Radical Reposts: The Planets – Saturn

2015 is a year of reposts by topic on The Radical Virgo. The idea is to create a blog bibliography (blogography) for you to find subject-related articles and an easy way to revisit past posts and find new ones to explore. 

“You have a good relationship with Saturn,” Donna Cunningham once reminded me when I was fearful of a Saturn transit on the horizon. If you don’t have a good relationship with Saturn—yet—remember it’s not only possible; it’s one of the best goals any astrology lover can take on.

Saturn is half of the duo that results in the creation of great human beings. We say the best thing we can give our children is roots (Saturn) and wings (Uranus). Saturn represents the structure we need to be civilized and to function well on Earth while Uranus offers us the freedom to explore and discover what lies beyond our limits in order to expand them. We grow up to Saturn’s edge, and then Chiron gives us a bridge to Uranus and all the actualization tools represented by the outer planets.

I was fascinated by the fact that there have been four posts on Saturn on The Radical Virgo, like the sides of a square, creating a tidy “enclosure.” This is one of the things Saturn does. It gives us boundaries so that we can feel safe functioning in the world. Imagine them to be just a bit rubbery, so when they become too confining, we can stretch ourselves to grow even more.

Here are the RV’s déjà Saturn posts:

Planetary Fishing: Saturn (16-May-13)

Saturn is rarely loved like Jupiter. Many people dread seeing Saturn coming. They make a cross with their index fingers, wear garlic and treat old Chronos like a vampire that’s going to suck all the fun out of their life. Saturn has his true positives, and we’ll go for balancing the fishing boat on this one, too. (The only planet that’s probably less popular is Pluto.)

 “Saturn Returns,” A Narrative Feature Film (06-May-14)

In this movie that started shooting in June 2014 (not yet released), all of the characters are in the heart of their Saturn Return, the time at 29.5 years when the planet Saturn “returns” to the place it was in the sky at one's birth. We all have a Saturn Return when we are turning 30, turning 60, turning 90. This is the time when we typically wrestle with the big life choices— career, life partner and life purpose. 

Saturn in Libra: "Form" Your Love Life, Chart Your Relationship History, Part 1 of 2 (04-Mar-10)

“Mature” relationship, by the very use of the adjective mature involves making peace with Saturn. There is a good reason why Saturn is exalted—best placed—in the sign of Libra. We all want relationships that endure, relationships that are “there for us.” We want love that’s steady and reliable, a love that creates just enough boundaries so we can feel safe to be ourselves, even when we push the envelope. (If we can’t push the envelope in a relationship, we can’t grow and the partnership withers.)

More Saturn in Libra Exercises to Understand Your Relationships, Part 2 of 2 (05-Mar-10)

In the previous article, Saturn in Libra: “Form” Your Love Life, Chart Your Relationship History; we began creating a timeline of past relationships. My inspiration was an exercise on charting times of personal transformation, based on the book, Living Deeply by Marilyn Mandala Schlitz et al. One of the exercises the authors invite readers to do: make a chart of your life in seven-year cycles. Of course, that’s the Saturn cycle with its seven-year increments!

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Photo Credit: © akarb - Fotolia.com

 

Planetary Fishing: Saturn

© 2013 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

Today let’s get a line on the planet Saturn. Saturn is rarely loved like Jupiter. With Jupiter, for the sake of balance, I hinted that we might want to tone down our optimism about old Jove, a Jupiterian tendency, and to recognize that overdo is not always a blessing.

  
I think we need to approach Saturn from the opposite direction. Many people dread seeing Saturn coming. They make a cross with their index fingers, wear garlic and treat old Chronos like a vampire that’s going to suck all the fun out of their life. Saturn has his true positives, and we’ll go for balancing the fishing boat on this one, too. (The only planet that’s probably less popular is Pluto.)

     Let’s take a look now at Saturn, the planet of discipline, structure, time, wisdom, practicality, grounding, efficiency, authority, restraint, guilt, caution and aging. (If you’re not having fun yet, don’t worry. You will.)

If you’re joining us in progress, here’s the background post about our May Planetary Fishing Trip. 

   Saturn Fishing Instructions

1. We’ll start with a Saturn appreciation exercise. Imagine a crucial part of your life having no limits or order. Maybe your love life, parenthood or job. The one I like to use is driving my car. Visualize no traffic lights, no turn lanes and general chaos that would leave you with two types of road: freeway and free-for-all. How would you feel? Not very safe is my guess. 

     Now think of the House where Saturn resides in your chart. What does Saturn do in the positive to bring safety, order grounding and practicality to this part of your life? Feel free to find other Saturn attributes that are likable. One of my favorite images of Saturn is the good father, one who helps you out when you’re in a jam, always has something wise to say, and makes you feel like your feet are planted firmly on the ground in his presence.

2.  Research time! Go to your search engine. Find out about the god Saturn. What are some things you like and dislike about what you’re reading? Any new revelations? One I like: Saturn’s reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace.(Wikipedia) No wonder those Saturn-ruled Capricorns do so well in business.

3. About your Saturn and its sign:

a.   Does your Saturn sign, in your opinion, support your favorite and least favorite facets of this planet’s expression?

b.   What quality of Saturn would you like to develop more in your life?

c.    What’s the element of your Saturn? (Earth, Air, Fire or Water) How does that quality help or hinder the quality you want to develop in 4b?

d.   What’s the quality of Saturn’s relationship to your other planets? Mostly compatible or a struggle?

e.   How many planets make a major aspect to Saturn [1]?

f.    How many of the planets are in close aspect, within 3 degrees or less?

g.   Do these aspects make “doing Saturnian things” easier or more challenging?

 4.  Who was “Saturn” in your life? What did you learn from him or her? What do you want to keep from that experience and what do you want to toss?

Extra Experience: Look at one of your lingering guilt trips today with the practical side of Saturn. Do you really still need to go there? Alternate experience or in addition: Take an opportunity to share wisdom with someone today. How does it feel?

Next week we’re onto Chiron and Neptune, both in Pisces now—so the fishing should be great!

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Photo Credit: Saturnus Polidoro Caldara da Caravaggio 16th century, Wikipedia, public domain. 

Note

[1]This is often easiest to find and view in summary in a matrix on the chart wheel page or in one of the “reports” offered, if you have astrology software.

Don’t forget to Comment and let us know what insights you catch! Every comment is entered into this month’s contest for a free e-book.