Saturn rules a kingdom that produces a golden age. He is known as a king but he is really the Master. Reaching the heights of the mountain, the passage of time, experience; these are the essence of Saturn. All planets can be karmic but Saturn is the planet of karma because karma is experience. Saturn’s natural house is the 10th and he rules the zodiac sign Capricorn.
Saturn devours his children. The young struggle to overcome experience. Jupiter, Saturn’s youngest child, with his siblings and after a long war overcomes his father. It is Saturn who stands against his children. This is how mastery is won; we undergo a trial of Saturn and come out the victor.
There are many routes to mastery but one stands out in astrology. This is the conflict relationship of Saturn and Neptune. In synastry, Saturn square Neptune results in a victory for Neptune and a passing of the trial when Saturn’s boundaries dissolve. Saturn will then heap an abundance of his love on the Neptune person, otherwise known as respect. A loss for Neptune will result in the shutting out of Neptune by the Saturn person. The Mountain Wall.
Neptune is the special trial because Neptune, as the ruler of Pisces, represents the totality of everything, the music of the universe. All of this faces the Master of the Trials. It is rather like your last exams and thesis defense after you have finished all the coursework for your degree. You have done all the work but the examination will tell you whether or not you are ready. The Neptune person arrives with all of their dreams of how the world works and they meet Saturn there. Having played Saturn in three persons’ trials, Saturn crushes the dreams of those who are unprepared for the challenge and makes dreams come true for the one who is prepared. Two failed, one succeeded. It is rather like an old school American university. Twenty plus years ago, at my alma mater, I sat down with my classmates and was told only one of three of you will graduate from this school. They were very proud of that attrition rate. This was before the days of schools handing out trophies to the losing team. There is no trophy for the also rans in this challenge. Saturn makes your dreams come true or crushes them utterly.
The Saturn person readily engages in the trial. My Leo Saturn in the 7th offered all three Neptunes a creative collaboration. Each was offered a specific form of support that had a legal structure. All were offered what they requested but it came with Saturn’s structure and all three accepted. Then each Neptune, in turn, attempted to accomplish the tasks needed to succeed. Although not a hasty decision, the Saturn person will ultimately decide to end the trial, if Neptune’s attempts are not sufficient. This synastric aspect can result in deep commitment and respect from the Saturn person and so can be a very positive aspect for all types of relationships. Neptune can enjoy fulfillment of their dreams. Ultimately, it is about mastery and dream fulfillment but Neptune must prove themselves worthy because you can’t fool the master.
Saturn can engage in a fight but most trials will not be fights but rather tests requiring discipline and experience. In one instance, an unready Scorpio Neptune was angry and sought revenge by filing a legal action. This particular individual actually engaged in a vicious spiritual attack on an entire group of people besides filing legal paperwork that, if successful, would lead to the dissolution of the entire organization they were angry at. On the day this was to be discussed, a perfect unused cigarette lay in the path to the meeting stuck in the crack of the sidewalk. It was exactly what was needed. Picking up that cigarette led to a sacred moment to offer the tobacco to request assistance and protection. The Scorpio Neptune’s 17° Aquarius Venus guard dogs, seen in the Sabian symbol for the degree, were firmly dismissed. Later at home, the astrological moment told the tale. Although it took many months, Neptune lost the legal challenge. The spiritual attack was thwarted before too much damage was done and the organization was more firmly established then before the attack.
There is no short cut around a trial of Saturn, attempting to circumvent the trial does not result in a successful outcome. Gimmicks won’t work. Saturn is not there to harm Neptune but to test him. This particular Neptune has a horoscope full of tricks and ploys. Two can play that game. A cigarette and some religious experience were sufficient to restrict the attack and firmly establish the boundaries. Dream Crusher for sure.