“Declining to hear “no” is a signal that someone is either seeking control or refusing to relinquish it. If you let someone talk you out of the word “no,” you might as well wear a sign that says, ‘You are in charge.'”
–Gavin de Becker, “The Gift of Fear”
Saturn is security, boundaries, maturity, judgement, lots of good weighty stuff, or bad, weighty stuff depending on how you look at it and how it hits you. Fear is an emotion, therefore Moon-related. When Saturn aspects the Moon, either in the natal chart or by transit, one of the results you can get is fear. One of the reasons for this is Saturn compresses the emotional body, there’s a weight, a constraint. The fear is that it won’t end, or that we will be crushed. It is also fear of failure. What you’ve got is a soft Moon and a heavy Saturn. Creating structure (Saturn) protects the soft Moon.
If you have a natal Saturn influence on your Moon and are feeling the crush you can remedy this by working toward learning and implementing a set of rules and boundaries that you enforce regarding your feeling of safety and security. If you are experiencing Saturn to your Moon by transit, this stricture can be utilized to implement these security structures as well. There’s the opportunity to protect your heart, make your emotional body safe. The challenge is to create safe, solid structures with windows and doors, rather than a cage or a safe that inhibits your emotional range.
Fear can be a positive emotion as it can highlight the areas where we are genuinely at risk. To alleviate fear we must address it and mine it for the information it gives us about where our structure is weak. Correctly addressed this builds confidence, emotional control and mastery.
Do you have a Saturn Moon influence natally or by transit? What do you do to create boundaries to protect your emotional state?
Lovely Satori, just lovely and very timely. My 6th house moon/jupiter is in cappy, so natally have moon/jupiter/saturn. I tend to overextend (jupiter) emotionally(moon) in my service(6th) to others based on the fear(cappy) that I’m not good enough if I’m not being of service. Learning to set boundaries to the amount and extent of service that I do has been a challenge worth facing :).
Angie
Wow so right on.. Right now I have libra 12th house Juno and 6th house moon Aries. Speaks to me
Ongoing work for moon opp saturn. I have learned so much from my cappy moon friends, but it turns out it is highly personal. So far I’ve learned to say no, decide what I can and cannot accept in terms of behavior from others that triggers old fears, set emotional goals, given myself more space to feel less crushed, and most importantly, learned that it is perfectly acceptable to nurture with saturn if the moon is too vulnerable. I used to feel obligated (saturn) to nurture (moon) all the time.
My god, a Cappy moon puts you through the *grind*. If you do the work, learn how to set boundaries, learn how to make space for yourself, learn how to give love for its own sake and not for the sake of it being returned, it can be very rewarding. Because you will remain a deeply emotional person – but it becomes supplemented by strength of steel.
what about saturn/ Capricorn in the 4th?
:-/ I have both!
yes, very similar energy… but don’t worry! you also have the stability to achieve that mastery!
Another Saturn (Taurus) opposite Moon (Scorpio) here. I’ve been spiraling without emotional boundaries for over a year; I envy those who can set a boundary and detach.
I have Saturn conj. Moon, and Moon trine Cap planets as well.
Working really hard on this emotional stuff!
I have Saturn Rx in Cancer in the 11th inconjunct my Aqua moon in the 6th. Saturn is the apex planet for several t-squares and is all squares. My moon is well-aspected. I have both a lot of security fears and a strong Uranian signature. I’m still figuring it all out!
I have moon in aries saturn in libra…so I want to merge and it’s my lesson to have a partner but you better believe I’ll put up boundaries and walls and fight and fight if you get too close! I’m in my saturn return so those walls are becoming more flexible and actually permeable. Maybe I can partner afterall! 🙂
What a timely post, Satori! Natally, I have Saturn trine my Cap moon and I am starting to feel Pluto conjunct my moon, which means it’s trine my n. Saturn, as well. And here comes Jupiter getting ready to conjunct my Saturn, hence it, too, will join the moon Pluto fun!
This is beginning to show up in my dreams of fear and loss, every night for the past three nights. They are quite jarring dreams, but it’s some comfort knowing the astrology of what’s going on. Big (Jupiter) fears of loss of security (Saturn moon) & death & destruction (Pluto).
Hmmm. Yes. Both transiting Jupiter and Saturn, from opposite ends, are squaring my natal sun and moon. I can’t say I’ve been immune to the influence. And I don’t want to be, I suppose. Trying to get past habitual knee-jerk reactions. Which is, historically, to de-camp. You know, take the tent down, pack it up, sling it on my back, and take a hike. Out of fear. Definitely. And Saturn is sitting on my Mars. I guess this will be going on, more or less all year. SO I’ll have some time to work it out. That’s one thing you can say for Saturn: No rushy rushy.
Here’s a fantastic link on moon saturn aspects
http://astrofix.net/2010/06/21/moonsaturn-aspects-brainstorm/
Capricorn Moon in 1st is the apex of a yod with Jupiter/Saturn. I also have Saturn square my IC (and my mother/Moon’s Saturn is conjunct my IC in synastry).
I create boundaries to protect my emotional state by reserving my right to enjoy life in my own terms. 1st House…me. I tune out when others start telling me how to be/live/do (for good or ill).
I forgot to answer how I create boundaries – I have an ability to detach when needed & can turn off my feelings sometimes. It’s been quite a useful coping skill that I learned very young.
Satori, are you psychic?!
This explains so much… I have the moon at 2 deg leo, and feel ridiculously insecure at the moment. With saturn squaring up, that explains a lot.
I am experiencing a definite fear of failure – mainly in work terms (moon in 6th) – but also in relationship terms. Maybe I can set my new moon intention (and activated grand cross with sun, moon and saturn) to create a safe emotional space for myself as you suggest….
Hmm, this is interesting and tricky too….I have saturn transiting my moon now, which is sesqui-whatsit to natal saturn in the 1st. Moon is also sq Mars in Cap. I think I’m trying to unpack the fortress a bit. Expand my heart; value my heart, let it lead me. This plays out physically in my body too; spinal work at the moment is leading to heart opening. Work on my body helps with emotional shifts.
I read something about how whichever house Saturn is in, its transit works to the goals of the house it rules.
I have Saturn in my 6th in Taurus with an inconjunct to my Moon in the 1st in Sag. One of my biggest fears has been realized in the past few years (being completely broke – no money makes Taurus nervous). I also have had some fears to face in the health department (6th house)
I am not sure what an inconjunct can mean between Saturn and Moon though. Having lots of Scorp – there isn’t too much I am afraid of in general, I like facing the unknown but only if it an unknown I can control – it is mostly things I can’t control like driving in bad weather (I start shaking), heights (I hate mountains) and large spiders (I won’t be moving to the Amazon). I am not afraid of death (although I must be subconsciously in some regards thus my fear of bad weather and heights – had bad experience in the mountains my first time with a blizzard and a bad ex – don’t ever want to go back to the mountains – My Sag Moon likes flat ground).
Funny too how one of my long term transit since March 2011 is Pluto trine Saturn – it is called “toughing up” – hahaha! With my 1st house, I tend to be kind of sensitive – so lately I have been keeping this in mind and trying to develop a thicker skin (with my Scorpioness helping out) – as I know I need one. My attitude on life has definately changed ALOT in the past few years with all the challenges Saturn has thrown at me. The transit will last until October 2013 – so plenty of time to face my other fears (not that I am purposely going too lol – but if they come up you know).
One being tomorrow – we are supposed to have a big snowstorm coming and it is making me really nervous – I have to work unless they tell us not to bother to come in (and yes, the bad weather fear in me wants this to happen!) even though I will be taking public transit and won’t have to drive (there is NO WAY – you would get me to drive!) but it is still a messy commute and I will be nervous that the bus will slide. I figure this is yet another long term transit for Pluto trine Saturn for me to “toughen up” – or at least I am looking at it at way.
I am wondering if the fears I have are due to the fact that my Moon is in Sag and Sag likes open freedom and easy goingness and a few of the things I fear I see as restricting to me and they don’t feel safe to me and I feel I don’t have control in those situations (Scorps hate that). I have to work on changing my view of that. Just because I can’t control things doesn’t mean they are going to turn out bad. (but try convincing my worrying Virgo of that)
Transit-ly (hehe) Saturn is at the end of my 11th house headed towards my 12th near the end of this year – it has already knocked the crap out of my stellium planets so I am in some sort of clear there – it is not near anything right now. But Jupiter will be moving back towards my natal Saturn – now that it is going direct again. I am happy about that. Yeah!
Hi Satori
l have Saturn Square Moon in the natal chart and l guess l like my life to be super ordered my emotional life, l can commit for real to someone something, not so much fears anymore. l have good memories of my childhood, lot’s of love and care and all good. Just now being able to endure isolation, needing emotional structure that’s how l explain Saturn Moon.
Creating emotional safety open doors and all is a good point!
you must have a place and time where you can express all emotion feeling safe and lived being open with people you trust.
I
Mercury Retrograde?!
Bah.
I’ve just been reading up on Moon conjunct Saturn (I’ve got it in the 4th in Scorpio). Anyways, just stopped to say I LOVED this thoughtful and genuinely helpful post, thank you! <3
thanks, Shan!