Putting Saturn Dx to Work for You

You may or may not have noticed, but on Friday morning, Saturn stationed direct after four and a half sluggish retrograde months in Pisces.

Planets aren’t operating at “full strength” when they’re retrograde, and it’s fair to say that the planet of form, structure, boundaries and grounding is a bit lost at sea in the watery, amorphous, dissolving-agent sign of Pisces.

Saturn’s annual retrograde is a time for inner reflection, a time to tap (or maybe slam on) the brakes and cease ceaseless forward motion. Saturn is a doer—certainly a planner—and when he’s off-course, and especially in emotional and sensitive Pisces—he can feel rudderless. We can feel rudderless.

The sense that we’re not in control can be terrifying. We all experience Saturn retrograde differently, depending on our natal Saturn and our approach to goal-setting, self-discipline, authority, responsibility and a host of other “adulting” concepts.

Saturn first entered Pisces on March 7, 2023, after spending five years in the two signs he rules, Capricorn and Aquarius. There he was in his element, so to speak, but once he waded into Pisces, things got a little murky. Where Saturn wants to impose order and have things fall neatly into structured formats, Pisces is the ultimate go-with-the-flow, “whatever” sign.

And ever since, we’ve been trying to puzzle out whether Pisces would soften Saturn’s sharp edges or if Saturn would help us become more serious about and proficient in spiritual, supernatural or esoteric practices. Common advice has been “take psychic-development courses,” “learn animal communication with a practitioner” or get into therapy to raise your emotional intelligence…

This year, when Saturn was retrograde from June 29 to November 15, many people took that kind of guidance to heart and have anchored their passions. Others floundered. It’s always going to be a mixed bag.

But here’s the thing: Sink or soar, time’s up. Saturn is direct again, and we’ve only got a total of 11 more months to work with his energy in Pisces until he resets the 29-year meter when he enters Aries “for keeps” in 2026.

In a way, I think of Saturn in Pisces as akin to lucid dreaming: waking up with your “real life” consciousness (Saturn) in an altered state (Pisces) and then, in spite of the surrealness and implausibility of the environment, nimbly and intentionally navigating it.

It’s a fair assumption that most people believe we’re here (on the Earth plane) for a reason, whether to learn and grow, play and invent, pay some debts and learn some lessons, or fulfill a contract or a mission.

Sometimes dumb luck finds us and we stumble into some kind of grace and don’t spend our days angsting over all the what-ifs and could’ve-beens. Sometimes people achieve an enlightened state, experience samadhi, find clarity and peace and forgive their trespassers.

But those are the exceptions that prove the rule, the “rule” (a Saturn word) being that more often than not, we have to put in real effort and make sacrifices to grow, learn, achieve, succeed…

That just sounds hard, doesn’t it? Not surprisingly, so many of us don’t even try. And when we start off “behind the 8 ball” because of a traumatic/abusive/neglectful childhood, we even don’t believe we can succeed—or that we deserve to.

The role of willingness

I believe most of us have a vision for the sort of life we'd like to live: It often entails meaningful work, loving relationships, a safe and comfortable home, financial security and a few fun surprises tossed in before we drop the mortal coil. But not everyone has the capacity or the courage to pursue the very things they desire.

Enter Saturn.

Saturn is the internal buttressing we need to set goals, plot out the steps to reach them and conjure the self-discipline to stay focused, overlook distractions, and muster the resilience to stay the course when the going gets tough. Saturn inspires us to do hard things even when we feel wobbly. This is why Saturn, the great teacher, gets so little love.

But when we are serious about our goals and unflinching in our values, there’s no cosmic support better than Saturn’s. And now that the four-and-a-half-month retrograde period is over and Saturn has resumed (apparent) forward motion, it’s time to stop contemplating our navel and get back to work.

We have half a year until Saturn makes that first foray into Aries and starts a new 29-year cycle. (Saturn’s final fish-scaled fling is September 1, 2025, to February 13, 2026.)

This is a wonderful opportunity to perform our own personal “stress test,” where we set up some bright lighting, kick the tires, pop open the hood and poke around to see where we’re still defaulting to old patterns and not stepping up to the challenges.

Where’s the resistance, what are we avoiding (and why?), what’s underlying the ambivalence or indolence? Are we afraid of being hurt, shamed or rejected—or could we be afraid of what living our highest, most fulfilled and authentic lives might be like?

Bottom line: Do we or do we not believe we’re capable of it or worth it?

Even if we recognize a weakness or “lack,” that’s not a bad thing. It’s an essential step toward conscious transformation. You wouldn't know to add oil to your engine if that little light on your dashboard hadn't gone on.

If we could only drop the judging, the whole ascension game might get a whole lot easier. It would certainly be more pleasurable.

Saturn turning direct in Pisces extends an invitation: Dare to dream. Find your vision quest, that thing you’re willing to sweat and sacrifice for. Then take out your journal and respond to these prompts: Why is this important to you? How disappointed will you be if you don’t do it?

Now turn that into a clear intention. And take a moment to ask yourself just how serious you are about this. Friends, teachers, coaches can dangle challenges, but taking them on is an inside job.

Now put a deadline to it—or a few to establish realistic milestones. How will you know when you reached it? How will you celebrate? And how will life feel different when it’s accomplished?

But before you race off in hot pursuit of a goal, ground yourself in patience. Prepare for a marathon not a sprint. Progress isn’t always linear, and sometimes, when we least expect it, an insurmountable hurdle appears. That’s actually when Saturn is the most helpful—in not merely getting us through a challenge but making us the kind of person who doesn’t give up.

Need a few words of encouragement? Here are a few from someone who walked her talk: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved." —Helen Keller