Tag Archives: saturn in synastry

Saturday Extra: More On Saturn’s Role In Synastry

Neith's Parents Wedding Photo in 1944We need Saturn! Without Saturn to teach us about boundaries, to behave responsibly and give us patience, our lives and relationships wouldn’t get off the ground – period, end of story.

There is a very good reason Saturn is exalted in Libra, the sign of relating to the “other.” When the bloom wears off the initial attraction and our partner’s habit of never cleaning up after themselves gets really annoying, that’s when having a solid Saturn aspect or two in the synastry will keep us from throwing them out the door. . . or not, if that is what’s needed.

What Saturn can provide is balance and stability, especially if there are a number of Uranus squares, oppositions, and conjunctions creating excitement and lots of adrenaline rushes. In order to have a relationship at all, you need to be able to be in the same place at the same time. It can be the difference between playing “phone tag” and sitting down for “face time.”

Neptune’s willingness to see all the unmanifested potential is best offset by a large dose of Saturn, too. No matter how creative that person is or how glamorous their appearance, can they pay their bills on time? Not to mention all the unpleasantness of dealing with various Neptune-related addictions. We can still love someone very much who does behave responsibly and is not a “bad boy.”

I have long thought that Saturn’s ability to live in the here and now and to take on challenges one step at a time in a pragmatic manner are a good antidote to Pluto’s obsessions. If you think you will die without that special someone, then check the synastry for a Pluto conjunction or opposition. Saturn can help us learn detachment, because it always emphasizes the rational over the emotional. In fact, learning to delay gratification is considered part of the maturation process, which is totally Saturn.

Saturn will move into Libra at the end of October this year, so consider this a heads up about what is in store for the collective. Between Pluto in conventional Capricorn and Saturn in Libra, I’m willing to say fidelity, commitment, and learning what constitutes a good marriage will start to make a comeback.

Libra, relationship specialistposted by Neith . . .

Image: My parents had been married for close to 63 yrs at the time of my Libra mother’s death. Now that’s commitment!

Saturday Archives: Saturn in Synastry . . . Neith’s Take

folk's wedding in 1944Pulling a post on Saturn in synastry from the archives for Saturday (Saturn’s Day) seems like a good idea. It is also important to remember Saturn aspects in synastry can provide the foundation for a lasting relationship . . . not such a bad guy after all?

A friend requested my take on how Saturn works in synastry between the charts, and as a true Libra Sun person with a life-long fascination with how relationships work, how could I say no?

Over the years, I’ve done a lot of reading relating to synastry, and I’ve looked at a lot of different relationships plus my own — especially my own!  When it comes to Saturn, I still favor Steven Arroyo’s work in this area.  He is a fellow Libra and has done extensive astrological relationship counseling over the years.  Another favorite, Liz Greene, has what I consider The Book on Saturn:  Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil.  Between these two astrologers and my own experiences, Saturn in synastry is simply not the bad guy that traditional astrologers have made him out to be.

This is not to say there aren’t synastry aspects with Saturn that are not tough to deal with; there are.  Saturn forming squares and inconjuncts to the Moon and Venus in particular can be difficult to resolve.  However, conjunctions and oppositions, as well as squares, show up with great frequency in chart comparisons of couples that have been together — and happily — for many years.  One of the key factors may be that most of the time there has been some kind of formal documentation of the relationship, such as marriage, wills, etc.  Saturn likes it very much when both partners sign on the dotted line and announce to the community that they are a couple.

Conjunctions, trines, sextiles, and oppositions between Saturn and the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Ascendant, and Descendant are all aspects that can indicate a durable relationship.  Saturn acts as a stabilizing element and helps ground the relationship in time and space.  When the synastry has loads of Jupiter and Uranus intra-aspects for fun and freedom, I like to see a good solid Saturn aspect to provide some balance.  If I don’t see one or two, then it’s likely that the relationship will burn brightly, and then both partners will move on.

My SO’s Saturn is conjunct my Moon-Neptune, which falls in his seventh House — a classic aspect for the long run.  Traditional astrology says I will experience this as oppressive and run into lots of resistance to the natural expression of my emotional nature.  I will own up to some of that, but after 17 years of being essentially happy and comfortable together, my overriding experience has been one where I find him emotionally dependable, and this creates a feeling of security for me.  OK, I have Taurus on the cusp of my seventh house, so I like a partner who others may find boring, but that’s the beauty of astrology: we can determine what type of partner best suits us.

While we love to look chart comparisons, I feel I must reiterate — one more time — that chart comparisons start with the individual!  And if as an individual you are not yet in a place to be a good partner, please acknowledge that to yourself if no one else.  My Libra side tells me the willingness to compromise is a very important aspect of being a good partner.  To make healthy compromises, we need to know exactly what is and what is not negotiable.  This goes right to the heart of being a good partner . . .

Libra with Scorpio risingposted by Neith . . .

Image: This is the wedding photo of my Libra mom & Cancer dad . . . they were married just a week shy of 63 yrs when she died March 2007. One of the reasons I believe in the possibility of lasting reasonably happy relationships!

Saturday Archives: Saturn in Synastry – Natal Chart

The World by Toni Allen (represents Saturn)The more I work with people on their synastry with another, the more I realize it all comes back to the natal chart and learning what Saturn has to teach us about loving and accepting ourselves as we are BEFORE we embark on a relationship with another human being.

Saturn has gotten a lot of bad press over the years yet he has been my saving grace more often than not when Neptune, Uranus or Pluto embroiled me in their fun and games. As an astrologer, I look to Saturn in the natal chart to show how the individual handles their responsibilities to others and themselves. In fact, if we don’t learn to be responsible to ourselves first, the chances of us being there for others is not too great.

As a person with a natal out-of-sign Sun/Saturn square, I grew up with one or the other of my parents (Saturn) keeping my nose to the grindstone. We had a small family farm and we all had lots of chores to do. In general people with Saturn in aspect to their Sun, no matter the nature of the aspect, are often given responsibilities at an early age and are pretty much going to be made to attend to them. The effect of a Sun/Saturn aspect on how we relate as adults is often dependant on other aspects to our Suns. If we have a Jupiter or Venus aspect to the Sun natally, we will tend to develop a more optimistic outlook, and be less likely to choose a “parent” for a partner. If not, it may take several Saturn cycles including the Saturn Return to help us realize how valuable we are.

The Moon in aspect to Saturn has a sobering effect on our emotions and habits. We are often like Moon in Capricorn, very cautious and aware of where we fit into our social group; and likely to be “old” when we are young and “young” as we age. With a natal Moon/Saturn sextile myself, I know this pattern well. Saturn can have a dampening effect on the Moon, making one lean towards choosing friends and lovers based on whether they are reliable rather than exciting. That is unless Uranus is also aspecting the Moon, then all bets are off!

Venus in aspect to Saturn?! I have one of those too. With Venus in Sagittarius in the 1st House, having Saturn trine to it probably keep me from doing too many wild and crazy things. However, it’s possible with Venus in aspect to Saturn to be so conventional and hedged about by the need to fit in; all the fun can be drained out of life. This aspect is the one most associated with undervaluing our feeling of being desirable. Here again if we are patient with Saturn’s lessons we can learn how to unfold our wings and transform our self-image. People with Venus/Saturn aspects are sometimes the ones who undertake a healthy diet and exercise program to very good effect – mostly because they stay with it long enough to see real results. We attract partners who appreciate someone who demonstrates reliability, not very romantic but good for lasting relationships with others.

When it comes to Mars/Saturn aspects natally, I have to go with what I’ve observed in others, like my sister who has Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. She can work longer and harder without letting up than anyone I know – except for others with Mars in close aspect to Saturn. This aspect can cause deep frustration of the need to act but at the same time it gives great endurance. Mars/Saturn aspects function similarly to Mars in Capricorn, one of the placements of Mars said to give one a steady sex drive but very controlled. This aspect suggests this individual is going to take their time before committing to a relationship but if they do, they’ll be around for the long haul. Sometimes Saturn can give Mars a fear of taking action and lead to a situation of complete impasse.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Saturn is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Saturn on the Ascendant tend to present a dour face to the world even if they are fun loving and sociable in privacy. If we wish to draw a partner more in tune with who we are at home, we need to keep in mind to show this self more often. Saturn on the Midheaven is an indicator of someone who is all business on the job even if they are a party animal away from the office. In both these cases, it usually pays to take the time (Saturn) to get to know them in different settings.

This is more or less the cliff notes version of how Saturn works natally. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of Liz Greene’s book, “Saturn: a new look at an old devil”. Almost every astrologer I’ve ever talked agrees this book is the definitive source of information on Saturn. My copy is well read because it’s a staple reference book in my astrology library.

Libra with Scorpio risingposted by Neith . . .