Saturn Our Worst Enemy or Our Greatest Friend

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Saturn Our Worst Enemy or Our Greatest Friend

 

 

Of the planets in our solar system visible to the naked eye,

Saturn is arguably the most spectacular. Its very visible rings

distinguish it from the other inner planets and give it a unique

beauty. So why is this magnificent planet considered to be the

supreme terrifier and feared by those who see him coming their way?

In reality Saturn, like all the planets, has a function and a

purpose. Here we will explore the mythology of Saturn and his

function in astrology to show that he is, in reality, not the villain

he is portrayed to be. In fact, he is one of the truest friends a

person could have. Saturn, a friend? Knowing that you aren't yet

convinced, let us examine him more closely and see what we find.

 

 

 

Over the centuries Indian astrologers have found that the

greatest, the most powerful, and the most dangerous of all the

(inner) planets is Saturn. They have also invested a great deal of

time and effort in trying to find ways to keep Saturn's influence

under control. (1) It is said that all beings fear Saturn. To eastern

and western astrologers alike, Saturn is considered the greater

malefic in the astrology chart. He is the grim reaper, ruler of

bereavements and misfortunes. He is known to bring depravity,

darkness and at times death to those whose lives he enters. In the

book The Greatness of Saturn, Dr. Robert Svoboda says, " If pleased he

will give you a kingdom, but if irate he will snatch everything away

from you in a moment. His grace makes you happy, while his wrath so

thoroughly ruins you that your name is completely forgotten in the

human world. " (2)

 

 

 

In Greek mythology, Saturn killed his own father and in Indian

lore, he is said to not even have spared his own guru when it came to

delivering his wares. However, as we will see, Saturn is also

depicted in some stories as being a divine king who ruled over a

Golden Age where life was joyful and filled with abundance. So will

the real Saturn please stand up?

 

 

 

The planets, like the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus and

like human beings in general, have a positive side, a divine nature,

as well as a shadow side. Saturn is no exception. Each planet is

designed to teach us lessons. In Indian mythology, it is believed

that the planets are the deliverers of one's actions. Their job is to

bring to us the fruits of our actions, the fruits of our good and bad

deeds. (3 & 4)

 

 

 

Svoboda sums it up quite nicely. " …the Nine Planets…are the nine

chief masks of reality…These Nine Grahas…inhabit the corporeal

planets in the same way that human personalities reside within

physical bodies. The Nine Great Grahas are the nine major

personalities which arise from the primordial images which populate

the world of the mind, images which resemble the archetypes that Carl

Jung described. " (5) Svoboda also talks about how a person's destiny

is the sum of their past actions. It is the job of the nine planets

to " see to it that you reap, without fail, what you sow, for they are

the executive officers of the Law of Karma, which is the Law of

Action and Reaction. " (6)

 

 

 

The Law of Karma basically states that as you sow, so shall you

reap. Newton's third law of motion says that for every action there

is an equal and opposite reaction, another way of stating this law of

cause and effect. Even though all the planets are channels for giving

and receiving our energy and subsequent karma, Saturn's job is that

of the enforcer-he forces you to experience the results of your

actions, your karma. Saturn governs time. When the karmic alarm clock

goes off, Saturn must deliver your karma to your doorstep, ready or

not.

 

 

 

In astrology, Saturn also represents boundaries, limits,

structure, discipline, responsibility, honor, and integrity, among

other things. His rings are symbolic of those limits, forming a band

around the planet, symbolic of the iron band (7) we form around

ourselves as a result of our actions, our karma. Saturn represents

the material plane. In astrology he has the ability to crystallize

things into the physical. It is also interesting that Saturn with its

rings looks like an atom with electrons swirling around it. Atoms are

the building blocks of material, of matter.

 

 

 

Saturn is the furthest of the " inner " planets from the Sun and

the last planet that can be easily seen with the naked eye. He

therefore represents the boundaries or limits of consciousness, of

that which can be seen. It appeared to the ancients that there were

no planets beyond Saturn. Metaphorically it seems that nothing gets

beyond Saturn. The karmic buck stops with him. When Saturn comes to

visit by transit, people often feel trapped, stuck, imprisoned, like

they can't get past whatever is blocking them. Then it is a matter of

time, of serving their time and of balancing whatever karmic box

Saturn has delivered to their doorstep, before they are free from his

grip.

 

 

 

To get a deeper understanding of Saturn, let us take a look at

his mythology. In Vedic astrology, the depth of astrological

knowledge was passed from teacher to student through planetary

stories and myths. By telling stories and bringing the planets to

life, the Jyotishi was able to integrate the meanings easier. The

same drama of the planets are acted out here below, thus relating the

macrocosm of the planets to the microcosm of our world.

 

 

 

In India there are several myths and stories about Saturn. The

Greatness of Saturn is an example of such a myth. Svoboda defines

Saturn (Shani) as " the planet in charge of fate, which forces you to

experience your karmas whether you want to or not " . (8) Saturn is the

brother of Yama, the god of righteousness and death. The great sage

and father of Vedic astrology, Parasara, linked Saturn with Brahma.

(9)

 

 

 

The Greatness of Saturn addresses the 7½ year period where

Saturn enters the constellation before that of your Moon until it

passes through the constellation after your Moon. Without going into

great detail, in this story King Vikramaditya spoke ill of

Saturn. " When the king was finished, the dark-countenanced Saturn

spoke to him in a voice that rang with the calm cold of reality: " O

Vikramaditya! You have insulted me in front of the entire assembly

without even knowing the extent of my capabilities. Are you aware

that Indra and all the other devas quiver in front of me? You know

that whomever I get angry with I totally destroy, but what you have

not yet comprehended is that I do not allow even a trace of that

miscreant to remain; no, not even his name. " (10)

 

 

 

The king subsequently suffered for 7 ½ years at the hands of

Saturn and lost everything he had. When he asked for compassion,

Saturn's reply was that if he showed compassion, the King would not

learn his lessons. Saturn told him that he must experience him. (11)

Otherwise his " insolence " would not leave him. In the end, he learned

many lessons and was grateful for his experience. He was a better

person for it, " a wiser and much more sober man " . (12)

 

 

 

To his own Guru Saturn said, " O Guru! Anyone who is free from

arrogance has nothing to fear from me, but everyone who harbors

arrogance within will have to suffer as you have suffered. " (13)

Hearing this story of how Saturn harried his own guru adds more to

the fear people experience with Saturn. However, as Saturn explained,

all incidents that happen are fruits of a person's karmas, served up

to them during their various Seven-and-a-Half periods. (14)

Therefore, what one really fears is himself.

 

 

 

It is said that until you have completely conquered and gained

control of your inner nature, Saturn can still affect you and you are

at his mercy. Saturn searches out the weaknesses in our personality

and will expose these weaknesses and limitations. This is where some

of the positive aspects of Saturn, such as self-discipline, come in

handy to help people pull in the reigns and control their lower

nature.

 

 

 

In Greek mythology, Saturn was called Cronus. He was ruler of

the Titans, or Elder Gods, the youngest son of Uranus and Gaea.

Cronus' father, Uranus, regarded his offspring with horror and cast

them into the depths of earth when they were born. When Cronus was

born, at the prompting of his mother, he rebelled against his father

and mutilated him with a sickle. We see the themes of rebellion and

independence, which are normally associated with Uranus, but here

they are carried out by Cronus. The blend of the stories of Cronus

and Uranus helps us see how Saturn is associated with both Aquarius,

which represents the elements of rebellion, liberation and freedom,

and Capricorn, which is normally associated with Saturnian qualities.

 

 

 

An oracle told Cronus that one day he would be overcome by one

of his children. In response to this possibility, Cronus, following

in similar footsteps as his father, proceeded to swallow his children

when they were born. This is symbolic of Cronus repressing or

swallowing his own creations (with children being the ultimate

creation).

 

 

 

There is only so much that can be stuffed and at some point it

has to come to the surface for resolution. Cronus' wife, Rhea, who

could be representative of the feminine or feeling aspect of himself,

was overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her children. Saturn is

cold and dry and it can be easier just to shut down emotionally

rather than deal with things. At a certain level, people can only cut

themselves off for so long until the grief and unresolved issues

start to seep into the conscious mind.

 

 

 

So when Saturn's son, Zeus, was born, Rhea's parents, Uranus and

Gaea, helped her to take Zeus away to be nourished and raised in

secret. Instead of giving Zeus to Cronus, Rhea presented him with a

stone wrapped in clothes for him to swallow. When Zeus was older, he

asked Metis to create a drought that caused Cronus to vomit up the

stone and all of his children.

 

 

 

Zeus symbolizes hope in astrology. Perhaps the birth of Zeus is

symbolic of the birth of hope in Cronus and also of the process of

bringing Zeus' nature in Cronus to the conscious mind. The part of

him that was represented by Zeus was nourished until one day, when

Zeus was strong enough, he forced Cronus to bring the rest of his

creations to the surface, symbolized by Saturn vomiting up his

children.

 

 

 

Psychologist Carl Jung said " that which we do not bring to

consciousness appears in our lives as fate " . (15) Saturn is the

planet that represents our fate, our karma. In his myth, it is

symbolic that the part of him that was unconscious (his children or

his own creations that were swallowed or stuffed in the unconscious)

did fulfill the prophecy and appear as fate, predicted by the oracle,

with one of his children, Zeus, rising and overcoming him. Had he not

sublimated his children, i.e. had he brought his actions and

creations to consciousness, there would be no need for Zeus to

overtake him.

 

 

 

According to Homer, Saturn (or Cronus) was then driven from the

sky and cast out to the depths of the universe. Others say he was

sent to the ends of the earth to dwell in bliss. (16) Here we see the

two sides of Saturn. One is being cast to the depths of the universe,

symbolic of Saturn being the outermost planet in ancient times, to

experience one's karma. The other is the bliss and blessing of having

Saturn reflect back to us the error of our ways so that we can learn,

become self-disciplined, change our ways and subsequently live in

bliss, which is what everyone seeks in one way or another.

 

 

 

In Roman mythology, Saturn was related to agriculture and was

of the same rank as Jupiter. His name was synonymous to sator (a

sower) and to abundance. He was a working god and was associated with

the riches of the earth. After his overthrow by Zeus, he was said to

have fled and became king of Italy during the Golden Age, a time of

perfect peace and happiness which lasted as long as he was king. (17)

His reign brought prosperity and abundance. (18) In a painting in

Pompeii, Saturn is shown standing with a sickle in his hand, symbolic

of agriculture and the earth's riches. (19) It is also probably

symbolic of the sickle with which he killed his father. So again we

see the two sides of Saturn.

 

 

 

Saturn was originally one of the Numina, the protector of the

Sowers and the Seed. In later days he was said to be the same as the

Greek god Cronus. In memory of the Golden Age where he reigned in

Italy, the great feast of the Saturnalia was held every year during

the winter (time of Capricorn). It was considered that the Golden Age

returned to the earth during the days of the feast. During this time

no one could declare war, slaves and masters ate at the same table,

executions were postponed, people gave presents. It kept alive the

idea of equality, a time when all were on the same level. (20) This

also relates to the fact that once you reap your karma, there are no

favorites. The law of karma is the same for all.

 

 

 

Saturn is also the source of Saturday or Saturn's day.

Translated, Saturday means Sabbath. (21) It was considered a holy

day, the day before the Sabbath. Saturn, as ruler of Capricorn, is

associated with the year's end. This is the time of Christmas and New

Year's celebrations, which also relates back to when the ancient

Romans celebrated Saturnalia, the festival of Saturn and the winter

solstice. Making New Year's resolutions fits the theme of Saturn,

where people vow to do things better, become more self-disciplined,

set limits, etc.

 

 

 

It is said in esoteric teaching that Saturn is the planet of

discipleship. " A disciple is someone who learns by surrendering to

Reality, who studies minute by minute everything that Saturn has to

teach, be it bitter or sweet. True disciples attempt to control their

own nature, that they may influence Saturn's influence on

themselves. " (22)

 

 

 

Saturn is like the stern look of the guru. When you look into

his eyes you see the mirror of your folly and your human creation.

There can be fear in this experience, but if you let the transmutive

fires of Saturn's gaze go through you, you will come out the other

side free from the substance and the habit patterns that got you

there in the first place.

 

 

 

Saturn dries you up and parches your thirst to where you feel

nothing-that is nothing that is not real. When karma is due, the

swiftness of how it descends, sometimes with great terror, just like

what happened to King Vikramaditya, can be devastating. That is why

Saturn is viewed with fear and terror. However, he delivers nothing

that hasn't been ordered. He is simply the messenger and harbinger of

our fate. When he comes to our door, time is up and putting off the

inevitable of paying for our mistakes is not possible. However, once

the karma is balanced and time is served, there is wonderful relief

to the soul.

 

 

 

The key is to learn the lesson that Saturn teaches and not

repeat the behavior. It is imperative that you get wise and become

conscious of the fact that what is delivered to your doorstep can't

be blamed on anyone else, that you have to vomit that part of

yourself out of the subconscious like Saturn did and face it.

Otherwise, you will continue to weave a karmic web that you will

eventually experience as fate or karma returning just as Carl Jung

said-i.e. what is not brought to the conscious mind is lived out as

fate.

 

 

 

When in the grips of Saturn, i.e. your own karma, you may feel

hopeless, depressed, trapped. And you will be trapped for as long as

necessary. However, there is hope in the midst of it. Be humble, look

at the circumstances for what they are and know that it is coming

around for a reason. You are experiencing something that you have

done unto another and now it is time to learn the lesson of what it

feels like to be on the receiving end.

 

 

 

Look inside yourself as to the causes, don't blame another, open

your heart to Saturn as your teacher, and it can be one of the most

rewarding experiences of a lifetime. The sooner you learn that no one

does anything to you, that you essentially do it to yourself, the

sooner you are released from Saturn's grip. Soon we begin to welcome

Saturn into our life because we know that after his cycle is

complete, we have paid a certain debt that will leave us freer and

happier, and hopefully wiser, to live our lives unencumbered by karma

hanging over our heads.

 

 

 

Saturn can be your greatest friend in that he shows you the

tangible results of your actions so that you can make corrections,

serve your time and turn around and do it right the next time. The

stern gaze of Saturn is only stern to those who have something to

fear, something to lose. That loss is the loss of their human

creation, a creation that is not real in the first place and exists

only in the sands of time and space.

 

 

 

So again we ask, how can it be said that Saturn, the supreme

terrifier among the planets, can be your greatest friend? As we have

seen, it is simply because Saturn returns to us only that which we

have sent forth. And once we are able to experience our own creation,

our karmic return, we are able to learn, grow and be free from the

burdens that we have imposed upon others and therefore, upon

ourselves. And what could be more kind and loving than to have

someone tell you what you are doing wrong. And since we are generally

resistant to hearing what we have done wrong, Saturn has the

thankless task of delivering our karma to us in such a way that we

experience what we have done to another in exactly the same way they

felt and experienced it from us.

 

 

 

What better way to learn our lessons. Unfortunately, we don't

always remember what we have done to another or even if we do

remember, we don't usually have co-measurement as to how it felt to

the other person. Therefore, we blame Saturn and others for our

misfortune. Nevertheless, those great and small must reap what they

sow, whether they learn their lessons or not. And thanks to Saturn,

there is no injustice in the universe.

 

 

 

What a great guy, this Saturn. Because of him, we don't have to

worry about people getting away with anything. We don't have to blame

others or try to get even. Fortunately for us, he has does all that

for us when he delivers back to people what they have sent out.

 

 

 

We have been taught that one of the masters who rules Saturn is

Maitreya, the Buddha whose essence is loving kindness. Those who

worship Maitreya find that underneath his stern but peaceful gaze is

the most gentle and kind father a person could ever want. So I say we

give Saturn some credit. He walks around dark and thin from carrying

all the messages and burdens he has to deliver.

 

 

 

However, Saturn delivers both good and bad karma. When he is

happy " he causes good fortune to sweep through your life " . (23)

Perhaps we could help take a load off of him by learning our lessons

and creating pleasant karma for him to deliver to us. This is one way

to befriend and please Saturn. Then we can go off to the ends of the

earth and live with him in bliss or be his subject somewhere where he

is king of a Golden Age.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.spiritualastrology.com/article19.html

 

 

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