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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!