Saturn/Neptune: A History Lesson

Last updated on: August 9, 2006 at 7:08 am by Lynn Hayes

Saturn/Neptune: A History Lesson 2006-08-09T07:08:00-04:00 Lynn Hayes

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s always fascinating to look back into the historical record to see how planetary configurations applied themselves during those times in order to learn more about how those planets work together and to derive clues of how they may manifest this time around. Saturn/Neptune is a 36- year cycle which gives us plenty of interesting information.

Remember that Saturn strives to build form where Neptune reminds us that there is a world beyond form; Saturn rules incarnation in the body and Neptune draws us into experiences that go beyond the body and the material world. In the opposition, where the two planets are 180 degrees apart, there is a tension between them that requires balance. This is a challenging aspect, but not so difficult as the square in which there is open conflict. The opposition is the apex of the cycle; it is the pinnacle of understanding the process before integration takes place.

In the opposition between Saturn and Neptune our fantasies and illusions (Neptune) bump up against cold hard reality (Saturn), but there is also potential for manifesting our dreams (Neptune) into physical form (Saturn) and incorporating a life of spirit (Neptune) into our day-to-day existence (Saturn). Politically, the cycle of these two planets tends to bring conflict that arises as a result of the desire to manifest an ideal (Neptune) against the established order of Saturn. This cycle can also manifest in the exposure of governmental (Saturn) corruptive and deceptive behavior (Neptune).

In this century, Saturn in Pisces opposed Neptune in Virgo in March and October of 1936 and then again in January of 1937. This was a heavily Neptunian period since Pisces is ruled by Neptune, and Saturn in Pisces has difficulty grounding into material reality and confusion abounds. Saturn/Neptune is also associated with the destabilization (Neptune) of governmental structures: This period bore witness to the rise of nationalism with the expansion of the Nazis in Germany, a civil war in Spain between nationalist troops of General Franco and Spain’s democrative government. This era also marked the beginning of Arab nationalism and riots in Palestine in reaction to Jewish immigration and the British government, as well as the abdication of Edward VIII in England who left the throne (Saturn) to marry the woman he loved, a very Neptunian romantic notion.

One of the more interesting events of the previous Saturn/Neptune opposition of 1899-1900 (with Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Gemini) was the Boxer Rebellion against foreign influence in China which took place during the final years of the Qing Dynasty. The Boxer Rebellion sprange out of nationalist fervor against foreigners and Chinese Christians. The rebellion was ironically put down by a multinational force and the resulting humiliation led to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty by 1905. The Boxer Rebellion brought previously hidden (Neptune) ideology and frustration to a culmination point.

The opposition of Saturn in Gemini to Neptune in Sagittarius occurred in June and November of 1971 and April of 1972 and was marked by increasingly violent demonstrations and rebellions around the world as idealism (Neptune in Sag) came face to face with governmental repression (Saturn). In the US, demonstrations against the Vietnam War grew in numbers and in power and the Supreme Court permits publication of the Pentagon Papers, exposing corruption in the government (Saturn/Neptune). The Attica prison riots exposed the poor conditions in US prisons (prisons are ruled by Neptune). The end of 1971 also witnessed civil war in Cambodia and between India and Pakistan, as well as increased fighting between British troops and Irish nationalists which culminated in the famous Bloody Sunday massacre in early 1972. All of these events showed the culmination of understanding that is the highlight of the opposition and paved the way for change that occurred during the waning phase of the cycle. The end of the opposition in 1972 also saw a treaty that banned (Saturn) biological weapons (Neptune) was signed by 70 nations.

The Saturn/Neptune cycle has been associated by some astrologers with the flu of 1918, but the conjunction of Saturn and Neptune in Leo actually completed months before that epidemic and the planetary cycle in place during the deadly flu epidemic was an opposition between Saturn and Uranus as well as a conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto. However, with any Saturn/Neptune contact there is the potential for hidden dangers that may not make themselves known right away.

So what can we expect during this year’s Saturn/Neptune opposition which begins this month and will continue through June of next year? A few possibilities:

You don’t need to be an astrologer to predict that Iraq will devolve into Civil War, resulting in the downfall of the US neocon movement and partition of Iraq into ethnic divisions.
Fighting between Israel and Iran through its proxies of the Lebanese government and Hamas in Palestine will continue through next year but escalating casualties and pressure from within will force Israel to negotiate a more permanent resolution to the conflicts that surround it.
In the US, voters are distracted by television and other media (Neptune) and it may take another serious event (probably weather-related) to force (Saturn) their attention to the world stage. However, next year when Jupiter squares Uranus we are likely to see a radical shift towards the left in American politics and probably elsewhere as citizens tire of war and devastation.
On the negative side, the Saturn/Neptune tendency towards nationalism and xenophobia will erupt into renewed fervor with demonstrations against immigrants and occupying forces. With Pluto completing its pass through Sagittarius we are likely to see a continued spread of Islamist conservatism as part of this trend.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 8, 2006

Astrological signs in the Senate

Next Post

August 11, 2006 Terrorism, Fear, Mars/Uranus and Batman

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Age of Aquarius Astrology Astrology in my world Astrology in the news Astronomy Business Celebrities Consciousness Conspiracy Crime Death Ecology Events Fate Favorite posts Featured posts Financial Markets Future Shock Generations Health & Healing Holidays Inspiration Jupiter in Leo Lessons Life Lynn's favorite posts Mercury retrograde Miscellany Money and markets Moon Mysteries People Planetary cycles Planets Podcast Politics Popular Culture Predictions Psychology Relationships Religion Saturn in Scorpio Saturn Return Science Signs Skywatch Sports Sun Sun signs Technology Uncategorized Uranus square Pluto Wonders of the universe

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 August 2000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which giant Philistine did David defeat with a sling and a stone?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ishbi-Benob Goliath Og Agag