Saturn through the houses of Personal Consciousness

It may be helpful to read this and the following two articles in conjunction with the Areas of Consciousness articles already up on the web site.

General considerations:  

In this series article we are focusing upon Saturn in the twelve houses but additional considerations in every case are:

• The sign in which Saturn is found;
• The houses that Saturn rules accidentally, remembering that Saturn is also the orthodox ruler of Aquarius as well as Capricorn;
• Saturn will always represent the tenth house because it is its natural ruler; all Saturn situations therefore are aspects of the issue of coming into effective, practical selfhood and are reflective of experiences with the father (or mother if the mother was the most authoritative parent).

These links will supply detail about the nature of the inhibition e.g., if Saturn is found in House I and is the accidental ruler of  Houses VII & VIII, then this indicates that the fear of assertiveness that is a characteristic of Saturn in House I has it roots in relationship dynamics. The sign in which Saturn is found will indicate whether the difficulty is spiritual (fire), conceptual (air), emotional (water), or physical (earth).

In order to turn the situation around, in whatever house Saturn is found, there must be a willingness to acknowledge the problem and the restrictions arising from it. Saturn is turned around by conscious effort, not chance. Conscious attention and effort should turn this area of life into an area of accomplishment, a place of resource in the lifelong task of developing in the area of life denoted by the placement of the Sun. But we must always be vigilant to the possibility of backsliding into old patterns.

When Saturn is in any of the four houses of Personal Consciousness it inhibits the personality’s ability to separate out and to establish itself in its own right.

Saturn in the first house - In House I - a problem of assertiveness

Saturn in the first house manifests as a fear or disinclination of taking any kind of action or initiative. At the root of this mentality is a fear of failing and, like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, of unleashing something that runs out of control. The effect of this is timorous behaviour, a reluctance to start anything or a negativity and lack of commitment that will undermine any efforts that are made.

    When a first-house Saturn is turned around a person understands how the personality has to work to achieve effectiveness and recognition, justify its own separate existence and will never be lazy or casual in his or her undertakings.

Saturn in the second house - In House II -  a problem of apportionment

Saturn in the second house manifests problems to do with money. There is usually a fear of being without money that creates a sense of vulnerability and makes having and retaining money a matter of disproportionate importance in a life. This may crowd out opportunities. The fear of being without tends to produce retentive behaviour and money as D.K. reminds us is concretised energy and energy needs to be able to circulate. When it cannot is causes problems. The second house is an astral house: a person who is retentive with money will also be emotionally withholding and the cause is a fear of being ‘asset-stripped’.

    When a second-house Saturn is turned around a person never loses his or her practical sense and may know a considerable amount about making money work. Efficient handling of money releases time and energy for other activities.

Saturn in the third house - In House III -  a problem of integration

Here, Saturn produces complete identification with the personal reality. For a person with Saturn in the third house theirs is the only way of looking at the worlds, and theirs is the only way of interpreting events. They are closed to anything that does not conform to their way of understanding and will become prisoners and victims of their own ideas about things. The root of this mentality is defensiveness. There is a fear that anything that does not conform is potentially threatening to personal integrity.

    When a third-house Saturn is turned around a person ensures that he or she is well informed, frequently through the medium of education which is viewed as being of enormous importance.

Saturn in the fourth house - In House IV -  a problem of self- responsibility

Saturn in the fourth house makes a person fearful of looking at him or herself. The personal past is viewed as something to be left alone and not explored for fear of getting swallowed up by emotion and being reminded of painful situations. In consequence, the unexamined psyche is full of unrecognised contradictions and sabotaging tendencies. This placement of Saturn manifests problems of all kinds in the establishment of a home, including those of getting rid of a property when it is time to build a new home. It is the placement of Saturn that almost always reflects experiences with the mother, rather than the father.

    When a fourth-house Saturn is turned around, a person overcomes the disinclination to look at self, aware that self-understanding is essential if time and opportunity is to be used productively.