Saturn is the last of the social planets, being the farthest from the earth. In astrology, it represents time, experience, karma, and old age, so it symbolizes characters such as the old sage, the hermit, the Lord of Time, the monk, and our ancestors, whether grandparents or elderly people in general, those who accumulate life experience. Along with the Sun, it also symbolizes the boss, teacher, and father, in addition to the policeman, judge, and government agent. It basically talks about limits, boundaries, judicious and well-founded choices, structure, and distinction between things.

In the glyph of Saturn, the cross of matter replaces and dominates the perceptions of the unconscious. Understanding our heritage and past experiences brings maturity and a real understanding of cause and effect. Regarding the balance of the archetype, if the cross overcomes the crescent, we take risk of becoming too materialistic, cold, and insensitive to the needs of others. If the crescent trumps the cross, we are stuck in the past, fearful of the future, ignorant of ideals, or dependent on social rules.

When the crescent and the cross are in balance, we become highly pragmatic and conscientious, with a good understanding of the past and the laws of cause and effect. We manage to live in a society with responsibility, limits, and patience.

Saturn travels approximately 1 to 3 minutes a day, taking between 29 and 30 years to travel through the entire zodiac, staying about two years and 6 months in each sign. It is the ruler of the Capricorn and Aquarius signs, has its exaltation in Libra, and its fall in Aries. It has more affinity with houses 6, 8, 10, and 12 of a birth chart and with the planets Venus and Mercury, while the Sun, Moon, and Mars are points of friction. Jupiter is relatively neutral in relation to Saturn, acting as its essential opposite, after all, everything that inflates at one time must be contained in order not to burst. House 10 is associated with Saturn, which has Saturday (Saturday) as its day of the week.

In astrology, Saturn deals with laws, borders, authority, hierarchy, the maturity of the individual, and their respect and adequacy to the current social structure, interacting with their internal rules and values, with the consolidation of reality. In addition to showing our fears, it also reveals the shame or guilt that we can carry in a certain area of life.

It also judges our past and current acts, influencing results according to the acts. According to karmic astrology, the quality of actions done by a person in their past life passes through Saturn's filter in that past life, applying the star's positioning and aspects in that lifetime.

It is generally the planet most feared or respected by people who follow astrology, often being called “The Great Maleficent”, a term that stems from the early days of astrology. But, deep down, there is nothing to fear with Saturn. Its most difficult influence comes only when we do not do the right thing or do not understand and accept where we should work hardest. In this case, Saturn is always ready to teach us a lesson, applying the necessary restrictions, straightening the path, and making things work as they should in any sign of imbalance - in the medium and long term.

Saturn is the force that can separate the wheat from the chaff and gives according to the work. We need to work hard to be able to impress Saturn...

Saturn's influence on the birth chart

Saturn represents the organization of our individuality and provides the structuring of a more stable and responsible identity. However, this is a different identity from the one given by the Sun, as it is focused on the scope of society (or for what we consider as a pillar of rules to be followed). The environment we live in and other people help shape who we are, as well as the values, rules, and social conventions in which we agree to participate. It is the energy that makes a person work within their limits.

When we act correctly, there is no need to be afraid of any transits, cycles, or Saturn influences. It is the planet that has the capacity to teach some lessons that are often considered harsh, but extremely useful throughout life. After Saturn passages and interactions in our birth chart, we generally become more disciplined in our approach to life.

Saturn means stoning and a little delay, but also the power to make big (and more consistent) things in life, making us face difficulties, sufferings, or obstacles so that we can learn the virtue of resilience.

The astrological house where Saturn is placed in the birth chart is where our duty is, where we need to pay more attention in our lifetime. It is where things can be a little more difficult but at the same time more solid if we can act with responsibility, discipline, and maturity, where we can become wise and experts.

Saturn becomes the judge of the house where it stands and will only give results if we work hard, correctly performing the necessary actions within the themes related to that sector.

The positive side of Saturn brings qualities related to personal maturity, in addition to courage in difficult times, resilience, the ability to control emotions and desires, and a good sense of sacrifice. Thus, individuals gain the ability to become more lucid, humble, and prudent in their daily actions.

Saturn guarantees more organization and mental power, combined with patience and commitment, things that help in the capacity for work, in the sense of duty, and in adapting to routines. With a good Saturn influence, one knows how to make better use of their time, skills, and energy, adapting perfectly to social rules and standards.

Its disharmonious side on the other hand brings feelings of inferiority and inadequacy, lack of self-confidence, insecurity that inhibits the individual and opens doors to pessimism, negativity, fatalism, and hesitation. Feeling powerless, the person may become depressed, melancholic, and make derogatory criticisms about themselves and their actions, acquiring a submissive or condescending attitude, also becoming overly concerned with what others think of them and depending heavily on social approval, admiration, or recognition. Depending on the tension of Saturn, the individual can even become greedier, possessive, selfish, or overly ambitious. This ambition tends to make them become a workaholic, for example, giving themselves too much to the work.

When a person embarks on this wave without being able to break free, they may feel better than others or not accept being contradicted, becoming insensitive, suspicious, and resentful. They tend to be intolerant and think they are morally superior, attitudes that can be accompanied by criticism, censorship, inflexibility, and intolerance. Indeed, the individual needs the approval and recognition of others, but they do not let their guard down for fear of not being admired.

A relevant energy

Saturn is the energy that says that the spirit, once free, is now forced to live earthly reality under certain conditions. Their total freedom was taken away and made partial and they are now subject to rules and limitations. The once-endless possibilities are now confined to a life full of duties, specific situations, and routines. Saturn represents precisely this situation, symbolizing a type of “punishment” that we must fulfill, the isolation of the spirit that is now in a prison and must fulfill its material destiny, being aware of its limitations and duties.

Any forces that separate, limit, constrain and create boundaries are symbolized by Saturn. It is these forces that structure, define, organize, discipline, and control material reality. It talks about control and adequacy, cause and effect. Unlike Jupiter, where forces of integration and expansion stand out, Saturn deals with contraction, with the process of delimitation.

If we compare it to a football game, Saturn would be the boundary of the field, the rules of the game, and the referee. Even though it is often seen as a negative force, we cannot deny that it is also a force that simply allows the game to exist, otherwise, anyone could do whatever they want with the ball aimlessly, without a goal, without a sense of accomplishment.

Saturn's position in the signs shows how a person takes responsibility and develops maturity and discipline. Because of Capricorn’s natural rulership, Saturn is also an important factor in career determination. Like Midheaven, Saturn's position in the birth chart can provide important clues to the type of work best suited for a person and the career path that they might follow. An individual with a weak Saturn, for example, may find it more difficult to advance in their career, and it is more likely that when facing small problems, they feel that they are actually facing a great and heavy burden.

Anyway, it can be said that our greatest achievements may have Saturn's involvement at some level. The overcoming of the athlete, the discovery of a discredited scientist, the victory of someone who never did very well in studies... It is not uncommon to come across examples of will and determination of people who do not give up as soon as the first stone in the path appears. Saturn shows where we have to work harder, the problems or limitations that are always attracted, where we have more difficulty, needing to work harder to overcome obstacles and reach goals.

Overcoming obstacles

It may seem inconsistent, but Saturn has the power to generate more real gains than Jupiter and Venus, considered beneficial and gentle planets, thus ensuring a more real sense of how positive it is to act with resilience where we need it most.

Most of the time, Saturn just slows things down but never disowns them. Sometimes this delay can even be considered a good thing, for example, in relation to life span, good longevity. Depending on where Saturn is positioned or aspected, it generates gains from more structured things and projects, where the person feels more deserving of the results they obtained instead of having acquired them by luck or very easily.

Aspects of Saturn are very important in a birth chart, as the themes of the planets, houses, and signs affected by them become important places of attention, where we need to work hard to enjoy the results. Saturn in conjunction with planets that do not have much affinity can produce negative results. Even conjunction with planets that are a little more friendly or neutral to it, can cause certain delays. But when it is set or well aspected with related planets, it gives good results.

Saturn in the signs and houses show how a person seeks status and recognition, revealing areas in which they are trying to accomplish something of value in the eyes of others. As they succeed and evolve, they climb one more step and Saturn is close behind to remind them to carry their own burden, now with more experience. It is the planet that deals with issues that are especially important to our path, making us find order and security, in addition to the aforementioned rewarding feeling of accomplishment.

It is from it that we learn that Rome was not built in a day, that the realization of an idea takes time and work. Only through effort and focus do we develop discernment, willpower, and patience, fundamental characteristics for true evolution.