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How has Saturn in Scorpio been treating you? The area in your chart that it’s transiting through is where you’re being urged to get serious. And this process has probably involved confronting some fears. Or digging beneath the surface.
It’s time to take stock of what you’ve learned, because Saturn goes retrograde (reversed) on February 18th. It will back up from 11 to 4 degrees Scorpio, so this will be a sensitive area for those with planets/angles (between these degrees) in Scorpio, Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, Cancer or Pisces. Progress will be delayed, because Saturn retrograde is about internalizing the reality that’s been presented so far.
Saturn-ruled issues may be approaching a tipping point now; one stage of a project might be on the verge of completion, you may be considering ending something/leaving someone/making it official, etc. This retrograde could hit before you get to the finish line. As frustrating as it may feel, Saturn retrograde is meant to push you a bit deeper (Scorpio) before you come to that conclusion. What’s finalized under this transit will be permanent; you have to be sure.
For others who have been avoiding Saturn’s lessons, you’ll be in for some revelations. Scorpio is the sign of hidden things, and Saturn’s reversed motion will be like a plow dragged back through the same furrow. If you missed what was churned up the first time, it will now be unmistakable.
Saturn will be retrograde until July 8th, so use this time to reflect, process and confront anything that you missed. Retrogrades involve internal exploration, and Scorpio is the most internalized sign, so this period could involve more soul-searching than usual. Don’t look for external results during this time, but don’t be fooled into thinking nothing is happening. Much will be brewing beneath the surface, and it will all come out when Saturn goes direct.
Hello, i was just wondering what the effects of this would be if i have saturn retrograde in 4th house in my natal chart?
You may be more accustomed to Saturn retrograde energy, so will find it easier to deal with.
what if saturn has been heavy? really heavy?? it squares my sun, asc and conjuncts my saturn. but it does trine my venus, which, honestly, i’ve seen some of, but not much from. things are out of my control, and i get sometimes more hutrt if i try to make it happen- but i tried!!! hard!!! also have pluto/uranus hitting moon. i feel imense stress. like i can’t take it anyomre. and it is obviously just starting. also when i had saturn on my moon-libra- most events and biggest stress happend during retro- i fear that. i also did acomplish enourmous amount of work, but situation is very different now.
Saturn retrograde might give you a respite from some of that heaviness, especially if it backs off from the aspects it’s making to your planets.
i hope o. but i does not back from planets it hits them all again, backwards: saturn 4 scorpio, asc 6 aquarius, sun 12 aquarius.
Jeepers. My 12th house Saturn and Moon in Taurus getting plumbed again. : ) And 6th house Jupiter in Scorpio. Just have to keep going deep. Sigh – think I’ll buy a headlamp. : )
Well, nothing will be left uncovered by the end of this transit.
Will be permanent, will now be unmistakeable….you always give it to us DIRECT, Nadia which is why I love your posts. I have Saturn transiting the 12th after leaving my Sun sign Libra. I’m facing fears and guess what? It’s not so bad. Some friends(?) showing their true colors, a job ended unexpectedly and my health needs tending. I can work it out. That said, I have natal Uranus 5 degrees in the 8th house Cancer and this summer just after Saturn goes direct, I have transiting Jupiter in the 8th conjuncting natal Uranus. Much is brewing under the surface and I bet it will come out at this time. I think this summer is a life changing moment for me.
Christina – my sun is in Libra too. After the last few of years of Saturn hitting Virgo and Libra for me, this should be a walk in the park! Saturn in Scorpio is now in my 9th house, so all my 8th house stuff should have been dealt with, but who knows with this retrograde!
I think so too…Jupiter/Uranus is usually quite positive.
Saturn passing over my AC again at 7degrees Scorpio. So far I am in a new job which is pretty well paid but which I hate and decided to quit at the end of march. Going back into kind of an internship, so no to very little money but lots of experience which could be useful for applying to a new job in the future. All the time I have been avoiding the issue of this internship, did not want working hard for nothing, was afraid to lose my status or to be without money for a period of time. But now I came to the conclusion that it is not worth it. What is all the money if I hate getting up in the morning?
No internship, no future success psychically but also hopefully financially
That fits in with the tail end of your Saturn/12th House transit (Saturn back over the AC)… leaving something behind in favour of a deeper realization. Peeling back the layers…
It will conjunct my Pluto Sun
In the 10th house.
I should just shut up an work hard, and then by summer finish what i started.
This will be a tremendously powerful transit for you. Career/future defining. So yes…work hard, absolutely.
@Nancy,
I hear you , these have been the most difficult 4 years of my life. Saturn return in the 10th,followed by Saturn in Libra and now Scorpio in the 12th. I’m taking your suggestion that issues in the previous 2 houses should have been addressed and for now, it’s behind the scenes time until it crosses my AC. I hope things go well for you now. Those of us who experienced these transits know full well that it has been difficult and frustrating dealing with Saturn.
I’m not looking forward to Saturn retrograde. As it is, it feels like every aspect of my life has been on hold since October. The previous 18 months were not that great either, so I’m just about ready to tear my hair out.
Saturn Rx can provide some much needed insight…the answer’s in there somewhere.
What if my natal saturn is retrograde in the first house?? My sun is in aries and my ascendant is in scorpio, so i had saturn opposing my sun for three years and now it will be moving over my ascendant.
Additionally, when saturn moves into sagittarius it will be getting towards time for my first return. (It’s going to be a bit of a long nine years, i think.)
I’ve read that natal saturn retrograde, especially alone in any house, causes you to internalize the harshest pressures on whatever house it’s in. That is definitely the case when it comes to doubting the validity of my own identity. It’s also something i would love to change.
With saturn retrograde in my twelfth house, and in scorpio no less, this seems like an ideal time to try. How can i best use the energy of this transit to be a little less negative about myself?
Transiting Saturn in the 12th House is about letting go of a major part of your identity/lifestyle that is no longer valid. It is always a time of endings, so use the Rx energy to focus on what you can let go of, permanently. This is in preparation for when it passes over your AC. So…what old habits/scripts/self-defeating behaviour can you release? This is Saturn, so there should be some concrete examples.
I have Neptune at 11 degrees and Venus at 8 degrees, both in the 5th house. I have to tell you Nadia that I am at a tipping point and can not handle much more in the way of challenges. I am worn out from internalizing a divorce, romantic fits and spurts that lead nowhere, career stops and starts and general malaise over the past 5 years. As a Virgo I already internalize too much. Is there any ray of sunshine on the horizon??
Depending on what degree your Virgo Sun is at, transiting Pluto may be trining it soon; that’s hugely empowering. Look for Uranus and Jupiter transits to see what areas of your life will be freed up/liberated.
thanks so much, Nadia!
Thank you so much for the input…especially concerning Saturn’s transit through the 12th. Saturn is just shy of conj. my 12th house sun and Uranus. The Rx will find it square my Leo Mars and trine Cancer Jupiter both at 5 degrees.
I’ve been trying to buy a house since mid-Decemeber- the loan approval was smooth sailing, but finding a house that I like and one the bank will finance has presented one obstacle after the next. I thought it would be simple, but it has been extremely frustrating. I want it NOW and it just is not coming to fruition. I’m putting the process on hold (slightly!) due to the upcoming Merc Rx…the fact that Saturn may want the process to ‘seep’ until Summer is not very comforting!
I have been going through a slew of internal changes the last few years- and it’s been great. I feel like this house is another step in leaving that old life behind and fully transitioning into the new. Could this be a dependence of something external that you mentioned in your assessment?
It certainly could. Whatever is no longer relevant in your life (internal or external) will be left behind.
Thank you so much for your great and always insightful articles. Saturn will be in my 12th house. I am fairly new to astrology, and even after reading what you posted for others, I am still curious what it means for me. I am tired of all those endings in my life, especially in relationships. The biggest thing for me in life right now is working on being able to speak my truth without fear of retaliation. To be able to speak in public, and also with close people about my true inner being. I used to get severely “punished” every single time I spoke my truth. Something I never understand…why? I hope this retro phase will help me to work on those things once and for all.
oh of course I am looking forward to this saturn rx (hint of sarcasm yet a chuckle at my melodramatic reaction lol)
hmm lets see neptune 8 scorp, IC and jupiter at 5/6 aqua then there’s chiron at 6 pisces plus ceres at 7 and vesta at 9 taurus, not to forget merc at 8 cancer, or MC 5 leo, transpluto at 10 leo…did I forget anything…oh only the lord of karma moving back into range of my asc at 26 libra…. yeah I’ll be fine, it’ll be a breeze just like the emporer’s new clothes, just tell me my new suit looks great even if I am naked lol!
joy, I also realised that saturn rx will be squaring MC and jup in my solar return in june, yaaaaaayyyyyyy NOT. C’mon Deb, its ok, go find something positive about it, u usually manage to… hmph
Well, Saturn square Jupiter can suggest hard work that turns opportunities into something solid. Anytime Jupiter is involved, even if there’s a square to Saturn, there’s positive energy happening.
Nice, will keep that in mind Namaste
If your AC is at 26 Libra, Saturn is done with your Ascendent. Even if he’s close to it in degrees, the fact that he’s left Libra for Scorpio means those Libra lessons are now over.
Yay thanks Nadia *happy dance in progress*
Hello, I’ve really enjoyed your positive spin on this Saturn retrograde as I typically view this ruling planet of mine as being super hard on me. My sun is in aquarius and I have a scorpio ascendent. I have been driving myself nuts trying to find my life’s calling as far as my career is concerned. In the meantime, I’ve been looking for a job I can stand just long enough until I can make a career move. I’ve had four jobs in the last year. I am currently unemployed and just freaked out hearing about the upcoming event as last years retrograde was a hard and tramatic lesson being I have saturn in my 9th house natally. Im hoping for a lessoning of pressure, what are your thoughts? Thank you, I think you are Amazing to do this for all of us with serious saturn anxiety.
I’ve never seen duplicate scenarios for transits/retrogrades. Unless your life is exactly the same as it was when Saturn last went Rx, you won’t have the same results. And guaranteed your chart is not the same because your Progressed Moon is in a different sign, you’re in a different phase of your Progressed Lunar, cycle, etc. All these things have an impact. Saturn is going through your 1st House, so the energy is about focusing your personal power; you may notice a difference in how people respond to you now (you have more authority/intensity). As for a lessening of the pressure, see if transiting Saturn is making any trines or sextiles to any of your planets…those are your release points.
Saturn hit my IC at 8 Scorp and then triggered my t-square… Venus on the MC at 9 tau, Neptune on the IC at 12 scorp and Saturn in the 6th at 10 aqu….and my father passed away. I was hoping to finally start a new life after this long haul of going to visit him in hospice every day for 5 months and just being exhausted all the time. Saturn retro doesn’t sound great for moving forward.
Actually, Saturn Rx would be great for you to rest and recharge.
cont’d from above
and yes, i too am looking for work. I don’t have the energy for massage therapy anymore…maybe Saturn retro as it opposes my MC will bring me something?
It might uncover some past goals or career ideas that you had.
I’m Capricorn sun and Taurus rising with Saturn transiting over my descendent in late November I think it’s about to retrograde back over the descendent. Any ideas of what this could symbolise?
Possible rehash of relationship issues…commitment issues…
Hello Nadia! I’m amidst my Saturn return during this retrograde cycle. I’ve made my first pass in December, and have two yet to go. My Saturn (8th deg.) is conjuct both my Sun (7 deg.) and Mercury (9 deg.) in the 4th house. I went back to college in January and I’ve been feeling just plain crazy for months now. Any thoughts on how to survive the next year?
Transiting Saturn in the 4th usually suggests a need to get back to your roots or address family issues, issues from the past. So you might want to dig a bit deeper into those areas…something needs to be completed first before you can move forward.
My Moon is in Scorpio 5degree, natal 3rd house; What can I expect from Saturn Rx?
Possible return to what you felt the first time Saturn passed over your Moon…usually a “lack of” something….comfort, attention, depth, whatever. The purpose is to teach you to provide those things for yourself (or at least become aware of what you need).
Hi Nadia
Thanks so much for a wonderful blog. I’ve just started reading and already its helpful.
I can’t seem to find anything on Saturn retrograde in Scorpio 8th house, can you give me a suggestion on where to look or what to be mindful of?
My natal saturn is in 4th house gemini.
Saturn Rx in 8th House=going back over plans for shared finances (taxes, debts, loans, partner’s finacnes) or reestablishing intimacy. This is also the house of psychology, so this is a good influence for digging deep if you have some issues you want to explore.
12/14/1949 3:15 pm San Diego, CA
I truly need some insight at this time! When is the right time to move on a financial opportunity? Does it look promising?
Please order a consultation if you’d like me to look at your chart.
Nadia, this is all very helpful to me since I’m getting hit hard by Saturn’s influence, I think. Is there a connection in home difficulties, money and difficulty finding work connected to Saturn retrograde transit the 6th house? I’m Aquarius with moon in scorpio and a gemini ascendent. Natal scorpio moon is also in 6th house too which may be a reason for frustration and I left a job I hated around the stationary period of the retrograde (december). Any thoughts?
Saturn Rx in the 6th would definitely put a slowdown on finding work. As for home difficulties…depends on what you mean by that. The 6th House represents your daily routine, appliances, computers, etc.
Yes, I have Mercury in Taurus 11 degrees house 12. (My ruling planet)
Venus Pisces house 10
Jupiter Cancer house 2
Yes right now it is very difficult to move forward in my intimate relationship. But I am hanging in there, and training my brain to think more positively.
Mercury in Taurus can get stuck in fixed thought patterns, but training your brain is a good way to approach it. Develop new patterns (more positive ones).
Since Saturn only retrogrades to 4° scorpio is that enough to activate anything with my mars 3° in cancer?
Maybe. But more as a weak echo of what happend when Saturn direct in Scorpio first trined your Mars.
Hi Nadia. I just came across your blog, and really like it! My sun is 6 degrees Scorpio in the 2nd house with Saturn in my 12th house. I’ve decided to leave my job, but haven’t decided yet whether I should team up with an entrepreneur who has offered me a chance to partner, or if I should truly strike out on my own and start my own business.
Any ideas what this saturn retrograde could mean?
Thanks for any help!!