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.
     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.

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

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 (Chronos) 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.


© Stefan Stenudd, 2008