Some people tremble when they hear the word Saturn. This is because Saturn won’t allow us to shirk our responsibilities. But like your mum forcing you to clean your room when you were a kid, in the end Saturn helps us become better human beings. In fact if we’re open Saturn brings many gifts, keeping us on track and helping us to bring the ephemeral world of ideas and energy into solid reality.

Saturn in Sagittarius teaches us that although we have the freedom to choose, we must also take responsibility for the choices we make. Astrologer Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott discusses Saturn in his book Western Astrology and Chinese Medicine. He writes, “Saturn transits can be great opportunities for growth… Unfortunately, Saturn also brings the probability of reduction of existing standards of life. The harder we cling to them, the harder we must work… He forces us to face the essential necessities of life, the obligations to our parents, clan and race we acquire just by being born, and the responsibilities we have to accept if we wish to continue in existence.” Unfortunately Sagittarius isn’t big on obligations and responsibility!

Saturn in Sagittarius is all about growing up and facing our responsibilities. This may be particularly challenging for some because we live in a culture that exalts the cult of youth. One popular youth icon recently released an album entitled, ‘Here’s to Never Growing Up’ where she poses sensually on the cover with a teddy bear. Growing up is considered uncool, growing old something many people will do anything to avoid. But Saturn won’t let us get away with this childish behaviour. Saturn wants to show us there is dignity and wisdom in age, that there is respect to be gained from honouring our commitments. As Saturn transits our chart he takes us from the flower of youth to the sweet fruit of maturity.

So what childish ways will be tested by Saturn in Sagittarius?

Sagittarius, like all the signs, evolves slowly into maturity. Some of the childish aspects of Sagittarius you may recognise in yourself include:

Giving up on something because you are bored or because it is no longer fun

Running away from situations that require sacrificing your personal freedom

Being unable to accept advice or criticism, even when well-meant

Promising more than you can deliver and letting people down when the going gets tough

Waxing lyrical about what you believe but failing to live according to these values

Being unable to concentrate or give others the attention they deserve

Jumping into things without consideration of the consequences

Being unreliable and shying away from responsibility

Flitting from one thing to another with no clear focus or intent

If you see any of these traits in yourself expect to have them challenged during this three year Saturn in Sagittarius transit, particularly in the area of your life ruled by the house that has Sagittarius on the cusp. If you have planets in Sagittarius you’ll find the impact of this transit even more pronounced.

For more on Saturn in Sagittarius, check out my guest post on Astrology Weekly, Saturn in Sagittarius: Limits to Growth, which looks at how this important transit prompts us to find balance between the polarities of outer and inner, expansion and contraction, chaos and order. Or you may enjoy this earlier post Saturn in Sagittarius: taming Wild Horses.

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