to deal with any setbacks or limitations in this lifetime, and Saturn points the way to your lesson, like a shortcut to get to the heart of the matter. In that respect, Saturn helps you.
There’s a principle of psychology called “positive disintegration.” According to this theory, the struggles of life help you develop your personality and reach your fullest developmental potential.
Think of Saturn as positive disintegration.
Just as it corresponds to The Devil card of the tarot, it can also be reflected in The Tower, indicating the destruction of something — something that needs to be destroyed — and the enlightenment that follows.
Saturn can be a devil — or it can be the best friend that helps you break a cycle that’s been holding you back, possibly for several lifetimes. In that respect, Saturn may bring you a whole new level of happiness if you embrace it and learn its lessons.
by Psychic Desiree
Desiree has been fascinated with all things metaphysical since she was knee-high, whether it's tarot, astrology, reading palms, or gazing into crystal balls. She was especially drawn to writing about Saturn because she is a Capricorn rising and is currently struggling through Saturn in the 12th House.
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