I recorded a radio show for HIJAC about Saturn in Capricorn, but have decided to share my experience of his residence in Capricorn, so far.

Why so serious, Saturn?

So 2018 is the year of getting serious. With Saturn’s ingress to Capricorn on 20th December 2017, there was a marked shift in the mood. I for one felt Saturn in a big way, but that could be as I am a Capricorn and he is the ruler of my Sun. So Saturn has entered my Solar first house, which for a Capricorn is meant to be like breathing a sigh of relief.

I immediately felt the weight of Saturn, my new workload brought a lot of responsibility, but I wasn’t afraid – I felt ready for it. What I wasn’t expecting was the heavy mood I experienced. I suddenly needed a lot more rest, and I had a difficult time being sociable and chirpy like I normally am. It felt difficult to be light hearted and have fun.

Heavyweight Saturn

Fortunately, I feel I have acclimatised to Saturn’s arrival in Capricorn. Mercury (my chart ruler) entered Capricorn on January 11th and It was then that I felt able to cope with the heaviness which Saturn brings. It wasn’t dread, doom or fear that I was feeling, just a depressive type of low which sat on my shoulders for a while. When Mercury entered Capricorn I suddenly felt lighter, and understand how I needed to work with Saturn in order to make Saturn work for me.

I noticed as I was reading articles, the thought process of the author seemed more obvious to me. The structure in which they had chosen to convey their message stood out and I suddenly realised that I had a type of clarity in my own writing which I didn’t have before. Obviously, this made me happy! As someone who likes to sit down and empty the contents of their head onto paper or blog, I suddenly understood a new methodical approach to writing.

Aside from the writing side of things, I have also been able to implement real change in my routine, and create structure where I haven’t had it before. I’ve wanted to keep fit for a while and found that my constant travelling about and juggling too many projects was causing me to ignore my health and fitness goals. I have now found a way to have a routine, exercise a lot more and push through the mental gymnastics I normally do to avoid keeping fit!

Just Do It!

The phrase “Just Do It” is something that I am currently living by – a phrase which Nike adopted some time ago to marry with their brand. Nike (whether inadvertently or not) have take inspiration from Saturn’s rings to represent them as their immediately recognisable logo: the infamous ‘Swoosh’, which has indelibly etched into the mind of the collective and one of the most recognisable and profitable logos in the world. But those clever marketing people at Nike must have intuitively picked up on the fact the element of discipline attached to the phrase, and the logo which represents them as a brand. It was probably no accident that they chose the name Nike – the Greek Goddess of Victory. That’s right – sporting brand Nike chose a feminine deity to build their brand around.

Interestingly, in some branches of Astrology, Saturn is considered a feminine archetype. The Astrology Podcast did a show about the gender of Saturn, and I have often observed Saturn in the feminine authoritarian role models I have had. But then, I like to play with various ideas and theories when I look at the natal chart. My Gemini Ascendant insists on it!

Even more interestingly, Saturn’s swoosh logo was patented on the 17th June 1971 when Saturn was at 29° Taurus (a feminine earth sign), and in conjunction with Venus, ruler of Taurus.

In opposition at 28° Scorpio, Jupiter (the planet of Olympians and sports) was in the 10th house of career, discipline and public image. Jupiter resides in Saturn’s natural domicile in the natal chart. This Jupiter placement has enormous potential when you push beyond what is perceived as possible.

But I digress…

Another phrase that I live by and have done since about June 2015, is “Feel the fear, and do it anyway” which feels like another rather Saturnian phrase as fear is very much a word associated with Saturn. The amount of things I have done which have terrified me since I adopted that ‘mantra’ have helped me to grow into a person I honestly never believed I could be – facing your fear and respecting it as a mechanism for personal growth has served me well; I am a better person for it. Stepping out of the comfort zone enables us to grow and develop as individuals.

Saturn is our fear, but not only a defence mechanism, fear creates temptation as often we dream about the things we wish we could do if we were brave enough. By making your fear a forbidden fruit, Saturn gives us a choice: Face it and achieve what seems like the impossible – or don’t attempt to get over it and stay in your comfort zone with no real stories to tell.

Saturn’s redeeming qualities

I know Saturn is difficult, he can bring low mood and barriers but he can also give us a real sense of direction and purpose. If your plans aren’t going to work, all will be revealed under a Saturn transit. Saturn is a bonding agent, and gives us the strength to weather the storm. He is a tough teacher; he doesn’t praise us, he doesn’t give us a pat on the back. Instead he shows us where we lack and provides us with constructive feedback and a band-aid.

So let’s be grateful for the discipline that Saturn brings, without which we wouldn’t strive to achieve and we wouldn’t master anything. We wouldn’t even be standing as the skin and bones that Saturn rules literally hold the body together and upright! Fear is an important part of our personal growth and evolution as a species; Saturn can give us the ambition and self-respect to want to grow as individuals, the durability to face our fears and responsibilities, and once our feet are placed firmly on the ground, Saturn gives us the power to assert our authority over a situation that once felt like an impossibility.

In the wise words of fellow Capricorn Dolly Parton: “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

Image credits

Header Image: Saturn – October 6 2004
Kevin M. Gill – Via Flikr NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Kevin M. Gill