Saturn entered Sagittarius on December 23rd and will remain in that sign until June 14, 2015 when it will retrograde back into Scorpio until September 17, 2015 when it will move back into Sagittarius until it leaves on December 19, 2017.
The planet Saturn serves as the teacher and the mentor and he is often feared because his lessons can be quite strict. He is known for creating delays and disappointments, for applying the brakes when all we want to do is move forward, and for manifesting as back problems, car problems and financial troubles if we fail to heed his warnings.
In medieval astrology Saturn was known as the “greater malefic” (with Mars as the “lesser malefic”) – his presence in the birth chart was thought to bring ruin and misery. Saturn is considered malefic in Vedic astrology as well, representing the principle of karma that is inescapable and unchangeable.
In the modern transformational astrology that I practice, nothing is inescapable and unchangeable. Our fate is the hand we are dealt, and we choose the manner in which we play that hand. We make choices that affect the outcome of our life, and Saturn plays a major role in helping us to make wise choices. Saturn teaches responsibility and the wisdom of delaying personal gratification in order to accomplish a greater goal.
When Saturn travels through a sign, his lessons take on the qualities of that sign. Saturn just finished a 2-1/2 year trip through Scorpio, the sign of sexuality and power, during which revelations of sexual abuse came to the forefront of human consciousness to be discussed and (hopefully) resolved.
Sagittarius is the sign of air travel, foreign cultures, religion, the sharing of ideas through publishing and media. Sagittarius seeks to know the meaning of life and tends to be optimistic, breaking free of the boundaries that Saturn typically seeks to impose.
Saturn was last in Sagittarius between November 1985 and February 1988. Many significant events reveal the effect of Saturn through Sagittarius:
- The Challenger space shuttle (travel) disintegrated after launch, threatening this particular mission.
- The Single European Act was signed, formalizing (Saturn) the principles that later became the European Union, bringing the nations of Europe together (Sagittarius) under one umbrella. This was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome which was signed during Saturn’s previous trip through Sagittarius.
- Mikhail Gorbachev began Perestroika to restructure (Saturn) the Soviet Union’s economic and political policies (Sagittarius).
- Ronald Reagan challenges Gorbachev (Saturn) to tear down the Berlin wall (Sagittarius).
- The stock market saw one of its biggest crashes in history (Black Monday) as the Dow dropped over 22%, correcting (Saturn) in an overinflated (Sagittarius) market. (The famous big crash in 1929 also occurred with Saturn in Sagittarius).
- Ronald Reagan’s seemingly endless popularity (Sagittarius) was challenged (Saturn) when he was charged in the Iran Contra affair.
- The Jim Bakker scandal erupted (Saturn) when the television minister (Sagittarius) was investigated (and later convicted) for fraud, rape and embezzling.
Here are some things we can expect during Saturn’s journey through Sagittarius over the next few years:
- Air travel will change significantly, but it will get worse before it gets better. Already airline customers have been feeling the squeeze (Saturn) as cabins get more and more crowded and this will likely continue until a crisis occurs that inspires change.
- Areas in which we tend to be overoptimistic (Sagittarius) will be challenged by Saturn. Because the stock market is based on confidence, this will lead to a rocky ride as waves of fear and optimism alternate to create a churning in the markets.
- Saturn will form a challenging square to Neptune that will continue through much of the cycle, beginning in January of 2015. I will be covering this in another article, but the pressure between Neptune’s desire to transcend the mundane details of life and Saturn’s pressure to adhere to certain rules will make it more necessary than ever to be realistic and practical during this period.
- On a personal level our belief systems (Sagittarius) will be challenged by Saturn, and this will likely extend into the areas of organized religion which will likely suffer as long-held beliefs are questioned and discarded.
- Issues surrounding immigration will erupt and require new rules and regulations.
- Additional disclosure (Saturn) and the revelation of long-held secrets of extra-terrestrial activity (Sagittarius) is possible.
- We will likely see the closure of colleges and universities (Sagittarius) as Saturn puts the squeeze on financial support.
- The media is always affected when Saturn is in Sagittarius and issues of net neutrality are likely to rise to the top of media concerns.
In our personal lives we can use the passage of Saturn through Sagittarius to create rituals and systems (Saturn) that work for us – daily routines and patterns that assist us in creating expansion and adventure (Sagittarius) in ways that support our lives in a practical (Saturn) way. This is a time to be practical in our financial planning and a time to work hard (Saturn) to achieve our dreams (Sagittarius).
Saturn is conjunct Pallas right now as I write this, granting us the opportunity to align with our higher mind (Pallas) and use that creative wisdom to generate a blueprint for our destiny that takes us beyond the boundaries we believe possible (Sagittarius) while keeping our feet firmly on the ground (Saturn).
On the other hand, the square to Neptune can serve to create disillusionment and failure if we attempt to fly too close to the Sun during this period.
sounds like our theme for the next few years is to “keep our feet on the ground while we reach for the stars”
Thanks for the description of Saturn in Sag. Can feel the tension already freedom verses reality. Flights of fancy will be hard to achieve.
Really noticed myself becoming a lot more judgmental of my own and others hedonism since Saturn shifted into Sagittarius. Something to look out for…
I think that some of this is really far-fetched in terms of what Saturn in Sagittarius can represent; it should show more freedom in comparison to the dogmatic Pluto in Capricorn long-term (2009-2023) which has shown all kinds of restraint in our lives. This should offer more Sagittarius in general, and I see it as a harmonious connection.
That is a very optimistic view of Saturn in Sagittarius Matthew! Saturn typically adds restraints rather than release it, so I’m not sure how you are seeing Saturn in Sag as bringing more freedom. But as with all other astrological events, each of us will be affected differently.
Thank you, Lynn, for your overview of Saturn in Sagittarius. With my natal Saturn in Virgo in the third house, Saturn in Sag in the (fifth/6th for me) is familiar, and yet challenging. Time to buckle down and reconfigure!
I have Neptune in Sag in my fourth house natally, so it will be interesting what happens once Saturn begins to transit that house.
Maybe l will find out who my biological father is.
Interesting Roderick – you probably know there is an ongoing dispute over whether the fourth house represents the mother or the father. In any case the fourth house deals with the psychological inheritance of our lineage as well as our relationship to our current incarnation.
Transiting my 12th house and squaring my natal Saturn in Virgo.
Natal Neptune also sits in the 12th and Pluto is very near to crossing my ascendant in Capricorn and squaring my natal Pluto in libra 10th house, but moving further away from its opposition with my cancer sun. Holy crap I’ve lived some lifetimes over these past 4 years. I just go with the flow of it all now, resistance is futile. Do the work both outer and inner and Saturn no matter where he’s transiting will be much more of a loving father for your efforts.
Dear Lynn i want to know about April 2016
waiting for you
Thankyou
Eva
This interesting because I was born (08-12-1955) in Germiston, South Africa but have lived more than half my life in The Netherlands. (two different hemispheres).
I get from different people the message of Sag in transition and wonder how this will affect my life and future.