To have discipline, we must be disciplined. To learn patience, we must be forced to wait. These are two messages of a Saturnian sort that came to me today. Let’s see if we can expand on these.

To change, we often need to hit rock bottom, or we often need to be faced with no other option. To break out of our bad habits, we often need to exhaust ourselves or embarrass ourselves through these habits. To do anything—and especially to do anything well—we need to give up other possibilities.

Accomplishing anything involves a lot of dirty work, a lot of unsexy behind-the-scenes effort. That is something we all know and have probably heard a quote about, but let me let you in on some deeper Saturnian wisdom that isn’t so often talked about: that “dirty work” or unsexy effort, that is the most peaceful, rewarding, and respectable work there is.

Of course, if the work we are doing is only what a superior is telling us to do, and if that work and that superior are out of line with Nature, out of line with the moral order of the universe, then it is not particularly respectable. But if we become deeply in touch with Saturn—with responsibility and sustained effort—then he can guide us back into alignment with Nature, with morality.

I will admit that I do not have an easy time with Saturn. How can anyone have an easy time with Saturn? Saturn is precisely that which is not easy.

But I find that as I step into what is asked of me, or as I look back on all the progress I have made, I find a deep appreciation and gratitude for Saturn, for all of his (or her) influence in my life.

The most difficult part of climbing a mountain is looking up at it from the base, and it can be challenging when you feel that you just finished climbing a mountain only to find a much higher mountain in front of you. But in any case, when you begin climbing and find that flow, it is not so hard after all. You just put one foot in front of the other. Then you do it again. And again.

It helps not to dwell on how difficult the journey is. But if we dwell on this, it is because we have not really embraced the journey.

Corner-Cutting

If I could describe the principle of Saturn succinctly, I would describe it as this: No cutting corners. No shortcuts.

The process of learning not to cut corners can be painful, especially for those of us whose entire lifestyles or childhoods revolved around cutting corners, taking the easy way wherever it could be found, seeing how much we could “get away with”. But it is for the best.

When we are faced with one struggle after another, one challenge after another, without reaching that goal or dream that we have imagined, it can be easy to become distraught. It can be easy to cry out, internally or externally: Have I not earned this yet? But in the end we will always find that Saturn is fair and just. Perhaps this is why he resonates so well with Libra.

We think we should have earned it because we have done better than in the past. But Saturn does not just want “better”. Saturn wants the best. Our best. He does not want us to beat ourselves up about anything—the kind of relentless self-critic—because beating ourselves up is just a waste of energy. He wants us just to do it and then to rest. Actually when we embrace the journey or whatever is called of us, we will find (or at least I have found) that I get plenty of rest.

He is not unreasonable, at least not most of the time. There is always a way to adjust.

The Dance of Saturn and Neptune

There is a lot more I could say about Saturn, with my experience, my transits or what I have observed in others. But for now I would just like to say a few words about the transits that are affecting us all right now: the close interplay between Saturn and Neptune in Pisces and Aries.

Over the last several months (early 2025), Saturn and Neptune were both in Pisces. We had Neptune, Venus, and Rahu (North Node) together, then we had Saturn, Venus, and Rahu together during and after Venus retrograde.

Recently both Saturn and Neptune moved into Aries—and I am sure some of you have felt some of that! They have come very close to meeting, but have not quite reached an exact conjunction. In the coming months they will both retrograde back into Pisces. Saturn will make it back to 25 degrees. Neptune will only make it back to 29.

They will finally meet exactly in February 2026 at 0 degrees of Aries! The very first degree of the zodiac! Wow.

Whatever that means to you, to us, it is important and powerful. And while I will not make any predictions about this, I will talk about the interesting relationship that Saturn and Neptune have. In many ways they are opposites or at odds, but in many ways they are complementary. My prediction if you want a prediction is that however positive this transit will be for you will correspond to how well you are honoring and synthesizing these two energies in yourself and your own life.

Not that we will not get a second chance, or not that Saturn conjunct Neptune will not be the breakthrough—pleasant or unpleasant—that we have needed, but there are certainly unpleasant ways to interpret the symbolism. It could mean a very rude awakening—the cold, harsh reality of Saturn clashing with a fantasy or Neptunian form of escapism that we have drowned ourselves in. It could mean a dissolving of the walls or structures of our lives (and that could mean either freedom or destitution depending on where we are at).

The symbolism could just as well be interpreted though as our dreams coming true—a blessed union of dreams (Neptune) and reality (Saturn). It can really mean a New Earth, the establishment of new tribes (Aries) that bring Earth and Spirit into alignment. Use your imagination. But then again: don’t forget to consider what is real and already happening.

I suppose I have already alluded to much of what Saturn and Neptune are about, but they really are such an interesting and important pair. This is because Saturn is so realistic and Neptune is so unrealistic, so fantastic. Saturn is burden and Neptune is that which liberates us from burden. Saturn is boundaries and walls and Neptune is Oneness, union. Saturn is the tangible and Neptune is the intangible.

There will always be some separation between these principles or some oscillation in our lives between them. But the more we can bring them into harmony, the more they can be working together, the better off our lives and the world will be.