Basic Saturn Issues
by Sue Tompkins
 Saturn.
Fear, control and denial. Authority. Discipline. Time. Learning things the hard
way. Responsibilities. Duties.
Beyond all else perhaps, Saturn represents fear, and many of the problems and
difficulties surrounding this planet can be traced to this single root
principle. When Saturn contacts a planet in our chart we tend to be frightened
of expressing those things symbolized by that planet. More than that, we feel
unable to express them, for we feel awkward in that area of ourselves --
awkward, clumsy and severely hampered.
Naturally enough, we don't usually want people to see a part of ourselves
that feels to us like an awkward, clumsy animal for it doesn't occur to us that
others might perceive it as acceptable or even beautiful. And even if they did,
what good would that be, for it is our perception of ourselves which decides
most things. Little wonder that Saturn has been linked with the Jungian idea of
the 'Shadow' -- that part of ourselves which we not only attempt to hide from
others but successfully conceal from ourselves as well.
We hide Saturn by attempting to package up our fears into some socially
acceptable form or by pretending that we are adept in this awkward area of
ourselves. So whilst Saturn may well describe our Achilles' heel, we can often
manage to hide this aspect of ourselves, even from ourselves. It is important to
realize this way of dealing with Saturn when considering Saturnian contacts in
the natal chart, for at first glance the individual may not seem particularly
awkward in this area of their lives and may even appear very sophisticated and
adept at dealing with it. The sophistication isn't always 'false' either, for
eventually we can become genuinely very adept at those things that were
initially our biggest problems. Turning lead into gold as the alchemists would
put it. But this comes only after time and only after lots of effort. And after
facing our fears and perhaps suffering numerous disappointments.
When we do learn things the hard way, and through experience, we generally
know about them thoroughly; we become an 'authority' in that area. And this is
what Saturn seems to insist upon, that we deal with the issues, whatever they
are, thoroughly. For as always Saturn, unlike Jupiter, never lets us get away
with anything.
So contacts from Saturn to another planet in our chart can describe, when we
are older at any rate, a real understanding of what that planet represents. On
the other hand, we can merely pretend that that understanding exists. How do we
now the difference? When merely acting with our Saturn (though not of course
consciously doing so) we tend to express the planet involved in a controlled and
formulated kind of way. We tend to behave how we think we should behave in the
given circumstances, how society would expect us to behave. What is missing is
spontaneity of self-expression; the 'false' and inevitably socially acceptable
response is usually rather boring and, whilst saying all the usual things, lacks
sincerity somehow. It is rather like a child writing a typical 'Thank You'
letter for a Christmas present -- a kind of 'formula' response.
Discovering what our Saturn represents is inevitably a long and painful
process. Like everything, pain too seems to have some purpose, for it is our
pain that tells us that something is wrong inside ourselves. Pain tells us that
there is a wound somewhere that demands our attention. Fear too has its purpose.
It is fear that makes the rabbit freeze or the antelope run. Freezing or running
are defense mechanisms. Defenses protect us, rather as clothes protect us on a
cold day. Our Saturn contacts can describe us as being underdefended or
overdefended in various aspects of life.
As children, we have a special need of our defenses, and childhood is the
prime time for building them, but as we get older some of those defenses may
become inappropriate, even strangulating. We can never look into a distant
horizon if the first thing that our eyes hit is a brick wall. When Saturn
contacts a planet in our chart it is often as if we have built a brick wall
around those things that that planet represents. And for many people with
difficult Saturn aspects in their charts, much of the adult life has to be spent
slowly taking the wall down, brick by brick. For confronting the Shadow has to
be done slowly and with great care and respect.
When we are 'overdefended', when we have surrounded ourselves with rather too
much brick wall, we will have locked away a lot of the potential in our lives,
for here, we are too frightened to take risks. This is also one of the reasons
we can associate Saturn with pain, for when in pain we usually feel better if we
can relax and let go.
It is often the holding on that is painful, but with our Saturn contacts we
are often frightened to let go. Our defenses have protected us up until now and
we believe they always will, whereas now is usually the time to let go.
Another Saturnian principle is control and this too is often attributable to
fear, for when we are frightened we often attempt to control whatever is going
on. We also want things very clearly defined. When Saturn touches a planet in
our chart we will tend to seek definition of whatever that planet represents.
Venus-Saturn for example is frightened of not being loved, so may push their
partner to define their feelings. Do you love me? How much? Will it last
forever? This of course does not usually yield the required response, for
feelings cannot be quantified or defined in this way and the partner may not
want to be forced into responding in this way in any case. So classically the
Venus-Saturn type will go away feeling unloved and unappreciated to sit in a
room by itself and face another lonely evening wailing that nobody cares.
Saturn problems can often be traced to childhood issues. In childhood we
often feel denied those things that planets contacting Saturn represent. And
because we feel denied them, we crave them for evermore. They can become the
very reason for our existence. We may have been denied in childhood through no
one's 'fault', merely through some seemingly cruel twist of fate, a fate that we
can eventually be grateful for, once we have got through our first faltering
steps.
Although our childhood cannot be held 'responsible' for problems in
adulthood, exploring some of the themes in our early life is necessary in order
for us to make peace with our past and to enrich our future. But childhood
images are useful for Saturn contacts anyway, because planets contacting our
Saturn often feel as a small child does when confronted with the stern voice of
authority. For example, Mercury-Saturn people often feel as if they are in an
examination room being tested every time they meet a learning experience, even
if in fact their school years were not especially grueling, and did not include
grim examination conditions. But the image is helpful and one which we can
dialogue with.
The idea of feeling denied something and craving it, is also, I think, a
useful one, for when Saturn touches a planet we do tend to crave those things
that that planet represents. With the Sun we may crave recognition; with the
Moon nurturance, a home and a family; with Venus, love and affection; with
Jupiter, faith, and so on.
Saturn contacts by house, aspect and, to a lesser extent, sign, describe
those areas where we lack confidence, where we feel we ought and we should do
better. Often we apologize for those areas of our chart which Saturn touches,
and in apologizing we are not only expressing regret but are saying that we
don't think we are good enough. Sometimes we also offer some sort of
justification for our 'faults' and in doing so are defending ourselves.
As many an astrology teacher has noted, this is the part of the chart where
we seem to have an internalized schoolteacher always sternly telling us to work
harder, do better, be better, try harder. Saturn denies, delays, restricts,
restrains, generally slows down, even cripples at times, the development of
whatever it touches. The purpose of all this denial and restriction is often to
test the validity of what we are doing or what we think we want.
In contrast to Jupiter, which often describes where we feel confident or
where we go to to feel good and to find meaning, Saturn describes the place
where we tend to feel the least comfortable, most fearful, most awkward, and
most vulnerable.
In order to get a feel for Saturn one can reflect on the metal lead, which it
rules. Lead is extremely heavy, dull in appearance, and enduring -- it does not
corrode easily, for which reason it was once used in water pipes and is still
used in roofing. Like lead, Saturn lends an inert, immobile quality to whatever
it touches in the chart. Saturn will also slow down the development of whatever
it touches but it will also insist that that development is thorough and that no
short-cuts are taken. Saturn may appear dull, but it bestows endurance. It
insists that time is taken. Saturn is also concerned with rules and regulations
(again, with doing the 'right' thing), with duty, responsibility and discipline.
Rules and regulations in the wider sense are designed to protect the individual
and society as a whole. Parental laws are also designed to protect the child and
to educate the youngster as to the limitations, constraints, and
responsibilities that living in the material world implies. Overdone though,
discipline makes the child frightened of all forms of authority (within or
without) and unable to express its individuality.
Saturn is traditionally associated with the father and sometimes the mother.
Certainly, Saturn seems to correlate with an internalized image of father and
often with the physical father too. Where any parent or other authority-figure
is meting out discipline they are acting in the role of Saturn. Discipline need
not be negative. Saturn also represents the discovery that if you touch a fire
your fingers will get burnt. Thus Saturn represents authority-figures in
general, as well as our urge to develop self-discipline and self-control.
Difficult Saturn contacts suggest lessons around authority issues; being able to
accept the authority of others or being able to develop it within oneself.
Saturn contacts generally get better as an individual gets older and is
better able to accept that living in the real world does involve living with
fear, constraints and limitations, but that some of these are merely
self-imposed. Saturn is the planet concerned with age and with the taking on of
the responsibilities and duties that we associate with adulthood. Our Saturn
placement and contacts usually have much to say about the way in which we deal
with these duties and responsibilities.
 This
article is excerpted from Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding
Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope ?1989, 2001, 2002, by Sue
Tompkins. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Destiny Books, a division
of Inner Traditions Intl. http://www.innertraditions.com
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About the Author
SUE
TOMPKINS has been a practicing consultant and teacher of astrology since 1981.
She was Director of Schools for the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London
for fifteen years and now operates her own school, the London School of
Astrology. In addition to her independent courses and workshop offerings, she is
a practicing homeopath in central London.
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