Article Title: Reflecting on a Saturn Transit |
Date Published: |
- by Bil Tierney
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Saturn’s purpose by transit is to pressure us to fix what is broken, to attend to what we’ve
long neglected, to restore order to whatever has become chaotic or out-of-control, and to
reclaim what is intrinsically valuable to our core development. It also insists we let go of anything or anybody that unduly weighs us down or thwarts our ongoing growth. Saturn is one of our "terminator" planets (Pluto the other). It strives to rid us of all impeding non-essentials. It's goal is to unclutter and simplify our lives.
Saturn offers us the chance to know when and why things we’ve outgrown must
come to an end. We best mature by recognizing those specific relationships and
conditions in our life that have become unworkable. To reduce further pain and frustration, we need to allow such matters to come to a well-defined close. Saturn assures us that this can be done with a measure of level-headed resolve on our part, based upon a pragmatic assessment of the central issues in question.
Patience is always required here, while a stubborn refusal to allow for needed change is to be avoided. The Saturn principle is a fair and even-handed one (symbolized by its exaltation in Libra). It will work with us no matter how deep in a self-created hole we find ourselves. But we need to commit to the required tasks and disciplines at hand without looking for escape hatches. And definitely without lapsing into long stretches of denial or the projection
of complete blame onto others.
Saturn transiting a natal planet or a house represents an timely opportunity to take stock of
ourselves by carefully weighing the pros and cons of any course of action we have
undertaken thus far. Saturn will reward us in small but steady ways for our solid,
well-grounded efforts to wisely structure our goals (and particularly long-range ones).
Saturn phases, when well-managed, can help us preserve or restore "sanity" and usher in a
welcomed level of continuity to our lives. They help us get back on track.
Its tempo may appear a tad dull and predictable at times, but getting on the good side of a
Saturn transit also means not having "the bottom falling out" in our lives. Or not being hit
with out-of-the-blue jolts that disorient our steadier rhythms. Nothing is sprung upon us at
the last minute with this planet. Any problems we become mired in have slowly taken root
long before our present state of frustration and fear.
Fear can indeed be a vivid Saturn reality, but so can a sense of regret and lost time wasted.
And also shame. Difficult Saturn transits can suggest a thin-skinned period in our life in
which we are very sensitive to criticism and judgment. We half expect to be scolded or
rejected for revealing any of our own shortcomings, and we thus often attempt to hide our
feelings of failure by wearing a suit of psychological armor (making us appear indomitable)
or by staying clear of people and intimate situations altogether.
It is often true that we may be alone (or at least feel we are) during our pivotal Saturn
transits (Saturn/Moon and Saturn/Venus phases invite such solitude and reflection). But this
doesn't have to feel like loneliness. Think of it as an opportune time to carefully measure
our degree of self-sufficiency and the willingness to better focus upon our own self-
contained consciousness for a while. We will probably feel more separate and apart from
the frenetic world around us, but this is quite appropriate. Quietness is important at times for
Saturn to do its best magic, and solitude is one way to achieve such stillness. This could be
a well needed period of rest and repose for those of us who have been burning the candle at
both ends (and who are about to completely burn out). So, we should learn to appreciate
this slow down phase and curb any inclination to fritter our energies away on the superficial
and the non-productive.
Saturn transits often call for a review of our work attitudes and our material ambitions (or the
lack thereof). Are we on the right track professionally? Are we on any realistic track to
begin with? Or just floundering in an aimless but anxious manner? Saturn terminates by
first putting the brakes on our ability to further muck up our affairs due to unexamined self-
destructive impulses (those Plutonian/Neptunian demons within). It hits us with an attack of
clarity, which may not always make us feel at ease or secure with conditions.
Perhaps with a little help from Uranus or Pluto, Saturn assists us in getting fired from
ultimately dead-end jobs, ending love-starved marriages, or even halting body-destroying
habits by creating serious health "scares" or warnings. We can expect certain elements of
ourselves or our environment to go on strike and refuse to further feed illusionary pursuits or
stagnating conditions. And if we choose not to cooperate, situations force us to bring such
matters to a halt. Sometimes authorities step into the picture and take control over our
disorganized circumstances. Things needing final closure can "up and die" on us, even if we
do not recognize the importance of ending such experiences.
But Saturn seeks to grow strong roots deeply and to build fortified structures that insulate
our strengths rather than trap our weaknesses from within. Successfully surviving a potent
Saturn transit means consolidating all those parts of our being that are durable enough to
withstand the future. We weed out the sabotaging facets of our psyche. We restore order
and purpose to our life direction. We are mercifully cut off from the power of destructive
attachments to our past, and this alone may require time for healing (wound-covering scabs
are ruled by Saturn) and for a slow rebuilding of healthier new patterns.
The outcome can be an authentic awareness of who we really are at this point, and a
concrete sense of where we are really meant to be going in life. Saturn will slowly continue
to aspect our natal planets or visit our houses to assess any damage we have incurred. It
loves to attack what is malfunctioning. But what we have already gained from its past cycles
will become the effective life-tools we can reliably use with conviction. While Saturn's
wisdom seems to come from attending classes in the school of hard knocks, we
nonetheless end up feeling content knowing we've earned our own self-respect plus the
deserved honor of others in the process. Good work, Saturn!
Copyright: Bil Tierney
Bio: Bil Tierney
Bil Tierney has been certified and licensed for professional
astrology since 1972. He has written two books, including Dynamics of Aspect Analysis,
and has written several articles for astro-journals
and newsletters. Bil has lectured and given workshops across the USA
and Canada. He is currently working on a new book about Saturn.
Dynamics of Aspect Analysis is all about aspects and aspect
configurations (T-Squares, Yods, Mystic Rectangles), plus excellent
information about retrograde planets, unaspected planets, and more. Dynamics of Aspect
Analysis is recognized as a unique source of ideas found nowhere else in astrology. Bil's
clarity and precision make this a classic appreciated by beginners and professionals alike. It
is published by CRCS Publications, and retails for $13.95. It is a 277 page softbound edition
(first published in 1983), and is now published in five languages.
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