Sun square Saturn or Sun opposite Saturn is commonly associated with cold, strict fathers, having an inferiority complex, being fearful of authority and feeling very uncomfortable under the solar spotlight. It can be all those things but I want to look at this so called ‘malefic’ aspect in another way.
Saturn is only a ‘bad thing’ because ‘Patriarchy’ tends to be experienced as oppression rather than support. Those of us who feel we have no sovereignty will find ourselves enslaved by Saturnian traits of authority, fear mongering and control. Therefore we will project these attributes onto how we experience Saturn in our natal chart or by transit.
Sun/Saturn Hard Aspect Transit
Sun square or opposite Saturn in the sky is ideal for knuckling down to some hard graft! This tough aspect gives stamina and willpower to overcome any obstacles. It will knock down the feeble-minded, but it will make the steadfast a powerhouse of authority. Use this steamroller of a transit to enhance your status. The spotlight of the Sun is beaming on your reputation. Keep it real! What you create at this time should be durable and timeless as it will be in use for many years to come.
There are many factors that determine whether you will see Saturn as Satan himself or whether you will see him as a wise old druid and a rock to lean on. If Saturn is in a day chart, well dignified or on a fantastic star, then even these hard aspects will not necessarily make Saturn malefic forever. What the aspect will show is the nature of the struggle that has to take place in order for you to re-claim your Saturn and become your own authority.
My favourite key words for Saturn are timelord, self-disciplined, self-sufficient, will-power, wise elder, old soul. The hard aspects in synastry may be some kind of karmic contract, which you will need to make an effort to undo if it is a negative relationship. The square is a Martian aspect, so combined with Sun/Saturn, makes it a real powerhouse. Sun square Saturn then can be the aspect of over-achievement as these subjects feel the need to really prove themselves to the world.
The ‘Doctor’
This workhorse attitude may come from having the example of a very dutiful, hardworking father. Conversely the father may have been the total opposite, weak, passive-aggressive or quite cold and cruel. Whatever the case there is often some kind of childhood adversity to overcome, which makes the subject stronger as they age.
Sun square Saturn sometimes defy age, having a very mature attitude as a child, but then grow progressively more youthful and playful as senior citizens. Sometimes this is because they have earned an early retirement due to working so hard in their youth.
The opposition is a Saturnian aspect so this double Saturn influence may make this combination a lot more serious than other Sun/Saturn combinations. Celebrity examples were rather thin on the ground with this one, in fact most of them are rather more infamous than famous.
These folk can work themselves into the ground or become quite extreme in any thing they become obsessed with. They may project the Saturn side onto an authority figure, which they dedicate their lives to bringing down. There is something quite political about this opposition due to both the Sun and Saturn being patriarchal or monarchic. Maybe there is a battle here with owning ones sovereignty.
When Sun opposition Saturn becomes self-governing, they will then feel it is their duty to help others do the same. Self-discipline is very strong here, but if this aspect warps it warps big. Harold Shipman is a good example of the warping. This “trusted” doctor took the lives of at least 250 of his patients. He recorded that they died of “old age” after he give them a lethal injection of diamorphine. Morphine is very much a Saturnian drug.
Sun Saturn Hard Aspects
Sun Square Saturn
Peggy Lee (01’) is a great example of the durability of this aspect. Peggy started off as a Jazz and Pop Singer, then evolved into a songwriter composer and actress. Peggy lost her mother aged just 4 and was brought up by an alcoholic father and cruel stepmother. Singing provided an escape from her abusive home life.
Peggy took many part-time jobs, one in a restaurant, which paid her in food and she earned cash for appearances on a local radio show. She was finally able to support herself and leave home for the promise of fame and fortune in Los Angeles at just 17. She found success early so her career ended up spanned 60 years. Peggy is famous for her trademark husky purr and her cover version of the song “Fever”. She wrote and performed many of the songs in the Disney film “Lady & The Tramp” most famously “He’s A Tramp”.
MORE SUN SQUARE SATURN ~ Oprah Winfrey (03’), Antonio Salieri (05’), Robert Graves (07’) Azaria Chamberlain (09’), Suzi Quatro (18’), Emma Watson (23’), George Harrison (27’), Salvador Dali (28’), Eva Braun, John Dee, Alan Whicker, Carol King, Alexander Fleming, Erich Fromm, Divine, Benny Hill, Jane Fonda, Charles Manson, Natasha Richardson, Jimmy Hoffa, Helmut Kohl, Evelyn Waugh, Bilawal Bhutto, USA chart, Hanks/Wilson Davison, O’Neal/Fawcett Davison.
Sun Opposition Saturn
Nicolas Culpeper was a 17th century physician, astrologer, botanist and herbalist. Back then, astrology and medicine had a much closer relationship. His book “Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick” (1655) is the best record of medical astrology in Europe and is incredibly detailed. If he was alive today he would certainly be an activist against big pharma, as he was very much a natural healer even by the 17th century standards.
In true Saturn fashion he married well so was able to treat people for free. He used local herbs from the nearby countryside and, unlike most of his contemporaries, wanted to see his patients in person rather than simply diagnosing from their urine.Culpepper was extremely devoted to his practise and would often see 40 patients in one morning. He worked quickly and expertly due to his great experience and vast field knowledge of herbs combined with astrology.
Culpeper was probably one of the first to publish what we would today call a ‘self-help book’. These books were deliberately written in English rather than Latin and aimed at the poor so they could treat themselves using herbs. He died aged just 37 of Tuberculosis, (Probably burnt himself out!) but packed so much wisdom and influence into his short life.
MORE SUN OPPOSITION SATURN ~ Shakira (18’), John Phillips (30’), Carlos Kleiber, Harold Shipman, Anthony Shaffer, Derek Longmuir, Hans Christian Anderson, Keith Richards, Louis Lord Mountbatten, Mark Chapman.
Image Reference: Jean-Philippe Delberghe on unsplash
