The Essence of Saturn

Saturn is the outermost planet in the traditional hierarchy as he is the last planet that can be seen with the naked eye. In the traditional model anything beyond that has no light and therefore no power, and that which has no power cannot rule anything. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto therefore do not qualify for rulerships of signs or objects in the traditional scheme of things. Saturn is thus the planet closest to God and it is fitting that he rules the first house in a chart – the house of our physical body, the Word made flesh (and our departure from the source), and he rules the eighth house of death, our return to the source.

Saturn is a diurnal planet, cold and dry in essence and he is known as the great malefic. Planets cannot do anything to us nor make us do anything in return, so we can stop blaming them for our woes – we simply partake of the essence of all 7 planets and when they “behave” in a certain way in their celestial home, the part of us that is the reflection of that planet will behave in a similar fashion. Saturn therefore does not bring any harm to us nor is he out to get us – but as man is a fallen creature and we are oh so fickle, it is only through Saturn that we learn any lessons at all and thus begin on our path back to God.

Saturn’s Lessons

We do not ask for guidance or assistance from above when we are partaking of Venusian pursuits by frolicking in the poppy fields with our loved ones, or having lunch with friends, or playing sport nor do we go down on bended knee to ask for mercy when we are enjoying the expansive and abundant properties of Jupiter – we only call out for help when Saturn wields his great big stick. He rules discipline, law and order, all things restrictive, time, pain and suffering and all things old, dead or decaying – so he rules old age which is the one thing so many people today are trying so desperately to keep at bay. As humans we are not partial to any of these, we view them as negative and tend to find them most unpleasant. But, without a healthy dose of Saturn the world would be in even more of a mess than it actually is – it would be a free for all, without boundaries and adherence to standards and structures, and we would simply live in a world of unrestricted chaos.

I believe that it is very much the individual's attitude to Saturn and his lessons that determine how hard those lessons will be in the first place – if we view pain, suffering and hardship as a means to an end – to improve ourselves and our situations in life, to grow and develop on all levels especially spiritually, then Saturn is to be welcomed – the more Saturnian lessons you experience the stronger you become and once you realize that you actually have the where with all to endure, possibly even to thrive, your faith increases and the path back to the Divine opens up to assist you in the trials and tribulations of your life. So, it is man's attitude to Saturn that warrants the term The Great Malefic, not the essence of the planet itself.

Explanation of Retrograde

During the course of the year five of the seven planets turn retrograde at different times – the luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, never do. A planet cannot physically travel backwards along his path in the sky but because the planets travel at different speeds, Saturn takes approximately 29 years to complete one cycle, some planets are moving ahead while others are slowing down. The planets do not travel at a consistent speed at all times – they slow down and speed up at different times, even travelling faster when above the earth and slower when below. When a planet slows down to turn retrograde (the illusion of going backwards) or speeds up to go direct (the illusion of moving forward again) he is seen as being at his station on both occasions and the other planets begin to over take him - in Saturn's case at great speed as he is so ponderous in the first place. It can be compared to being stationery at traffic lights and the car next to you moves forward – you feel as if you have slipped backwards yet you haven't moved at all – that is when a planet is called stationery or “retrograde”.

Prior to turning retrograde he must slow down substantially. Just as you start slowing your car down before you stop – this is known as 1 st station and is highly debilitating - and prior to speeding up, known as 2 nd station and more positive - he must accelerate, building up to his desired speed. Any planet at his station is extremely vulnerable and is going nowhere slowly – this places what the planet rules and represents in limbo – in Saturn's case judicial issues, law and order, structure and so on. “ Usually the stationary planet is weak - though if what you want is unmovingness, it can be helpful. Generally 1st station sees things getting worse, 2nd station sees them getting better. But this must be read against what the planet will or will not be doing when it changes direction. E.g. maybe it is refusing to enter its detriment, in which case the change of direction will be positive. Or maybe it has just made a nice aspect and liked it so much it's going back to do it again. Once retrograde whatever that planet represents goes against its nature and goes backwards or deteriorates.” John Frawley.

Explanation from the Authorities

According to Bonatti, The Twenty Fifth Consideration is, “Whether the Planet that is Significator be Retrograde, or Stationary to Retrogradation: for then it signifies mischief and damage, discord, contradiction, and going backward with damage; yet being Stationary, is not so bad, as being Retrograde. For the last notes the mischief to be, as it were, present and in being. But being Stationary notes that 'tis past and over. (Note: he refers here to second station, i.e. from Rx to direct motion.)”

As the great master craftsman William Lilly states "And note, A Planet in his second station signifies an aptness, and the renewing and strength of everything; but in his first station, dissolution and destruction. Remember and understand these things well, for they will often come in practice."

Saturn Retrograde

Saturn is currently retrograde; he has been since the beginning of January and will turn direct on the 18th of May 2009 after being at his 2nd station for 5 days. It is therefore helpful to apply some astrological knowledge when dealing with Saturnine matters at this time. It is preferable not to start anything new that requires permanence and solidity (which Saturn rules) as both those factors will behave against their nature – so permanence will turn into being temporary and solidity into shaky ground. If you are currently embroiled in legal matters you may experience hiccups, delays and issues that go against the grain of the law. Structures, boundaries, time keeping, order, stability – all the wonderful Saturnine qualities that are essential to our well being will be compromised – so at this time of year it is always good to keep a clear head and to allow room for error in those matters.

Saturnine Behaviour

Saturn is the author of solitude and it is quite common at this time of year for those who have a strong Saturnine influence in their chart to long for the company of others. Instead of adhering to the innate desire to be alone, there is an almost pressing need to connect with other people – possibly Valentine's day in February could help to assist those that seek love – simply reach out to people that you have been admiring from afar and take a chance. But if something beautiful is born, you do run the risk that it may not be permanent. But there are no guarantees in life anyway and as they say in the classics – better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. Saturn is severe in his manner, reserved, patient, grave and austere and possibly those that normally (strongly) partake of his nature could behave in a more frivolous and indiscriminate manner during his retrograde phase. Provided this is done with caution so that there are no regrets once he goes direct, there is no harm in lightening the load for a certain period.

When retrograde though Saturn can become envious, jealous, mistrustful, stubborn and malicious – so if those close to you are behaving in this manner and it is out of character, they probably have a strong Saturn influence in their natal chart. Even people who are for the most part stable, consistent and reliable may appear restless and out of sorts and behave in an unreliable manner. It is quite easy to assess how a planet would behave against his nature – you simply have to know what the normal behaviour is and the essence of what he rules, and then place that against the grain, bearing in mind that this rights itself when he turns direct. Medically Saturn rules the teeth, the skeletal system, the skin, joints, the right ear and the spleen and it is not uncommon for those body parts to experience vulnerability during a Saturn retrograde. He rules diseases that restrict and inhibit and any disease that has a cold and dry (melancholic) essence. Many people who have chronic Saturn illnesses experience pain and flare ups during a Saturn retrograde.

Saturn as the Ruler of Locks and Time

Locks and time are both seen as restrictive simply because we dislike (self) imposed boundaries and we never seem to have enough time to accomplish what we need to. However they are vital to our survival and when Saturn is retrograde both of these factors are adversely affected. Time which is in effect a constant – the way in which it unfolds – is viewed as running away, so the control and predictability of it is skewed. This is our perception of it as time never changes, and due to the other Saturnine factors of boundaries, rules and regulations, order and discipline behaving badly, time appears to be out of control. January is now at an end and it seemed like only yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas. The locks that Saturn rules are not only physical locks on doors but symbolic ones as well. During a Saturn retrograde many secrets are unearthed and things that possibly should not be said, that should be kept under lock and key are spewed forth. This causes destruction and heartache and many relationships are damaged as a result. I always find it best during a Saturn retrograde to be vigilant about what comes out of my mouth – but seldom succeed as the lock is faulty.

Conclusion

The conclusion to be drawn from a Saturn retrograde phase is not to start or give birth to anything new that is vitally important in your life as you will experience delays and hiccups and the project will get off to a shaky start. If you cannot delay the event then at least do not launch it when he is at his station. It is best to consult a professional astrologer to elect the most suitable time for this major event during this retrograde period so that other factors are strengthened to assist the project. Expect the unexpected with people especially if they are normally predictable and disciplined. Regarding any matters ruled by Saturn, expect matters to run an unpredictable course. However, common sense must always prevail and in any chart delineation it is all things being equal. Some of us are more prone to Saturn's influence than others, and therefore how Saturn retrograde manifests in one human being will possibly manifest differently in another. When it comes to the Great malefic however, knowledge is most certainly power.