Saturn in Medical Astrology

Saturn

In medical astrology, we can look at the placement of certain planets to understand specific aspects of one’s health and constitutional makeup. In this blog, I’d like to discuss Saturn and his role in understanding a person’s health and constitution.

Aside from the Sun, Saturn is one of my favorite celestial bodies to observe in a person’s astrological chart. There are two compelling reasons for this: First, you only need a date of birth to understand where Saturn lies in one’s astrological birth chart—because he moves so slowly through the signs, there is almost zero chance that he has shifted from one sign to the next depending on the time of day (unlike the Moon!). Second, Saturn shows us where the seat of chronic disease lies. This is because the Saturnian energy is one of slowing, condensing, restricting, hardening, solidifying, and hypo-function. This energy in one’s body often slowly leads to chronic tendencies or presentations in the human body.

Understanding Saturn’s Nature

Saturn, the planetary ruler of Capricorn and traditionally also Aquarius, is the furthest planet visible to the naked eye. Before the invention of telescopes to see further into space, Saturn was the furthest planet we knew of. So far away from Earth, his nature is cold and dry.

In medical astrology, Capricorn rules all the things in the body that give us structure and hold us together—restrict, bind, and form—such as skin (as a structure, not skin for beauty which is Venusian), bones, hair, teeth, cartilage, tendons, minerals, knees, joints, and nails. Unlike “regular astrology,” these associations carry through from the zodiacal ruler to the planetary ruler, which means that Saturn, with his aforementioned energy of restriction, binding, and solidifying, has some rulership over the body parts of Capricorn as well.

Saturn’s Influence by Sign

When considering how one’s Saturn placement affects a person, we must look at the sign he lies in (I am assuming you don’t have someone’s exact time of birth—in which case you can gather more information on the effect of Saturn as you have a house placement now also). Let’s go through the signs below and consider how Saturn’s energy may play out in each of them from a medical astrology perspective. Always remember, aspects or conjunctions can alter the energetic pattern of Saturn, there is so much nuance- so this is a broad, general guide!

Saturn in Aries

Saturn in Taurus

Saturn in Gemini

Saturn in Cancer

Saturn in Leo

Saturn in Virgo

Saturn in Libra

Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn in Sagittarius

Saturn in Capricorn

Saturn in Aquarius

Saturn in Pisces