Saturn in Libra: the Obligation & Lessons of Commitment to a Partner

A very fine article (with some minor add-ins by me) from Lynn Hayes at Astrological Musings http://astrodynamics.net/astrologicalmusings/2010/07/21/saturn-in-libra-2010/

From Mitch: I also want to coin a phrase in honor of Saturn's passage through Libra and the Life Lessons it bestows about Partnerships & Relationships: "Partnered. To be Partnered is to lose one's Life Companion when no formal marital arrangements were ever made. This also applies to same-sex couples and and heterosexuals. If you've lost your mate, your status is "Partnered." 
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Saturn first entered Libra in late October 2009, but then retrograded back into Virgo in March 2010, cleaning up issues of healthcare reform and other mundane details of life and the tender ecological balance that holds our body, mind and spirit together.  Saturn’s passage through Virgo encouraged thrift and savings, along with a more cautious approach to life.  Virgo’s domain is the daily details and responsibilities of living in the world, and Saturn has made certain that we attend fully to those details.

Saturn at 29 degrees Libra is the last measure of intensity of a psychological threshold in the sign of relationships and balance between two polarities. In Libra we understand the yin and the yang, the plus and the minus, the inner and the outer, and recognize that both ends of the polarities are valid.

Saturn is said to be exalted in Libra, but this does NOT mean that everything Saturn touches while in Libra is hunky-dory. Saturn’s crochety penchant for discipline and commitment is best expressed through the harmony of relationships, and the desire of Libra for balance and harmony helps to bring out the best of Saturn. However, Saturn has a tendency to create tests and challenges in any sign that he passes through, and he particularly dislikes an over-romanticized and impractical view of the world. In any area of life or the political spectrum where strange bedfellows have been made, Saturn is likely to shine his microscope and reveal the chinks in the construction of our sandcastles.

   Saturn in Libra also brings a desire for charm and a harmonious approach to life. Saturn desires to build structures, and in Libra Saturn wants structures that will build relationships and alliances. But Libra can also sometimes be superficial, with its love of beauty and an appearance of harmony.

   Saturn rules diamonds, the brilliant jewel that is created when a lump of coal is put under tremendous pressure. This is the perfect metaphor for the way that Saturn works in our lives, and whether we end up with coal or a diamond really depends on us and how well we manage the tests that Saturn puts in our path. Saturn cycles can be depressing and burdensome, or they can be times of material success and wealth.

   Saturn’s last passage through Libra coincided with one of the worst recessions in the 20th century in 1982. Saturn conjoined Pluto at the time, and during Saturn’s passage through Libra we will see Saturn forming a square to Pluto. Libra is ruled by Venus, and Venus is involved in the attraction and creation of wealth so Saturn’s passage through Libra can create tests and challenges in the realm of prosperity and force us to evaluate (Saturn) what we value (Libra).

   While Saturn passes through Libra, it will be evaluating our progress in all Venus-related issues. Much attention is given to Libra and Venus’s rulership over relationships, and all kinds of alliances will be both forged and tested under the influence of Saturn in Libra. Other aspects of Libra include beauty, and with Saturn (aging) in Libra (beauty), we may find ourselves faced with some difficult facts about the processes that we use to stave off the aging process. We could also embrace the aging process and discover the beauty that lies in the growing strength and stability that we experience with age, a true Saturn in Libra achievement!

     The forging of alliances requires the kind of balance and integration for which Libra is well-known, and Saturn’s travel through Libra will bring with it a requirement that we consider all sides of a question in order to bring about a truly harmonious result. Libra is the consummate diplomat and negotiator, and during this period great things are possible in the realm of peace negotiations. Saturn in Libra also tests our ability to make commitments. The generation with Saturn in Libra has exemplified this challenge as Saturn in any sign shows where we feel insecure and where we need to compensate.

In any matter with which Saturn becomes involved, he does not give success easily. It must be earned, and the Saturnian qualities of discipline, hard work and achievement must be utilized.

     I like to think of Saturn as a mentor rather than as the Celestial Taskmaster as he is sometimes known.  Saturn holds our feet to the fire and tells us where we’re being sloppy; where we are underutilizing our talents and taking the easy way out.

  Saturn’s gifts include success and accomplishment, and these are no small favors!