Saturn is the planet of form and structure – as an astrological guide it teaches us to be disciplined and to understand the value of hard work in mastering the material world. As the outermost planet in the solar system, Saturn marked the outermost boundary of the personal realm, and is surrounded by rings of containment.  These physical attributes reflect the astrological depiction of Saturn as governing limitations, physical boundaries such as gateposts and doorways, and the limitations we place on ourselves through self-doubt and fears.

As a planet primarily concerned with solid earthly matters such as success and achievement, Saturn tends to lose some of its effectiveness in the watery realm of Pisces. Saturn is connected with Kronos, the Greek god of time, and the idea that our lives have definite endings. Awareness of our own mortality puts pressure on humans to accomplish something worthwhile before time runs out, and this requires focus and strategy that can be lacking when Saturn is in Pisces.

For the past five years or so Saturn has traveled through both of the signs which it rules: Capricorn and Aquarius. Pluto (destruction and regeneration) has been in Capricorn (success and societal structures) throughout this whole time, resulting in some of the fear, oppression and compression that we’ve experienced over the past few years since Saturn and Pluto collided in January 2020. With Saturn moving into Pisces on March 7th, followed by Pluto moving into Aquarius at the end of March, we will begin to see major shifts in the restructuring of global society.

Pisces is the most watery of all water signs, dissolving the boundaries that Saturn establishes along with the sense of individuality and ego that may trap us in an endless cycle of doing rather than being. In Pisces, Saturn operates best when directed through selfless service or creative expression, both of which are optimized forms of Piscean influence. Saturn’s urge for strategy and disciplined actions will be most effective in areas dominated by Pisces energy such as art, music, and any form of spirituality in which the ego is transcended for the sake of Universal bliss. However, Saturn in Pisces will not tolerate the kind of falsehoods and obfuscation that Neptune’s passage through Pisces (still ongoing) has brought into focus. Any kind of illusion or delusion will be pierced by the cold gaze of Saturn, making this an important time to avoid falling into traps where the illusion does not fit the reality.

It is difficult to compare Saturn’s current passage through Pisces to the time when Saturn was last in Pisces (May 21, 1993 – April 7, 1996) when Uranus and Neptune were locked in a conjunction. This was a highly creative time, but also a time fueled by delusion and New Age hysteria (see also Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate). It was also a time when great bands broke up (Grateful Dead, Nirvana due to the suicide of Kurt Cobain who was himself a quadruple Pisces), and the beginnings of the World Wide Web as we know it.

Individuals with Saturn in Pisces often have a fear (Saturn) of letting go into the kind of formless experience which Pisces inspires, and can sometimes become anxious under the lack of clarity. The traditional ruler of Pisces is Jupiter, and the yearning for expansion and the lack of boundaries which is a hallmark of the Jupiterian experience is not happy with the constraints applied by Saturn. Fortunately, if we understand the nature of the energies in play here we can work WITH the dynamic to ensure success. This will require becoming tuned to the ebb and flow of opportunity and to know when to apply Saturnian pressure and when to step back into Jupiterian relaxation.

Saturn will be in Pisces from March 7, 2023 to May 24, 2025, and retrograde back into Aquarius before entering Aries finally in August 2025.  


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