Remediating… Saturn
Welcome to the “Remediating…” series, where I give you practical info & tips on how to better understand a planet and remediate the issues it may cause in your life based on your birth chart! What is planetary remediation, you may ask? You can read an article dedicated to it here. To put it simply, planetary remediation is the art of identifying what planet or placement is connected to a problem you have, and to act directly on the planet through symbolic subsitution, replacement etc. in order to ease the issue. For example, say that you keep having issues with passive-aggressive neighbours no matter where you move (and have decided, after some good self-introspection, that you don’t seem to be the annoying one). We look at your chart, and see that Mars in Cancer (the sign of its fall) is in the 3rd house of neighbours. Ah-ah! From time to time, when an activation happens (say, Mars squares your natal Mars), your neighbours act up and start being extremely mean. Based on your chart, and on the timing of these issues, I would suggest different solutions, all related to other symbols of Mars. For example, starting a martial art class (Mars) in your neighbourhood (3rd house) or donating red objects or spicy food (Mars) to said neighbours or a local charity (3rd house). The idea is that you symbolically substitute an issue here for a less problematic manifestation of it in order to mitigate the issue.
It’s not always easy to know where to start. How do I know what placement is tied to what problem? Or, if you know a bit about astrology already, you may be aware that a certain planet is giving you some trouble… But what can you do about it?
This article is here to give you a place to start with the tools that will help you figure out these answers yourself. If someone is an expert in a topic that confuses you, isn’t the best remedy to ask them directly? For each planet, I will give you the basic signification that it holds, and potential issues that may arise. I will also explain how to pacify relations with planetary charity (donating time, money or objects to a cause that’s ruled by the planet in question), before giving you suggestions on how to set up your planetary altar (a dedicated space with symbols of the planet/deity that you can pray to & ask help from). Let’s dive in!
Saturn Essential Info Sheet
Determining Whether a Planet Needs Remediation
Using the system of “essential dignity” as established in traditional astrology, we can examine whether a planet has resources or not to enforce its agenda (do things according to its nature) based on certain factors such as the sign & house it’s in, the aspect(s) it makes to other planets, its speed, visibility, etc. There are a lot of factors in order to assess what a planet is up to, and whether it’s free to act or not. So when I say that a planet is “exalted” or “fallen”, it doesn’t mean “good” or “bad”. It means: the planet is in a position to enact its nature, or it might be a bit more constricted. It’s all nuanced, so keep that in mind as we explore possible remediation for a certain placement!
Saturn: the Concept
Saturn (or Krónos/Κρόνος in Ancient Greek) was a Titan and a very important divinity. Killed by Zeus after he ate his children out of fear that they would attempt to overthrow him, Saturn was also known as a powerful God who ruled over what the Greeks called the Golden Age of humanity.
As the furthest visible planet from us in the solar system, Saturn represented the figure of the "guardian", and the end of all things, being the last boundary between our realm and the outer realm of fixed stars.
As such, Saturn represents things that are long-lasting and which stand the test of time. The slowest planet, it symbolises patience, endurance, old age, wisdom and the knowledge of deep and profound things.
But Saturn can also represent hardship and austerity, melancholy, sadness, depression and obstacles. A boundary keeper, it is also a boundary breaker: this is why we see both keepers of traditions and rebels under his rulership, and what is symbolised by his domiciles of Capricorn and Aquarius.
Saturn Issues & Remediation
Being one of the two malefic planets (together with Mars), Saturn has the power to afflict, meaning to cause troubles to the native. Saturnine issues are in accordance with his nature, extremely cold & dry, and especially affect people with night charts (born after the Sun has set).
Saturnine issues can manifest in a multitude of ways: sadness, isolation, sickness & a general struggle with lack of motivation are typical Saturnine issues, particularly if Saturn has an influence on other planets. Saturn rejoices in the 12th house, also known as the house of "bad daimon[spirit]", which symbolises isolation and rejection from society (we find places such as hospitals & prisons under the dominion of Saturn for this reason).
People who are heavily & negatively influenced by Saturn can feel like their lives is a continuous stream of obstacles, struggles & general austerity which doesn’t pay off. Growing up with a continuous feeling of scarcity (both material & emotional) is a common experience of Saturn-influenced people. The goal then becomes to find the fun, happiness & joy which life also contains. For Saturnines, it’s just not that this isn’t accessible, but also that it seems unattainable - like they "don’t deserve it".
Saturn remediation can help with this feeling of unworthiness, and help the native attain the positive attributes of Saturn: that effort is rewarding, and that those rewards are deserved. Saturn can help us attain wisdom and mastery of our craft, whatever it may be. For what Saturn gives, it cannot be taken away.
Saturn Remediation Steps
Planetary Charity
Where to start? If you want to understand Saturn better, planetary charity is always a good idea. By donating money, time or objects to a cause ruled by the Mars, you “appease” him and do a gesture of good will. The optimal scenario is to do this on the planetary day and hour of the planet in question. For Saturn, Saturdays (day of Saturn) and/or Tuesday nights (night of Saturn) are best. In order to track the planetary hour, you can use Google to find a planetary hour calculator or use an app (TimeNomad is a free app that lets you display planetary hours, which start & end will vary depending on your location, time of year etc.). Planetary charity is sort of like bringing cookies to your neighbours: by offering something and making an effort to build a relationship with someone, they are more likely to see your good intentions and help with with whatever you need (and pacify relations when necessary!)
For Saturn, you can donate money or time to: homeless shelters or people who are homeless, hospitals, prisons, write letters to people who are in prison, donate black clothing or black items to people in need, donate money to research for bone cancer, strike or donate to strike funds, volunteer in a soup kitchen, house or help asylum seekers.
If you donate money, it doesn’t have to be a big amount, but it’s best to give money or objects in a multiple of 3, on a recurring basis (for example, setting up a recurring donation of a multiple of $3 to your local homeless shelter or a homeless neighbour who lives in your area).
Saturn Altar
The next step is to set up a Jupiter altar, if you feel compelled to do it. By building a Saturn altar, you will be able to directly address Saturn and all its avatars to give you advice and provide assistance with whatever issue you may have. You can have a dream the next day, or a conversation with someone that will bring answers you are looking for: that’s the planet/deity’s way of helping! Here are instructions on how to set up a Saturn altar:
Altar cloth that’s black or a dark colour (you can also use paper).
3 (the number of Saturn) candles that are black or a dark colour (white also works).
Objects made of wood (Saturn’s element).
The symbols of Saturn, his names, sigils and planetary squares (see images at the bottom).
A drawing, picture or statue of a Saturnine divinity or of Saturn.
Blue sapphire or onyx (stones of Saturn).
Incense (myrrh or storax work well for Saturn).
Clocks and old calendars, old things... Old paper, bones, teeth (animal or human), dry and cold things work well.
Representations of bones, cats (especially black cats), crows, crocodiles, dark places and old buildings work pretty well!
You can offer bitter foods (dark chocolate, coffee grounds, bitter wine or vinegar) to Saturn.
Saturn oils and talismans.
You can also offer fresh fruits and liquors associated with Saturn, I like to offer butter foods such as coffee grounds or dark chocolate.
Place these things on your altar, say a prayer or the Orphic Hymn to Saturn and take some time to meditate on these images as well as on the things you wish for. The best time to do this is on Saturday (Saturn’s day) or Tuesday night (Saturn night) on Saturn hour (you can use the TimeNomad app to planetary hours), but regular practice is the best, if you do it regularly even if not on Saturday day, it’s better than nothing! After saying the prayer, you can respectfully address Saturday, present offerings on the altar, and thank him for his blessings as well as asking for Jupiter related things in your life (sobriety, austerity, wisdom, patience, solid foundations, grounding, the easing of Saturnine issues, understanding of the occult…).
This is the full-blown version of these rituals & altars, but you don't have to go all the way every time! You can simply light a candle and burn some incense when you have time. You can also devise your own prayers and symbols if you prefer!
Thank you for taking this Saturnine journey with me, I hope it can be a useful starting point for a blossoming Saturn pratice! 🪐
