What we identify as matter and spirit are the same thing vibrating at different rates and intensities. Matter is the same as spirit only expressing the Divine in its densest form. Spirit is the same as matter.
It is only manifesting through its quickest and most subtle way of being. Therefore, the solid and tangible
appearance of the material world around us is but an illusion. Spirit and matter are one and the same thing. A.O.
At this time of year, there are many images of Saturn moving (slowly) about. Most prominently, is the picture of Father Time limping along scythe in hand, being quickly replaced by an infant in diapers. This same imagine calls to mind the battle between the Grim Reaper (Death) and the promise of Life renewed. As most of us identify with mortality, a single incarnation on Earth, and thus a limited number of years on our home planet, naturally Saturn has garnered a very bad and often fearful reputation.
Saturn is misunderstood and maligned as well for several other reasons. He is called "The Lord of Karma", the planet whose favorite word is "Gottcha!" His famous rings are symbolic of some of his other characteristics: limitation, consolidation, restriction, boundaries and barriers. Saturn is also the cosmic "guilt tripper", constantly putting pressure on us to be better than we are and to repent, repent, and repent again for sins earned or unearned. Is there any wonder then that his metal is lead and his color is grey? The influence of this planet can be quite heavy indeed.
When we have an abundance of saturnian energy in our lives, it is a challenge for our mind and will to merge, selectively removing those activities and thought patterns that do not work for us and to replace them by other, more efficient patterns of behavior. None of us like to be chastised and reminded of our faults and weaknesses. We would do well however, to take advantage of a "difficult" Saturn transit, wake up, and do something positive for ourselves!
This is my whole point. Saturn can be a most beneficent planet if we but know how to accept its influences wisely and make the most out of the gifts Saturn holds for us. The
second half of this article is devoted to a description of Saturn's transits and how we can obtain the best results from them. Before setting forth on these descriptions, let us take a deeper look at how Soul-Centered Astrology views Saturn, the planet called "Chronos" by the Greek astrologers, a word meaning, "Time".
Saturn is representative of the Law of Economy. He is not fond of waste on any level and is not a planet that allows us to cheat, cajole, side-sep or avoid what we must do to be correct in our relationships to others and to ourselves. Saturn is not an agent of deprivation as much as it is a testing ground to prove a person's level of maturity and ability to be responsible for dealing with life.
Yes, Saturn is the Lord of Karma, but much of Karma is good. We get back from life what we put into it and if our investments have been correct and we have used our life energy and resources wisely, Saturn will act much more as the "Grin Reaper" than anything grim. Saturn stands at the Gates of Initiation, ready to test anyone who seeks to obtain an advanced level of consciousness. St. Peter, who acts as the Guardian at the Gates of Heaven, occupies this position in Christian symbology. As one approaches Paradise, one's deeds and misdeeds are weighed on the Scales of Ultimate Justice. This factor is represented in astrology by Saturn in Libra, the sign in which Chronos is in exaltation.
Saturn is the farthest planet visible from Earth with the naked eye. It represents the boundary between the planets closest and farthest from the Sun and hence, from the objective consciousness of these planetary forces. In other words, an individual cannot hope to incorporate on any personal level the higher octave energies of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, without first fulfilling the earlier stages of development of the personality and the individual ego. One has to prove oneself capable of handling the challenges of the ordinary, daily life, before being allowed to function on more spiritual levels and the greater life responsibilities such levels of activity bring.
Another term used in esoteric astrology for the "Guardian at the Gates" is the "Dweller on the Threshold". The Dweller refers to a very important function held by Saturn as we unfold our passage along the Spiritual Path. Saturn makes sure that we cannot pass over the Threshold of initiation without first completing our duties and responsibilities, paying our karmic debts, and freeing ourselves to serve humanity in ever more conscious and loving ways. Saturn thus offers us the opportunity to free ourselves from the boundaries, limitations, and restrictions imposed upon us from our biological karma, the karma originating with our families of birth and with all facets of our lower self.
Eventually, through the opportunities for growth and development given to us by Saturn, we have balanced a great deal of challenging past karma and have reached a place whereby conscious choice concerning our future becomes an actual possibility. Saturn has therefore served to open our eyes to our inner reality and makes our evolutionary advancement possible. Yes, often the price for this opportunity to serve is very high and sometimes painful. If we declare that we are available to be of real help to others and don the mantle of world service within the periphery of our lives, then we shall be tested as to our readiness. Of this, there is no doubt.
Saturn's house position in your natal chart will reveal where we may expect such tests of restriction and self-discipline to arise. Once we have passed the necessary tests and have crossed over the Threshold and into the realm of the higher octave planets, then it is said, "Saturn cannot follow". Until that time, let us welcome Saturn into our lives (besides, let's face it—you can't kick him out!), and open ourselves to the opportunities we have to release immature karma and grow, grow, grow.
Let us now take a look at the happy face of Saturn, examining the various transits of this planet to the planets in your natal chart and extract from these positions the best gifts Saturn has to offer.
Saturn and the Sun: Aspects between these two heavenly bodies speak about vitality. Saturn urges you to be selective now in how you utilize your energy. You have the opportunity now to select those creative projects that build your stature and expertise in the world. No matter your sex, you take on a fatherly role: advising, supporting and sustaining. You are in a position to economize and prioritise, being selective in what you do and the ways you do it. Saturn and the Sun reward those who do not waste their life force and who respect their creative potential. You may also be asked to deal with older people or those in authority. Treat those who merit respect with deference and kindness, while eliminate those who abuse power from your life.
Saturn and the Moon: You have the opportunity to bring definition to your feelings, emotions and instinctive responses to life. You would do well to understand yourself better by striving to be a conscious observer. Watch your subjective movie; just don't unconsciously star in it. Saturn gives you the possibilities to consolidate and ground your emotional nature, bringing form to the formless and power over feeling over which you feel powerless. No matter your sex, you take on a motherly role: nurturing, completing, and being a cohesive force in other people's lives. You can bring some true resolutions to the
relationship you have with your own mother, even if she is no longer in incarnation. Breathe, relax, and release fears of being rejected and abandoned. Saturn brings you the gift of detachment—accept it.
Saturn and Mercury: What are the thought form and mental structures that no longer work in your life? Saturn smiles at you and offer you the chance to bring definition to your internal dialogues, freeing yourself from obsessive ideas or plans and projects that are simply too far out to ever manifest. You have the opportunity now to gain strength from saying less and observing more. If you do things correctly, you can save yourself a lot of grief by being circumspect about your ways of communication and not committing your time and energy where they do not belong. Father Saturn brings the wisdom of experience. This is a good period in which to reflect on what forms of intellectual expression and interest have worked for you in the past and to take advantage of these carefully made assessments.
Saturn and Venus: Who do you value in your life? Which relationships and which types of relationships have real sustaining power for you? Examine your past and carefully observe which patterns of interpersonal interchanges you possess that work or do not work for you. Believe what you are telling yourself. Now is the time to receive the gifts of true love, love that has proven itself over time. Say and do kind things for old and trusted friends. Contact those people whom you love but perhaps have not visited with in a long time. Ask yourself what you truly value in yourself and rejoice in the strength and beauty of your positive life characteristics. Be proud of yourself, your accomplishments and the relationships in your life that really work—you have earned it.
Saturn and Mars: We all have to struggle for things that are important to us. Now the focus and direction of these struggles are aligned. There are many battles in life—we do not have to fight all of them and all of them are not worth fighting. Saturn and Mars bring you the opportunity to know the differences and to prioritise your struggles and battles. You can stand up for justice and what you know to be right. If there is a force that confronts you now that is stronger than your abilities, it might be better to pull back but only to gain the strength to resume your battle at another time. Get the training that you need in order to be a more potent warrior but first make sure if the fight is worth the effort. A wise retreat is not a defeat.
Saturn and Jupiter: An accordion can be a thing of beauty if played correctly. If not, it is one of the most inconsonant of all musical instruments. What makes the accordion lively and
uplifting to the ear and heart is the right balance of air and pressure. Saturn and Jupiter are in accord when you are able to adjust just the right amount of freedom and expansion with just the right amount of consolidation and restriction. Now you have the opportunity to have an interplay of push and pull in the economic, philosophical, and professional facets of your life. The gifts of Saturn are therefore plentiful for you at this time if you are wise with your budget, realistic in your ideals, and reasonable in your future goals.
Saturn and Saturn: Saturn offers you a number of opportunities now to put some real structure and discipline into your life. You cannot achieve anything of value without them. This is a great time to learn at the side of a teacher. But if you are currently working with someone who is presumably an expert in his or her field and that person is revealing him or herself to know less than you do, now is the time to leave that person's influence. You can prepare the way for yourself by cultivating a responsible attitude to life and leaving behind all folly and time wasting activities. The word here is "diet". This means slimming down unnecessary physical pounds, excess emotional weight, and unnecessary mental burdons.
Saturn and Uranus: Do not resist the need to revise long-standing plans and projects. Your worldview may no longer suffice to help you integrate into some opportunities standing at the horizon. Be open to the gifts of other people's expertise even if they are much older or even much younger than you. You have to cross over the boundaries of what you have learned as part of the generation of your peers. Messages, advice, and invitations are coming from a whole different set of people. Leave yourself open to hearing them before deciding to shut the door. Once you have carefully accepted to entertain such offerings—free of prejudice—then you can decide whether or not to participate.
Saturn and Neptune: You have the opportunity now to fuse your ideals and aspirations with a careful, practical assessment of your current abilities. Stand outside of yourself and the present set of circumstances and be thankful that you can know what your boundaries are. If you are not sure, then it is best not to commit yourself at the moment. Can you see a clear exit out of a confusing situation? If you cannot, Saturn offers you a hand of limitation—don't go any further and don't wade into a sea without knowing its depth. If you are currently in over your head, ask the advice of someone who is an expert in the field of your particular confusion. If it is financial debt, see an advisor who can help you to budget your resources. If it is an emotional debt, go to a psychological helper who knows the ways of the human heart and mind better than you do at the present time.
Saturn and Pluto: The destruction of negative habit patterns and lessons surrounding the right use of one's will power are some of the benefits that may result from positive Saturn/Pluto contacts in the natal chart. A natal Saturn/Pluto square for example can inhibit a person's will by binding that individual to a routine of behavior in which all forms of spontaneity are severely handicapped. As the life unfolds, these patterns become more and more entrenched. On the other hand, a Saturn/Pluto trine stimulates the focus of the will and brings a person ever more in touch with his or her creative powers. Over the course of time, such potency only increases. Since July of 2005, people with natal Pluto in Leo have been experiencing the transit of Saturn over their natal Pluto. Two of the most important results of this contact are: 1. The realization of where the focus of our creativity is being inhibited by non-regenerative habit patterns. 2. How well we respond to a call to use our own sense of personal authority, often by overcoming an obstacle/past pattern and moving on to the next step in life. |
