Saturn in your birth chart reveals the place where you must learn to be more mature in your approach, it points to where your fears are, where you tend to repeat mistakes, and therefore feel inadequate, or handicapped. Saturn can be the voice of your conscience, the remnants of a parent who restricted you or limited you in early childhood. The planet is known as The Great Teacher, Fate or Karma, and Father Time, because it puts you through repetitive cycles that turn out to be lessons in becoming responsible for yourself. Saturn functions on the social level of our experience (along with Jupiter), and it represents the place where you feel social stigma, less than adequate with regard to others, where you feel judged by others, or afraid to assert yourself for fear of social rapprochement. Eventually, Saturn bestows personal authority in those areas where you feel most limited, because the discomfort causes you to learn how to deal with the issues that repress you and hold you back.
Key ideas associated with Saturn: Fear, restriction, limitation, inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, repression, oppression, reticence or shyness. Karma, life lessons, Fate, time and timing, delay or slow progress, perseverance, discipline, patience, endurance, dedicated effort, goal-orientation, stick-to-it-iveness, reliability, solidity, structure, achievement, status, recognition, accomplishment, respect, and authority. Saturn represents people such as bosses, a dominant parent, adults (when we are children), the law (policemen and guardians), judges, presidents, all leaders, also oppressors, those who limit our freedom in any way, the Devil, (who keeps us stuck in ruts and obsessions), Father time (who causes delay and the need for perfect timing), drill sergeants, and those who train us to do things well; builders, achievers, father figures, older people.
The Transiting Saturn: The transit of Saturn brings the experience of restriction, scarcity, and limitation to the area it touches. Where there was plenty, now there is not so much, where there is a need for structure, it becomes painfully apparent. Where Saturn is moving over your chart, there is a need for discipline, dedicated effort, and a serious, responsible attitude. Real effort brings status and reward. Only a well-done job gets rewarded. Saturn requires practicality, a realistic attitude, a straight and narrow approach, a plan, maturity and dedication to a goal. When Saturn is finished transiting any area, you will be more mature, more responsible and more in charge of that part of your life.
Ruler of the Sign: Capricorn
Originally thought to be Ruler of: Aquarius
Ruler of the natural: 10th House
Originally thought to rule the natural: 11th House
Time in each Sign: About 2.5 years
Time to travel through all the Signs: About 29 years
Retrograde cycle: Once a year [for 4 months]