I removed my Saturn altar today. It’s been over a year since I first erected it and dedicated every Saturday to honoring Saturn. This included fasting, wearing black, sitting in silence and planetary charity.
I petitioned Saturn for things he could give me. I asked to deepen in wisdom, to remove my ignorance, to not fear aging, to aid me in ancestral work, to connect with the right land and its spirits, and to truly “grok” the occult teachings I have dedicated myself towards. I also asked that I take responsibility to make the changes I wish to see in my life.
It wasn’t an easy year. Far from it. But I got everything I asked for. Saturn helped me move past my own self imposed obstacles—mostly fear—to grow into wisdom. From there, I began connecting the dots to everything else I had petitioned him for.
The ancients believed that as the outermost planet, Saturn was closest to Divinity. In addition, Saturn was slowest moving and therefore closer to perfection. Saturn brought me closer to god. The definition I like most for god these days is the platonic idea of the Monad as an “Infinite sea of luminous silence.”
If Saturn stirred up melancholy in my life, I learned to use it to bring me closer to the luminosity within. If Saturn swept in betrayal, he also helped me alchemize my angst into a meditation practice. If working with Saturn brought up themes of where I have habitually stood in my own way: I saw through the veil of my own ignorance and changed the habit.
Above all things, this year has securely anchored me into spiritual practice which cultivates wisdom, integrity, boundaries and maturation: all Saturn. The alembic in which this work was performed was mostly loneliness and pain. That’s ok… Saturn is Fall in my chart. I went into this experiment with my eyes and heart wide open.
Venus is next. I’ve gathered most of the items for her altar already. She becomes my time lord in March and I’m creating a talisman for her and Jupiter in April. I want to begin aligning with her energy. I look forward to deepening my relationship with her. But for now, I am truly grateful for this year of Saturn’s constant companionship.