Saturn Meaning in Astrology

TL;DR

Saturn is the planet of boundaries, restriction and structure. Knowing this, we can explore what influence our Saturn signs have on our relationships, what Saturn Numerology is and how we can understand the impact of Saturn on our daily life. Learn all about Saturn aspects in the natal chart, Saturn horoscopes and how the planet impacts our behavior.

Saturn History

Stunning yet harsh Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the final visible planet recognized in ancient astrology. Saturn is the Solar System’s second largest planet after Jupiter and was named after the Roman god of Saturnus, father of Zeus. Saturday also derives its name from the planet, but it is most famous for its beautiful, unique rings that sets it apart from all other planets. Although these rings are awe-inspiring from our perspective on Earth, they actually mostly consist of jagged ice particles, violent dust storms and rocky debris. Therefore, despite its mystifying beauty, Saturn bears a cruel environment, earning its name as the planet of harsh realities and boundaries in the field of astrology. 

Saturn Planet Meaning

Saturn is an ambitious planet, with the drive to achieve great heights. Those governed by this sign seek to understand the world’s boundaries and thrive under conditions of structure, routine and order. However, the cruel irony of Saturn is that it is known as the planet of destiny, as it succumbs to the workings of fate far more than other planets. So, what the planet can teach us is that despite forming meticulous plans, we are all subject to the mysterious workings of the universe. We cannot control many of the things that happen in life, so we need to learn to live and let go a little more - these are especially necessary lessons for those ruled by Saturn’s destiny. Alongside this, Saturn also represents all things historic, including traditions, aging as well as the life lessons that accompany these facets. In sum, teaching and learning is the main role of this planet as through life’s various trials, we are taught how to stay resilient. Aside from its lessons, Saturn is also recognized as the planet of justice; it is practical and conservative by nature, governing our karma and providing consequences. It similarly rules over the success of our ambitions and career, rewarding those who work diligently, as well as punishing those who seek to sabotage others. 

Saturn Zodiac Signs

The signs ruled by Saturn are Capricorn and (in traditional astrology only) Aquarius. As such, these two signs are thought to possess many of the traits and characteristics exuded by the planet itself; Capricorns and Aquarius share a similar sense of self-sufficiency and are united by their intellect and ambition. Capricorn, as a steady Earth sign, is far more grounded and practical than the airy Aquarius, but they are certainly compatible signs that share a realistic outlook on life. Just like the slow orbit of Saturn, these two signs both favor stability and demonstrate their proficiency in this area also. Their personalities, driven by the focused, sensible energy of Saturn, make them fantastic friends and partners to turn to when problems arise. Just like Saturn, Capricorn and Aquarius are doers, fixers and will never wait around for life’s issues to resolve itself.

Astrological Meaning of Saturn

Saturn represents patience, stability, reliability, determination, and diligence with its energy inspiring logic and focus. That said, Saturn is also the planet of limitations, boundaries and restrictions. This manifests as qualities of self-discipline, punctuality and frugality in the people governed by the planet. While Jupiter is the planet of broadening and expansion, Saturn stands in complete opposition, encouraging moderation, parameters and restrictive behavior. It brings structure and rationality to our lives and is a constant reminder of the commitments we have made to others. Due to this, Saturn is often associated with the role of fathers or other paternal figureheads who keep us in check while helping us to grow into responsible individuals. While discipline isn't always desired, Saturn teaches us to embrace the challenges in our lives and encourages self-expansion.

Saturn Retrograde Meaning

Saturn has a fairly consistent cycle, turning retrograde just over every twelve months, with the period lasting about 4.5 months at a time. Saturn retrograde is usually a time of karmic rebalance, whereby previous wrongdoings are punished but dedication and sacrifices are rewarded. In short, Saturn retrograde is a time where our karmic debts are evaluated with the repercussions of past, present, and future actions merging into one. For instance, if you have wronged others in the past, then Saturn’s influence will make sure that an event will soon occur in order to teach you a lesson. On the other hand, if you are currently doing good deeds, then Saturn retrograde will be working to set up a karmic reward for your actions. With this in mind, during Saturn retrograde, personal responsibility is extra important. As the period lasts for a substantial portion of the year, we can use this time to reflect on our actions and make sure we are setting up patterns of behavior that serve both us and others well. The lessons you learn during this time may be difficult, but they will certainly be valuable.

Saturn Numerology

Saturn governs those born on the 8th, 17th and 26th of any month, or whose life path number is eight. As such, the qualities of Saturn are the most overt in number eight people. Eight itself is a significant number in the field of Numerology as it centers around determination, the ego, success in business and inner-strength. Eight is an active number rather than contemplative, and drives us to achieve things rather than sit back and wait passively. However, ironically, number eight people are burdened by fate far more than those ruled by other numbers. Despite their go-getter attitude, they are destined to face many obstacles in life and will have to learn to stay resilient amidst the chaos. As such, number eight is not typically seen as the most positive number in Numerology, but it certainly molds strong and adaptable individuals.

What is my Saturn Sign?

You probably already know your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, and possibly even your Mercury sign. However, we all have a sign for every planet in the solar system, and today, we’re looking at Saturn. When we talk about our ‘Saturn sign’, we are referring to the position of Saturn at the time we were born. Saturn transits through each sign every 2 to 2.5 years and it takes the planet 27 to 29 years to work its way through all the zodiac signs to complete one full orbit around the Sun.

Saturn Sign Meaning

If you have ever wondered, ‘what’s my Saturn sign?’, listen up. Whatever Zodiac sign Saturn was situated in at the time of your birth is significant in painting a picture of how you deal with the aspects of life governed by the planet - namely, boundaries, responsibilities and commitments. From this, we can view these aspects through the lens of each sign to truly understand Saturn’s influence in our day-to-day lives.

Saturn in Aries

The powerful combination of Aries and Saturn makes for a placement of extreme ambition, determination and goal-oriented outlooks. Saturn’s go-getter attitude combined with the fire and passion of Aries mean these individuals will stop at absolutely nothing to achieve their desires. They may struggle to maintain friendships in the workplace as a result of their blaze, but they will successfully climb the career ladder, that’s for sure.

Saturn in Taurus

Taurus doesn’t sit very comfortably in Saturn as the sign hates moderation. Taurus is all about luxury, comfort and self-indulgence, living life without the intention of pleasing others and relying on their personal support systems. With Saturn, however, Taurus faces an uncomfortable pull between these desires and the reality that life needs sacrifices. There will be many difficult truths for this placement to face, but this simply means there is a lot of room for growth at the same time.

Saturn in Gemini

Saturn-in-Gemini individuals may find their communicative side stunted as Saturn’s energy is restrictive in this area. They may struggle to get their point across, find themselves fumbling for the right thing to say and generally feel as if they cannot fully express themselves. That said, Saturn teaches Gemini to bite its tongue when necessary. So while a difficult placement in general, there are some important takeaways too.

Saturn in Cancer

Cancer is a highly emotional, sensitive sign. So, when Saturn’s energy is involved, people with this placement can feel numb during times of extreme emotion. However, Saturn simply wants to remind these individuals to tune into their resilient sides - being extremely reactive can be exhausting and prevents us from making rational decisions sometimes. In this instance, Saturn is a firm but fair figure, encouraging Cancer to pull it together when it is needed.

Saturn in Leo

Saturn in Leo is an interesting placement as these individuals may find it tough to face up to life’s realities. Leo by nature is exuberant, passionate and expressive, so when Saturn’s restrictive energy comes into play, these individuals can struggle to reconcile these polar forces. These people may face difficulty with excess, learning some tough lessons about overindulgence or romanticizing reality.

Saturn in Virgo

Saturn in Virgo is all about perfectionism. Perfectionism to the point of unhealthy obsession at times. This placement has its act together and are scarily organized, but their downfall comes in the form of forgetting to live. Boundaries are set in place for a reason, but Saturn in Virgo can forget to imagine what may lie beyond. That being said, this placement gets a kick out of structure and routine, and does not care to hide their scrupulousness from others - what you see is what you get. 

Saturn in Libra

Both platonic and romantic relationships are a sticking point for this placement; Libra is so open and loving, viewing the best in everyone and forever throwing their inhibitions to the wind, while Saturn bears an almost impenetrable reserve. This means that Saturn-in-Libra individuals may desperately want to be vulnerable with their loved ones, yet struggle to express this desire at times.

Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn in Scorpio is a powerful, potent placement. These individuals have a determination about them unmatched by any other sign and care little for the repercussions of their journey. They desire authority, wealth and recognition, although they are hyper-aware of the sacrifices that need to be made to achieve their goals. If your plans don’t align with this placement’s, they’ll have no difficulty in letting you know about it.

Saturn in Sagittarius

The key theme for Saturn in Sagittarius is altruism. This placement wants nothing more than to help people, fix problems and find solutions to issues plaguing others. In fact, these individuals are so emphatic about their charity work that they are prone to forgetting how to look after themselves. As a result, they can really struggle to tune into their emotions and can be left feeling suddenly overwhelmed when the storm calms.

Saturn in Capricorn

With the double-whammy influence of Capricorn in this placement, Saturn-in-Capricorn individuals are ambitious, restrained and have incredible organizational skills. They are disciplined in their choices and patient with their desires, eventually receiving the deserved rewards for their diligence. However, there is the tendency to take life far too seriously. This placement understands that we must suffer to some degree if we are to reach our goals, but they forget that suffering does not need to be the foundation of their existence.

Saturn in Aquarius

Although humanitarianism is constantly on the mind, combined with their naturally empathetic disposition, this placement may struggle to understand the personal goals of others. Saturn-in-Aquarius needs to work on their tolerance for others and must hone the art of forgiveness in their personal relationships if this area of life is to thrive. Viewing life through an uber-rational, almost scientific lens is fantastic when it comes to figuring out what this placement wants, but they need to remember the importance of engaging with the passions of others, even when these passions make little sense to themselves.

Saturn in Pisces

Saturn-in-Pisces may have difficulty setting appropriate boundaries for themselves and others, or being as disciplined and organized as they want to be. They are prone to feeling the effects of karmic debt far more intensely than other placements, and suffer as a result. This is because Saturn-in-Pisces finds it hard to reconcile their spiritual, romantic and escapist side with the rigid structurality of Saturn.

Do you still want to know more about Saturn in astrology? There are many resources at Mysticsense that can guide you with your learning and provide insight for any other questions you may have. Get started learning more about your Saturn sign at Mysticsense today!