Astrology and Myth SATURN the lord of time

Astrology and Myth SATURN the lord of time

If Jupiter is expansive, then Saturn, on the contrary, is restrained, and almost always these two are a natural and necessary opposite.

Saturn was known to the Greeks as Kron, the god of time. We can see the inexorable and slow movement of time when looking into the night sky since Saturn is the most distant planet visible to the naked eye, and therefore the slowest. The Babylonian name for this planet is Ninib, and another name for this Babylonian deity is Ninurta.

Initially, Ninurta was considered the supreme god and a powerful killer of the notorious snake. However, he was later replaced in the minds of the Mesopotamians by Marduk, a younger god and another serpent-slayer associated with the planet Jupiter.

Ninurta, Ninib, remained the god of agriculture, a kind of heavenly manager of the fields and their boundaries – and, in a broader sense, the boundaries of consciousness, which is given by the position of Saturn in the visible boundaries of the solar system.

He also directed the development of irrigation technology, which helped Mesopotamia achieve significant agricultural success and prosperity.

When local astrology gave way to Greek astrology, Kronos or Saturn constituted a logical correspondence to the ancient Ninib. Saturn (to use his Roman name) was an ancient king of the gods who was succeeded on the throne by his son Zeus or Jupiter (Babylonian Marduk).

And since he was believed to have reigned in the archaic golden age of mankind, when the earth gave its fruits in abundance and everyone had plenty of food, his status as the god of agriculture was quite consistent with Ninib. However, Saturn gained his high status through parricide.

His mother (Gaia) pushed him to this, and so he ambushed his father, the ancient king of heaven Uranus, the very first god-king and despot, cut off his genitals with a sickle and thus deprived him of the throne, after which he took his place.

Note that Saturn killed his father at the behest of his mother. The sun and moon, as we already know, in the sky represent the archetypal father-mother pair.

Before other planets were discovered, it was Saturn who ruled those two signs (Capricorn and Aquarius) that are in opposition to the signs of the Moon and the Sun (Cancer and Leo). Any contact between Saturn and the Sun or Moon in the horoscope usually indicates deep-seated and intractable problems with the parents.

Like Uranus, over time, Saturn began to show despotism. Frightened that his children might destroy him, as he destroyed his father, Saturn swallowed his children as soon as they emerged from the womb of Rhea’s mother: so the golden age soon turned into an era of darkness. However, Rhea replaced the youngest of her children, namely Zeus / Jupiter, with a stone.

The son, having matured, rescued his brothers and sisters from the womb of his father and began a war for dominance in the universe. Jupiter, of course, won, and Saturn was banished to Tartarus, a deep cavern prison at the edge of space.

It was as the god of boundaries and limitations, in his archetypal form of “Father-Time” that Saturn, like the planet that bears his name, had a significant impact on Western astrology.

The image of “Father-Time” is based precisely on the archetype of Saturn. This is an old man, as befits the most ancient king of the gods; he holds a sickle in his hands, and we already know how Saturn used this agricultural tool.

And of course, he also holds an hourglass in his hand – a symbol of time itself.

From the Greek name of Saturn (Kronos) comes the word chronology, referring to the passage of time. In other words, formed from this root are the chronometer and the chronicle.

In medical astrology, Saturn has always been associated with teeth, bones (skeleton), hair, skin, and nails. What happens when we get old?

The most noticeable signs of human aging are found in these Saturnian parts of the body: hair and teeth begin to fall out, skin, bones, and nails become dry and brittle, and the skeleton begins to bend. Osteoporosis, a common problem in aging women, is associated with bone loss, and the best remedy for it is calcium, a Saturn mineral.

Thus, aging, we, on the one hand, reach the “golden days>>, the period of Saturn, when we can finally take off the burden of daily worries to enjoy silence and solitude; but thanks to Saturn, we are forced to remain so alert to the state of our own body that we are even able to enjoy it!

Since Saturn is considered a symbol of the slow passage of time, old age, and internal problems (the boundaries of consciousness), most people consider Saturn one of the most “difficult” of their planets, and periods of its transits, as a rule, mean difficult periods in their life.

But in the lives of those who have Saturn in the horoscope favorably, or those who attempt to establish friendly relations with him, he can play a completely different role.

It can help us achieve success in engineering and agriculture (reminding us of Ninib’s original status as the god of agriculture and irrigation), as well as help us simply accept that there are limits to life.

In essence, Saturn could be a golden age planet for us. Those who can easily relate to the countless irritants of daily life, as if they carry peace and wisdom in themselves – they are calm, unperturbed, and balanced.

This is the peace of Saturn, and in a psychological sense, this quality is valuable for everyone. There is another important archetype associated with Saturn from time immemorial, and that is Pan. Let’s remember that Saturn controls Capricorn, and the “goat” in this constellation is Amalthea, the goat nurse.

Many of us are unaware that the god Pan was one of the most important deities of ancient Greece. His name means “everything” and he is the Father of All, the primordial god of the earth – another symbolic connection to the Saturn archetype.

We tend to think of Saturn as a cold, overwhelming planet, so it seems rather difficult to draw parallels between Saturn and Pan roaming the woods erect, drunk, and lewd, frolicking with nymphs and playing his flute in the wilds of the forest.

Saturn can’t be like that! However, the perception of Saturn as an overwhelming, cold planet is a modern trend.

In medieval astrology, such properties as coldness and equanimity were indeed attributed to the planet Saturn, mainly due to the association with the sign of Aquarius, the ruler of which was considered Saturn before the discovery of Uranus. However, medieval astrologers also associated Saturn with debauchery and corruption (and modern Vedic astrologers agree with them).

The most insane bacchanalia of ancient times was the Saturnalia festivities when servants became masters and all moral norms were temporarily canceled.

But if Pan is the wild god of the earth, he is also the god of our nightmares and phobias. In Greek mythology, a lot of stories have been preserved about how people, by chance, found themselves in a wild forest and were frightened to death by the terrible cry of Pan (of which he did not have the best of intentions).

This cry led them into a state of panic – this word is formed from the name of Pan. Thus, anxiety and panic attacks in an astrological context are related to Saturn.

Astrological transits of Saturn usually show how much we have succeeded in acquiring the calmness and maturity inherent in it. When you reach the age of 28 or 29,

Saturn returns to the zodiac position it held at the time of your birth; this is the “great and terrible” Saturn Return that all astrologers talk about, but you don’t need to be so afraid of it.

It just means that the archetypal attributes of Saturn – maturity, limitations, practicality – will suddenly come into play in your life during this period.

Your reaction to these changes can be very violent and difficult psychologically, but everything can go easily and naturally.

The events of your life at this time will let you know whether you are behaving correctly with Saturn or not. Of course, you can analyze your dreams to get “from the inside” information about how Saturn works in your life; Look out for the dream images listed below during your Saturn Return.

There is, of course, also the second Saturn Return, which occurs when a person approaches 60 years of age. For many people, this is a much more pleasant time than the period of the first Return.

During the first Return, at the age of 29-30, a person suddenly realizes the inexorability of the passage of time, and he understands that it is time to seriously achieve something in the professional field. The inner chronometer (Saturn) makes a person move forward in life. Saturn values high performance and does not tolerate stagnation or delay.

For most women, the biological clock begins to tick very loudly at this time, especially given the fact that shortly before this they experience their first Lunar Return. And at the age of 60, the period of the Return of Jupiter begins (which repeats every 12 years).

Thus, the second Saturn Return culminates in the fifth Jupiter Return, and a sense of true inner fulfillment and fulfillment can come to you at this time if you have truly considered the needs of your personal Saturn in life.

Since both of these planets in one way or another symbolize fatherhood, during this period, many begin to sincerely enjoy parenting, that is, in this case, from communicating with grandchildren.

There is another transit of Saturn that is considered very important in India, and that is the transit of Saturn through the natal Moon. Not being associated with a specific age, this transit depends on the angular aspect between Saturn and the Moon in your natal chart.

A person whose Moon is in a waning square to Saturn will experience this transit at about the age of 21, then again at 49-50 years old, while one whose Saturn and Moon are in opposition will experience this transit at 14 and then over 40 years old.

This transit is of great importance for several reasons. First, there is a definite relationship between Saturn and the Moon based on the number 28: the lunar cycle is 28 days long, while Saturn’s cycle takes 28 years.

Astrologers using secondary progressions are of course aware that the progressed Moon also circles the horoscope in 28 years; therefore, the cycles of Saturn and the Moon are interpenetrating, and these planets are in the relationship of microcosm and macrocosm.

The moon symbolizes everything that educates and supports us in life, whether it is our home, mother or our own mentality.

Saturn conflicts with the Moon in many ways (the signs of these planets, Cancer and Capricorn, are opposite to each other), however, due to the similarity of their cycles and the control of parental houses,

Fourth and Tenth, the Moon and Saturn are similar in many ways. When the Moon-Saturn aspect is present in the horoscope, it is very important to restore this natural opposition.

As a rule, a person in whose horoscope such an aspect is observed feels a lack of attention and support (physical and emotional) from loved ones.

As a result, a situation arises in which he must provide himself with this support and attention, although he may be trying to build impregnable walls around himself, designed to protect him from possible suffering.

One of the most effective ways to change this situation is to become a parent yourself and give your children the love, care and support that a person himself has been deprived of in his life.

DREAM WORK AND IMAGINATION ACTIVATION

In dreams and when the imagination is activated, Saturn usually appears in the form of an old man.

Will it be a Wise old man or just an old grumbler, depends on what relationship you are in with Saturn now.

Since Saturn is a “difficult”, provocative planet, its archetype can appear before us in the form of our own Shadow.

In Jungian psychology, the Shadow archetype embodies all those qualities that we would rather not recognize in ourselves, and since we cannot recognize them, we tend to “project” them onto other people.

For example, a quiet liberal who simply cannot stand fundamentalists may be quite ardent and authoritarian at heart, which he himself does not even suspect.

He will most likely see in a dream how people of a similar warehouse are chasing him: such dreams actually encourage him to take a closer look at himself and notice hitherto unknown facets of his own character.

In the chapter on Venus, an example was given of how a respectable housewife suddenly begins to dream about “bad girls.” In this example, Venus embodies the Shadow of this woman (the Shadow is almost always the same sex as a person).

However, for many, and perhaps most of us, it is Saturn who most often plays the role of the Shadow.

Saturn is a mean old man who refuses to be reasonable.

He may be decrepit, infirm, and lame. And even if he does not appear in the guise of an old man, he is still strict and authoritarian – most likely, he will be dressed in something like a uniform, like a soldier or policeman (or even like a pest control, since Saturn “manages” dirt and those who lives there).

Look for it in the ruins and in the garbage heaps, in abandoned houses and garbage heaps.

In ancient and medieval astrology, Saturn was associated with toilets and bathrooms, and this is still true, although sometimes these images in a dream can mean more Pluto than Saturn. Everything that corresponds to Saturn from a medical point of view can also appear in a dream.

Dreaming of people with chronic back problems, for example, may mean that the dreamer has taken on too much responsibility and does not feel reciprocal support from those he cares about.

Many people say that they dream that in a dream their teeth or hair fall out, or some kind of tumors appear on the skin; such dreams warn people that the balance of Saturn in their life is disturbed.

The appearance of Saturn as the Lord of Time is very common in dreams. If you dream of a clock (any) or how you are trying to get ahead of time, rushing to a plane, train, ship and not having time for them, this means that you are not very good at managing your time.

If, on the other hand, in a dream you receive a new watch as a gift, for example, a beautiful gold wrist or decorative watch, this is an indicator that you are in tune with time (Saturn) and use it correctly. Finally, Saturn can really appear to you in the form of a wise old man.

In this guise, he will resemble “old Mercury” – a wandering sage or village elder – that is, more like the wizard Merlin (also mentioned in this context), and this is certainly an example of the most favorable union of Mercury and Saturn.

The appearance of such a character, however, is quite rare and means that your consciousness has reached its own limits and has already taken a certain step outside.

Artemidorus says that Saturn or Cronus, like other titans, is associated in Greek cosmology with the outer boundaries of the world, with the boundaries of the cosmos itself (this, of course, corresponds to the role of Saturn as the most distant planet in the solar system visible to the naked eye).

In the context of mythology, it must be remembered that Saturn and other titans were imprisoned in Tartarus, which in reality was considered to be located at the end of the world. Thus,, the appearance of Saturn in a dream is good for you if you are a philosopher, for philosophers travel in spirit to the very limits of the cosmos.

For everyone else, dreams involving Saturn, as a rule, only cause anxiety, and this once again confirms that for most of us Saturn represents the shadow side of the personality, while for those who have done serious inner work and have reached the required level of spiritual maturity, Saturn is the archetype of wisdom.

MEANS OF PLANETARY HEALING

As has been pointed out more than once, the so-called planetary healing means are simply methods to increase the energy and power of a particular planet.

In the case of Saturn, you need to think twice before using these methods – since the fact that the influence of this planet on our lives is quite significant is obvious, and Saturn is usually strong in itself, so you should be very careful about giving it even more strength.

One of the authors of this book has a friend who spent several years in India in the service of the Peace Corps – well, he was amazed and confused to find that all the locals were alarmed and confused at the sight of his beautiful blue sapphire ring.

He lived there for two years, never knowing why his ring made people so nervous.

The answer, of course, is that blue sapphire is the stone of Saturn. The inhabitants of the Indian village naturally believed that the said ring would increase the energy of Saturn in their guest – which, in turn, would have a dubious effect on his work, which would reflect on them.

The stone of Saturn is recommended to be worn only by those who sincerely love Saturn and in whose natal horoscope he occupies the most favorable positions.

For most of us, Saturn’s best “healer” is simply hard work. In fact, there are a certain number of astrologers, both in India and in the West, who would argue with the statement that Saturn is in any way associated with stones, mantras, talismans.

Saturn does not accept “urgent repairs” – as the lord of time, he does not tolerate haste and fuss. In general, the best way to solve problems with Saturn is to boldly face them.

Roll up your sleeves, put on work gloves and get to work. There are, however, some tricks that can help you in your work.

In the European alchemical tradition, Saturn symbolizes the “nigredo” or “blackening” – a dark, “sad and” very difficult stage of alchemical work, which corresponds to the very beginning of the work.

In many books on alchemy, this stage – and, accordingly, Saturn – is symbolically depicted as a raven / crow (black bird). During periods of heavy transits of Saturn, many Indians specially feed ravens and crows as a sign of reverence for Saturn.

Gardening is usually associated with the Moon because it is associated with growing plants, but Saturn was the god of agriculture, so gardening is also related to him.

The plants you so carefully care for are ruled by the Moon, but the earth in which they are rooted is ruled by Saturn; and the brick fences you build are the territory of the ancient Babylonian Saturn, Ninib, god of the boundaries of agricultural land.

As already noted, some of the most intractable problems with Saturn are those related to the Moon-Saturn conflict.

Any construction is in the sphere of influence of Saturn, so the application of energy in the field of architecture and construction is a great way to work positively with Saturn.

Remember: Saturn loves a formalized world, and he begins to respect us When he sees our achievements in the material embodiment.

As the archetypal psychologist James Hillman noted, panic attacks are associated with the god Pan and usually indicate imbalance and disharmony with the wild, unbridled side of the personality or a loss of connection with nature, with the earth.

The best remedies for panic attacks, then, are spending time in the wild and rebalancing your inner wildness.

INVOCATION AND AWARENESS

Few of us would be able to consciously call Saturn into our lives – although the authors of this book have come across a few people who were so “out of touch” that they simply needed Saturn’s help!

However, in the lives of most of us, Saturn already has an overwhelming influence, and we would rather weaken it than strengthen it.

There is no need to train in the awareness of the presence of Saturn in life, since it is obvious to everyone! Whenever a person familiar with astrology is faced with situations where a leaky roof needs to be fixed, or a long official paper needs to be filled out, or a long, slow-moving line at the bank, he is fully aware of the presence of Saturn.

However, you can learn to notice the positive influence of Saturn on your life, which is a little more difficult to do, but for which you will be rewarded many times over.

Whenever you can congratulate yourself on a job well done, don’t forget to thank Saturn, for it was he who gave you the task you did so well; looking at well-groomed fields promising a bountiful harvest, remember the status of Saturn as the god of agriculture of the golden age, and when you meet a really wise and interesting old man in the “golden age”, remember that Saturn embodies the wisdom and inner grace of maturity and old age.