This year, Saturn enters into a square with Chiron, which lasts almost a year and spans 21 to 27º of Mutable signs, affecting those with Sun in Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini and Virgo everywhere. Chiron is the planet of wounding and healing while Saturn rules authoritarianism and hierarchy. What could this stressful planetary aspect mean? The script below describes one way it could go, but first, how will you know if this even matters to you?
Does this transit affect you?
If you were born within the following dates, you will feel this transit strongly:
December 11 through 19 of any year
March 10 through 17 of any year
June 10 through 18 of any year
September 13 through 20 of any year
This post may seem like a statement about world events, but it’s also a metaphor for events inside all us human beings. This post is for you if. . .
- You’ve become aware of some deep wounding in your life and don’t know what to do about it
- You face the same (seemingly karmic or fated) situations over and over again, and always you feel like the victim
- You’re ready to heal the wound instead of escaping the responsibility
How Saturn square Chiron works
(this part is technical, but brief)
The connection between Saturn and Chiron is strongest when it’s exact and there are 3 days this year when that happens. I’ll show you images of these connections below but first, please know that if one of those days happens to be your birthday or within a few days on either side of it, then Saturn and Chiron will have powerful lessons expressly for you in this birthday year. A reading of your birthday chart (called a Solar Return) can help you discover what it means for your year and how to use it to the fullest capacity. These are the dates of the exact Saturn-Chiron connections this year: December 28, 2016, April 30, 2017 and November 2, 2017.
The first pass happens on December 28, 2016, while Saturn is direct at 21º Sagittarius and Chiron (also direct) is at 21º Pisces. If you have anything in 21º of a Mutable sign—such as your Sun, Moon or Ascendant, and so on—you will feel this (see diagram for pass 1).
The second pass happens on April 30, 2017, while Saturn is retrograde and Chiron is direct and both are at 27º of their signs. If you have anything in 27º of Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini or Virgo, you will feel this (see diagram for pass 2).
The third pass is where this transit ends, on November 2, 2017 with Saturn direct at 24º Sagittarius while Chiron is still retrograde in 24º Pisces. This will affect you if you have anything in 24º of Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini or Virgo (see diagram for pass 3).
What could this stressful planetary aspect mean?
The following story illustrates one way it could go. . .
On board a large sailing vessel filled with a small city of people, Saturn has arrived at the coastline of the first island in an archipelago. He is the head of a large contingent of missionaries. There is a glow around him as he steps forth from the ship. On dry land, he looks around for who’s in charge.
Saturn: (to a Human Being he finds on the beach): Take me to your leader!
The Human Being is completely in wonder at the strange clothing and strange objects carried by the Boat People who are now crowding onto the beach. They follow Saturn in a straight, organized line to the village, where the Human Being announces the arrival of strangers in their midst. Human leads Saturn straight to Chiron, a religious leader wearing comfortable island garb, tending his fire and minding his own business.
Human Being: Chiron, strangers have come!
Chiron: I’m not terribly interested. I’m in Pisces. I’ve been sitting here in meditation for several months and I can tell you these strangers bring no good with them.
Chiron scowls at Saturn.
Saturn: We’ve brought you a wonderful thing. It’s called religion.
Chiron: We don’t need your religion here.
But from behind Chiron peeps a Young Woman who is looking with interest at a Young Man among the Boat People. She smiles and he smiles back.
Chiron: Can’t you see we already have religion?
Saturn: Our religion is the true one. It’s the only one that has reality. We’re offering to include you in it.
Chiron: Is that an offer or a demand?
Saturn: It’s an offer of course!
Chiron: Not if it comes at the point of a sword.
Saturn: But you are savages! Don’t you want to come into the modern era?
Chiron: What does history say? After the missionaries come the colonists. After the colonists come the traders. After the traders come the businessmen. Before much time has passed as we reckon it, we who have lived on this land for many more generations than we can name will find that our land is seized, owned (an idea foreign to us) and that we are no longer allowed to live on it.
Saturn: Ridiculous! My people believe in one universal truth. Your people have lost their way. We are here to guide you back. Why aren’t you grateful?
Chiron. I am grateful. I am grateful for the green, green forest and the wealth of fish in the sea and the wide blue sky I get to live under. But for you showing up here? No, I’m not grateful.
Saturn (who hasn’t been listening): Yes, a few of us might have to move in, and we might need to make space for them, but is that really a problem? Where’s your generosity?
Chiron: We belong to the land, she does not belong to us. We can not own her, therefore we can not give her away. She is not ours to give. This land sustains us. Without it, we will perish. Is this your gift? That we should perish for your business interests?
Saturn: I’m not a businessman, but if I was, I’d say that your people could use some jobs. And there are some lovely resources around here you could be leveraging more powerfully. Perhaps you should start a tourist industry?
Chiron: So you would enslave us as well.
He sighs.
Chiron: We don’t have guns to fight you. I suppose this will go as it always has. Your arrogance will win and ours will be the ultimate sacrifice.
Chiron walks into his own fire and stands in it, singing as he burns. When there are only ashes left, his people mourn. Ultimately what is left is a story of a martyr who loved his home and his people, and resisted colonization until death.
Saturn: What have I done here?
And the Boat People move in, bringing religion, commerce, property ownership, guns and syphilis with them.
If you are feeling this transit
and want to understand its meaning in your life,
an astrology reading will clarify this and much, much more.
How to find out more
You can read more about Saturn’s activity this year here.
You can read more about Chiron’s activity this year here.
You might also try Are You Currently In Transition?
And to get oriented to the other transits going on this year, check out Transits This Year.
