Saturn: Why your fears may be the secret to your success (AstroFriday)

Saturn: Caution and fear, contraction. Also ambition and determination. Without the obstacles of Saturn, we would never grow. Saturn is strongly placed in the horoscopes of doctors, research scientists, and business people.  The position [in our chart] shows what we need to feel safe and secure, and what we fear that we will never have enough of. Since this is where we tend to be fearful, we become nervous and tend to “mess up”, or never try at all. This is the quality that frequently comes across as “bad luck”. Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn. – Bob Mark

People are scared of Saturn, which is also referred to as the “Lord of Karma.” No one wants to hear about fear and restriction. But, we ALL have Saturn in our charts. And, understanding the location of Saturn in your chart can lead to great personal fulfillment. Saturn spends roughly 2 ½ years in a sign, so your classmates and you likely had it in the same sign. But, the house where Saturn resides will depend upon your exact time of birth. The house position is extremely important with this planet.

Saturn will never let you settle for less than you deserve. But, because it is located in the area in which you most fear, you will TRY to settle. Or, many of us will. If you have Saturn in the seventh house (or, Libra) – that’s relationships. I know many people, with this placement, who have relationship problems. They’ve said to me, “Are all my relationships doomed, because of Saturn?” NO! With Saturn in the seventh house, you have the potential for a great partnership, something deeper and more fulfilling than the partnerships of your friends. Yet, because of your FEAR of being alone, you will TRY to settle. You may stick with a partner, who you know is not good for you, because that seems like the “safe” thing to do. If this partner is not right for you, however, Saturn will almost always make sure that the relationship ends. You deserve better!

If you have Saturn in the second house (or Taurus) – self-worth – you may fear not having enough money. In my work as an astrological coach, I’ve been surprised to discover that spendthrifts and misers have the exact same fear; it just manifests differently.  Both fear that there will not be ENOUGH money in the future. The people who spend too freely have said to me, “I’d better spend it now, on something I want, because it won’t be there later.” The Scrooges (or, for the younger crowd – Mr. Krabs) fear there will be no income in the future, so they avoid spending anything. If you’ve got Saturn in the second house, either behavior will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. (I have Saturn in the sixth house but in Taurus. I tend towards Scrooginess.) Saturn rules responsibility as well as fear and restriction. If you’ve got a combo of Saturn and money, you can bet this issue will keep coming up for you until you adopt a responsible approach. But, remember, Saturn can point to your success. Be responsible with your money, and you may find yourself having more of it than you ever imagined possible!

Do you have what seems to be excessive arguments and conflicts with your family members? You may have Saturn in the fourth house (or Cancer) – home and roots. In this case, you fear being without your family but being with them can be a nightmare (from the stories I’ve heard from clients). With this placement, you must learn to be your own best support system, to stand up for your personal rights. Again, don’t settle for any less!

Easier said than done?

Understanding this is all well and good but actually living it? I know, it’s hard. I have Saturn in the sixth house. People with Saturn in the sixth house are extremely diligent workers. But, well, here are a few examples from my work life: I was doing a graduate assistantship, helping the university Population Center with surveys on pregnancy, infection and nutrition. It had nothing to do with my area of focus (Russian literature) but was good, extra income. Along comes another study, by another group of researchers, on children in RUSSIA. I asked, begged, pleaded to get transferred. The reply from my boss, “You’re too good of a worker. We don’t want to lose you on the current study.”  I also had jobs that I loved but have had the “powers that be” decide that my “skills” would be much better served in some extremely detail-oriented job (which I’m very good at, but detest). As Bob Marks writes about this position, “Many of these Saturn in the sixth folks eventually go into business for themselves for this reason.” And, that’s exactly what we are wired to do – work for ourselves. Saturn in the sixth house people have the personal discipline to succeed at self-employment. But, because we fear being out of work, (and with my added Saturn in Taurus – I also fear not having enough money) we often don’t pursue that avenue. However, I know that if I were to go back to another traditional job, the same pattern would repeat.

So, how do I live with the fear? And, I do LIVE with it. It never goes completely away. That’s where the rest of your chart can help. My North Node is in Pisces. I need to trust the Divine Plan for my life. My intuition, and understanding of myself (that’s the rest of my chart), led me to start this website, instead of continuing on the hamster wheel of jobs that were not fulfilling. And, to be completely honest, if the economy weren’t so crappy, and if there were actually jobs in my field to be had, I’d probably succumb to my fear and go get one of them. Divine timing was definitely at work when I was laid off. Yes, what seems, at the surface, to be restriction and even, “bad karma”, was actually a GIFT that would allow me to pursue my full potential. That’s the way Saturn works!

Explore the location of Saturn in your chart. Use your North Node, and understanding of your personality, to face your fears, which are really gifts in disguise.

A brief overview of the area ruled by each house in the astrological chart:

1^st house/Aries: identity –  Any planet in this house can give you the traits of the sign the planet rules, so if you have Saturn here, you may have traits of Capricorn – serious, ambitious and diligent. Due to fear (see first paragraph, above), you may be shy. Others could interpret this shyness as aloofness.

2^nd house/Taurus: self-worth (both literal and figurative) – addressed above

3^rd house/Gemini: communication, siblings, short trips – You can excel at communication but only after dealing with obstacles (some people with this literally have speech disorders)

4^th house/Cancer: roots, family, home – addressed above

5^th house/Leo: fun, play, creativity, romance – If you have the planet of fear and restriction in the house of fun, well, no one will describe you as “spontaneous,” that’s for sure! But, you can excel at creative projects and parties that take a lot planning and perseverance.

6^th house/Virgo: work, health – addressed above

7^th house/Libra: relationships – addressed above

8^th house/Scorpio: death, taxes, inheritance, sex – People with Saturn here may have intense psychic experiences. Also, money issues may resemble that of Saturn in the 2^nd house (see text above).

9^th house/Sagittarius: higher learning, travel, adventure – Have you had a love/hate relationship with school? Maybe you put it off until your 30s or 40s? Yes, it really will help you to be more successful.

10^th house/Capricorn: career – This is the house that Saturn “rules”; you can reach any career goal you set your mind to.  However, due to fear,  you may become nervous and never try at all. Whatever you do in your career, don’t cut corners or try to take “short cuts” to success. Remember, Saturn rules responsibility.

11^th house/Aquarius: friendships, long-term goals, humanitarianism – Read the paragraph on “relationships” (7^th house) in the text above. Substitute “friends” for “partners.”

12^th house/Pisces: spirituality, subconscious – If you have Saturn here, you may suppress your feelings, which can lead to depression. Read this post on “gunnysacking.”