Saturn Transits
Saturn Transits: Predictive Astrology – Techniques for Predicting the Future
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Overview:
Saturn takes about 28-29 years to come full circle. Therefore, every 7 years or so, Saturn will transit conjunct, square, or opposite a natal point. When that natal point is an intensely personal planet or point (such as the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus, or Mars), we feel its effects in an intensely personal way.
Saturn transits and cycles can be considered cycles of achievement and maturity. These periods in our lives can truly feel like lessons. Everything is slowed down–we encounter delays, frustrations, and pressures. But these times also challenge us to face reality, thereby offering us much wisdom and even freedom.
We often make significant decisions during Saturn’s hard transits to our personal planets. These transits slow life down (or at least, that is how we perceive it) and make us live our lives in the present. Although Saturn transits can make life feel like a drudgery (these are often times when our lives seem to move at a snail’s pace and advancements are hard to see), they also give us the opportunity to gain inner strength, to become more responsible for what we do and say, and to cut out waste.
Saturn transits can also be considered times of conservation in whatever area of life that Saturn is affecting. We generally build up our reserves and conserve our energy during these periods.
Some common real-life events that Saturn transits to personal points are associated with include delays and little but irksome problems. Things break down, our needs often go unmet by others, we often feel misunderstood and even left out, we tend to find others harsh and unsympathetic (although this is often a perception thing – we, in fact, may be lacking a sense of humor), and we often feel burdened or put upon.
Saturn transits teach us to take responsibility for ourselves. At the outset of a Saturn transit, we might feel like the world is a cold place. If we are mature, we will at some point come to the realization that we cannot always pass blame for our lives. We need to reach within and pull out our own inner strength — to rely on ourselves.
Depression, therefore, can be a byproduct of heavy Saturn transits. However, if we focus our energies into meaningful endeavors without pushing too hard for recognition or support from others, we can fight the inclination towards gloom and doom.
When we find ourselves facing great odds or loss during Saturn transits, we must remember that these things are happening because we did not plan or prepare properly. Saturn reminds us of reality and the need for greater self-discipline. Re-organizing the area of life represented by the house or personal point that Saturn is “hitting” can lead to great rewards.
Remember that Saturn transits do not flatten us by all means. Instead, they slow us down, make us live in the here and now, keep us from taking unnecessary risks, and help us to build and structure our lives in ways that will reap rewards down the road.
Saturn identifies the weakest links in our lives and it is these weak links or foundations that are tested under Saturn’s transits.
Saturn transits generally last months, and there is typically a noticeable pattern involved. The eventual goal is to reach a realistic, balanced, and mature state regarding the areas of life affected by Saturn’s transit. It seems necessary for many of us to swing to a negative, overly critical, judgmental, and narrow outlook before arriving at this state of balance.
Self-pity and withdrawal might be part of the process at the beginning. Inner strength might be drawn from this extreme swing, as we come to realize that it’s really not as bad as it first appeared to be. We are shedding ourselves of self-delusions during Saturn transits, and this process occurs in stages and can take some time.
It is interesting to consider the transits and themes that ran through our lives before our Saturn transits. If we were riding high during a high-speed Uranus transit just before Saturn “hit”, this period can mark a significant time in our lives when we “pay” for the risks we may have taken during that Uranus phase.
If Saturn transits come shortly after a Jupiter-themed period in our lives, we may feel particularly hard hit as well. Perhaps the Jupiter period has lead us to overspend or ignore our basics; and then Saturn moves in to “correct” that situation and to force us to face our personal realities. Life is not, in fact, all fun and games. We have to work and save–and that is what Saturn teaches us. Thus, it is helpful to consider the context of the individual’s recent and past experiences when considering how Saturn transits might affect him/her.
Besides considering the nature of the personal planet or point that Saturn is transiting, we should also look to the position of transiting Saturn by house, the zodiac signs involved, and the condition of the personal planet/point itself.
If the personal planet/point happens to be our chart ruler (that is, it rules our Ascendant), we may experience particularly powerful events and circumstances, for example. If our natal Sun and Moon are in hard aspect to each other, then Saturn transits will be impacting both personal points at the same time. If transiting Saturn is making a hard aspect with a stellium of planets (for example, if it is squaring your natal Sun conjunct Uranus and Pluto), then we will be experiencing a more complex set of circumstances and attitudes that might have a greater impact than if the personal point alone was affected.
Keys to Handling Saturn Transits:
Saturn teaches us about the value of moderation and caution. Perhaps the best way to “handle” hard Saturn transits to personal planets and points is to avoid fighting these lessons. Accept that, at this time in your life, things may move at a slower speed (even a snail’s pace). Saturn wants us to work hard, put our energies into practical, useful, and meaningful projects, and to live in the here and now.
This period in your life is a time for building a solid foundation. Understand that moderation at this point in your life is necessary for your spiritual growth and your physical body as well. Avoid blaming others for where you are at now–doing this will only lead to feelings of melancholy and anger.
Know that this period in your life, while temporary, is a time for learning about your personal limits as well as your inner strength. Carry these lessons as you move beyond this phase, because how you handle your life now will make all the difference the next time (7 years later) Saturn makes a hard aspect to the same planet or point in your chart.
Saturn in Transit to Personal Planets
References & suggested further reading:**
Saturn in Transit: Boundaries of Mind,… by Erin Sullivan. This book is heavy reading, but powerful and insightful.
Astrology, Karma & Transformation: The… by Stephen Arroyo. Excellent work. Deals with natal positions, synastry, and transits in relation to karma and spiritual growth.
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