Saturn in Scorpio 2012 to 2015: Saturn Transits

What Saturn's transit through Scorpio means to you...

Saturn Transits: General

Saturn transits and cycles can be considered cycles of achievement and maturity. When Saturn forms a hard aspect to a personal point in our chart, we might feel that everything is slowed down--we encounter delays, frustrations, and pressures. But these times also challenge us to face reality, thereby opening ourselves up to increased wisdom and the freedom that comes with living in truth.

Significant decisions are often made during Saturn's hard transits to our personal planets. These transits slow life down (or at least, that is how we perceive it) and force us to 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 or excesses in our lives. Basically, what happens is a form of paring or slimming down in the area of life affected by Saturn. We are getting rid of things in our lives that are not working for us in the real world, and focusing on improving and strengthening the things that do serve a useful purpose.

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. Delays and little but irksome problems might be experienced. 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 the problems in our lives. We need to reach within and pull out our own inner strength -- to rely on ourselves.

Depression 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 a gloom-and-doom attitude. 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 completely flatten us, by all means. Instead, they slow us down, force us to 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 benefit us later.

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 we've been experiencing heavy Neptune transits, then this can be a particularly disillusioning time. 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 our recent and past experiences when considering how Saturn transits might affect us.

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, 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.

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's Transit Through Scorpio: General Influences

While Saturn transited Libra from late 2009 until October 2012, our one-to-one committed relationships came up for inspection. We took a more serious, critical look at these relationships, and imbalances were more difficult to tolerate. With Saturn in Scorpio, we dig more deeply into the dynamics of our relationships. Saturn demands simplicity, definition, realism, and truth wherever it touches our charts.

When it comes to our closest relationships, we are likely to question their power dynamics and the level of intimacy we have attained. We may be more difficult to please in our close relationships, but the "assessments" we make now are in reality important ones. Partnerships require work, as we learned while Saturn transited Libra, but now the work goes deeper. Are we trying to control our partner instead of putting faith in the relationship?

We might aim to control our behavior and moods, preferring to give off an image of calm, cool, and collected. We can struggle with revealing our dependencies and vulnerabilities with this position of Saturn. The challenge will be releasing our fears and anxieties and expressing them without fear that we may be giving up our power in so doing. By denying our dependencies, we restrict ourselves. Saturn might require us to let go of one or more dependencies on others, a source of financial support, or an addiction. While this may initially feel extremely uncomfortable, ultimately we in fact gain a sense of personal empowerment.

The kind of love we may have sought while Saturn was in Libra may now feel too mechanical, impersonal, and detached. Whether or not true intimacy exists between partners will be called up for inspection during this cycle. Simply being close, spending time with one another, and sharing activities side by side may have previously given us an illusion of intimacy. Saturn in Scorpio will expose these illusions and perhaps leave us wanting for a more penetrating closeness with a partner.

Fears of rejection, of giving up control, and of sharing ourselves are things we are likely to explore or face now.

On a personal level, circumstances are such that how we deal with crisis, intense moments, and feeling powerless or helpless comes up for inspection. Facing feelings of hurt, loss, rejection, and grief instead of glossing over these things can help us to better manage our anger, which is frequently a defense mechanism designed to take us away from feeling these things at a deep level.

Saturn's transit through Scorpio presents a very strong period for dissecting and studying the unconscious/subconscious, and for seeing how deep-rooted fears and patterns control our lives. It's also a strong period for dealing with and eventually mastering our addictions.

Restrictions we experience through our debts to others can be magnified, and these can be material, moral, or emotional debts. Saturn's presence in Scorpio can help us to structure, organize, and make sense out of these debts.

Liberation only comes when we learn to overcome our fears of dependency and helplessness, but first we must feel them at a raw level. The process is unlikely to be straightforward, quick, or easy.

Saturn is now in mutual reception with Pluto (Saturn rules Capricorn, and Pluto is in Capricorn; Pluto rules Scorpio, and Saturn is now in Scorpio). As well, Saturn harmonizes with Pluto via a sextile aspect first on December 26th, 2012, then on March 8th, 2013, and then again on September 21st, 2013. This boosts Saturn in Scorpio's power and ability to behave in more positive, growth-oriented ways. Saturn's lessons are more digestible. There can be a natural feeling that deep-seated change is good and necessary. Liberation comes from accepting that we need to let go of certain elements of the past in order to move forward.

The Saturn in Scorpio-Pluto in Capricorn connection can also help us to more clearly understand the long-term benefits of denying certain excessive behaviors in the present. This can help us to conquer some of our addictions, and also our debt. Borrowing from the future and the denial that goes along with it is not as tolerable under this influence, and in fact can become quite uncomfortable.

Saturn does invoke a craving for the qualities of whatever sign it inhabits or planet it touches. In Scorpio, we will be craving intimacy and depth of experience, but it will take some time to get there. Saturn slows things down to a near-stall, and this can be agonizing if we are impatient or desirous of instant results. Saturn takes its time, and this is a good thing. We can get to a healthy, balanced place only if we take our time doing so.

Initially we can experience reluctance to give up our power. With Saturn, a desire to gain control is present, and some of us might attempt to control an "other", but it's a tendency we should try to avoid. Even if we don't consciously attempt to avoid this kind of behavior, circumstances will be such that these behaviors are punished in some way, or at the very least, we will soon realize that there is no reward for them. Eventually and ideally, we understand that it is only ourselves who we can control.

The more negative expressions of the sign of Scorpio, such as manipulative and jealous or controlling behavior, are things that won't work for us now. These become glaring under Saturn's stern eye. In some manner, we are bound to see that there is a big price to pay for these behaviors. For example, if jealousy or fear of loss or betrayal has brought us to a point where we are spending a lot of time obsessing, stalking, or devising schemes in our relationships, we may lose our relationships, or it will become extremely clear that we have lost time, energy, and happiness in the process.

We're likely to deal with issues of blame in our relationships. If we are blaming an existing partner for our unhappiness in the relationship, we're going to learn that we have to take back, or re-own, responsibility for our own happiness.

Saturn demands definitions, structures, and commitments. But for many of us, as soon as something is defined, structured, or committed, we might feel caged, trapped, or limited. Saturn in Scorpio, with some help from Pluto in Capricorn, can teach us that there is freedom and liberation in abiding by certain rules, and in some level of self-denial. This is a time for making clear choices and decisions, for weeding out what isn't working for us, and for letting go of lost causes.

Saturn's transit of Scorpio can help us to take steps towards self-mastery and self-empowerment by tackling and mastering things that undermine us and that take away our power, such as compulsive behaviors, addictions, and large debts. We can learn that changes and endings are necessary for growth, and for a better future. We can work on developing our depth of character and our sense of purpose. Saturn in Scorpio can help us to see that experiencing intense feelings can actually lead us toward healing and eventual empowerment. We can learn to manage our shared resources with a partner in a healthier manner. We can let go of unhealthy dependencies and also recognize those dependencies that are natural and necessary. We can more easily pinpoint the things in our lives that make us feel out of control, such as addictions and debts, and work on freeing ourselves of these emotional burdens. We might see more clearly what we are truly lacking that leads us to behave compulsively or to become addicted to substitutes. One of Scorpio's "lessons" involves learning to dig deeper into the mysteries around us instead of always being content with status quo. Taking the time to understand others' motives can enrich our feelings of intimacy, forgiveness, and sense of meaning. Scorpio also teaches us that dedication to one meaningful relationship or undertaking can be significantly more satisfying than spreading ourselves around. Here, "quality over quantity" applies. We might want to use this cycle to work on focusing on and developing one special project or relationship in order to help add purposefulness and depth to our lives.

Saturn in Scorpio and the Signs of the Zodiac: Horoscopes

In a general sense, this is how Saturn's transit through Scorpio affects the different Sun signs (or, more appropriately, Ascendant signs):

Aries

Saturn rules your professional and public image or reputation sector in your solar chart, and its presence in your solar eighth house can indicate that professional success right now is dependent on how well you can effect change and transformation in yourself and in others, as well as how well you manage others' resources.

How do you handle power? Your desire nature? Intimate relationships? What kind of obsessions and addictions do you have? What are your deep-rooted compulsions? What are your unhealthy attachments? With Saturn transiting your eighth house, you are aiming to answer these questions truthfully and honestly. At the beginning of the transit, you may be especially sensitive to what seems like outer world pressures that force you to examine and question some of your deepest desires and attachments. These include your sexual relationships, your finances (especially with regards to debts, obligations, and shared finances), and your need for control.

Sometimes, Saturn transiting the eighth highlights sexual dysfunctions, whether we encounter these in ourselves or in our partners. We may face difficulties satisfying our libido and/or encounter problems with intimacy. These pressures are "designed" to make us more aware of our desire nature, and what exactly it is we want. Dissatisfaction and frustrations getting what you want, especially with reference to relationships with others and with your financial resources, may be felt now. Support from others may be lacking in some manner, and this can be felt on intimate and/or financial levels.

You may find that previous methods of controlling your environment and the people in your lives simply are not effective any more. You may not even be aware of how you have been employing power and control to date. Now is the time to get in touch.

Another realm over which the eighth house reigns is our mortality. With Saturn here, we become much more aware of our mortality. Just as Saturn transits to our Sun or Ascendant make us more conscious of our age, Saturn transiting the eighth house often brings with it a realization that our time will one day come. Of course, we know this as a fact at the back of our minds, but Saturn reminds us.

It's a good time to organize your finances. If you don't, Saturn will most likely find ways to force you to do just that. For example, there may be a loss of one form of income, or insecurity about same. Financial obligations to others might feel especially burdensome now. It's a good time to consolidate debts, and work on a plan to reduce debt.

Dealing with deep-seated fears, anger, resentment, and grief may be necessary during this cycle.

You might face some of your fears that are of a compulsive nature—those fears that lead you to believe that you need certain things in order to survive. Take a small example of a superstition. Perhaps we perform some kind of small ritual that we feel will help protect us or give us good luck. If we do it often enough, it becomes an addiction. We are afraid that if we don't do this little ritual, we will set ourselves up for bad luck. If we get rid of this superstition, we feel stronger. Something as simple as a superstition or ritual for good luck can undermine us. Why? Because we are giving away our power over ourselves to this compulsive behavior! We are denying that we have power over our own lives. The same is true of any form of compulsive behavior and addiction. We attempt to control our lives through these behaviors, but what we are really doing is letting the addictions control us. When we give in to compulsive behaviors, we give up self-control, and guilt undermines our lives. We are not ourselves. By attempting to control others, we give away our own power. Towards the end of the transit, you may have eliminated some deep-seated habits and attachments that have been preventing you from feeling emotionally free. You emerge healthier and stronger. You may have nixed some of your addictions and superstitions. You might feel more powerful because you have given up attempting to control things you cannot or should not control, and you will have gained a healthy feeling of self-mastery.

Taurus

Saturn is now transiting your solar seventh house. Significant relationships with others are the focus, as well as the mirror relationships with others provides into your own personality. Saturn motivates us to do "spring cleaning" in the areas of life he touches, and one-to-one relationships will need to be considered and understood during this transit. Relationship tests are likely. Saturn looks for any weak links and exposes them. Either you have to let go of relationships built on weak foundations, or work on strengthening them.

This is a cycle in which you need to define, understand, and crystallize your significant relationships with others. If you already have a partner, this is a time when any issues surrounding compromise, flexibility, and the ability to give your heart to your partner will surface. Initial frustration can take the form of feeling criticized and "examined" in this area of life. By the end of the transit, however, you will have learned much about commitment and compromise. The amount of satisfaction you are deriving from your relationship, the quality of the relationship itself, and how you view your partner are all things that you are examining now. Disillusionment is a possibility, as you are seeing your relationship without rose-colored glasses now. I am tempted to say you are now seeing your relationship for what it is, which is true in a sense, but do remember that flaws are very much in focus, and your perspective may be skewed a little towards the negative before you reach a more balanced and realistic point.

For those of you who are single, the initial pressures of Saturn transiting the seventh house can create a feeling of loneliness. You might feel a void in your life now, and ache for a true equal in a partner. Although this is possible in either situation (whether you have a significant partnership or not), instead of an issue of re-committing, you will be examining your need for partnership. If involved in a casual love relationship, when Saturn transits the seventh, you might feel an urge (or pressure) to make a commitment or a re-definition of your bond.

Healthy partnerships can be the outcome, whether they are new ones or strengthened existing partnerships. Saturn always brings with him a fair measure of reality and objectivity, so that whatever relationships you have will be defined and re-defined. Relationships are seen now as serious things. Partners are no longer "fun and games" or simply mirrors of your ego. Responsibilities to partners, the need to compromise, and the realities of the needs of others, become clear. You are forced to begin seeing others as individuals, and to improve the manner in which you relate to and with others. Some of you will be leaving partnerships behind, and others will be making a commitment.

Depending on your age and life circumstances, "significant partnerships" can mean partnerships with loved ones, business partnerships, and even deep friendships. You might begin to view casual friendships as superficial and unsatisfying, and want more. Essentially, quantity (in the relationship department) is replaced with quality, and this process involves time, soul-searching, frustration, and, ideally, eventual fulfillment.

You might also find less time for socializing during this cycle, perhaps due to relationship stresses, but also because you are more serious than usual about your interpersonal relationships and have a hard time swallowing superficiality.

As this transit progresses, you are likely to discover your true needs from partnerships, as well as what you can realistically give to a partner.

At some point while Saturn moves through the sign of Scorpio, Saturn will oppose your Sun (or Ascendant). You might encounter opposition or resistance to your personal plans and goals, which forces you to re-evaluate your current projects or commitments. Some might need to be left behind. A maturation process is now in progress, and although this might not be immediately clear, changes you make now will make your life simpler, easier, and healthier later on.

During this cycle, dear Taurus, be sure to identify and "own" the role that you play in your relationships. Face complex emotions in your relationships without glossing over them or dismissing them as "not your problem". Be fearless when facing the roots of any problems that emerge now.

Gemini

While Saturn transited Libra since 2009, your romantic relationships, as well as relationships with your children if appropriate, have been put to the test. You've made significant changes to these relationships, left behind a romance, or strengthened your stance on how you derive pleasure from your life. This happened because Saturn was moving through your solar fifth house.

Now that it's behind you, Saturn turns his critical eye on matters of the sixth house, and you are likely to feel a certain level of pressure in the areas of work, daily functions, habits, and health.

At the beginning of the transit, you might find yourself more accountable than ever when it comes to your work. You may initially feel bogged down by what seems like undue pressure in your routines. The key word here is "seems", simply because the nature of Saturn is such that the pressure it brings is never truly undue. In fact, Saturn knows better than us, and it is in reality very much "due". Why? Because things we may have previously neglected or disregarded now need to be faced, managed, and handled responsibly.

How can you make best use of your time? How can you manage your day-to-day life, and your body, more effectively? These are questions that demand answers now. Saturn pressures here make you acutely aware of all of the "fluff" that you have surrounding your daily routines and your work. Spring cleaning is now in order!

This is an excellent time for starting new regimens to better your health and well-being, such as regular exercise, more structured and productive use of your time, and so forth. Organizing your work space is appropriate, and so is re-organizing your daily schedule. In fact, you might be faced with life events that force you to restructure these things, or at least provide you with the motivation to get your act together.

Traditionally, this transit was associated with health problems. Generally, though, if health concerns manifest, they are ones that are manageable. They signal the need for change in diet, routines, and habits. By the end of the transit, you will likely have learned to be more productive and efficient, to live in a healthier manner, and to be considerably more focused.

Especially while Saturn sextiles Pluto, from December 2012 to September 2013, but also to some degree for the entire transit, you have increased motivation and determination to kick bad habits and routines.

Cancer

With Saturn, the realist, moving through the house of creative power in your chart, you might initially feel limited by a seeming lack of internal "spark" or "spunk". As the transit progresses, you will gain a stronger sense of what motivates you, and how to best express yourself creatively. How you entertain yourself, how you have fun, and issues surrounding how you manage your ego are now coming up for "inspection". By the end of the transit, ideally you will have a stronger sense of purpose, and a re-worked ego.

What makes you unique? How do you handle pride? What are your creative talents? Have you worked hard enough to feel good about "playing hard"? These are issues you will face during the course of this transit. By the time Saturn enters the sixth house, you should have a solid sense of what makes you different than others, and a realistic and concrete belief in your own creative talents.

Many people go through a period of re-evaluation of their talents with this transit—how they have perhaps wasted them to date, and how they can express themselves in a more practical, useful manner. Some of you might be turning your hobbies and pastimes into businesses.

The fifth house is also associated with love and attention received from others, as well as romantic relationships or more casual love affairs. Issues you will face during this time include how "deserving" you are of special attention from others. Initially, you may feel unloved, and perhaps somewhat neglected or ignored. As you learn the lessons of this transit, you should learn to love yourself and take pride in yourself. Looking outside of yourself for "ego strokes" (whether through romance or other such "applause") may prove to be fruitless. You will learn through the course of this transit to depend on yourself and to take pride in yourself for what you really are, not only how others see you. You will be less dependent on others for applause and ego stroking.

Romantic relationships might be tested during this time. You might feel too much pressure coming from your casual love affairs, for example, or the flaws in an existing romance seem to be screaming out at you. For some of you, a romance might end. If it does, it's likely because it truly didn't fulfill you and had to go. For others, a romantic relationship is strengthened after undergoing some tests and adjustments. What you want from a romance, as well as what you are realistically capable of giving back to a romantic relationship, will be clear towards the end of this transit.

The fifth house also rules your own children, and more specifically, your first child. Some of you might be giving birth to your first child, and dealing with the time constraints and increased responsibilities associated with this new set-up. Others might be encountering difficulties with discipline or increased demands from children. The need for more discipline and organization when it comes to managing children may be in order now. Commitment or re-commitment to time spent with and for children is a theme.

At some point during Saturn's stay in Scorpio, Saturn will form a trine to your Sun (or Ascendant). During this trine, you feel more comfortable with who you are. Because you have a more mature grasp of our own capabilities, you project a more responsible, perhaps serious, and self-assured personality to others. You may be more open to receiving grounded, practical advice, and benefit from humbly learning from others. Your life seems more stable during this time period, likely because you are able to look at yourself in a realistic and reasonable manner, and because you are less vulnerable to self-delusions. One of the major sources of stress and guilt in our lives stems from uncertainty. We might want to stop to think about how much stress comes from overestimating our capabilities or standards and inevitably failing to meet them. Things nag at the back of our minds. Saturn offers us realism, and with his trine to your Sun, you see yourself and your capabilities more clearly and realistically. This transit tends to reduce uncertainty and offers a welcome reprieve from feelings of guilt and fear. At this time in your life, you know what your responsibilities are, and you meet them.

From October forward, you have an interesting exchange going on in your solar chart. The ruler of your 7th house is in the 5th and the rule of your 5th house is in the 7th. The 7th is your partnership sector and rules committed, one-to-one relationships; while the 5th house rules more casual romantic relationships (amongst other things). Not only that, these rulers, Pluto and Saturn, form a harmonious aspect to one another in December. In 2010, these planets were squaring each other, and this may have caused some confusion about commitment in love relationships. Towards the end of 2012, you'll be sorting this out. You may be able to find solutions for combining the positive elements of casual romances and committed partnerships. Things are looking very good for love relationships in this last quarter of the year.

Leo

Saturn's transit through Scorpio is bound to be a significant cycle for you. It marks a time of considerable inner "re-working". In terms of outward signs of achievement, this transit may be one of the most unremarkable of all the Saturn transits. However, near the end of the transit, and certainly later than that, you will recognize this stage as a critical one in which you made some life-changing personal and psychological advances and developments.

During this cycle, you are working on solidifying your identity--exploring your roots (where you came from)--so that when Saturn begins its transit through the fifth house years down the road, you will be ready to differentiate yourself from others and embark on some important work on your ego. For now, however, you will face issues surrounding your attachments to the past. Sometimes this manifests as literal re-organization of your home. Moving house is not associated with this transit as it would if, for example, Uranus were the transiting planet. If moves are made, you might encounter some resistance in yourself to make that change.

This is not a time when you feel particularly brave in the outer world. However, reorganization in your home, and more importantly, in your soul, embodies the true nature of this transit. Many will go through a major "spring cleaning" inside. Limitations that came from early family conditioning will be brought to the fore. Responsibilities to family and to maintaining your home might be increased, or more likely, you are more aware of them and how they are affecting your life, and possibly you are beginning to view these responsibilities as burdensome. At first, there may be some frustration with your life to date, and how you have limited your opportunities because of early conditioning. A feeling of being alone and unsupported in life may dominate the early stages of this transit. There may be some delays and slowdowns experienced in the areas of health, mobility, and career. As Saturn moves closer to the fifth house, a feeling of some kind of mastery will empower you. This is a strong period for re-organizing and restructuring your home life. The goal should be to build your sense of family, security, and comfort.

At some point during Saturn's movement through Scorpio, Saturn will be transiting square your Sun (or Ascendant). During this time, you may experience some form of disillusionment with regards to an important person in your life, with an authority figure, or regarding plans that are met with some form of resistance. You may feel "left out", blocked from advancing in your chosen life path, and lacking in energy and confidence. Ego boosts don't seem to be forthcoming, or if they are, you don't see them in such a light. Some sort of buckling down is necessary at this time, and you might perceive limitations as coming from other people or from "unlucky" circumstances. Financial blocks are quite possible at this time, especially if the Sun is associated with the second or eighth house by position or rulership. Physically, this may be a rather low period when you don't have that extra "oomph" or drive to accomplish more than what is already on your plate. You might be looking at your physical body in a more realistic manner, although you might also be focusing on the flaws too heavily. You might also be questioning your own worth, again finding many flaws that you may have previously glossed over. Instead of bemoaning the way you've lived your life to date, get to work on making improvements. Improvements will not come overnight, but a slow and steady approach will bring rewards later. A general feeling of "slowdown" is likely, and if regular tasks seem more overwhelming than usual, it is likely due to poor spirits and lack of motivation. Sometimes, this transit is associated with problems with the teeth, bones in general, and the skin. It is also associated with mechanical breakdowns in your life. However, these generally happen because you haven't been managing your life effectively, and Saturn calls upon you to identify the weaker areas of your life, and to fix or strengthen them.

This can also be a strong time for your work. You can be especially determined to work hard.

Virgo

Saturn is now transiting your solar third house. Saturn is inspecting how you network with people around you and how you gain and disseminate information. A new kind of pressure is produced--one that centers around your skills set, mental output, and communication. You may feel pressure to produce ideas, and to make them work.

A certain somberness in your outlook may be characteristic of this phase, and it may be a time of worry. It may seem like acquaintances and sometimes siblings are blocking your growth in some manner, and these relationships may be strained as a result. Although you have a desire to make contacts, you are now rather preoccupied with learning, and you may view idle chit-chat as a waste of time. Others might find you a tad distant or simply not as available as you used to be. Some shyness or stiffness is possible in your daily interactions. Positively, you are more able to come across as an authority in the work that you do, or in your communications.

You may feel an unusual pressure to structure your time and effort, and to cut out communication that seems unnecessary. You may at times feel rather overwhelmed by such things as errands, red tape, paperwork, and other such day-to-day "disruptions". As Saturn moves closer to your fourth house, there may be some vague feeling of urgency and worry, as if you sense some things in your life are closing. By the end of the transit, however, you will have ideally gained a greater depth of understanding, having focused on information and communication that you really can use to feel more effective in the world.

This is a good time for organized learning in the form of taking courses and finding solid and useful ways to improve your skills. Lack of skills or proper training may be something you're focusing on during this transit. You might also feel that you are not as effective in your communications, and it's a good idea to find ways to improve your communications skills. If you are involved in courses or other training programs, you might feel unsatisfied with these, and you might desire more depth or stimulation.

At some point during Saturn's stay in the sign of Scorpio, he forms a harmonious sextile to your Sun (or Ascendant). Strengthened relationships with authority figures or older people in your life may play a supportive role in your life now, largely due to your own humbler attitude. The work you do and the responsibilities you take on provide you with a solid sense of purpose. Because you have a more mature grasp of our own capabilities, you project a more responsible, perhaps serious, and self-assured personality to others. You are able to look at yourself in a realistic and reasonable manner, and you are less vulnerable to self-delusions. One of the major sources of stress and guilt in our lives stems from uncertainty. We might want to stop to think about how much stress comes from overestimating our capabilities and responsibilities, and inevitably failing to meet them. Things nag at the back of our minds. Saturn offers us realism, and with his sextile to your Sun, you see yourself and your capabilities more clearly and realistically. At this time in your life, you know what your responsibilities are, and you meet them.

This can also be a strong period for communicating with children and with lovers, for marketing a skill or a hobby, and for monetizing a communications project.

Libra

Saturn leaving your sign does take some pressure off your life. You are likely to feel freer in self-expression, and certainly more mature than you were before Saturn's movement through Libra.

While a certain level of introspection marked the Saturn transit of the first house, Saturn's movement into the second house marks a new stage of taking stock of your effectiveness, self-worth, and finances. This stage of your life is a practical one. Financial success may not be remarkable, yet it is generally steady, if slow to come by.

This transit has traditionally been associated with financial loss, but in truth, it is more about our perceptions--you are apt to review how effective you have been on a financial level to date, and find some dissatisfaction with your progress. In fact, gains may be slow, but sudden reversals are not common with this transit. The purpose of this transit is for you to make the connection between your own feelings of self-worth and what you produce in the real world/get back from the real world.

As with all Saturn transits, at the outset, you might reach out and look for validation from the outside world and from others, and find something lacking in so doing. The initial sense of feeling unsupported can be discouraging (many of us think on the lines of: "I work so hard, and what do I get for all this hard work?"), but as the transit progresses, you learn to look inside of yourself with a newfound clarity and realism, and ideally draw up considerable strength from within. You work on your effectiveness in the world, and see exactly what has been holding you back from achieving the results you want. The challenge here is to capture the newly found and defined self-confidence you gained from the first house transit, and now apply it in the real world. You are worth something, and you deserve compensation for what you do. While you may not feel this right away, you are working towards a more responsible attitude towards making a living, feeling secure, and feeling worthy.

Use this transit for getting yourself onto solid financial ground. Make budgets, examine the ways you spend money, and eliminate wasteful practices and attitudes. If you've been living on credit--borrowing from your future--Saturn will make it known in some way that this attitude is unhealthy, and these habits need to change. It's time to be more conservative with your money, and feel good about doing so.

This can be a good time for making significant home improvements, for investing in a home, and for organizing your domestic life.

Scorpio

Saturn is transiting your all-important first house. The first house rules our personal identity. During this transit, you concern yourself with how you come across to others on a personal level. Your physical body becomes a focus as well. It may be a time when you feel the weight of your age, or it is a time when you see your body quite clearly instead of seeing what you want to see. As a result, it's an excellent time for beginning health regimens, diets, and the like.

Your outlook on life changes as you adopt a more serious, mature, and responsible attitude. In the beginning stages of the transit, you may feel lacking in self-confidence and frustrated with yourself. You might reach out to others in an attempt to validate yourself, looking for ways to boost your confidence. When these attempts fail, you may feel temporarily let down and discouraged. Rest assured that Saturn will re-work these feelings, with your help of course, until you reach a point (as Saturn moves through the house) where you have a stronger sense of self. This transit acts to transform your self-confidence in such a way that you question the source of your confidence to date, and discover a more solid base for pulling up inner strength and thus true confidence. Saturn here acts to rip away the superficial. Illusions about the self, the body, and personal abilities will no longer be tolerated. You may no longer be comfortable with any superficial mannerisms that may have carried you to date. You might decide to slim down or simplify your approach to the world, and perhaps slim down your body as well! The end result is a newfound identity and a realistic understanding of yourself.

In terms of career and projects, outward signs of progress may not be as forthcoming, yet the work that you do during this transit will lay a foundation for future success and progress. For example, some years ago, a client began a hobby/project during a Saturn transit to her first house, something that took up a lot of her time and energy and that yielded nothing in terms of immediate financial gain—until later! In fact, this "hobby" turned into her career in the years to follow.

At some point during Saturn's movement through Scorpio, Saturn will conjunct your Sun (or Ascendant). Your level of maturity, realism, and responsibility comes up for inspection. The goals you have set for yourself, as well as your very character, are now re-evaluated for strength and purpose, and tested against reality. Saturn has a way of slowing down our life, as if it is forcing us to take a really good look at it. Because the Sun rules our vitality, you may feel that your energy is somewhat depleted. You begin to feel your age, and the pressures that may go along with it. You may feel alone and un-parented or unsupported. Your achievements to date become especially important to you, and you are extremely sensitive to whether or not you have been recognized on a professional level as well as on a personal level. Whether your talents and abilities, and your unique individuality and character, are recognized by others becomes especially important to you. You might be self-critical and/or feel that others do not support or recognize you enough. You might find yourself pulling away from others as you take the necessary time to re-evaluate your life. This process is necessary, as you are learning to see yourself more realistically—without rose-colored glasses—so that you can move forward with a stronger sense of purpose. Some commitments or plans might need to be let go. You are likely to feel some regrets for how you have lived your life to date, but once you honor those feelings (which seems to be necessary in order to move forward), you are in a better position to make improvements.

This is also a very strong period for communications and learning with Saturn ruling your solar third house and Pluto in your third house helping out Saturn. You can be more determined than ever when it comes to mental and communication projects, putting much work into these things, and you may be recognized as an authority on a matter.

Sagittarius

Contemplation of the meaning of your existence, your accomplishments, and your "failures" is the main focus with Saturn transiting your twelfth house. This transit marks the end of a cycle, which can most certainly bring with it a fair measure of confusion and discontent, especially at the beginning of the period.

Saturn turns a critical eye to all that lies beneath the surface, and you are forced to do some serious "spring cleaning" of your psyche. During this transit, you face your own demons—the vague yet haunting fears that undermine you. We all have skeletons in our closet. What we don't always realize is that they can seriously undermine our happiness and well-being. Saturn sweeps through your "closet" (the twelfth house) and demands that you take a hard look at what's been hiding in there. Is this process uncomfortable? For some of us, it can be. But getting rid of outdated attachments, and examining and discarding irrational fears, is not only necessary for further growth and development—it's ultimately a huge relief. The twelfth house in some ways is a dumping ground for things we have left "undone". Saturn here wants us to sort through the junk and keep only those things that we truly need for future development. This process can be rather lengthy and it can feel very slow, but if done properly, it can be most rewarding.

You deal with endings rather than new beginnings during this transit, as you let go of outdated attachments and unconsciously prepare yourself for Saturn's transit of the first house, when you will work diligently on reworking your individuality and personal identity. You are somewhat introspective at this time and you might isolate yourself from others in some manner—a process that tends to come naturally.

Health issues, generally of a psychosomatic nature, may come to the fore. You may be attracted to alternative ways of living, and to self-study fields, such as psychoanalysis.

Money and income can benefit from your ability to employ strategy.

Capricorn

You've spent at least a couple of years focusing much of your energy on your place in society, your responsibilities, and your social standing while Saturn transited the tenth house. You should be at a point where you know, realistically, what you are doing and where you are headed professionally. When Saturn transits the eleventh house, your personal goals and aspirations come under Saturn's scrutiny. How you fit in with others, your affiliations with people and groups, and your peers all become serious matters to you now.

You might feel that your personal "circle" or your networks are superficial or unsatisfying at the beginning of the transit. You might feel alienated as you begin to see them for what they are worth, or what they aren't worth. You might feel some disdain for the superficial workings of casual friendships, and begin to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about "going through the motions", doing and saying the right things, and so forth. Alternatively, you might meet someone with whom you establish a serious friendship at this time, or you might become a member of a group or affiliation that you devote much of your time to. Weeding out what seems now to be superfluous social associations from your life is very likely at this time as you become more serious about what you want, on a personal level, from your life.

You might take a hard look at the role you play in others' lives, and consider exactly what it is that satisfies you and contributes to your happiness, beyond marriage, romance, career, religion, and so forth. As Saturn moves further through the house, and by the time the transit is over, you should have found ways to bring definition and articulation to your innermost wishes and hopes for your personal path.

Friends or group affiliations may seem more demanding of your time and energy now, or you might feel stress about how much you put into your social obligations. Alternatively, you might decide to contribute to your community in significant, tangible, and practical ways during this transit.

At some point during Saturn's stay in the sign of Scorpio, he forms a harmonious sextile to your Sun (or Ascendant). Strengthened relationships with authority figures or older people in your life may play a supportive role in your life now, largely due to your own humbler attitude. The work you do and the responsibilities you take on provide you with a solid sense of purpose. Because you have a more mature grasp of our own capabilities, you project a more responsible, perhaps serious, and self-assured personality to others. You are able to look at yourself in a realistic and reasonable manner, and you are less vulnerable to self-delusions. One of the major sources of stress and guilt in our lives stems from uncertainty. We might want to stop to think about how much stress comes from overestimating our capabilities and responsibilities and inevitably failing to meet them. Things nag at the back of our minds. Saturn offers us realism, and with his sextile to your Sun, you see yourself and your capabilities more clearly and realistically. At this time in your life, you know what your responsibilities are, and you meet them.

With Saturn, your ruler, moving into a favorable relationship with Pluto, which is already in your sign, you can accomplish much. You are taking charge of your life. Friendships and group associations can be of great benefit as well.

Aquarius

Ironically enough, there is freedom in knowing some of our limitations, and Saturn's transit through the tenth house teaches you exactly what this means. By the time Saturn leaves the house, you will have learned where you stand in the world, and how you have previously limited your achievements. This self-evaluation then offers you the freedom to appraise where you truly want to go in life, above and beyond your obligations or the expectations imposed upon you. Now is your chance to build a secure foundation in your professional and/or most public life. Your standing in society now comes under Saturn's scrutiny. What it is exactly that you have been building now comes up for inspection. Some of you might be receiving recognition and career "rewards" at this time, while others might be feeling the weight of poor decisions made to date.

Saturn's transit of the tenth house is an eye-opening one—a time when you are working hard, taking on your fair share of duties and responsibilities, and either reaping some of the rewards of your hard work or facing the consequences of poor or weak choices. You become (perhaps painfully) aware of what you have and haven't accomplished to date. You are now treated to a realistic look at what you have built and what you have achieved. You no longer view your place in the world, career, reputation, and standing in society with rose-colored glasses. You might initially feel exposed, publicly scrutinized, or under fire in your career. This discomfort comes only as a result of a sudden rush of reality, and if the discomfort is great, it is only due to the fact that you have been holding onto false images of yourself. Just as a mid-life crisis is experienced differently by different people, Saturn's transit of the tenth house holds different meaning for different people. As Saturn progresses through the house, you begin to feel more secure in your ambitions.

At some point during Saturn's movement through Scorpio, Saturn will be transiting square your Sun (or Ascendant). During this time, you may experience some form of disillusionment with regards to an important person in your life, with an authority figure, or with your personal plans and objectives. You may feel "left out", blocked from advancing in your chosen life path, and lacking in energy and confidence. Ego boosts don't seem to be forthcoming, or if they are, you don't see them in such a light. Some sort of buckling down is necessary at this time, and you might perceive limitations as coming from other people or from "unlucky" circumstances. Financial blocks are quite possible at this time, especially if the Sun is associated with the second or eighth house by position or rulership. Physically, this may be a rather low period when you don't have that extra "oomph" or drive to accomplish more than what is already on your plate. You might be looking at your physical body in a more realistic manner, although you might also be focusing on the flaws too heavily. You might also be questioning your own worth, again finding many flaws that you may have previously glossed over. Instead of bemoaning the way you've lived your life to date, get to work on making improvements. Improvements will not come overnight, but a slow and steady approach will bring rewards later. A general feeling of "slowdown" is likely, and if regular tasks seem more overwhelming than usual, it is likely due to poor spirits and lack of motivation. Sometimes, this transit is associated with problems with the teeth, bones in general, and the skin. It is also associated with mechanical breakdowns in your life. However, these generally happen because you haven't been managing your life effectively, and Saturn calls upon you to identify the weaker areas of your life, and to fix or strengthen them.

Pisces

Self-improvement is what this Saturn cycle is about in your life. You are developing your ideals and your commitments as transiting Saturn makes its way through your ninth house. Ideals and spiritual goals that you may have taken for granted or worked with for many years suddenly seem superficial or not particularly useful anymore. Perhaps your faith is tested in some way, and you begin to feel more skeptical.

Some of you might begin new studies as you unconsciously prepare for Saturn's next house transit. If you have been studying, you must be alert to the possibility that you might be questioning what it is exactly that you are working towards. Does this line of study match your true self? But most of you will be coming face to face with your self-defeating attitudes. The ninth house has much to do with our outlook, our personal philosophy, our sense of adventure, and our confidence. It is also associated with our faith, hope, and vision. Although its attachment to such things as higher learning and travel might mean that a Saturn transit to this house will affect these things, for most of you, it is more about taking a closer look at, and re-assessing, your attitude or general outlook on life, your faith or vision, and your bravery or confidence for embarking on new adventures--for venturing forth beyond the boundaries of your everyday existence.

At the beginning of the transit, you may feel a little somber, skeptical, or disillusioned. The perhaps blind faith or optimism that may have carried you to date comes up for inspection. Are your belief systems sound? What do you stand for? What kind of future are you working towards, and why? The spirit that drives you and motivates you to move out and beyond the everyday grind is now tested or questioned. By the end of the transit, you will have re-worked your spirit, and come face to face with what it is that truly and honestly offers you hope and optimism as well as that which fuels your drive. While you might begin by questioning yourself, if you work hard at self-improvement, you will be one step closer to knowing where you are headed, and you will have re-built faith in yourself and your beliefs. A shaky feeling that causes you to sputter and avoid risks will be replaced with a more mature attitude towards adventure and facing the unknown. You learn to let go of self-defeating attitudes and belief systems that have been holding you back, you recognize exactly where you have been overdoing your expectations, and you find new, more rewarding, and more honest-to-yourself ways to nurture faith, hope, and vision. The aim is for truth and wisdom, not only facts, information, and knowledge.

At some point during Saturn's stay in Scorpio, Saturn will form a trine to your Sun (or Ascendant). During this trine, you feel more comfortable with who you are. Because you have a more mature grasp of our own capabilities, you project a more responsible, perhaps serious, and self-assured personality to others. You may be more open to receiving grounded, practical advice, and benefit from humbly learning from others. Your life seems more stable during this time period, likely because you are able to look at yourself in a realistic and reasonable manner, and because you are less vulnerable to self-delusions. One of the major sources of stress and guilt in our lives stems from uncertainty. We might want to stop to think about how much stress comes from overestimating our capabilities and responsibilities, and inevitably failing to meet them. Things nag at the back of our minds. Saturn offers us realism, and with his trine to your Sun, you see yourself and your capabilities more clearly and realistically. This transit tends to reduce uncertainty and offers a welcome reprieve from feelings of guilt and fear. At this time in your life, you know what your responsibilities are, and you meet them.

Back to This Month's Planetary Aspects

Back to This Week in Astrology