Saturn's Place In Your Birth Chart Determines Which Areas Of Your Life Require More Discipline

The planet Saturn is the lord of karma, the disciplinarian and taskmaster who represents limits and restrictions. It's not one of the party planets for sure, but don't let it scare you. Saturn's slow-moving influence in our charts brings maturity and, if we accept its gifts, the flip side of discipline, which is self-mastery.

Even if you're a rebel, Saturn wants you to follow the rules ... in the area it governs within your chart, at least. As with any planet, it can be well-aspected or debilitated; you can think of it as a dial that ranges from, respectively, "sort-of-difficult"- to "get me out of here"-levels of intensity. The best attitude to take regarding Saturn is to remember it's happening for you, not to you.

Karma is a Sanskrit word that means "action," although many Westerners misinterpret karma to mean retribution or punishment. It's not punishment. Karma is used in Hinduism and Buddhism to help seekers understand that every action we take, including our thoughts, has consequences and lessons, now and across all lifetimes — past, present, and future. Wherever Saturn shows up in our natal chart represents a concentrated set of lessons for a specific life area that will benefit from self-discipline. If it's personal growth you're after, Pluto's place in your birth chart can also reveal inner struggles to overcome.

In beginning astrology — a rich, complex field of study that takes years to master — three areas deserve focus. They are the signs of the zodiac like Aries, Scorpio, Aquarius, etc.; the planets, such as Saturn, Venus, Mercury, etc.; and what are called the houses in your chart.

The zodiac signs are actual constellations in the sky, and in astrology, we take a "snapshot" of the planets and which constellations they're in at the moment you're born. This forms a picture of your unique chart.

In Western astrology, your chart on paper looks like a pie with 12 slices, and each slice is a house. Each house is ruled by one of the zodiac signs. It's your rising sign, aka your ascendant (which is always your first house), that then determines which sign rules all the other houses. Some houses have planets in them; some don't. For our purposes, we recommend that you get a free chart that uses the equal sign or whole sign house system because it's easier to read than the Placidus house system. Once you have your chart, see which house Saturn inhabits.

Each house in astrology represents a specific life area. The first house, your ascendant, is all about you, how you appear, your body, and your approach to life. Your second house is a money house, specifically money earned from a job, and your values. The third house rules communication, siblings, neighbors, early schooling, and how your mind works. The fourth house represents your physical home, emotions and inner life, mother, and femininity.

Fifth house issues center around flirting, affairs, children, creativity, and performance. The sixth house rules your job, daily habits, health, and service activities. The seventh house is the house of partnership, both personal and business, contracts (i.e., for marriage, career), and relationships. The eighth house is life and death, transformation, sexuality, and money that comes from others (inheritance, taxes).

So, let's say your natal Saturn falls in your fifth house, which is normally associated with joy, expression, and romance. Saturn might be focusing discipline around your dating life and the capacity to have fun and express yourself, which all may feel blocked. It just means you need to work harder to help these areas blossom. A Saturn placement in the 10th house usually indicates someone who applies discipline and hard work to their career and then becomes notably visible and successful. Also, look at how your north node enhances your career. Saturn delays — but doesn't deny you — the fruits of your discipline.