Boundaries and Saturn Direct
Although Saturn turned direct on the 10th, I want to focus on the importance of boundaries just as much as the astrology. Saturn was retrograde, meaning his energy was at a low and issues concerning Saturnian energy, namely boundaries, don’t happen easily. Retrogrades are all about redo, repeat, try again, more of the same old. I talked retrogrades in the last blog and about Saturn here and here.
Saturn is the energy of limitations, of structure, of defining space. It’s also about rules and hierarchy. A lot of astrologers consider Saturn a big drag but if we don’t have structure, if we don’t define limitation of what we can and can’t do or are allowed or not allowed to do, we wind up wandering in circles.
Boundaries (a Saturn Thing)
Whether you’re interested in astrology or not, boundaries are something we should have and review regularly. I’ve discovered boundaries aren’t something you set up once like a fence (this is an à propos comparison and I’ll get to that in a minute) and let it be. Like any habit, like all things of human nature, they wax and wane.
Boundaries, because they are created by us, are living and changing things like we are. They may start to become more permeable, to crumble or you may decide to remove them altogether. Sometimes you have to set up new ones or reinforce the ones in place.
A Fence and a Boundary
It takes courage to set up boundaries and more so when it must be done swiftly. Why did I talk about a fence? Interestingly, at the time Saturn turned direct I felt the need to drastically impose some boundaries. I’ve been trying to get a fence built. We had gone ahead with a neighbor who had a company to do the work. The project failed due to time constraints (Saturn rules time) and lack of manpower (Saturn also rules scarcity and restrictions). Overall, not enough employees to do all the projects and indefinite delays.
We found someone else. There were a few consults and we decided to go ahead. But a lack of cohesion with the neighbors became an issue, there was no structure. Who wanted what and who was ready to proceed? Then the contractor asked for too much money up front. Saturn rules materialism, capitalism, work and ethics. In it’s weaker, retrograde motion, these aspects don’t work well, don’t evolve as they should and are imbalanced.
Giant Repeat
I got the re re-re-re feeling of a retrograde. Didn’t I just do this? Wasn’t it a fail? And now I’m doing it again? Time to learn a Saturn lesson. I imposed limits, established the structure I was willing to follow. I stopped squandering my energy.
Let me give you another example. I had applied to an online job. There was a series of tests to qualify. Fair enough, I thought. I read the guidelines, watched the training videos and took the tests which were analytical evaluations. I failed. My reaction is to this is simply ‘This isn’t for me.’ I was recontacted (beware the re) to try for a similar job. I read those guidelines, started another series of tests. By now, I’m up to about6 to 8 hours of my own time.
Saturn Lessons
And here’s where it gets beautiful, folks. Saturn seasons us, as astrologer Kelly Benson likes to say. It teaches us lessons through hard work. Or sometimes, failed work. I did the first test, I took my time, I re-read the guidelines. I failed. Again.
Suddenly, the lightbulb moment happened: I signed out, deleted the training guides from my laptop and moved the emails to junk to make sure they never pollute my inbox again. That, people, is a drastic and rapid boundary. More importantly it is a Saturn lesson learned, timed with Saturn stationing direct.
Boundaries and Limitations
When I say boundaries sometimes have to be set up quickly and firmly I’m reminded of a medieval castle being attacked. You drop the portcullis (that iron gate with the pointy ends, not to be confused with a yett) down in front of the archway. The drawbridge is pulled up. The door is shut and barred.
It’s swift and drastic. This was my situation. My patience ran out. I was done. No thank you, no offense, let someone else do the work, let someone else struggle to coordinate.
Often the need for boundaries comes after feeling scattered. In French they say ‘éparpillé’, strewn all over the place. The limit brings focus, and focus determined where our energy goes. The more focused the less wasted.
I tend to go down that road. I’m doing many things, but without that single pointed focus nothing moves to completion. You can have more than one interest, however, at some point you have to put a more energy in one direction. That requires boundaries. You keep to one path. It’s impossible to go down two paths at the same. The fork in the road demands a choice.
It Takes Courage
This is definitely easier said than done. The closer those involved are new and dear, the harder it is because you care about them. But here are a few things I’ve learned.
Don’t criticize, don’t judge. Make it about you. Your lack of time, energy, money, resources. Don’t make it a criticism. ‘You’re taking up too much of my time, you’re always asking for more.’
Make sure you’re clear on where your boundaries are. Define what you can and can’t do and be prepared to repeat it. ‘Yes, I can help you tomorrow evening, but I’m busy the rest of the week.’
Don’t explain. Try to be courageous enough to not explain your decision away.We want to explain. We want others to see it as we do so they agree, at least in part, and see how reasonable we are.
Don’t Explain
Don’t explain for two reasons. Explaining makes us sound unsure, as if we’re trying to justify the logic and the reasonableness. Your boundary appears weak and people will test it. It creates the opportunity for others to try to convince you to do otherwise, using your arguments.It also invites solutions. They won’t see a limit, they’ll understand a problem that needs solving and they will offer solutions or help. You don’t want help, you just don’t want to.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve felt the energy shift. Do you believe in the energy of the planets at all? Share your stories in the comments below. I read each and everyone. Be well.
People ask me if there’s an astrology book out there to learn the basics of your chart. Understanding the Birth Chart by Kevin Burk is an easy to comprehend and will allow you to explore each placement in your chart. The writing style is engaging and humorous. No dry textbook here. If you just want to know about you and your future, try Georgia Nicol’s aptly named, You and Your Future. Georgia takes her forecasts to 2025 for all signs. She also has a great sense of humor. Finally there’s the classic: Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs. She takes us through all 12 signs and who they are as a man, woman, a boss or a child. (The links are affiliated and you can learn more here).
Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash