Saturn in Pisces: Through the Haze and Into the Ether
March 7 2023 through May 25, 2025 and September 1 2025 through February 13, 2026
When we think of Saturn, the planet of structure and restriction, it’s easy to see the pattern of influences that we’ve been under during the past 6 years. Restriction, authority, discipline…Saturn is the Traditional ruler of both Capricorn and Aquarius, where its cold hand extended a firm and relentless grip on us. We have now had two Saturn cycles where Saturn was in domicile, and in a Saturnian extreme, in CONTROL. These have not been easy transit, they were particularly intense. During its time in Capricorn, Saturn made a conjunction to Pluto, planet of transformation, at 22 Capricorn, and it brought down the entire house of cards in January 2020. Saturn then marched into Aquarius in March, went Retro back into Capricorn to finish the melee there, and then upon ingress to Aquarius in December of 2020, Saturn made a powerful Great Conjunction to the gas giant benefic Jupiter at 0 degrees Aquarius. These celestial influences are all part of a greater cycle where the Great Conjunction happens every 20 years, and that particular one was ushering in a new era where these conjunctions between the two will now happen in Air signs for the rest of our lives. Astrology doesn’t just function in the day to day, we are all operating at the behest of far wider cycles that play out in celestial movements that have far reaching inspiration and consequences. These conjunctions to Saturn, the stern guide and director of what’s going on behind the scenes, shifted the way the world works around us.
During the final two years of Saturn in Aquarius, Saturn made multiple squares to Uranus, the planet of revolution and rebellion, in Taurus, seeking to establish a new and different sense of normality. What is normal? That’s been defined and redefined time and again, and nothing is the same as it was before these times of Saturn in its signs of domicile. We have had many hard lessons in the past 6 years, where Saturn has guided us through the rubble, trying to show us how to rise up and out of it. Capricorn takes hard work and relentless dedication, and Aquarius takes establishing new principles and a plan for the future. What is Pisces, the final sign of the Zodiac? Pisces is the subconscious, where reality and fantasy merge…where compassion compels and creativity is calling. We’ve had the wake up calls of Saturn in its signs of domicile, and now it’s time to deal with the aftermath and fallout in this receptive sign of introspection and closure. It’s time to go beneath the surface as Saturn redefines boundaries and shifts our perspective on the very nature of reality.
Saturn in Pisces is a paradoxical experience. Saturn is rigid and discerning, Pisces is gossamer ebb and flow that shifts in receptive Mutable Water. Saturn is a decisive force and stern authority, and Pisces is a sign of altruistic intentions. Saturn commits and demands that we take responsibility and carry ourselves, while Pisces procrastinates or avoids, preferring to allow the external circumstances to shift the current that carries us. How do we navigate these Piscean Waters, where Saturn is a cold and dark influence upon otherwise tranquil Waters? In this time of subconscious depths, we explore these themes of reality vs fantasy, work vs creativity, receptivity vs boundaries, and control vs surrender. Mutable signs tend to seek a middle path, avoiding extremes, and Pisces is the epitome of this energy, there is always hope here, no matter how dark. Saturn in Pisces is like a hand extended to guide us through the ether.
This is a time where nothing is certain, nothing is as it seems, but we take that cold hand anyway, and go where it leads.
Saturn in Pisces is an energy of blending, of lines that are ever shifting, where time becomes elusive and we realize that structure is not nearly as defined as it once was. This is an intuitive state of being, one that requires a far more gentle touch. Pisces moves us with deep and abiding compassion from a place of unconditional acceptance and grace. We can trust that Saturn here will teach us how to wield that with intent rather than aimlessly as we explore Saturnian guidance. Pisces may be resistant to structure, but Saturn has a way of getting the message across no matter how tuned-out we may be. As we begin to wade through this uncertain haze, Saturn will guide with signs, symbols, and quiet certainty…if we listen.
Saturn in Pisces isn’t nearly as obvious as it is in the other signs, Pisces is the final sign of the Zodiac, and Saturn is here on a mission that it sees through to the end, to culminate an orbital cycle. Saturn where it’s been for 6 years barks commands and shouts, while Saturn in Pisces is hushed tones and suggestions, it’s not making blatant demands of us, it’s guidance is far more elusive. Pisces is by nature indecisive, Mercury is debilitated in this sign, after all, meaning that it struggles with clarity and decision making here, and Saturn is less restrictive. This sign is free flowing and doesn’t take action in it’s own hands, it is always in a state of RESPONSE and adjustment being a Mutable sign. Pisces creates options we didn’t even know that we HAD with Saturn here, guiding us with intuition and discernment over following the certain and better known path. Saturn is here to show us how to trust ourselves, and that dreams DO matter, both literal and figurative. Saturn requires effort of us, and as with any Saturnian guidance, in Pisces, if we don’t listen and we let these lessons pass us by, the state of things gets messier and messier until we MUST do something about it. During Saturn in Pisces, just take the hints, please. Those subtle impulses, those thoughts that coalesce in the middle of the night that seem fleeting and unimportant? That may very well be the whispers of Saturn, no longer in command, but down here floating in these Piscean Waters where we move more slowly, more gracefully, and this type of direction is less abrupt. This spiritually inclined sign communicates with signs, symbols, dreams, and intuition…so it’s time to pay attention.
The ingress period may be rather intense…Saturn is shifting after 6 years of being in control and using abrupt commands and sudden consequences to a place where Saturn must now operate from intuition, from FEELING rather than knowing certainty, and everything will be shrouded in fog and mist. This is like ice sublimating to obscure the path, and we no longer know if there are twists and turns ahead. This is a Saturn where we don’t need to think about and plan for the future, like we were accustomed to doing in Aquarius, we are far more immersed in the moment that currently surrounds us, refocusing priorities to a Piscean liminality that encompasses everything that brought us here to the end of the Zodiac. Pisces rules the 12th house, the realm of the subconscious, and whatever we’ve buried here is going to demand attention…whether resolution, compassion, forgiveness, integration, boundaries…all of these themes may be applicable as Saturn dredges this place and calls for deep contemplation. This can be a time of endings, but that can be a deeply internal process, and be the end of old patterns, dependencies, or addictions.
It’s true that Pisces energy struggles with addiction and codependency, and themes of this nature will be highlighted. Any sign can struggle with these things, but it’s true that these are Piscean themes. If patterns of addiction or interpersonal issues that arise from it are something that you’ve experienced, please make sure that your support system is in place. Make sure you already have a plan. If you need help finding resources, please reach out if needed, and I will listen, and help you find available resources in your area. I cannot stress this enough, Saturn in Pisces will touch upon these things one way or another, and it can be unexpected and challenging, so I say this with profound clarity…the best way to navigate that is with support and resources in place BEFORE it becomes a problem.
Saturn is associated with work, of course, so what does that entail for how we do that whole being productive in the world thing? Our structure and expectations may need to be redefined here. Saturn in Pisces isn’t comfortable with deadlines, we become more flexible in this time of Mutability. The challenge there may lie in keeping an overall perspective that allows for the necessary creative freedom this transit requires. Pisces, as seen in its glyph of two fishes, can feel constantly pulled in two directions. It can feel as though there is no resolving the axis, so we encompass ALL OF IT simultaneously…or we become avoidant of choosing a direction, wasting away. We must have creative expression in this sign, it’s a part of life that calls from the deepest of places now. Room to express and room to breathe and room to just be and exist in peace is the ultimate GOAL of Saturn in Pisces, when it comes to putting ourselves out into the world, and that can require a different concept of authority and a different structure for our time and energy. This is a sign where Saturn can have difficulty getting moving, so it is important to remember that operating on our own timetable can mean creative freedom, but we can also get lost all too easily in the haze. Saturn may tell you to lighten up and allow yourself more space here, but it can also spiral into lack of motivation rather quickly. If you find this being the case, use Virgo, on the other side of the axis, to think about those mundane necessities if you find yourself unable to focus the way that you need to in order to get things done.
Saturn in Pisces is deeply spiritual, and this can be a time of profound spiritual experiences, where we take our growth and our learning seriously. Pisces as the final sign of the Zodiac is a sign of humbling, where we often realize we didn’t know even remotely close to what we thought we knew, and that experience entails seeking or meeting mentors, guides, teachers, 9th house things that we may have resisted when it was time to take them on earlier. Learning gaps in spiritual regard can become rather apparent with Saturn here, and we’re encouraged to do the work now. This is a time to watch out for this pattern in others, though, because people who don't have the experience or training or knowledge may suddenly feel drawn into the spiritual burst that Saturn here will create, and they may THINK they’re far more qualified to become the teacher, mentor, guide, than they actually are. Spiritual advisors and those who professionally do divination or other methods of guidance, the helping professions, may face burnout and need extra rest and recovery time, so if this is YOU, I urge you to plan for breaks ahead of time to prevent that, and listen to spirit and your intuition. You may find yourself taking on too much before you realize it, or you may just need to shut it all out and worry about yourself for once under Saturn in Pisces here, allowing others to find their own way and conserving your own precious energy to do the deep work for yourself.
What does Saturn hold for the rest of 2021? It will Station Retrograde at 7 degrees Pisces in June, and will walk back to 0 degrees, where it will Station Direct in November. It will not regress to Aquarius! This means for the next couple of weeks especially, PAY ATTENTION to any Saturnian or Piscean themes that arise:
Dreams and intuition
Sacrifice
Compassion
Artistic endeavors of any nature
Martyr syndrome
Addiction
Confusion
Delusion
Uncertainty
Forgiveness
Closure
Restriction/Quitting bad habits/fasting
Rest and recovery
Lack of boundaries
Whatever happens here at the 0 degree Saturn in Pisces ingress WILL be coming back around in November, when Saturn Stations Direct here at this very degree again. The 0 degree is the very first degree of the sign, and is always an incredibly heavy experience. When we consider that Pisces is the final sign of the Zodiac and the transit here will now culminate an entire cycle, the work to be done may be rather heavy and elusive, and the Retrograde cycles will be INTENSE and give clarity to the events to which we need to respond…that’s part of how Saturn guides us through this sign where we may otherwise miss the subtle cues we need to hear. We are now quite accustomed to Saturn being a force with which to be reckoned, for 6 years in it’s signs of rulership…this ingress will feel particularly confusing, exhausting, and may take a period of adjustment. Water signs, you’ll feel the heaviness of deep intuition guiding. Fire signs may feel easily tired and burned out for a week or two. Earth and Air signs will feel a release of pressure, and be able to breathe a bit more than you have in a while. Whatever this Saturn ingress inspires, know that it’s part of the greater force at hand, and Pisces is here to teach compassion and acceptance in unconditional positive regard. Ingress happens just ONE HOUR after the Virgo Full Moon at 16 degrees, and how that Lunation impacts you is the key to understanding the early lessons of Saturn in Pisces.