March 2009
Limits, Boundaries & Barriers: The Planet Saturn
By Mandi Lockley
In ancient times, Saturn was the most outer known planet and therefore marked the limits of the known Solar System. Hence, astrologically, through history and tradition, Saturn has come to symbolise the concept of limitation on all levels.
All physical barriers come under Saturn’s rulership including our skin, the literal limit of the physical body and the barrier between the self and the not-self, as well as the fences, walls, locked doors and keep out signs which exist to keep unauthorised people out and to defend what is contained within them. By extending the symbolism psychologically, we can see how Saturn has come to represent the limits of our ego consciousness, self-imposed limitations, where we draw our emotional boundaries, where we hit psychological barriers and where we become defensive.
Social barriers and limitations also come under Saturn’s remit, such as those imposed by the long-standing traditions of social hierarchies and class systems and whose purpose are to maintain the status quo for the good of those at the top of the hierarchy.
Rules are also limiting, but are usually enforced for the common good of everyone within a group or society, as are the social codes of conduct which decide by consensus of the group or culture what is and isn’t appropriate social behaviour.
Also, as astrologer Stephen Arroyo says, “Saturn leads us to experience the limitation which is an inherent characteristic of the material world”* which leads to another key meaning of Saturn, which is about substance, base matter, the experience of living in a body on the material plane on planet Earth and the inherent limitations and responsibilities which result. To survive, we have to meet our basic material needs for food, shelter and warmth for ourselves and our dependents. In order to do this, society decrees that we have to work in order to earn money, in order to create and maintain a level of material security. This process by necessity burdens us with duties and responsibilities (another key Saturnian theme) which need to be fulfilled. According to our individual psychology, these duties can make us feel restricted and bound, or, by taking our responsibilities seriously, we can become hard working, disciplined and full of useful purposefulness. But it is not enough to be responsible just for ourselves and our families, we also have a duty to society to uphold the law and pay our taxes in order to maintain the social and economic systems and structures.
Saturn symbolises structures of all kinds: rocks; mountains; buildings; the skeletal system and the minerals; earth; bricks and bones they consist of. Psychologically, it is the urge to maintain and defend our life structure and achievements so we can feel safe and secure. The obstacles we face doing this can seem as mountains which have to be conquered.
Saturn rules the metal lead and is the base matter of alchemy, to be turned into gold. In youth, we do not have the patience for Saturn’s themes because they feel heavy and dull, and they tie use down and restrict our freedom. We want instant gold! However, with age and many years of hard work, effort and perhaps struggle we can accumulate enough maturity, wisdom and experience to find the golden nugget. It may be found in financial security, or the satisfaction of knowing that you have been a good parent, or the crystallization of a long successful career which has enabled you to rise to a position of authority and respect in society.
In mythology, Saturn is associated with the Greek God Kronos, the old ruler of the world and so in astrology Saturn is linked to authority figures. Our dominant parent, in particular our father, represents our first encounter with authority. Our experience of him colours and shapes our attitudes to and experience of the authority figures we meet as we go through life, such as teachers, employers and managers. The natal chart placing and aspects of Saturn will describe how we respond to authority psychologically and later, as we mature and ‘grow into’ our Saturn, it will describe how we are as an authority figure, such as a parent or a boss and how or whether we might become part of the institution. In the end though, the old is always replaced by the new and just as Kronos was eventually dethroned by his young son Zeus so too will we be, symbolically and literally, thus the connection of Saturn to the aging process, to endings and to death.
Kronos is also associated with the old Greek word khronos, meaning time, connecting Saturn to clocks, watches and the passage of time. Psychologically, everything concerning Saturn takes time, lots of time and patience and much hard work. There are no short cuts and you can’t wing it with Saturn like you can with Jupiter. Saturn’s place in our chart highlights the areas of our lives, physically, socially and psychologically where we feel lacking, inadequate, limited and short of confidence. We really have to make the effort in these areas, but if we do we may eventually become an authority or expert in the area that once scared us so much. This is one of Saturn’s rewards and hard won as they are, they cannot be taken away from us.
Astrologer Liz Greene says, “Saturn’s way is the dark, introspective, bitter road through experience”**. Along this dark road we are sure to meet the Shadow, another powerful Saturnian symbol, which in Jungian psychology represents our darker urges, which we deny, disown, repress or project onto to others because we fear they are too socially unacceptable to be exposed. It is possible to master the shadow, but like all things Saturn, there are no fast and easy solutions and the journey may involve pain, deprivation, suffering and depression.
Fear and caution are also major themes of Saturn. Fear makes us cautious and inhibited and prevents us from consciously working with our Shadow, but life has a way of throwing tests at us which reveal our Achilles Heel and make us face our karma. On the psychological level, it is from the most difficult of these tests and challenges that we can learn the most valuable life lessons, just as we hope to gain valuable rewards from the literal tests and exams we sit at school and the ‘testing’ social situations we put ourselves through, all of which are part of Saturn’s symbolism.
In the dictionary, the word saturnine means “having a gloomy temperament, from the gloomy influence attributed to the planet Saturn”, reflecting Saturn’s reputation for bestowing pessimism, negativity, impoverishment and disappointment. But Saturnalia, the ancient Roman festival held in December, was renowned for its revelry and indeed, the person who through perseverance, determination, self control, disciplined hard work and common sense realism has fulfilled their material ambitions, achieved a desirable social status and feels psychologically safe and secure probably has much to celebrate.
Limits, Boundaries & Barriers: The Planet Saturn
By Mandi Lockley
In ancient times, Saturn was the most outer known planet and therefore marked the limits of the known Solar System. Hence, astrologically, through history and tradition, Saturn has come to symbolise the concept of limitation on all levels.
All physical barriers come under Saturn’s rulership including our skin, the literal limit of the physical body and the barrier between the self and the not-self, as well as the fences, walls, locked doors and keep out signs which exist to keep unauthorised people out and to defend what is contained within them. By extending the symbolism psychologically, we can see how Saturn has come to represent the limits of our ego consciousness, self-imposed limitations, where we draw our emotional boundaries, where we hit psychological barriers and where we become defensive.
Social barriers and limitations also come under Saturn’s remit, such as those imposed by the long-standing traditions of social hierarchies and class systems and whose purpose are to maintain the status quo for the good of those at the top of the hierarchy.
Rules are also limiting, but are usually enforced for the common good of everyone within a group or society, as are the social codes of conduct which decide by consensus of the group or culture what is and isn’t appropriate social behaviour.
Also, as astrologer Stephen Arroyo says, “Saturn leads us to experience the limitation which is an inherent characteristic of the material world”* which leads to another key meaning of Saturn, which is about substance, base matter, the experience of living in a body on the material plane on planet Earth and the inherent limitations and responsibilities which result. To survive, we have to meet our basic material needs for food, shelter and warmth for ourselves and our dependents. In order to do this, society decrees that we have to work in order to earn money, in order to create and maintain a level of material security. This process by necessity burdens us with duties and responsibilities (another key Saturnian theme) which need to be fulfilled. According to our individual psychology, these duties can make us feel restricted and bound, or, by taking our responsibilities seriously, we can become hard working, disciplined and full of useful purposefulness. But it is not enough to be responsible just for ourselves and our families, we also have a duty to society to uphold the law and pay our taxes in order to maintain the social and economic systems and structures.
Saturn symbolises structures of all kinds: rocks; mountains; buildings; the skeletal system and the minerals; earth; bricks and bones they consist of. Psychologically, it is the urge to maintain and defend our life structure and achievements so we can feel safe and secure. The obstacles we face doing this can seem as mountains which have to be conquered.
Saturn rules the metal lead and is the base matter of alchemy, to be turned into gold. In youth, we do not have the patience for Saturn’s themes because they feel heavy and dull, and they tie use down and restrict our freedom. We want instant gold! However, with age and many years of hard work, effort and perhaps struggle we can accumulate enough maturity, wisdom and experience to find the golden nugget. It may be found in financial security, or the satisfaction of knowing that you have been a good parent, or the crystallization of a long successful career which has enabled you to rise to a position of authority and respect in society.
In mythology, Saturn is associated with the Greek God Kronos, the old ruler of the world and so in astrology Saturn is linked to authority figures. Our dominant parent, in particular our father, represents our first encounter with authority. Our experience of him colours and shapes our attitudes to and experience of the authority figures we meet as we go through life, such as teachers, employers and managers. The natal chart placing and aspects of Saturn will describe how we respond to authority psychologically and later, as we mature and ‘grow into’ our Saturn, it will describe how we are as an authority figure, such as a parent or a boss and how or whether we might become part of the institution. In the end though, the old is always replaced by the new and just as Kronos was eventually dethroned by his young son Zeus so too will we be, symbolically and literally, thus the connection of Saturn to the aging process, to endings and to death.
Kronos is also associated with the old Greek word khronos, meaning time, connecting Saturn to clocks, watches and the passage of time. Psychologically, everything concerning Saturn takes time, lots of time and patience and much hard work. There are no short cuts and you can’t wing it with Saturn like you can with Jupiter. Saturn’s place in our chart highlights the areas of our lives, physically, socially and psychologically where we feel lacking, inadequate, limited and short of confidence. We really have to make the effort in these areas, but if we do we may eventually become an authority or expert in the area that once scared us so much. This is one of Saturn’s rewards and hard won as they are, they cannot be taken away from us.
Astrologer Liz Greene says, “Saturn’s way is the dark, introspective, bitter road through experience”**. Along this dark road we are sure to meet the Shadow, another powerful Saturnian symbol, which in Jungian psychology represents our darker urges, which we deny, disown, repress or project onto to others because we fear they are too socially unacceptable to be exposed. It is possible to master the shadow, but like all things Saturn, there are no fast and easy solutions and the journey may involve pain, deprivation, suffering and depression.
Fear and caution are also major themes of Saturn. Fear makes us cautious and inhibited and prevents us from consciously working with our Shadow, but life has a way of throwing tests at us which reveal our Achilles Heel and make us face our karma. On the psychological level, it is from the most difficult of these tests and challenges that we can learn the most valuable life lessons, just as we hope to gain valuable rewards from the literal tests and exams we sit at school and the ‘testing’ social situations we put ourselves through, all of which are part of Saturn’s symbolism.
In the dictionary, the word saturnine means “having a gloomy temperament, from the gloomy influence attributed to the planet Saturn”, reflecting Saturn’s reputation for bestowing pessimism, negativity, impoverishment and disappointment. But Saturnalia, the ancient Roman festival held in December, was renowned for its revelry and indeed, the person who through perseverance, determination, self control, disciplined hard work and common sense realism has fulfilled their material ambitions, achieved a desirable social status and feels psychologically safe and secure probably has much to celebrate.
© Mandi Lockley 2009
*Astrology, Karma and Transformation, Stephen Arroyo, page 73
**New Insights in Modern Astrology, Liz Greene, page 96
**New Insights in Modern Astrology, Liz Greene, page 96
