Timely Tarot: Getting Serious with Saturn By Lisa De La O Wyman
Saturn (The Stars Divine Oracle Deck) Click image to purchase
Happy 2023! After the festivities of the holiday season, we find ourselves in the first days of the new year. It’s winter, and Capricorn season has ushered in the quiet, somewhat heavy, and sobering energy of Saturn. Before we embark on new adventures in the days ahead, this time encourages us to reflect on what has come before and how it has affected our lives. Have you taken the time yet to look back on the past year? If not, why not? Does it feel like old business? Are you “too busy”? Or are you afraid that looking back on all the things that did or didn’t go as planned will make you sad, angry, or disappointed? The work of Saturn is not fun, but it is where we learn and grow from our experiences. Saturnian energy can be a taskmaster, teaching us the value of time, discipline, and both the advantages and limitations of our earthly bodies. As it moves through the cards of the Tarot, we will see how Saturn challenges us to work with the natural world, build structures that support our lives, carry responsibilities with maturity, recover from failed endeavors, and ultimately accept our mortality.
The planet Saturn rules Capricorn and was also the classical ruler of Aquarius (modern is Uranus), so the guidance of Saturn will take us through the next couple of months with themes of material containment and mental liberation. How do we work with the structures we build our lives upon? What are our mental structures? Do they imprison or free us? How can regarding both earthly reality and the far reaches of space help us? Let’s move into the dark expanse of the cosmos, to the fringes of the silent void, and find out . . .
Saturn is the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sixth planet from the sun. For much of history, it was regarded as the furthest planet out, on the border, at the edge of known space. Cold, dark, and distant, it cuts an imposing presence, especially with its rings, which largely consist of ice particles, rocks, and dust. Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture and harvest and is more commonly known as the Greek Cronos (also Cronus or Kronos). Cronos is infamous in mythology for eating his children to evade a prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his offspring, just as he had done to his father Ouranos. After he swallowed children Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Hades, and Poseidon, his wife Rhea hid their infant Zeus far away and gave him a swaddled stone to ingest. Zeus returned years later as a young man, forced his father to regurgitate his siblings, fought a battle, and exiled Cronus to Tartarus. This tale of a patriarch fighting against the forces of time led to his being conflated with another god, Chronos, a deity of pre-Socratic philosophy that rules time and the wheel of life (also known as Father Time). This melding has formed our modern understanding of Saturnian energy as one that encompasses our relationship to the patriarchy and the limitations of time, including old age and death.
Saturn, as expressed through the sign of Capricorn (Cardinal Earth), focuses on working with the resources and restrictions of finite earthly life. There is a focused, sometimes severe flavor to this energy – after all, living while knowing that death is inevitable is rather serious business. This is why it is also associated with depression and melancholy. Time is constrained, and the desire to create something of lasting value is strong. Saturn rules structures, the ones we build as the foundations of our families, careers, societies, and belief systems. Houses, progeny, schools, places of worship, factories, shipyards, office buildings, and the like are Saturnian structures. They provide the physical frameworks we use to build our families, fortunes, and legacies. Saturn is associated with our bones and skeletal structure, as well as the joints and teeth – all aspects of our body that provide foundation, containment, and utilization of resources for building resilience. Just as our bodies digest the roots and minerals of the earth, we can work with these same resources to build external structures that house our other forms of sustenance and prosperity.
Saturn has different expressions in Capricorn and Aquarius, yet they hinge on the same idea – the boundary. It’s the container of Earth in contrast to the borderless cosmos. In looking at their corresponding Tarot cards, we see The Devil’s mastery of the material world and its “goods” versus The Star’s expanse of space, of breaking free and thinking outside the box.
The Devil (SomniaTarot) Click on image to purchase
In The Devil card, ruled by Capricorn, cardinal energy propels the sea goat of this sign out of the ocean’s depths and up the mountain of achievement. The Devil represents the part of us that knows how to work with the world’s resources, enjoy our bodies, and procure wealth of various kinds. The ambition to thrive and reach a level of success is exercised here, including the indulgence of vices. We start with a few meager tools and a drive to build something new and impressive. We meet other people, make connections, collaborate, and plant the seeds of manifestation in the fecundity of the earth. We use what is available to us and recognize the potential and lay down foundations.
Sometimes we get a bit too caught up in the fruits of our labor by hoarding resources, seeing people as means to an end, or identifying our self-worth with our monetary or professional status. But that’s part of the journey too – the Capricorn trek upward is also one of spiritual ascension and realizing the need to integrate worldly success with loving generosity toward others. We can learn a lot about our fears around safety, stability, “having enough,” and changing our relationship to our darker and more complicated appetites. Do our earthly drives imprison or liberate us? By stumbling up the mountain and occasionally getting lost, we can discover the way that builds reserves in the heart and not just the bank.
The Star (The Lioness Oracle Tarot) Click on image to purchase
In the Aquarius-ruled The Star, there is the fixed Air energy of a passionate pursuit for knowledge and progress. The classical ruler Saturn and modern Uranus symbolize the dance between tradition and revolution. Aquarian energy is all about freedom – the freedom to think in new ways, be original, buck convention, and imagine a world in which the collective is united through cooperation and cosmically-influenced innovation. The blessing of The Star brings in much-needed hope, faith, and inspiration. It’s our North Star, lighting the path back to wholeness and optimism through clear vision and forward-thinking ideals.
Here we are a stranger in a strange land, the alien or exile, living by our wits and problem-solving along the way. The journey can be treacherous so we rely on the power of our mind to see us through. Like wily Odysseus of The Odyssey, we have a way with words that can get us out of scrapes and a furious curiosity for new adventures that expand our horizons. However, like him, we may also find that thoughts conflict with actions and we get into all sorts of trouble. Our efforts may trip us up, take us far off the road, and give us yet another riddle to sort out. Our mind is a remarkable navigational tool but it’s not infallible – when mental problem-solving detaches us too much from our emotional needs and connections, we stumble. By uniting the head and the heart, we can create a future built with brilliance and love.
The Universe (Thoth Tarot) Click on image to purchase
The World (or Universe) is the card of elemental Earth, ruled by Saturn, that great keeper of time – and with time comes restrictions. Beginnings and endings exist simultaneously here. It reminds us that our earthly experience is boundaried, in a container of sorts. From womb to tomb, we are encased within bodies within the body of the planet within the structure of time. We begin as a seed in the fertile soil of our mother’s body, protected by its boundaries. We are a beginning that also holds the ending. Once we are born our death is inevitable. We hold the mystery and complete cycle of life and death within our body, our container. All the seasons are there together and they play out their sacred dance over time, at their pace, with their unique individual expressions.
From the burst of Spring to the quiet retirement of Winter, we live our lives. It can be a depressing thought if you resist its truth. There’s something beautifully, painfully inevitable about being a human being on earth. In a larger sense, we already know how the story is going to end. The gift of coming to terms with this story is in understanding that once a cycle ends, another begins. Energy doesn’t cease to exist, it merely transforms. In a new container, in a different expression, it will seed, bloom, and flourish once again. The dance continues . . . YOU continue. You will change because that’s what life is.
We also find Saturn silently treading through a handful of other zodiacal cards:
Three of Swords (Tabula Mundi Tarot) Click on image to purchase
In Three of Swords (Saturn in Libra), we see one of the most feared cards of the deck. Yes, this card is often about sadness, but, as stated by artist M.M. Meleen, “sorrow is a necessary, vital emotion for your evolution.” Unfortunately, we humans sometimes often need to learn lessons the hard way for them to stick. We can take the value of a bond for granted until it is broken and the sense of loss washes over us in full force. Libra is a sign of partnership, and Saturn highlights the sobering truth of pain when that is ruptured. Think of some of your most difficult experiences – they are probably related to broken promises or commitments not honored. Saturn reminds us that wisdom is often gained through hard times, and to take our pledges seriously. On a lighter note, this card may come up for the signing of a professional contract or impending nuptials – both promising unions that must be entered with a sense of gravity and responsibility.
Five of Wands (Madam Lydia Wilhelmina's Tarot of Monsters, the Macabre, and Autumn Scenes) Click on image to purchase
Five of Wands (Saturn in Leo) is simmering with frustrated creative (or even sexual) energy. The playful fire of Sun-ruled Leo feels very constricted by Saturn’s heaviness. Think of a volcano ready to erupt – explosive pressure building as scorching lava moves upward towards its inevitable climactic show-stopper! Creativity is fluid and expansive, so any restriction will cause tension. This card often shows up at the beginning of a project or collaboration between people – new ideas are being shared, there’s ambition in the air, and conflict can be a byproduct. We all admire a beautiful painting, but think of the artist’s paint-splotched clothing and studio, with brushes and bottles everywhere, and their brow dripping with sweat. This is the stress of bringing forth a creative desire into material reality.
Seven of Pentacles (Everyday Witch Tarot) Click on image to purchase
In Seven of Pentacles (Saturn in Taurus), we experience hindsight. We’ve attempted something and now must reflect on what didn’t work. The most agricultural Saturn card of the deck, fecund Taurus is in growth mode. However, sometimes things go wrong and we have to bear the disappointment and take stock of what got us to this place of failure or challenge. Was our planning sound? Did we forget anything? Were we ready? Did we fuel our efforts with love and optimism? Perhaps we did everything right and just got the booby prize this time. We can start again and ground our dreams and hard work in the promise of a new cycle.
Eight of Cups (The Crow Tarot) Click on image to purchase
Heavy water stagnates in Eight of Cups (Saturn in Pisces). How do you know when it’s time to walk away from an emotionally-fraught situation? Do you stay focused and try to make it work, or is it best to just let it go and move on? Or are you giving up because it seems too difficult? There can be a lot of self-doubt here, especially when there are powerful feelings involved. This card often appears for endings or transitional stages in relationships. You must ask yourself what is emotionally healthier overall. Releasing a connection does not mean it was a failure. Sadly, not all emotional ties remain the same long-term as people continue to grow and change. Can you allow yourself to see and accept this?
Ten of Wands (Tarot of the Divine) Click on image to purchase
In Ten of Wands (Saturn in Sagittarius), the visionary flame of the archer is smothered by Saturn’s weight. There is an oppressive energy to this card. Are you pushing yourself or others too far? A lack of oxygen tampers the fire. Breathe! Pause. Take stock – how are you doing? How is your neighbor? You might discover what your tolerance for pressure is by breaking. Sometimes we are so intensely focused on the goal we forget the human factor. Are you acting more like a tyrant than a teammate? On a more positive note, this card might show when you take on a heavy burden for others. You are bearing the stress – but for what? Is the intention noble or selfish? Saturn can be a bit of a martyr. Take note of the intention before doggedly proceeding.
So yes, Saturn is a tough cookie - the strict teacher that expects a lot from you but will also teach you the most valuable lessons of your life. It’s the container within which you build that earthly existence and learn how to work with its resources. It is also the restrictive force that awakens your desire to break free from it and see possibilities beyond its reach. We need to keep returning to this point of tension, that chafing between the comfort and success of our structures and the compulsion to tear them down and explore a new reality. As you craft new dreams this winter, let Saturn support your disciplined efforts to create a new year imbued with freshness, prosperity, and deep value for its challenges and blessings.
Lisa De La O Wyman is a Tarot reader and writer based in Redondo Beach. At Tarot for Empowerment, she works with individual clients, private parties, and special events. Through her work, she seeks to connect people with their innate power as well as encounter the mystery in everyday life. She can be reached via Instagram and Facebook at @tarotforempowerment, email at info@tarotforempowerment.com , and website www.tarotforempowerment.com.
