“…what makes, in your view and experience, a planet truly afflicted?
You’re a well grounded astro professional (I actually mean “your-feet on the ground, so you can bring other there too) and your life experience is a gem…”
- Elevated Neptune on The Day After The Neptune Veil Drops
Thanks for the question. Mars and Saturn are the main culprits here, though there are many other situations that would qualify. I am a BIG fan of Mars, but this energy irritates, provokes, challenges, cuts, it’s pushy, impulsive, self-centered and more.
All of these qualities can be used for good, but they don’t work in certain situations. I’m thinking about a cup of cayenne pepper in your wedding cake. That’s afflicted!
Saturn also has it’s high expression but when badly aspected, it represents oppressive authority. Breathe wrong and you’re crushed (or crush others).
Either planet in hard aspect to a personal planet is going to cause problems. It’s possible to mitigate or direct the energy to lesson the affliction but it’s still there.
Case in point, I have Mars conjunct Mercury. I cannot tell you how many times I step on my own mouth, in a 24 hour period. It’s definitely an affliction, even if it benefits myself and others in many ways. I would rather open my mouth and have honey flow out, believe me! This may be worse in my case, because Mars is in detriment (Libra).
As for Saturn; take a person with Saturn square their sun or their Venus. Fear of rejection, fear of failing or not being good enough can easily cripple a person. But here’s the cool part…
Mars energy (courage) can solve Saturn problems, while Saturn (Discipline & self-control) can solve Mars problem.
Hard aspects from Mars and Saturn require a person to fight and work their way through life. It’s like being born poor in a rich man’s world. It doesn’t mean you can’t make it. It does mean it’s going to be harder for you and probably MUCH harder, as you will be stopped, thwarted, attacked, and mistaken for someone tied to a whipping pos.
Clearly, harsh aspects from outer planets can cause problems but I feel they are in are in a different category or classification. Mars and Saturn are the malefic planets and there’s a reason for that.
Here’s the song:
Do you have a natal planet you consider to be afflicted. How do you deal with it?
I have Mars square Saturn. If I could change 1 thing in my chart, this would be it. Life is one big, continual obstacle course. Saturn is also my ruling planet, and also squares Chiron.
Yes, I relate. I have Mars in the 10th, opposite Saturn in the 4th. I feel like I’m being constantly blocked/stifled/challenged. It can be exhausting at times.
My life would have been easier without this, for sure.
Yes! Life seems to be a series of red lights and roadblocks, while others sail through with green lights and few speed bumps on life’s highway.
Exactly. Smooth sailing is something I can only dream of 🙂.
Agreed. Saturn square Sun AND mars here, in Libra no less. It’s very difficult navigating life with constant road blocks. It’s amazing how everything gets in the way. I’ve learned to enjoy the little things and small wins, because they only happen after a lot of hard work.
My wife has both these aspects, and yes, it can be quite challenging at times, both for her and I. I actually have Mars *trine* Mercury, so to say her aggressive communicative style was a bit of a shock for awhile is probably an understatement. 😂
I have to concur though – she has deserved better than she has often gotten in life, but her responses haven’t exactly helped at the same time. I am fine with heated debate or conversation, I even enjoy it; but when it gets personal or overly aggressive, it really is too much and basically unproductive, at least in ‘everyday’ situations. I appreciate the perspective on using the energies for balance, thank you.
“…she has deserved better than she has often gotten in life, but her responses haven’t exactly helped at the same time.”
This is interesting to consider. Like is there is a way people should be and some people are mal-designed in some way. It doesn’t make sense.
I wonder if the times a person lives in, matter.
I like people who are upfront, and admire them. Especially when they stand up in a group and cut to the chase. I think, thank God, for this person!
I have Venus square Saturn and it really sucks. Feels like I will never be loved and I haven’t been in 20 years.
You’re loved by me. Not what you’re looking for, I know. But true.
Awwwww! Thank you! You are so sweet!!!!
@Jennifer ☹️🤗
You wrote: Hard aspects from Mars and Saturn require a person to fight and work their way through life.
This. My husband has the T square of Mars Saturn in Cancer opposite Cap Moon all squaring Sun in a Libra stellium. It is possible to succeed but the way is not smoothe.
Did he finally succeed? I need to read some positive stories.
Interesting post!
I have a mars in scorpio, right where it’s supposed to be, right? But what if it squares my 1H sun in leo, and opposes my 10H jupiter in taurus? I would say that that is afflicted.
My Scorpio Sun squares Saturn and Mars. The two are tightly conjunct. In the 8th House. In dramatic Leo.
This post is so clarifying! I’m taking as a Mother’s Day and Grandmother’s Day gift. The challenges and feelings of rejection to my Sun and capabilities to sign are deeply rooted(8th House) generations of my ancestors have been thwarted!! I’ve slept with the enemy and lived confused by my choices.
But. Like you point out Mars can be disciplined in awesome ways by Saturn, and Saturn rules my chart. At my ripe age of 76, I am a pump primed by the decades so my grandchildren have a living ancestor who keeps innovating and finding spirit (I have Uranus sextuplets that square) We are connected (Thanks FaceTime) and I can see their Mars firing up while their parents (Saturn) try new and test the old traditions.
Astrology is a phenomenal life tool…requiring investment and pacing. This post one more meaty opportunity to use your noodle and your gutsy individuality!
My Mercury is in exile in Sag oposite Saturn. I never had a good salary or the ability to trade. I refrain from cheap talk. I feel my Mercury is afflicted. Besides, I have my Pluto and Mars in exile in 11 Libra. I feel they are kind of diminished too.
saturn in leo exactly square my scorpio rising…feels like a barrier to self expression.
But it doubles as pressure to express yourself.
I have Sun square Saturn with a wide orb of 7°. Saturn rules my 10th, and my career struggles are well documented here. I struggle even with that wide orb. Not only that, Uranus and Pluto are in my 6th.
Mars is well aspected and in Leo, so I have a nice reserve of energy to keep fighting. But I won’t lie – some days I feel worn out.
I have Saturn in the 10th square Sun and Mars and I can relate to career struggles too. Now at 34, I can see it’s been a life long struggle, actually. I have the occasional good luck, but it’s mostly temporary. I’ve been fired, outcasted and generally unable to “climb the ladder”. I hope it gets better for us.
Elsa said these planets are each other’s antidotes. It makes sense if you think about it. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, Saturn’s sign. OTOH Saturn is in fall in Aries, Mars’ sign. The energy can go either way, for good or ill.
Even though my Mars is in Leo and my Saturn is in Taurus, there’s no square because the orb is too wide. Thus Mars becomes the antidote to the wide Sun – Saturn square. I need and have a LOT of courage!
Hi Elsa, I have Saturn in the 8th house square Sun in the 5th house. Life has been very hard. Is it true that this aspect gets easier after the age of 44?
Saturn problems do ease with age. It’s about accepting the cards you’ve been dealt and playing them well, rather than having things ease up, though that can also happen.
I also have Saturn in the 8th square Mars in the 5th, and Chiron in the 11th. I certainly hope you are right about things easing up. You cannot play good cards unless you have them!
sun square pluto
moon square uranus
mars square saturn
out of the three the Mars/Saturn square is the hardest – or the one that troubles me more in my daily life. Both of the planets have bad placements (Mars in Taurus, Saturn in Leo) so none of them really knows how to function properly. I have tried to do what I have read somewhere, to find other points in my chart that aspect either of them and use them to leverage or soften their negative ways but it still doesn’t work smoothly. My work has helped me a lot to figure out my Saturn and I have sort of infused it with my Sun qualities (Saturn in Leo can be seen to follow the Sun’s rule) so with a Sun in Cancer I try to discipline with care and tenderness, which is working out quite well. I’m still facing issues with blocked drive and anger though.
My hope is that as long as I keep trying to find different approaches and experiment I will end up finding a better way to make it all work out. That’s the gift of the fixed nature of the signs I guess, that stubborness doesn’t allow me to give up trying
One of my friends has Mars square her moon. I think she struggles to think before reacting sometimes. It appears a difficult energy to control.
Mars square moon, mars square ascendant, mars square uranus, mars square neptune, saturn square mercury, saturn square venus, saturn square pluto, saturn square midheaven. Saturn chart ruler. Saturn apex of t-square, saturn ruler of my north node. I found it a silly idea that our souls choose our natal chart and/or our life before being born. Yet I have no means to know if that is true or not. But if it was true, what the heck was I thinking???
Interesting. Have you seen a direct correlation in your life related to those opositions? Unhappiness, frustration, difficulties? Did it have any positive side?
Hi, don’t know if you asked me or someone else. But for me there are delays, restrictions, frustrations and health issues. The good thing is endurance to the end. And the dissatissfaction gives deep urge for change and wanting to improve the self and life. Getting scary when determined. My chart is half fixed and half cardinal but actually a gemini sun so I will joke around a lot but my luggage is heavy enough. There are only two people in the known for my deepest stuff. Not the surface things that people are usually aware of. But even with the surface levels people are like X-rayed, you suffered enough. Making people, especially plutonians going wtf is with your life, you have the darkest luck, should paint a picture. Haha 🙂