Astrologically speaking, the planet Saturn tends to scare people. The planet gets a bad reputation because it is the planet of responsibility, time, and karma – not to mention the things that we’re not very good at. The sign of Saturn within our natal chart depicts and energy that doesn’t come naturally to us. But I’m here as Saturn’s PR specialist, because this planet deserves a little respect.
Saturn only punishes us if we are not meeting our challenges; if we are not being self-disciplined. We must learn our lessons, because Saturn will hold us accountable for ourselves.
Jupiter gets all of the positive attention that Saturn doesn’t get. Everyone loves Jupiter, because it’s the planet of fortune, luck, blessings, and expansion. It’s interesting that Saturn and Jupiter tend to travel closely with one another: they met last year in the sign of Aquarius for the much spoken-of Great Conjunction that happens approximately every 20 years. Saturn changes signs about every 3 years, and Jupiter changes signs about every 12 months. Many people tend to have Saturn and Jupiter within the same house in their natal charts. To me, this is telling that we cannot have too much Jupiter without Saturn there to check it.
Jupiter rules belief and has an energy of positive expectation – like Sagittarius, the sign it rules. Sagittarius energy holds boundless optimism, always looking forward to our goals. It’s the centaur with its arrow pointed towards the bigger picture. But Saturn begs the question: how are you going to get there? What’s the first step you’re willing to take to achieve that lofty goal in the distance?
The Law of Attraction teaches us that we need to truly believe that we already have the life that we want to live in order to attain it. But we still have to take aligned action in order to achieve it. We still need Saturn there to tell us to sit our asses down and take the first step towards pursuing our dreams.
Belief without discipline – Jupiter without Saturn – lacks substance. In Steven Forrest’s book, The Inner Sky, he talks about how Saturn is belief, too. It’s not belief in terms of Jupiter, where we believe in a god or in the universe. Saturn is about belief in yourself. And ultimately, it is that belief in yourself that will make your dreams come true. We need faith from Jupiter and self-discipline from Saturn in order to achieve our dreams.