NOVEMBER 2019 65
the mystics among us may remind us that
Saturn’s truth always remains relative and
that the absolute truth seems connected
with the emptiness of all form and experi-
ence, if we jump to the absolute and ignore
the relative, we’ll find ourselves relatively
disillusioned; and even if we agree that
disillusion seems good insofar as it takes
us beyond our illusions, we should all
spend some time moving further into the
illusions, the better to understand them,
perhaps by dancing with them. In other
words, explore the world of form.
In doing all that, we should remember
that Saturn, a planet associated with lots of
stuff we don’t like (see below), will often
appear as projection. In other words, we
may often project our own fears out into the
world, and we may end up thinking that the
world limits us, takes away our grandeur,
when if we look more closely, we may find
the gift of Saturn: taking full responsibility
for whatever limitations we encounter.
If we take Mars as a symbol of action,
often impetuous but always integral to our
humanness, and Saturn as a symbol of lim-
itation, then we should expect some limita-
tion on our action. If Mars symbolizes our
attempt to get what we want, then, when he
deals with Saturn, he may not get precisely
what he wants. He may, on the other hand,
get what he needs. In other words, Mars
needs to put energy into form; I take this to
be one of the meanings of his exaltation in
Capricorn (Saturn’s dignity of course) and his
night rulership in Scorpio, a sign associated
with transformation. Certainly Aries (Mars’
day-dignity) symbolizes Mars’ tendency to
leap headfirst and headlong into action; and it
may be true that the dead-blind wall butts all
inquiring heads at last. But we all know that
rams often but at each other’s heads, remind-
ing us again of earth’s blockage.
Advice? Act with care. Organize your
energy. Don’t assume that all obstacles
qualify as external, however much they
appear so. Remember that Saturn symbol-
izes fear and that fear arises from within us
and from within other creatures even if it
sends various vibrations into the world. That
it comes from within reminds us of some-
thing mentioned earlier: Saturn’s propensity
to appear as a series of projections, parts
of the world that seem to limit us as we,
impelled by Mars, leap forth into the arenas
of the earth. Saturn, or fear, exists on the
borderline, so we can encounter him or it as
we come to the border of our personal man-
dalas and encounter that big world beyond.
We all fear that encounter a little, I sus-
pect, but the more we can remain aware of it,
the more we can make friends with it and thus
make friends with ourselves and our world.
The challenges come because Mars wants
to get wrapped up in the action itself, getting
“into the zone” (like Pedro humming along
about the fifth inning). When Mars passes
through Libra, cultivate greater awareness of
the theaters in which you walk the boards;
notice what others do and how they do it and
what values they embody as they do. When
Mars passes through Scorpio, cultivate an
awareness of the uprisings from the deep
unconscious, making friends with those con-
tents as they become part of your actions.
Don’t give in to fear, but don’t try to
ignore it, either.Notes- “The Circle Game.” Joni Mitchell
A-rated chart on astrodatabank.com has
a T-square to a Mars-Saturn conjunction
in Gemini in the 12th house, with the
Mars-Saturn conjunction in late Gemini,
Venus in late Virgo, and the Moon in
late Pisces. P