(48) Jupiter/Saturn Aspects: The Department of Motivation

The Jupiter/Saturn pair of planets is referred to by Marc Jones as the department of motivation. Jupiter signifies enthusiasm, or positive motivation, and Saturn signifies sensitiveness, or that which causes us to have caution or a sense of reservation when engaging in any activity. Jupiter is expansive, always wanting to spread out, take on more, and ultimately to include everything. Saturn on the other hand is contractive, and economical, spare, desirous of paring down, holding back, using less, and conserving.

I sometimes refer to this pair as the department of morality, for Jupiter has to do with whatever we think is good for us to do or to believe, whereas Saturn signifies those things which we have decided are bad for us, things which we ought to avoid or at least minimize.

Jupiter/Saturn conjunction: This person needs to decide for themselves what it is they need – what is beneficial for them, and what is not. They will not be happy adopting ready-made guidelines for living. They do not readily take in advice or encouragement from others, for they are meant in this lifetime to be self-supporting and self-affirming, rather than dependent on the opinions or moral guidelines of others. The Jupiterian desire to expand is slowed down by the influence of Saturn, and the Saturnian desire for organization and gradual, stable process is encouraged by Jupiter. Hence the person's progress may be slow, but it will also tend to be steady. This individual is either patient and persevering, or life will present him/her with situations and circumstances which will compel him/her to be so. Of course the house this conjunction falls in becomes all important as the area of life where this slow steady progress will unfold.

Jupiter/Saturn sextile: This person can assist others in being more motivated and disciplined, and needs this same assistance from others. If given the right reinforcement the person can accomplish much. One problem with this aspect, though, is that the person may align themself with people who reinforce their negative traits and beliefs, in which case these might be followed just as strongly. And so picking ones associates carefully is a major need of this aspect.

Jupiter/Saturn square: This individual readily gets into moral conflicts and situations in which it may be difficult to stand up for what they believe in. At worst they may experience a lot of guilt for not doing what they think they should do. They need to beware of being too critical and exacting of themselves, and of turning too many situations into moral dilemmas. At times they may see both sides of an issue as being right, or both as wrong, and then have a difficult time deciding the relative value of each side, and therefore difficulty in making a decision as to how to act. They are being challenged in this lifetime to learn patience, as well as to accept the imperfections of their judgement, knowing that as they grow in consciousness this will improve.

Jupiter/Saturn trine: This person can see anyone's and everyone's point of view, and so tends to go along, at least on the surface with anyone who they happen to be around. This can make them seem superficial or insincere, when in actuality they simply do not care to confront moral or ethical issues or turn them into a source of conflict. Often the person with this aspect holds deeply entrenched ideas about right and wrong, but may not voice these to others because of wanting to avoid being challenged. It can be a problem when these staunchly held values are negative, or based on traumas of the past that have produced neurosis. Bringing these negative beliefs to the surface and uprooting them can be a major life challenge.

Jupiter/Saturn opposition: There tends to be a schism in this person between the beliefs held and the actions based on them. Sometimes the person is very idealistic, and though they voice their ideals they don't really base their life on them. After a time, though (in might even take half a life or more) the individual turns a corner and starts to practice what they preach and to being the process of moving more toward becoming the person they always felt they should be.

No aspect between Jupiter and Saturn: This person is not so concerned with right and wrong in a way that causes any difficulty for them – in other words it can be easy for them to avoid moaral and ethical issues. For this reason they may have a hard time disciplining themselves, and they may tend to allow other people to dominate them too much and to determine what they do with their time and energy. They need to stand up more for what they believe, and to practice patience and perseverence in the pursuit of those ideals which their soul tells them are of the greatest importance. My own chart has no aspect between Jupiter and Saturn.

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