Saturn and the Tarot

Look up the mythology of Saturn (or Kronos) and you’ll find a story riddled with brutality and violence. The Titans and Olympians were motivated by power―its acquisition, assertion, and preservation, and went to great lengths to battle each other for it.

For Saturn, this power trip is hard-won but made all the sweeter because nose-to-the-grindstone discipline pays off. Despite the intimidating scythe we occasionally see Saturn pictured with, this ringed planet in its archetypal manifestation presided over a Golden Age of agricultural bounty and social harmony. This doesn’t sound like the behaviour of a Great Malefic: constructively, Saturn in Capricorn builds the foundation, while Saturn in Aquarius can turn it into something bountiful.

Our shorthand for Saturn can default to more “masculine” interpretations of the archetype. We may think of “him” as Father Time or as a male authority figure, like a father, but this planet has no gender, nor does its energy. Authority can be exerted by anyone, and Saturn, representing institutions, organizations, businesses, governments (in essence, structures), can also represent its agents: politicians, business people, and, closer to home, parents, teachers, and bosses. Saturn ultimately sets boundaries and limitations; its agents on the earth plane can do the same.