Transits – Saturn Opposite Mercury

By
Leah Whitehorse
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Transits - Saturn opposite MercurySaturn transiting opposite Mercury can feel like make or break. Saturn is about solidity, structure, seriousness, duty, weight. His prime functions in astrology are to teach you, to help you to consolidate your life, to enable you to take on responsibility and to help you master your fears. Mercury however is curious about everything, can turn his hand to anything and always wants to know ‘what’s going on over there?’. He likes the freedom to flit from one thing to another.

Saturn can fill your Mercury with dread. The mind feels weighed down by the dead weight of Saturn. What seemed easy to say before, now seems difficult to express. You may find your ideas drying up; your mind seizing, stumbling over the right or wrong words. People look at you blankly, they don’t get you, and you don’t understand them. You’re having to bite your tongue. You’re having to play Devil’s advocate. You may be plagued by throat infections, hoarseness or laryngitis.

Everyone seems to see things differently. Everyone seems to have a different perspective. You may feel isolated in your opinions, in charge of facts that no one else wants to know. You feel like you know something no one else knows. You feel like everyone knows something you don’t. You have to put up and shut up. You can’t win the argument. You feel like you’re the dissenting voice. Your inner voice becomes cold.

If you’re a writer, your story reaches a dead end, your lead voice is wrong or crippling writer’s block may descend with a crash. You can’t seem to agree with anyone, or yourself. If you’re studying, the course work piles up, your favourite tutor goes off sick, the book that you need at the library always seems to be in another’s hands.

You may find yourself at loggerheads with your siblings, your boss, the authorities, your neighbours, maybe even your friends. Differences of opinion may mean some connections fall by the wayside. You may find yourself experiencing a difference of opinion with your partner, one that has weighty consequences if you can’t strike a balance.

Your mind may mull over old problems. Guilt and fears play over and over. Your inner voice may become authoritative and demanding. Try as you might, you can’t seem to talk kindly to yourself. Inner chatter babbles itself to negative conclusions. The outlook looks bleak. Everything seems serious. You doubt your decisions. Suddenly, regardless of your age, you think of yourself as old – especially when you compare yourself to others.

These are just some of the ways Saturn opposite Mercury can manifest but here’s the good news…

Saturn opposite Mercury is challenging you to learn about others and yourself. Mercury is primarily about self-expression, communication and education. The winged messenger is the go-between between the Gods and Man and the conscious and subconscious. When Saturn challenges Mercury in an opposition, Saturn is teaching you something about your own mind and the way it works. Saturn would like to help you feel stronger mentally and to be certain of the things you know. Saturn is also breaking down those perceptions and connections that no longer serve you and laying the foundations for further learning. He can show you how to express yourself more completely, more holistically, with authority. The opposition aspect suggests that the way he teaches you is through reflection from others. The world you see, the experiences you are experiencing are a projection of your mind. Saturn transiting Mercury generally can be considered ‘you are what you think’ aspects.

Look to the house where Saturn is transiting. This will show you the area of life where Saturn really would like you to deal with reality. Reality is also about the ‘now’. Reality (Saturn) shifts according to your perception (Mercury). Saturn slows down the pace of life, sometimes almost to a stop to absolutely focus your attention. When you see something in slow motion, inevitably you see it in more detail.

When Saturn creates an opposition to Mercury, you have reached a point in your life where what you know needs to be put to the test.

“Did you do the groundwork?” says Saturn.

It’s about putting theory into practice. This may occur through actual tests (for example a driving test or college examination), or through obstruction to your way of thinking or your plans. It may be a time where you are prone to self-doubt but the sooner you push forward with self-discipline and confidence, the sooner you can get things off the ground. Saturn will show you where there are holes in your assumptions and woolly thinking. He’ll show you where you are just plain wrong. He’ll also give you the strength to deal with resistance and cultivate certainty. He’ll show you how to take on more responsibility without breaking.

Saturn is the ease in which an elderly teacher holds an unruly class, the confidence that comes from years of experience. This opposition can bring concrete realisation and great success. It can help you to learn when to hold true to what you think and offers you the wisdom to be flexible when necessary. If you are too rigid in your thinking, that is when things are inclined to break! Writers will learn to work through writer’s block. Students of any age have the opportunity to discover just how much they have learned. Pessimists have the chance to learn how they can control their thoughts and discipline the mind, ultimately creating a clearer path ahead.

The key to Saturn is to work with him rather than against him. Try to push him away and he will give you a big ol’ shove back and tread on your toes for good measure! Let him walk beside you and you’ll find he’s a wise and fascinating conversationalist and you could actually learn a thing or two…

Photo by Frankie Roberto on Flickr

14 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Leah,
    Excellent, beautifully narrated! Yours is the best description of this transit I have encountered. Better than Liz Greene’s, despite her love affair with all things Saturnian.

    And I have searched, for Saturn reached exact oppositions with my natal Mercury three times this year, due to their retrograde motion that made them reach the same angle time and time again. One in February, one in April, and one now.

    It has been one of the most frustrating years for me and everything you write here came true. Now, according to one astrology site, the last opposition became exact two days ago. Now there is another website claiming the last opposition will be exact next week. Not sure why such a difference, but today for the first time I feel like the veil of steel is lifting from my mind.

    The truest analogy from me is the one from Harry Potter – Saturn the Dementor. I finally managed to open my mouth and utter an “Expecto Patronum” and the Dementor is chased away.

    Is it just my imagination or one can actually feel this most malignant influence waning?

  2. Hi Laura – thank you. I feel very humbled to be compared to Liz Green 🙂 I do think this can be a difficult transit having been through it personally! I’m watching someone else go through it at the moment who is having very similar experiences. The way you describe the ‘veil of steel’ is very apt! I do think its quite noticeable when Saturn starts to move away.

  3. Oh no…it cant be true… that after having saturn square both my pluto and moon for the last 1 1/2 yrs and having just moved off my moon at 24 degrees scorpio in my 3rd house, that HE will now be lumbering on to opposing my Mercury in Gemini come January.! Having Saturn in my first house, he has always been right around the corner, so he is no stranger….but, oh, how I wanted a break from one of the most intense 1 1/2 yrs in a longtime. Several long term connections severed, abrupt and unexplained endings, home, sibling issues. Finally feeling, just in the last week that I can breathe easier, that I have some “room” around me to wiggle and let go a bit.. And, now…again ,so soon, ” He’s Back”
    You can be sure that I will be reading and rereading your powerful insights here. I have 3 planets in Gemini…and mercury, well, he’s my guy. Thank-you for the excellent job you always do at presenting such a clear and complete picture, it will surely help me walk through this

  4. Hi Mimi – Oh I’m sorry to hear you have been struggling with Saturn and still more to come! I felt like this when Saturn opposed my stellium of planets in the 9th house, hitting them one by one in a row and then squaring my Moon! But, whilst it was tough, it did teach me a lot 😀 Glad the article helped.

  5. Thank -you so much for that feedback Leah..I can see you’ve walked through it, and are definitely standing tall, and strong. That indeed gives me hope and inspiration. Because, as you have experienced, I also have mars at 14 degrees gemini and my sun at 18! Holy cow. More “school” for me eh? I knew I hadn’t graduated, but I thought at my age I’d have moved to “part-time status” . Since I was born with saturn squared my sun, you’d think we’d be old buddies by now …but, it seems he always has ” one more thing”,,,,,Thanks again for sharing yourself and your wisdom as you do.

  6. Great article, so beautifully written. I am due for Saturn opposition to both my Sun and Mercury in my natal 7th house very soon. I have just dealt with Saturn conjunct my Scorpio Ascendant on 27 degrees have had the Saturn square to my moon in Aquarius on and off in the last year not to mention some harsh Pluto squares to my progressed Moon and Venus. When does it end….this has been the longest 2.5 years of my life so far. I think when Saturn leaves Scorpio I will get relief for at least 6mths, well I know I will but in the meantime I’m hoping I cope with this last Saturn opposition. I have a lot of Earth in my chart as well as some sextiles from Saturn. I probably will be praying more soon 0_o

  7. Hi Star – Thanks for your comment. Yes Saturn transits can sometimes feel like they last forever! But I do think some of the intensity will lift once Saturn goes into Sagittarius.

  10. Bonjour, hi! (From South of France)

    Thank you so much, i really enjoy reading your teaching way and attention to us!

    Having this transit for a long time (Mercury IX 20°)…So, sad days sometimes, grey mental a few days along. Mercury is master of my sun Gemini VIII, this sun is master of Moon None in Leo House X.

    Right now, writting a letter to a Capricorn boss in quest of new job (I got one, but i feel boring and not well-considered). I need more open minded to the entire world, so i contact travel agency, i would like change so much my business!
    Vénus IX too, but in Cancer. Moon Capricorn, so I have been composed with Saturn from my arrival on earth ( smiles!) …Dear friend of mine, Gran’ Dad Saturn ?

    Please : what are you thinking about my possible starting new way? I’m ready for listening to authority someone else, better than i did in the past, rebell against mother’s one and others, what a patch!!! Saturn join to South None Aquarius IV. Moon FC master MC. Pluto transit III and soon on Moon square Mars Ares, what a big travel to me! Jupiter Pisces V with Kiron V ( Neptun conjunction actuelly ending), with eclipse of sun on this Sunday. May be transformation about my job about schools in association in wich i see a narrow evolution. I hope not to mistake….Saturn Aquarius native IV good relationship to Mercury Gemini IX, i love it!

    Thanks a lot and very good rest to you
    Claudia (Gemini Libra)

  11. Hi Leah,
    I read your description of the transit that I have coming up – and it made my eyes wet. It is strange – the beginning of the transit is still a couple of weeks ahead and supposed to last (with Saturn turning retrograde and direct again during 2018) until the end of the year – yet what you describe here, the first three paragraphs particularly, describe how I have been feeling for years now (and no, in my radix Saturn and Mercury do not form an aspect though they are in signs that are square to each other).
    I wonder what this will mean. It cannot possibly get any worse – or can it?
    Stella

  12. Hi Leah, this is an absolutely spot on account of my experience at present. However, saturn was at 18 degrees of cancer when it kicked off and my mercury is at 13 degrees of cancer. I have been feeling very bogged down with these heavy thoughts for a couple of months now. I was wondering if Uranus moving into Taurus the day it started had something to do with it as well? And Pluto and Saturn are also square my natal Uranus? Xx

  13. Hello Leah…..
    I am one of yours new fans….crazy about all your articles….!!!! What if you have Mercury trine saturn natally…??even better…. both in trine with venus…exact at the midpoint of the trine…???
    Esperanza

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