How the Recent Mars Conjunct Saturn Affects Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces 2008-2009-2010

by Robert Wilkinson

Besides the usual 10,000 ways, today we take a look at how this conjunction affects us over the next 2+ years. Any conjunction is a fusion that marks an ending and a beginning, and blends the energies of the signs they rule. Given this involves Mars and Saturn, it marks an entry point into new initiatives and methods of doing new duties, responsibilities, and needed boundaries to ensure future security.

Of course, Saturn also symbolizes fears, limitations, and control mechanisms, internal and external, so if a being's Saturn is dysfunctional, they may expect something like a Mars-Saturn conjunction to mark a beginning of needing to deal with fears, hassles, aversions, and behaviors that bring insecurity. It marks a point of beginning new activities that align us with Dharma, or our true "higher function."

As noted, these conjunctions occur every 2+ years. The last one fell at 9 Leo in June 2006, so you may want to take a look at the period since then as being a time of exploring your Leo elements and areas during this past cycle. This one falls at 6 Virgo, and the cycle will last until August 2010, when Mars will conjunct Saturn at 1 Libra opposed to Jupiter conjunct Uranus in early Aries with all involved square Pluto, which promises to kick off a major polarization. You can find out more about that period by going to The Coming Cardinal Squares and Crosses of Saturn in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries 2009-2010-2011-2012-2013 as well as the 3 articles posted at the bottom of that one.

This conjunction at 6 Virgo has no major aspects to it except a waning semisquare from the Sun, showing a point of internal crises of endings in the Solar cycle relative to each of these planets. Thus we may look to the houses this semisquare falls in to know that something concerning these areas of our lives has been hit with a "death blow."

This marks the beginning of the end of the Sun-Saturn cycle we've been in since they were conjunct at 29 Leo in August 2007, as well as the end of the Sun-Mars cycle we've been in since they last conjuncted at 30 Libra in October 2006. A study of each of these important cycles will yield a lot of information about what's been happening in our lives in each of these areas since then.

New cycles fusing the areas these planets rule will be set into motion when Sun conjuncts Saturn exactly trine Jupiter in early September, and when Sun conjuncts Mars at 15 Sag in early December also conjunct Mercury in close square with Moon conjunct Uranus in Pisces. Both the Sun-Mars cycle and the Sun-Saturn cycle are important cycles unto themselves, as are all the other cycles set into motion when the Sun conjuncts each outer planet once a year.

As noted, this Mars conjunct Saturn falls at 6 Virgo, a degree of needing to show skill within a cyclic and/or repetitive setup. We are told it has associations with "the culture of pleasure as a transmuting force," of an "unfearing plunge into life," and even an "endless and futile repetition of experience." We find that it can help us become objective and skilled in using "life force," with its keyword "The first experience of the dynamic intensity of life processes and of the possibility of using them to reach a characteristic ego-satisfaction," with Rudhyar stating that "any cyclic release of life energy provides us with the opportunity of demonstrating some type of skill and mastery."

Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, states this is a degree of "a cyclic and necessary intensification of any personal being," where pleasure can be experienced as a "creative exchange" encouraging and refining our range of potential. He says the keyword is DIVERSION, and this degree is an "endless and happy resourcefulness in a constant reorientation of self to meet varying exigencies of life." He also says the negative expression of this degree is "a continuous and senseless ricochet" between meaningless phases of self-expression.

So how does this affect us? It would seem that we will be experiencing repetitive experiences in the life area ruled by the house in which it falls, either refining our skill or bouncing off various walls to no good end. We'll either feel skill and receive rewards for refining our abilities there, or feel a sense of futility as we experience meaningless repetitions.

Now for more specifics for various birthdays. The house it falls in is where you will express the lessons of this energy by fusing the life areas shown by the houses these planets rule in your chart. Even if you don't know much astrology, let your imagination loose by exploring the meanings of the various houses and how these combinations could manifest. These paragraphs apply if you have an Ascendant more than 6 degrees of the first sign mentioned in each paragraph or less than 6 degrees of the second sign mentioned.

March 25-April 25 - This falls in your Solar or natal 5th house, and marks a new cycle of creativity and/or dealing with children, natural and enjoyable self expression, and how you play. Expect more mature pleasures to present themselves. For Aries and Aries rising, it fuses the rulers of the 1st, 8th, 10th, and 11th houses. For Taurus and Taurus rising, it fuses the rulers of the 7th, 9th, 10th, and 12th houses.

April 25-May 25 - This falls in your Solar or natal 4th house, and marks a new cycle of home and family involvements, as well as how you view your past and one of your parents in particular. You'll be finding a new base or new foundations of doing and being. For Taurus and Taurus rising, it fuses the rulers of the 7th, 9th, 10th, and 12th houses. For Gemini and Gemini rising, it fuses the rulers of the 6th, 8th, 9th, and 11th houses.

May 25-June 25 - This falls in your Solar or natal 3rd house, and marks a new cycle of sibling relations, a new view of your environment, and a new set of mental-verbal disciplines. You'll be learning new ways to understand what you perceive. For Gemini and Gemini rising, it fuses the rulers of the 6th, 8th, 9th, and 11th houses. For Cancers and Cancer rising, it fuses the rulers of the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th houses.

June 25-July 27 - This falls in your Solar or natal 2nd house, and marks a new cycle involving finances, resources, how you use what you have, and what you need to capture to support your self image. You'll be learning a more mature and responsible set of values. For Cancers and Cancer rising, it fuses the rulers of the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th houses. For Leos and Leo rising, it fuses the rulers of the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 9th houses.

July 27-August 27 - This falls in your Solar or natal 1st house, and marks a new cycle involving your self image, physical body, and way of specializing yourself in your world so you may learn something of your unique purpose. You'll embrace new self disciplines. For Leos and Leo rising, it fuses the rulers of the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 9th houses. For Virgo and Virgo rising, it fuses the rulers of the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th houses.

August 27-September 27 - This falls in your Solar or natal 12th house, and marks a new cycle involving your motives, harvests, sorrows, and how you view your "life as a movie." You may be doing more behind the scenes work, and definitely more meditation. For Virgo and Virgo rising, it fuses the rulers of the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th houses. For Libra and Libra rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th houses.

September 27-October 27 - This falls in your Solar or natal 11th house, and marks a new cycle involving friendships, group work, and larger goals and ambitions. You will definitely be revising your higher view of the world and who you want to hang with. For Libra and Libra rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th houses. For Scorpio and Scorpio rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th houses.

October 27-November 26 - This falls in your Solar or natal 10th house, and marks a new cycle involving your career or profession, your public standing, and how you best flower in public. Expect a promotion, more important duties, or higher recognition of some sort. For Scorpio and Scorpio rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th houses. For Sagittarius and Sag rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 12th houses.

November 26-December 25 - This falls in your Solar or natal 9th house, and marks a new cycle of higher learning and/or teaching, seeing alternative futures, or long journeys. You will be seeing a much wider view with a more mature understanding and can find true wisdom. For Sagittarius and Sag rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 12th houses. For Capricorn and Capricorn rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 11th houses.

December 25-January 24 - This falls in your Solar or natal 8th house, and marks a new cycle of learning how to eliminate what you no longer need to create space to attract your deep desires. Your losses and regenerations will teach you how "to posess in the name of the ALL." For Capricorn and Capricorn rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 11th houses. For Aquarius and Aquarius rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 3rd, 10th, and 12th houses.

January 24-February 23 - This falls in your Solar or natal 7th house, and marks a new cycle involving relationships and how to be an equal with others. You will mature in how you relate to others, and can get beyond fear and control issues. For Aquarius and Aquarius rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 3rd, 10th, and 12th houses. For Pisces and Pisces rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 9th, 11th, and 12th houses.

February 23-March 25 - This falls in your Solar or natal 6th house, and marks a new cycle involving work, health, and how you relate to those in your service, as well as the service you do for others. Expect to work hard developing skills preparing you for new opportunities to come. For Pisces and Pisces rising, it fuses the rulers of your 2nd, 9th, 11th, and 12th houses. For Aries and Aries rising, it fuses the rulers of your 1st, 8th, 10th, and 11th houses.

Copyright © 2008 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Ellie]

Hello Robert,

What do you think about this Mars-Saturn aspect in conjunction to someone's natal Venus?

Thank you :)

[Alix]

Hello Robert :)

I hope you've been enjoying a much deserved rest!

You wrote: "This conjunction at 6 Virgo has no major aspects to it except a waning semisquare from the Sun, showing a point of internal crises of endings in the Solar cycle relative to each of these planets. Thus we may look to the houses this semisquare falls in to know that something concerning these areas of our lives has been hit with a "death blow."

This conjunction happened exactly on my natal Pluto in the 2nd house. While the sun was in my first. I have Mars in Leo in the second and Saturn in Capricorn in the 7th. How should I interpret the waning semisquare?

Alix

[jason]

This is occurring right on the cusp of my natal 7th and 8th houses. I have Pluto conjunct the north node on that cusp. Any ideas on what I might be in for?

[Pamela]

Hello Robert,

This conjunction happened exactly on my natal Pluto in the 9th house 5 degrees from my midheaven. So I would imagine the cycle your talking about that will last until August 2010, would include a ''fusing'' of my basic mars-saturn-pluto energies?

Kind regards,
Pamela

[ann]

My dearest Robert,
Please tell me what this will mean for myself?if possible please..thank you

[twinlionfish]

Dear Robert, I need to understand. I feel a karmic connection exists, yet am too close to be objective. My father is about to be 88 years of age (wow) and I know Saturn is about to conjunct his sun in Virgo soon, in my 7th house, just above the DEC. I am trying to be a good student of astrology, but yet very confused (and ashanmed)that I still don't recognize my own life path. My son seems to have a karmic connnection, too, and I am challenged daily by the problems presented to me by my Picses rising and mutable sun in Gemini with his sun in Sag and moon in Cancer. Can you please offer any insight as to how this passage of Mars/Saturn over my DEC at 13:57 Virgo will impact my situation? I was born 6/12/1959 at 12:26 am. Spirit Lake, IA. Father's ASC still unknowm; his birthdate 9/8/1920 in Ralston, IA. Son, who presents particular karmic problems (due to Neptune?) born 12/7/1987 at 1:10 pm. Des Moines IA. All his angles on sign cusps and his moon in Cancer. I am just a mom and a daughter and student of astrology for 15 years. Can you help me figure out what it means? Thank you for any insight you can give. CAS:)

[Fanaa]

Hi Robert, I have sun and venus in my fourth house at 3 virgo and uranus at 5 virgo. I would appreciate your insight. I have a constant habit of ceaslessly going over people and their reactions in my mind almost all my life-giving little time to relax. This has also lead to hard work and achievements too. Suddenly I understood last week why I do that and it has been so liberating. It was a feeling of guilt. Does this make any astrological sense?
Thanks for your great insights.

[Wild horse running]

Hola Robert..
In a state of confusion...I have all these planets clustered in the 2nd house, Sun/mars conjunct in Scorp...Merc/Jupiter conjunct in Sag...all research points to major success financially...and here I sit, with nothing...I have Snode 6th/Aries..I get it ref...letting go of impulse/self-centered independance...NNode 12th/Libra conjunct venus...embracing balance/softness/groups....pof seventh...in Aries? I have to allow relationship/with strong-willed other-holding my own....
which opens the door to natal chart possibilities....was this expierence necessary for me to "get it"/change/let go of SNode "comfortablness"?

"Lack"....my family of origin.....but I am getting very sick of LACK...and being ALONE....

namaste...WHR

[Wild horse running]

Hi Robert,
less confusion today...Lack- transformed becomes INNER security...alone- transformed becomes group awareness...I just noticed that the Full Moon of Nov 12-13 returns exactly to the same degrees/posistions as the Full Moon of Nov 15 1959...my birthday....I have had 2 dreams in the last week, showing me pregnant, and a couple more of an upcoming wedding. After the Libra transists complete/balance things...a new/transformed Full Moon to birth a new me?????????? Also chiron will make its return for me, when it goes direct Oct 25...my chiron is 22 Aquarius in the 5th...
Things are on the horizon????

have a beautiful day...

[fanaa]

Dear Robert, Posting the question again today. I have sun and venus in my fourth house at 3 virgo and uranus at 5 virgo. I have a constant habit of ceaslessly going over people and their reactions in my mind almost all my life-giving little time to relax. This has also lead to hard work and achievements too. Suddenly I understood last week why I do that and it has been so liberating. It was a feeling of guilt. Does this make any astrological sense?
Thanks for your great insights.

[Robert]

Hi Ellie - I think it will definitely help you redefine what and who you like or not, and why. Your experience is now showing you an end to old relationships that are no longer "true" for you, and bringing you more mature relationships, or helping you value those who are older, wiser, or more experienced.

Hi Alix - So this is helping you deal with shadows around money, assets, and hidden resources, as well as your power to attract limitless wealth once you get over the old Virgo ghosts. The light of events will end the old Pluto response due to awakening something of your self image that is more noble, strong, and consistent that who you used to be relative to money and things.

Hi Jason - This will help you become more aware of shared or collective (social) values, eliminating old criticisms and worries while regenerating responsible precise actions. You're here to cultivate Divine Discrimination (Viveka in Sanskrit) that allows you to attract with precision exactly what you want. This accelerates a long terms process that began Sept-Oct 2007. Be a good custodian of wealth these next two years, and eliminate all that you don't want to make part of your long term legacy.

Hi Pamela - You'll restructure your philosophy and sense of the details of your future. By late 2009 into 2010 Saturn in your 10th will help you flower by what it's teaching you about valuing the positive Pluto elements of your Higher Truth.

Hi ann - It will bring a new work into your life, as well as people of experience and authority who can be of useful and quick service to you. You are leaving a period of "working at your play, playing at your work," and entering a period of restructuring what you enjoy and how to make it real in practical ways.

Hi twinlionfish - Take a broad look at "the movie of your life" to identify essential elements in your journey. You're maturing your view of all relationships in your life, and have things breaking the surface that will come to fruition 10 years from now. Your Sun in Gemini is getting grounded in practical ways, will be making some adjustments in the near future in work or health matters, and are seeing how you can serve in whole new ways. Other than these few words that can serve you, I really cannot do such detailed cross generations synastry in a comment stream.

Hi Fanaa - You're reaping the results of what you've worked for and prepared for. As with an Saturn conjunct Venus, you also are rewriting your address book and valuing different things and people than before, and restructuring your unique genius with the Uranian contact. Eliminate all negative memories from the past, release all hardness about your early life, and set down deep roots so you can flower in a big way down the line. So yes, what you say makes sense. And of course you're most welcome.

Hi WHR - When you learn to be as for things as against them, when you can learn a larger vision of abundant attraction and generous elimination to further the shared good, then your magnetism will be straightened out and you should see the light of how and when to attract what you need quickly, as well as how and when to disperse it quickly. SN in Aries shows you can be too impatient with the process and mess things up by jumping to a conclusion. And please remember that we are as surrounded by life as a fish by water. We are NEVER alone, but we perceive a lack instead of training our perception to see who we are connected to across space and time. Discontent only serves to mess up magnetism. Get clear about what you need to attract to bring out your light and power, and then allow the process to work in its own way and time without discontent. "Alone" usually teaches us the value of solitude and the ability to fill the time with depth material rather than distractions. Glad your dreams show you know you're "pregnant" with a union coming, regardless of the form it will take. So yes, it would seem that you're birthing a new you. Whether the marriage is the conjuntio (Sacred Inner Union) and/or a signal of a person to come who you could hang with for awhile will be evident soon, no doubt. NN on your Chiron is calling you to your Higher Self. The coming Lunar Eclipse will help that come forth.