Among all 9 planets of traditional vedic astrology Saturn is without a doubt the most complicated one. And in case of Western astrology it is more or less the same. There is even quite a bit of controversy going on around Saturn. On the one hand it is often described by astrologers as a planet of dedication, discipline, commitment and practicality, which are all great qualities if you want to succeed in anything. On the other hand Saturn is considered the planet that brings the fruits of bad karma, associated with fear and sorrows. Parashara in his Hora Shastra described Saturn with just that one word – sorrows.
So, how can we reconcile all of it? What does Saturn actually represent? The missing piece of puzzle here, in my opinion, is that Saturn on a metaphysical level represents our self-awareness. Which means that Saturn is responsible for a person’s awareness (or lack of it) of their true self and their true nature, which is an immortal soul residing temporarily within a mortal body. Saturn and Sun are very much opposite planets and even considered enemies of each other, even though Saturn is a child of Surya. They rule opposite signs (Leo and Aquarius) and are exalted\debilitated in opposite signs as well (Aries and Libra). The Sun is a king and Saturn is just a servant.
All that reflects a concept of mirror (or shadow), since one can naturally become aware of themselves when they are looking in the mirror or see their own shadow. If the sun actually represents a soul operating within this universe in all its glory, then Saturn is there to always remind that soul of what it is and not get lost in the ocean of illusory energy.
Parashara was absolutely right. When our self-awareness is not on a high level, when we become selfless instead of being selfish, it brings us only sorrows eventually. As far as aforementioned qualities associated with Saturn are concerned, it is also correct. The more a person is spiritually elevated and self-knowledgeable, the more reliable, compassionate to others and dedicated to a good cause they become. When Saturn is in a bad shape in any given chart, it points to a potentially selfish, immature and irresponsible behavior.
So, with that knowledge we can now better understand the great graha Saturn and decipher its position in a chart of our interest. For example, now we can better understand why Saturn’s placement in upachaya houses (3, 6, 10 and 11) is considered good. The reason is that in these houses our self-awareness can grow more easily in the course of time, since upachaya houses provide an opportunity to mature and become better through our, often quite harsh, life experiences. Or why Saturn is exalted in Libra. Because Libra is a sign of relationships with other people and such relationships are a great catalyst for self-discovery. Through other people, who play significant roles in our life, we can sometimes better understand ourselves (the mirror concept). Aries, on the other hand, being the sign of Saturn’s debilitation and, perhaps, the most self-oriented sign of all twelve, is not well suited for the increase of self-awareness. That is because the most effective way to have a healthy ego is to compromise with others for mutual benefit (Libra) and not to enforce your will on others, as Saturn in Aries can do.
Saturn is a constant significator of the 8th and 12th houses in any horoscope, which means that the strength and position of Saturn determines person’s capacity to cope with losses in life and learn to let go of things, people and situations (12th house) and to undergo difficult transformative life experiences (8th house) and come out stronger than before. If self-awareness is high these fearsome houses manifest more gracefully in one’s life and a person is able to undergo much needed changes under the pressure and suffering, as well as develop a healthy measure of detachment.
Arcane glow astrology 