By Gary O'Toole
Everything has consequences. You act, and the result of your actions shows up - at some point. The first part of that sentence is clear - the last part is not. When exactly will it happen? When will you get the results of all your hard work? When will you reap the rewards? And when will you have to deal with that thing you’ve been putting off? Aries is impatient when things don’t happen quickly; Saturn always brings a slowness to proceedings, which you may overcompensate for and push harder than is necessary.
Saturn is debilitated in Aries. The planet of responsible deliberation is uncomfortable in a sign that represents swift, impulsive action. Saturn’s many significations are challenged, including the structures of our lives and in the world at large. Yet while its hard-won lessons may seem even harder, it’s also more rewarding when the challenges are faced.
Saturn is the accountant in the planetary line-up. If you take out too much, you have nothing left to give. If you give, you’ll get it back in some form. This would all be so simple if this were apparent immediately, as Aries would like it. But it’s not. Sometimes, the results don’t show up for years. It may even be deferred to your next life. This is Saturn’s way of teaching you a valuable lesson in detachment.
Yet it doesn’t teach this in a straightforward manner. Sometimes, it subtly impresses upon you a sense of lack, whether there is or not, so you end up taking more, leaving you without.
As always, daśās (Vedic time-periods) take precedence. Saturn’s transit in Aries is a weather report, so unless you’re in a Saturn daśā on any significant level (1st, 2nd, or 3rd level), it’s unlikely to be that impactful. The weather ‘out there’ may not impact you as much. Yet that is not a free ticket to behave inappropriately, as Saturn will come around again at some point and make you pay back. You eventually reap what you sow. Those in a Saturn period, and with significant placements in Aries, are more likely to have to pay back while it transits the sign.
If you have a good chunk of your life behind you, you may be patient and accept how slow results are achieved, or if something doesn’t seem to happen at all. Yet as an elder, you may not have the energy to do what it takes to achieve something this transit insists you do. Conversely, a youth may have more energy but not enough patience to see it through. If you’re younger, eager to progress in life, you might find this transit frustrating. The more energy and focus you have to achieve a goal, the more frustrating it can feel when it doesn’t happen quickly.
When planets are ‘weak’ by transit, they tend to go to more extremes. Whatever Aries represents for you, you may push harder than is necessary to overcompensate, or not do a thing, frozen in fear of the consequences of your actions. With Saturn moving back into Aries after nearly 30 years, you may realise you cannot keep doing what you’re currently doing.
Aries is very much about individuation; Saturn tests this notion, requiring more humility than the ego can sometimes handle. It can be a humiliating experience.
Saturn is weakened in a sign that’s all about new beginnings, as Saturn is about endings.
You may start something because something else has ended. Yet you may not think through all the consequences, feeling rushed into making big decisions prematurely.
Your actions may not add to your long-term objectives. You might do something that seems ill-timed or inappropriate. Saturn in Aries feels like there’s a deadline, whether or not there is one.
Do you work well under pressure and a deadline, or do you fall apart? Many structures are likely to fall apart during Saturn’s transit through Aries, including government, banking, institutions, and work practices.
While it might feel best to leave it, it might not be possible to walk away. How many people leave a sinking ship in time? Indeed, you might have some responsibility thrust upon you and don’t feel you can go, even if you had other plans. You may feel the thing that ends must be replaced by something else - and quickly.
A more mature expression of Saturn is called for, even if it’s not as easily accessed. An example of this is the seasoned gym goer who has long since figured out that they must build themselves up slowly and consistently through a disciplined approach over a long time. The novice is more likely to rush in and injure themselves.
While it may also be a case of ‘use it or lose it’ for this transit, it could also show an overuse issue, where the need to prove oneself is the problem. Injuries, whether physical or mental, are Saturn’s reminder to slow down and consider what you’re doing.
Saturn in Aries requires more patience and humility than the sign can sometimes summon - to yield, though you may wish to move. You must slow down and keep the long-term goal in view at all times.
If you’ve ever worked on any discipline, your start may be important, but how or if you continue is more so. Saturn in Aries can lead to rash behaviours that might not have the necessary follow-through. The experienced gym goer knows this; the novice does not.
As Saturn finishes out the 2020s in Aries, anything you do would ideally include a careful action plan. However, the issue with Saturn in Aries is that there may not be enough time to think about it; action may be required because something is falling apart.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey is a story that conveys Saturn’s transit from Pisces to Aries. After an uncertain and longer-than-anticipated journey through Pisces conjunct Neptune, the end comes with a new battle, one final test. Odysseus’ homecoming is not at all triumphant; it’s a questioning of his authority.
When people think of The Odyssey, they usually imagine the journey: monsters, storms, temptations, detours. But the real psychological weight of the story lies in its ending. After ten years of wandering, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca and discovers that arriving home doesn’t offer immediate resolution.
Aries is the sign of identity, initiative, and the will to act. Saturn, by contrast, raises questions and doubts.
Odysseus must wait and observe. Saturn in Aries teaches that impulse must mature into strategy. Bide your time and move when appropriate.
Whatever you do, remind yourself that ‘all good things come to those who wait’. If you believe this to be true, you’re more likely to stick with it, whether it is or not. And, in the end, your perseverance pays off, and you achieve at least something of what you set out to.
The Imp of the Perverse
Sometimes Saturn teaches its lessons most perversely. You may act when you should hold back and hold back when you must act. Even the word ‘should’ is one you may push against. The word seems to be a trigger for ‘new age’ types, myself included. But the reason you or I get triggered by it is that we all know exactly what we should and shouldn’t do. We don’t need someone reminding us! Or do we?
If you don’t feel like doing something, you may quit before you see any results. In Aries, Saturn is not at all clear about when to push and when to hold back. On the other hand, if you stick with something for so long and it’s not doing anything for you, you should question if you were meant to do it in the first place.
Remember, Saturn is after a long, arduous, and uncertain journey in Pisces, conjunct Neptune. You may have already kept up something that has long since passed its expiration date.
You may be stuck with something because of the uncertainty of change. You may have been comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Yet when Saturn enters Aries, you may start something new just to remove any sense of uncertainty and end up doing something you later regret.
Work for Work’s Sake
Saturn’s biggest lesson in Aries: Whatever you do, use the doing as a way of being in the act of doing.
How often are you doing something just because you think you’ll get something out of it? If you do anything to be more present, it doesn’t really matter what you do, apart from whether your actions are harmful to yourself or others, of course.
Yet you’re more likely to do things which benefit yourself and others if you’re more present. Though some heinous crimes are sometimes planned meticulously over a long period and performed with full awareness by their perpetrators, I would argue that those who perform such acts are not fully present while doing them. If you do something to take revenge on someone, for example, you’re thinking about how they did you wrong in the past.
You may indeed make decisions that lead to what seems ‘wrong’; actions you take that seem ill-timed and thus, lead to results you don’t want, as Saturn transits Aries. It’s easier to learn the lesson of restraint if the thing you’re working towards eventually reaps rewards. It’s less so when you don’t know what you’re doing and never get to where you don’t know you’re headed!
There’s a part of Saturn, especially in Mars’ signs, that can mock certainty and become impish and perverse. I wrote about this for the very first article I wrote for Timeline Astrology years ago. Timeline Astrology is a good example of something born during a Saturn influence that has lasted the test of time. The article was titled ‘Imp of the Perverse’, taken from an essay by Edgar Allen Poe, highlighting the previous Saturn in Scorpio transit from 2014 to 2017.
As I wrote, Imp of the Perverse “is a metaphor for the urge to commit certain acts against our own best interest, which is Saturn's influence on Mars - the planet of action.”
Though starting Timeline Astrology while transiting my rising sign, Scorpio, has meant it has been a slow process, it has brought consistent content to a dedicated group of followers over the years. This is the best of what Saturn has to offer Mars: slow, consistent results.
Yet in Aries, this is more challenging and worth thinking about when beginning any long-term plans during its transit in the sign.
The Return
We could say that Odysseus’ return did not occur when he arrived back home; it occurred when he finally acted. It’s the person who hits back after years of abuse, standing up for themselves once they realise they have boundaries that need protecting.
Odysseus does not return as a conquering hero. He returns disguised as a beggar. This is an important lesson. Saturn strips away titles, reputation, and bravado. What remains must stand the test of time, not stories of past victories. You’re only as ‘good’ as your last victory.
In The Odyssey, the bow contest is not won by declarations of “I am the greatest” but by competence. Only Odysseus can string the bow because he alone has the strength, technique, and experience with the weapon. Saturn is about mastery, which comes with time, a lesson impatient Aries must learn.
Have you still got it? And can you still perform your duties while taking up something new? If, by doing something new, it means you neglect something else, is that the best approach? Might that thing you neglect actually be what would give you what you want? Or would it prevent you from achieving it?
There are typically more unanswered questions when a planet transits in debilitation. And if there are any answers forthcoming with Saturn in Aries, they are slower to arrive. And they typically come with a cost, with conditions attached.
The greatest challenge of The Odyssey wasn’t the cyclops or the sea-nymphs; it was waiting right at home. It’s the story of how the hero must keep going or start something new once the adventure is over.
As we collectively struggle with Saturn’s transit in Pisces, conjunct Neptune until 2028, lured away from any sense of certainty, we are forced to redefine ourselves as Saturn enters Aries. But you don’t get a fresh start; you get a messy end and new beginning. You get a lot of stops and starts.
Who are you now, after everything you’ve done? Can you still stand behind your actions? Are you, like Odysseus, having to earn leadership again, quietly, patiently, without applause? Are you humble enough to show up in rags, proving yourself in other ways than mere bravado?
Odysseus becomes king not by announcing himself, but by demonstrating mastery under pressure. This is the most important lesson from The Odyssey, and from Saturn’s return to Aries; mastery comes with discipline over time.
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Saturn is debilitated in Aries. The planet of responsible deliberation is uncomfortable in a sign that represents swift, impulsive action. Saturn’s many significations are challenged, including the structures of our lives and in the world at large. Yet while its hard-won lessons may seem even harder, it’s also more rewarding when the challenges are faced.
Saturn is the accountant in the planetary line-up. If you take out too much, you have nothing left to give. If you give, you’ll get it back in some form. This would all be so simple if this were apparent immediately, as Aries would like it. But it’s not. Sometimes, the results don’t show up for years. It may even be deferred to your next life. This is Saturn’s way of teaching you a valuable lesson in detachment.
Yet it doesn’t teach this in a straightforward manner. Sometimes, it subtly impresses upon you a sense of lack, whether there is or not, so you end up taking more, leaving you without.
As always, daśās (Vedic time-periods) take precedence. Saturn’s transit in Aries is a weather report, so unless you’re in a Saturn daśā on any significant level (1st, 2nd, or 3rd level), it’s unlikely to be that impactful. The weather ‘out there’ may not impact you as much. Yet that is not a free ticket to behave inappropriately, as Saturn will come around again at some point and make you pay back. You eventually reap what you sow. Those in a Saturn period, and with significant placements in Aries, are more likely to have to pay back while it transits the sign.
If you have a good chunk of your life behind you, you may be patient and accept how slow results are achieved, or if something doesn’t seem to happen at all. Yet as an elder, you may not have the energy to do what it takes to achieve something this transit insists you do. Conversely, a youth may have more energy but not enough patience to see it through. If you’re younger, eager to progress in life, you might find this transit frustrating. The more energy and focus you have to achieve a goal, the more frustrating it can feel when it doesn’t happen quickly.
When planets are ‘weak’ by transit, they tend to go to more extremes. Whatever Aries represents for you, you may push harder than is necessary to overcompensate, or not do a thing, frozen in fear of the consequences of your actions. With Saturn moving back into Aries after nearly 30 years, you may realise you cannot keep doing what you’re currently doing.
Aries is very much about individuation; Saturn tests this notion, requiring more humility than the ego can sometimes handle. It can be a humiliating experience.
Saturn is weakened in a sign that’s all about new beginnings, as Saturn is about endings.
You may start something because something else has ended. Yet you may not think through all the consequences, feeling rushed into making big decisions prematurely.
Your actions may not add to your long-term objectives. You might do something that seems ill-timed or inappropriate. Saturn in Aries feels like there’s a deadline, whether or not there is one.
Do you work well under pressure and a deadline, or do you fall apart? Many structures are likely to fall apart during Saturn’s transit through Aries, including government, banking, institutions, and work practices.
While it might feel best to leave it, it might not be possible to walk away. How many people leave a sinking ship in time? Indeed, you might have some responsibility thrust upon you and don’t feel you can go, even if you had other plans. You may feel the thing that ends must be replaced by something else - and quickly.
A more mature expression of Saturn is called for, even if it’s not as easily accessed. An example of this is the seasoned gym goer who has long since figured out that they must build themselves up slowly and consistently through a disciplined approach over a long time. The novice is more likely to rush in and injure themselves.
While it may also be a case of ‘use it or lose it’ for this transit, it could also show an overuse issue, where the need to prove oneself is the problem. Injuries, whether physical or mental, are Saturn’s reminder to slow down and consider what you’re doing.
Saturn in Aries requires more patience and humility than the sign can sometimes summon - to yield, though you may wish to move. You must slow down and keep the long-term goal in view at all times.
If you’ve ever worked on any discipline, your start may be important, but how or if you continue is more so. Saturn in Aries can lead to rash behaviours that might not have the necessary follow-through. The experienced gym goer knows this; the novice does not.
As Saturn finishes out the 2020s in Aries, anything you do would ideally include a careful action plan. However, the issue with Saturn in Aries is that there may not be enough time to think about it; action may be required because something is falling apart.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey is a story that conveys Saturn’s transit from Pisces to Aries. After an uncertain and longer-than-anticipated journey through Pisces conjunct Neptune, the end comes with a new battle, one final test. Odysseus’ homecoming is not at all triumphant; it’s a questioning of his authority.
When people think of The Odyssey, they usually imagine the journey: monsters, storms, temptations, detours. But the real psychological weight of the story lies in its ending. After ten years of wandering, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca and discovers that arriving home doesn’t offer immediate resolution.
Aries is the sign of identity, initiative, and the will to act. Saturn, by contrast, raises questions and doubts.
Odysseus must wait and observe. Saturn in Aries teaches that impulse must mature into strategy. Bide your time and move when appropriate.
Whatever you do, remind yourself that ‘all good things come to those who wait’. If you believe this to be true, you’re more likely to stick with it, whether it is or not. And, in the end, your perseverance pays off, and you achieve at least something of what you set out to.
The Imp of the Perverse
Sometimes Saturn teaches its lessons most perversely. You may act when you should hold back and hold back when you must act. Even the word ‘should’ is one you may push against. The word seems to be a trigger for ‘new age’ types, myself included. But the reason you or I get triggered by it is that we all know exactly what we should and shouldn’t do. We don’t need someone reminding us! Or do we?
If you don’t feel like doing something, you may quit before you see any results. In Aries, Saturn is not at all clear about when to push and when to hold back. On the other hand, if you stick with something for so long and it’s not doing anything for you, you should question if you were meant to do it in the first place.
Remember, Saturn is after a long, arduous, and uncertain journey in Pisces, conjunct Neptune. You may have already kept up something that has long since passed its expiration date.
You may be stuck with something because of the uncertainty of change. You may have been comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Yet when Saturn enters Aries, you may start something new just to remove any sense of uncertainty and end up doing something you later regret.
Work for Work’s Sake
Saturn’s biggest lesson in Aries: Whatever you do, use the doing as a way of being in the act of doing.
How often are you doing something just because you think you’ll get something out of it? If you do anything to be more present, it doesn’t really matter what you do, apart from whether your actions are harmful to yourself or others, of course.
Yet you’re more likely to do things which benefit yourself and others if you’re more present. Though some heinous crimes are sometimes planned meticulously over a long period and performed with full awareness by their perpetrators, I would argue that those who perform such acts are not fully present while doing them. If you do something to take revenge on someone, for example, you’re thinking about how they did you wrong in the past.
You may indeed make decisions that lead to what seems ‘wrong’; actions you take that seem ill-timed and thus, lead to results you don’t want, as Saturn transits Aries. It’s easier to learn the lesson of restraint if the thing you’re working towards eventually reaps rewards. It’s less so when you don’t know what you’re doing and never get to where you don’t know you’re headed!
There’s a part of Saturn, especially in Mars’ signs, that can mock certainty and become impish and perverse. I wrote about this for the very first article I wrote for Timeline Astrology years ago. Timeline Astrology is a good example of something born during a Saturn influence that has lasted the test of time. The article was titled ‘Imp of the Perverse’, taken from an essay by Edgar Allen Poe, highlighting the previous Saturn in Scorpio transit from 2014 to 2017.
As I wrote, Imp of the Perverse “is a metaphor for the urge to commit certain acts against our own best interest, which is Saturn's influence on Mars - the planet of action.”
Though starting Timeline Astrology while transiting my rising sign, Scorpio, has meant it has been a slow process, it has brought consistent content to a dedicated group of followers over the years. This is the best of what Saturn has to offer Mars: slow, consistent results.
Yet in Aries, this is more challenging and worth thinking about when beginning any long-term plans during its transit in the sign.
The Return
We could say that Odysseus’ return did not occur when he arrived back home; it occurred when he finally acted. It’s the person who hits back after years of abuse, standing up for themselves once they realise they have boundaries that need protecting.
Odysseus does not return as a conquering hero. He returns disguised as a beggar. This is an important lesson. Saturn strips away titles, reputation, and bravado. What remains must stand the test of time, not stories of past victories. You’re only as ‘good’ as your last victory.
In The Odyssey, the bow contest is not won by declarations of “I am the greatest” but by competence. Only Odysseus can string the bow because he alone has the strength, technique, and experience with the weapon. Saturn is about mastery, which comes with time, a lesson impatient Aries must learn.
Have you still got it? And can you still perform your duties while taking up something new? If, by doing something new, it means you neglect something else, is that the best approach? Might that thing you neglect actually be what would give you what you want? Or would it prevent you from achieving it?
There are typically more unanswered questions when a planet transits in debilitation. And if there are any answers forthcoming with Saturn in Aries, they are slower to arrive. And they typically come with a cost, with conditions attached.
The greatest challenge of The Odyssey wasn’t the cyclops or the sea-nymphs; it was waiting right at home. It’s the story of how the hero must keep going or start something new once the adventure is over.
As we collectively struggle with Saturn’s transit in Pisces, conjunct Neptune until 2028, lured away from any sense of certainty, we are forced to redefine ourselves as Saturn enters Aries. But you don’t get a fresh start; you get a messy end and new beginning. You get a lot of stops and starts.
Who are you now, after everything you’ve done? Can you still stand behind your actions? Are you, like Odysseus, having to earn leadership again, quietly, patiently, without applause? Are you humble enough to show up in rags, proving yourself in other ways than mere bravado?
Odysseus becomes king not by announcing himself, but by demonstrating mastery under pressure. This is the most important lesson from The Odyssey, and from Saturn’s return to Aries; mastery comes with discipline over time.
Become a patron and read the rest >