Saturn is deemed a malefic planet. It is the ruler of life’s limitations, responsibilities and inevitabilities in all their shapes and forms. People are not keen on harsh reality checks this energy tends to reflect. But there is more to Saturn and not all of it is necessarily difficult or negative. Putting the energy involved into context may help remove the illusion of it being something external to us or something that happens to us that we then have to endure or suffer. Things do happen, and some are tragic and some need to be endured. But for the most part we face surmountable obstacles and constructive challenges and there are benefits involved if we are willing to get acquainted with the energy and work with it in any big or small way we can.

Note: You will find notes for students with some explanations/comments at the end of this article.

Olive picking season is once again upon us down here in the Mediterranean as I am writing this. It usually surprises people to hear how much I look forward to climbing the olive trees outside my house every October/November to gather olives for my ageing mother-in-law. It started out as a novelty and just to lend a hand. It ended up being a sacred ritual for me. I pick them by hand while hanging off branches much to all my neighbours’ amusement. Yes, sure I could use a rake (like they all helpfully point out every year) and save me some precious time and energy but…I love to stretch and lean into those branches and touch each one.

Anyway, I used to be afraid of climbing trees as a child. I was very cautious overall. But over here, sometime during my 30ies (yup around the time of my 1^st Saturn return…), I experienced a second childhood WHILE assuming my Saturnian responsibilities in more ways than one. You know, nothing in life happens in a vacuum and things have a way of getting crazy, right? 🙂

The first time I climbed those trees I enjoyed the novelty and took pride in being helpful and productive. But novelty wears off and there are other responsibilities that sometimes get in the way and compete for your resources. Well, the next time the season came I was ill with flu as well as struggling emotionally and financially. I was a mess. I begrudgingly climbed the tree and started working while muttering under my breath about the unfairness of being pressured to do this now when I am sick as a dog (read self-pity). But then, after the first day of picking, I sweated the fever away, the dust spores from the leaves and branches caused violent coughing which cleared all my chest and nose congestion. The stretching and hanging off the branches got my circulation moving (and also kept my cat amused…see picture). The following day I was well on the mend and felt revitalized. Since then, I cannot imagine skipping a year no matter what is going on in my life. It feels somehow important. It feels like touching base.

Selena and the olives (to be clear the cat was named by my daughter in honour of Selena Gomez not the Moon…)

Picking olives the way I do takes me about 2 (or so) days for our two large trees (because I have to stop and tend to other things during the day as well). The effort provides enough oil for salads and skin/hair care for most of the year and a few rounds of salad olives and olive pies to boot. It is not a lot but it is enough. But besides the obvious, the ritual affects me in far deeper ways. I have only been able to fully grasp what is going on since diving deeper into astrology, an effort that proved to be vital for my growth and development. Here are some of my reflections on Saturn and his Olives.

Picking olives reminds the Capricorn part of me to stretch and to reach up as high as I safely can. BUT the juiciest olives are way up high and hard to reach safely. This reminds me of Limitations that Saturn is so famous for! Sometimes I have to quit while I am ahead and leave the shiniest ones at the top rather than risk a fall. I am still rather cautious but hey…I’d rather keep my knee/elbow in its socket and spine in one piece (1) than get stubborn for a handful of olives from the very top! Also, birds love the softest olives and I know they will be happy to find some left way up high for them to perch and munch…safely out of my cat’s reach.

Olive branches are extremely flexible and if you gently lean into them they hold you up and let you pull at the smaller branches without putting up too much of a fight. It reminds me to stay Flexible under Saturnine pressure.

The act of picking olives by hand requires you to move in line with what the branches will allow. If you ever get impatient or abrupt there is a tendency for them to slap you in the face or poke you in the eye (Saturn….karma :)). Patience and Gentleness does it. But so does a firm grip and careful step!

Also, if the olive is dehydrated even the thicker branches will sometimes snap which reminds me that you can only handle stress and pressure if you have taken the time and effort to water the roots…to care for yourself (2). It also reminds me to water my olive trees in the scorching Mediterranean summers  (which also reminds me to drink water myself because..i forget basics when I am busy…). If I fail the tree it will fail to meet my needs. It will also suffer. This highlights Responsibility and Accountability.

Olive trees live very long and need very little to thrive. Which teaches the value of Time and Moderation. What do we really NEED in order to survive and thrive for as long as possible?

Olives are somewhat bitter like every Saturnine gift. But once its essence is released into your body it nourishes every cell. Especially beneficial for the Saturn ruled zones (1): skin, hair and nails making them stronger and more resilient as well as helping them maintain elasticity and remain youthful longer! Bitter lessons build Resilience…and some say that bitter medicine is usually the most potent.

Finally olives sprout in cascading bunches. But some are scattered. This helps train the eye to detail. If you pick erratically  2 trees may take several days and much pain. But if you work your way down the branches methodically you will be done in half the time. If you will do something…do it right. Order, Organisation, Attention to detail and Focused Effort.

Saturn teaches plenty of virtues huh? See it is not all bad!

Saturn rules my Ascendant – Capricorn (4). It does so from my Leo 8^th house (5) wherefrom it is in sextile with my Gemini Sun-Mercury in 6^th house (6). Saturn is also the planet that brought me to Cyprus to …well, clearly to face the lesson of the Olive Tree.

Saturn and his olives have taught me how to change pace and strive to  make the most of what I have. You see, the tighter the hold of Saturn in my life, the more Essence was seeping out of me: The more I was feeling, the more I was doing, the less I suffered…and the more I had to give. I finally realized… Saturn is pressing ME for oil. This is Saturn’s gift to me and I am deeply grateful for it.

Image by: https://unsplash.com/@robertina

Thank you for pondering the lesson of the Olive Tree (3). There are many ways Saturn manifests in our lives and most of those ways are not easily met with joy and acceptance – finding a reflection that helps you swallow some bitter medicine (or challenging realities) is a way of not only coping but also of thriving under Saturnine pressure and challenges. Effort aimed right brings rewards. In big and small ways.

I say this often but only because I think it is so very important: If you care to notice, reflections (and answers) are everywhere…Everything speaks.

Notes for Students:

1. Saturn rules joints (especially knees), bones including teeth as well as keratinous surfaces like nails and hair. It also rules skin by way of rulership over boundaries and limits.
2. Saturn rules Capricorn as its primary domicile. Saturn is typically associated with time, limitations, limits, boundaries, rigidity, loss, fear, death. It reflects order, authority, organisation, hard work, patience but also challenges, hardship, restrictions. What is often overlooked is that its domicile in practical and achievement oriented Capricorn lies on an axis featuring Cancer (ruled by Moon) as a polar opposite which is an energy tending towards retreat, security, emotion, nurturance, nourishment and family. There is no handling Saturn without nurturing and nourishing the self. And there is no success at anything at the expense of our families and those we are attached to and responsible for. Everything starts at home. Nurture the roots so you can reach higher would be one of the messages of this axis. Remember that all signs come in pairs of opposites that need balancing. (Saturn also rules Aquarius (trad.) but this is beyond the scope of this article)
3. Whether or not all astrologers agree that Saturn rules olives (though most literature agrees it rules olive trees) one thing is absolutely certain: Saturn rules pressure. In our little story, that pressure leads to the squeezing out of the essence: in this case oil. And there is no disagreement among astrologers that Saturn rules what is of essence or essential. In fact, I believe that this is the purpose of the Saturnine process – of all Saturnine challenges: to get to the essence. Then, if you have nurtured the roots and put in the work and paced yourself and been patient and organized the essence is prolific. It is Saturn’s reward. Achievement. Whatever achievement means to you.
4. Ascendant is the lens through which one tends to view the world and a Capricorn filter makes one tend towards the practical, stressed and busy…but at least we tend to age well!)
5. 8^th house is the domain of shared resources, other people’s possessions and themes of intimacy, all manners of death/rebirth and regeneration
6. 6^th house is the daily grind, routines, health, work, service and reciprocity

These notes for students are in no way exhaustive and serve only to clarify some points in the text for the beginner. For deeper study you can find useful links on my study resources page

Enjoy Exploring!

Sandra @SkyUnfolding