§Saturn In Aries

By: Rowena Wall

It's said that time is a manmade concept, and one that was created here on earth. The infinity of space is a concept which is difficult, if not impossible, for most humans to comprehend. The thought that there are no boundaries of time to frame an action is almost impossible for us to conceive.

Astrologically, we look at Saturn when we speak of time, for he represents time and in fact is known as Father Time (along with a number of other interesting names!) Since Saturn represents structure and limitation, so it is the representer of time. When we are between lifetimes, there is no time. Only space. Yet we strive to put that existence in a reference of "time".

It is not surprising then to know that Saturn is the oldest of the gods and he was given rulership of the Earth. Saturn represents limitation and the first manifestation of man. Since time brings all manifestations to an end, Saturn is also the Reaper. Saturn represents aging and all things ancient. His law is of conservatism and concentrated energy.

Saturn is our Cosmic Teacher, for where he is placed in our astrological map is where our lessons will be learned. Where he traverses in our chart is where he is methodically testing us. Saturn is responsibility and maturity. He represents the sweat of our brow and our willingness to earn our bread.

Saturn is the Lord of Karma, and he shows by placement and aspect where we need redemption. He points to our Dharma. He is called an angel by the ancients, because he gives us the strength to endure and the ability to learn.

Our bones, skin and teeth are ruled by Saturn. It's said that if we have aching backs it is our inflexibility and unwillingness to bend. Saturn represents the brakes on our cars because there is the principle of limitation involved. We all know we need our brakes, and we also need to have form and structure in all we do.

Saturn is despised by the young because of the accountability he imposes. Young people want to play and have a good time, but they don't want to take the responsibility for their actions. As we mature, generally after our first Saturn Return at around age 29, we have a greater sense of responsibility and we come to grips with the fact that we must be responsible for our acts. If we are to have a house, we must pay the rent; if we are to drive a car, we must buy the insurance; if we are to succeed in our professional lives, we must prepare ourselves by learning.

Saturn spends about two and one half years in each sign. Whatever sign he is transiting in generally gives us some clues as to what tests the world in general will be facing. World events take on a flavor of the sign involved.

On April 7, 1996, Saturn will move into the sign of Aries, where it will stay until March 1, 1999. (Four months of 1998 will find Saturn going into Taurus, but then retrograding back into Aries for another five months.)

So how might we expect our characters to be improved with Saturn moving into Aries? Where will the tests be? And how will this affect you as reflected in your chart? Will the Keeper of the Records make significant changes in our lives?

Let's look at some basics to get to that conclusion. Aries is the sign of self. It is the first sign of the zodiac and tends to be impulsive, headstrong and very active. Mars rules Aries, and so there is a strong Martian quality. Arians are active, honest and outspoken by nature. They like to be on the move. Aries rules the head and is symbolized by the Ram. It is the first fire sign and it is cardinal in nature.

Aries is the beginning point in astrology. Many Arians are self-centered and self-directed. They are assertive. Leadership is a great strength and they often charge forth on their missions. If you watch carefully, you can see them "lead with the head" (as rams do!) They are impatient and unwilling to wait for things to evolve. It's said they "rush in where angels fear to tread". Arians want to be first and best in all they do and they are very competitive. They are the true pioneers of the zodiac. They make excellent executives and are great cheerleaders, for they know how to get things done. They have many original ideas and initiative. Arians are known for their courage. They have great energy and must be doing something every single minute; they like sports and games. They inspire others to action as well!

It's wise to never tell an Arian what to do, for he will surely do the opposite. (Of course it's often clever to tell them to do what you don't want them to do - for they will surely then do as you want!) They want to do it when they want to do it, and are self starters. However, they bore very easily and especially when the pace is slow or things get too complicated. While they often appear very self-confident on the exterior, this hides a feeling of inadequacy they often feel on a subconscious level. They often appear arrogant and egotistical and will try to dominate if you will let them.

It is hard for Arians to relax. They go at such a high rate of speed that they often tire out others long before they are ready to quit. They need to learn to conserve their energy. Their Martian rulership often gives for quick and hot tempers. However, this anger seldom lasts long and they have long forgotten it while you are still nursing your wounds.

So - the Lord of Restriction meets the Warrior of Fire! The lessons are clear, are they not? Leadership will be challenged throughout the world. No doubt there will be more fiery outbursts from politicians and other leaders. The impatience of the populace will be such that they will be unwilling to take more promises, but will demand action instead.

Time will seem to speed by! (This in addition to the fact that it has already begun to increase its speed due to our reaching the millennium within a few years.) Events will happen quickly - more quickly than we remember in the past. There will be a sense of militarism amongst people and there will be a tendency for wars to break out.

In this vein, astrologers have all had their eyes on China and Taiwan, with concern about how that might play out. Will there be war as Saturn now tests the waters of jingoism? And where else might we expect bellicosity to rear its head? Cuba? Iraq? Will the fervor in Bosnia accelerate? Won't that be part of the testing that mankind will experience during these next two to three years?

How deep will the sense of anger go? We've experienced riots and hate in our communities at various times in the last few years. Will this become a growing problem now as the anger surfaces? The lesson of containment will be essential if we will but learn it. But at what cost?

The weather will likely be hotter now and there could be natural disasters involving fire - which of course makes us think of volcanic eruptions and/or earthquakes. Explosions come about with Mars and Saturn butting heads! Brush fires will probably be widespread as will dust storms.

In 1967 Saturn went into Aries and the War in Viet Nam heightened. Do you remember what you were doing in 1967 - 1969? Think of that time and you may have some insight as to how this may affect you now.

In its negative sense, Saturn can also represent fear and insecurity - lack of self-confidence. There can be greed and selfishness as well as lust for power. We may very well see this in our leaders. It will be important for the people to make it clear that they will not abide this type of avarice. It will be our responsibility to wrest power from those who would abuse it and give it to those who would be benevolent with the people.

Don't be surprised to see insurrection in a number of places. Remember that Uranus is in Aquarius, and now that Saturn will be moving to Aries, there will be little to stop rebellion! It will be important that the lesson of rebelling for the sake of rebellion is learned. It's one thing to throw over the Evil Empire - it's quite another to kill the emperor because he has no clothes!

Saturn's general movements will be as follows:

1996

April - to 2° Aries
May - to 5° Aries
June - to 7° Aries
July - to 7° Aries (Saturn stations at 7° Aries and turns Retrograde on July 18th)
August - back to 5° Aries
September - back to 3° Aries
October - back to 1° Aries
November - back to 0° Aries
December - up to 1° Aries (Saturn stations at 0° Aries and turns Direct on December 3rd)
1997

January - to 3° Aries
February - to 6° Aries
March - to 10° Aries
April - to 13° Aries
May - to 17° Aries
June - to 19° Aries
July - to 20° Aries
August - to 19°Aries (Saturn stationary retrograde at 20° Aries on August 2nd.)
September - back to 17° Aries
October - back to 15° Aries
November - back to 13° Aries
December - still at 13° Aries (Saturn stations at 12° Aries to turn Direct December 16th)
1998

January - to 15° Aries
February - to 18° Aries
March - to 21° Aries
April - to 25° Aries
May - to 29° Aries
June - to 1° Taurus
July - to 3° Taurus
August - to 3° Taurus (Saturn stations at 3° Taurus and turns Retrograde August 15th)
September - back to 1° Taurus
October - back to 29° Aries
November - back to 27° Aries
December - back to 26° Aries (Saturn stations at 26° Aries and turns (Direct on December 29th)
1999

January - to 27° Aries
February - to 29° Aries
March 1st - Saturn goes into Taurus for a 2-l/2 year trek
Pay attention to the stationary points cited above and see if any of these happen to fall on any planets or points in your chart. Saturn stations can be significant and they should be watched.

The rest of your chart should not be ignored, and you should take into consideration the progressions, directions and other transits going on. If you don't know how to do this, procure the services of a qualified astrologer who will put into perspective what all is happening in your chart. We are giving you some idea of how Saturn will be functioning for you in the upcoming years, but we do want to emphasize that the rest of the chart must be examined as well.

To see how this next few years will treat you as Saturn traverses in Aries, go to your astrological chart. Look for the house that has Aries on the cusp. That will be the house that you will see your lessons learned. Check the chart above for the degrees Saturn will be transiting. Use this as a guide as to where it is traveling in your chart. Select the House Saturn is testing you in below. Click on the appropriate House to find out what you might expect.

If Saturn is transiting your....

First House

Second House

Third House

Fourth House

Fifth House

Sixth House

Seventh House

Eighth House

Ninth House

Tenth House

Eleventh House

Twelfth House

Copyright 1996 by Rowena Wall - All Rights Reserved