Saturn in the Complete Horoscope

The Indicator of Somber Duty in Classical Astrology

The demanding duty towards past and present,
honor, its toll and limits,
what tradition insists upon.

Saturn is the outermost planet that can be seen with the naked eye, so it has been known and studied for ages. In astrology, it stands for sinister things: tradition, the merciless intervention of fate, the unavoidable and the decisive.

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The god that it got its name from was a cruel creature, indeed. Saturn castrated his father and ate his children. The planet's astrological traits are not that terrible, but the planet is regarded with some awe in the horoscope.

Mainly, it stands for duty and tradition — what is passed on from generation to generation, just because that's how it has to be.

Saturn takes almost 30 years to complete its orbit around the sun, and to traverse the twelve signs of the Zodiac. So, it stays for about 2,5 years in each sign. Therefore, people born in the same year pretty much share the same Saturn position, which means that they share moral values and have a similar sense of duty. Of course, other ingredients in their horoscopes vary, so they can still express their Saturn quite differently.

Saturn in the Zodiac

Here are short descriptions of how each Zodiac sign influences Saturn, your basic values and sense of duty, when that's where it is in your natal chart.

Aries brings a demanding attitude and intolerance.

Taurus brings conservatism and fixed values.

Gemini brings some confusion as to what are lasting values, and a keen capacity to negotiate.

Cancer brings a love for the ways of the past and for the bloodline, also some angst.

Leo brings a sense of importance, and determination to reach one's goals.

Virgo brings a strong conviction of the necessity to strive for perfection.

Libra brings a very firm and usually conservative moral, and unwillingness to tolerate any deviation from it.

Scorpio brings strange morals, or none, and many complications.

Sagittarius brings a loyalty towards the future, and not towards the past.

Capricorn brings a grim and focused mind, set on duty and on doing what must be done.

Aquarius brings serenity and a tendency to take everything very seriously.

Pisces brings confusion about values and duty, and some angst because of it.

Saturn and its glyph.
Saturn and its astrological glyph.

Keywords

Here are the twelve Zodiac signs, and keywords for the character they give to Saturn, i.e. your basic values and sense of duty. Some of these words are quite strong, but they should be understood as indications only:

Aries provocative

Taurus conservative

Gemini reasonable

Cancer protective

Leo egoistic

Virgo critical

Libra fanatic

Scorpio threatening

Sagittarius revolutionary

Capricorn authoritarian

Aquarius traditional

Pisces alienated

Saturn, by Beham.
Saturn and its traits. Woodcut by Hans Sebald Beham, from the 1530s.

Ruler

Saturn rules over Capricorn, the sign of ambition, which means that it tends to be the most obvious and enforced in this sign. It might be said to exalt in Aquarius, the sign of somber contemplation. It fits the best in cardinal and fixed signs, and prefers the elements earth and air over fire and water. In fire signs, it can become dreadful. It is likely to be frustrated in Pisces, which can lead to severe complications.

Saturn (Cronus) devouring his child, by Francisco de Goya, c. 1815.

Planet age

Each of the heavenly bodies represents a period in your life of about seven years. In the case of Saturn it is the period of adult life where we have reached the height of our careers, and enjoy the respect of others. A time of authority and settlement.

That's approximately when we're 42 to 49 years old, but it can last another ten years or so — because we normally live much longer than our ancestors.

The Planets

Here are the planets and other celestial points used in astrology, with links to the webpage of each:

Planets and Celestial Points

Sun

Mars

Neptune

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