Saturn in Aries

“The diamond absolutes.
I am neither internee nor informer;
An inner émigré, grown long-haired
And thoughtful; a wood-kerne

Escaped from the massacre,
Taking protective colouring
From bole and bark, feeling
Every wind that blows;

Who, blowing up these sparks
For their meagre heat, have missed
The once-in-a-lifetime portent,
The comet’s pulsing rose.”

Seamus Heaney, from Exposure

Saturn Falls in the Tropical sign of Aries. The terms which he has in the last four degrees are little comfort to him, though reduce the impact of the fall in that particular longitude. Like the elemental fallout of Saturn in the other fire sign Leo, in Aries, Saturn is not comfortable with the heat of this sign nor particularly its choleric temperament.

One curious fact about this Saturn is that while Mars has Exaltation in his night time rulership of Capricorn, Saturn suffers terribly in Mars´s day sign of rulership Aries. This is a testament to the nature of Saturn´s general dislike for aggression, for abrasive acts and for fighting. Saturn the organiser and decision maker is nothing like the decision maker of Mars, in fact it might be strange to say that Mars as ruler of Aries even makes decisions considering that he is so fast and doesn´t seem to even consider or think about something, but rather, does it making it appear as if options and possibilities were not really thought about.

James Bond is a good example of Aries Saturn. He is actually sophisticated, well educated and a part of the establishment and government, dressed in nice suits and at the service of government. Yet he is called by Mars to go out and kill, to do the dirty work that needs to be done by Mars. Now Bond´s real Aries Saturn is actually trine a Leo Jupiter and sextile a Gemini Sun, which makes him not only exceedingly lucky, but also incredibly bouyant charming and glamorous. This is what is possible for an Aries Saturn under fortunate circumstances.

In one way Saturn in fall in Aries coincides with the detriment of Venus in this sign, and his exaltation in Libra coincides with her rulership in that sign. The temperamental nature of Saturn then like Venus, is one of weighing up options, of meditation, and careful deliberation and is not happy under the guidance of an abrasive day time Mars. Indeed, under the ray of Mars, Saturn has potential for taking actions and decisions which are undignified. In Aries Saturn is forced into acting fast, and aggressively, this Saturn like Leo Saturn and possibly even more, if given great responsibility and power is liable to take actions that will backfire, namely acts of aggression and war. For in Aries, Saturn is given military uniform and an automatic weapon, with the result being that when he uses this power he inevitably loses respect because it is not fitting for his status and position.

The basic psychological motivation is that of feeling attacked, and as a result attacking in order to defend, that of “the best defence is offence”. So often Saturn here acts like Mars but doesn´t realise that his actions and words are actually damaging to his reputation and self respect. This is really a battle field, or, hot coals under the feet position for Saturn, which is not befitting. With experience the fighter becomes a great fighter, but there comes a time in which fighting must cease, and Saturn in Aries doesn´t, which is why eventually he gets defeated. Saturn prefers stability and strong roots and tradition, structures which create stability in family and in life, but these are not to be had in this position, because Saturn is so constantly moving on, changing his ideas and moving with them, as if he really did have hot coals under his feet.

One reason for this is that in a sense like his night time compatriot Scorpio Saturn, Aries Saturn is born in this world with an inheritance destroyed by war or by other aggressive actions and tragedies. Scorpio is more so because of his association with “inheritances” and death, but in Aries it can be said that Saturn is given a fresh impetus to create a new structure and a new tradition, or base in which to lay down his foundations and traditions.

On the positive side when Saturn heeds Mars and follows his impulsive restless sense of urge to action, Saturn is capable of pulling of a stunning performance with great energy and enthusiasm. When working well in this sign, Saturn finds the energy and draws upon it to combine his malancholy with enthusiasm and huge zest. This combination can be truly mesmerising for its special blend of out going vibe with Saturn´s inherent stillness. As opposed to the exalted hard working Capricorn Mars, Fall Saturn is an angry and explosive Saturn whose true nature of sadness and stability it brought out in the raw power of Mars.

The ridiculousness of Monty Python is partly due to Aries Saturn. The Ministry of Silly Walks is where Saturn as government and total seriousness acts out childishly like an Aries Mars, of course Aries wants to run, but Saturn doesn´t do that in his suit and bowler hat. The result is a silly walk.  It´s a case of Saturn´s composure being totally blown by Aries, with hilarious results.

Some people with Aries Saturn: Saddam Hussein, Will Smith, Thom Yorke, George Washington, Leon Trotsky, Herman Melville, Seamus Heaney, Ian Fleming