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SECOND SATURN OPPOSITION AT 42/43/44 YEARS OF AGE
This week we return to the seventh house for the third time. We were here twelve years ago at the age of thirty, and twelve years before this we began The Firdaria Diaries at the seventh house with the gaining of adulthood at eighteen years of age. Relationships and our dealings with other people will have changed radically over the past twenty four years.
Forty two is significant for another reason besides its return to the profected seventh house. This time is generally the age when Saturn has arrived in a sign and degree which is opposite to the one it holds at our birth and we often find ourselves at loggerheads with other people because either they are trying to control our lives, or we are trying to control them.
The last time Saturn was opposed to itself we were going through puberty at fourteen or fifteen years of age. At forty two we feel we have more control over our lives but this cyclic reminder from Saturn brings with it old fears and inadequacies, disturbing parental memories, sensitivity to past failures, and a reminder that we have probably already lived roughly half of our allotted lifespan.
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Profections: Moving Forward Through the Houses
42 years old : SEVENTH HOUSE
Halfway around the chart and in opposition to the Ascendant lies our seventh house. If the Ascendant represents everything we think we know about ourselves, our bodies, and our familiarity with the environment which surrounds us, then the seventh house is often the house that signifies everything of a contrary nature. In other words, it is the place where we least understand ourselves, where we believe we are missing something within ourselves, and where we feel inadequate and insecure about the foreignness of our surroundings.
We need help here in the house that looks directly across from our place of birth, so we call in others to help fill the void and teach us something new about ourselves.
These things were all true of the previous two terms at 18 and 30. But then we were young, romantic and convinced that the love of our life, our soul-mate, our perfect partner would bridge the gap and come charging in to rescue us from ourselves. At age forty two we still desire and deserve love, but we are not so foolish to believe that another can totally fulfil all our gaps, and meet every single one of our needs. We can observe them, we can learn from them, we can accept love and guidance from our seventh house friends, but they cannot be us – only we can do that.
Often we choose mirror images of ourselves from the seventh house but when they disappoint or frustrate us they can become our open enemies, and the aspects of them we most despise, are often characteristics that we either cannot see in ourselves, or cannot tolerate in others.
43 years old : EIGHTH HOUSE
If Saturn has moved a little more slowly for you it’s possible that you will meet your Saturn opposition as you enter your eighth house profection at forty three years of age. If a partnership is in the process of being dissolved then this year will be about disentangling the joint resources belonging to yourself and your partner.
For you, Saturn’s opposition will involve raging against the injustices, the betrayals and the sacrifices you have made in the past in order for the relationship to keep working successfully. In general you will be livid at the unfairness of Life, and specifically, you will want revenge served upon your ex-partner. As satisfying as this may seem, you are often working against yourself, or your own best interests at Saturn’s opposition, so be careful that you are not wreaking havoc just for the sake of it. Saturn can go too far so discipline yourself against dragging others into your disputes, especially if they are the shared loved ones of you and your partner.
Even if you are not experiencing a break-up, the eighth house is not an easy house, and this is not an easy year, as events happen quickly and circumstances can change the ebb and flow of a contented life. It’s often a year when you, or the people who surround you, are going through chaos and whilst you may not personally be involved in the action, it can leave you questioning your own choices, or feeling insecure about your future.
Whilst you can be a strong support for someone else, be aware that Saturn’s opposition can draw you in as the Saturnian figure who is going to ‘fix everything’. You can lose a friend this way or potentially do a great deal of unintended damage if you are becoming part of the play, instead of quietly standing by as an ally.
44 years old : NINTH HOUSE
Hopefully by the time you turn forty four most of the storms of change have been weathered and you are now moving into calmer waters.
The coming-out-of-the storm works well for a ninth house profected year as growth and expansion are often consistent themes of the ninth house especially after the restrictions and hardship of Saturn’s cycle. Sometimes these new experiences involve travel to places which are completely new to you, refresher courses or new veins of study, or the introduction to different ideas, new lifestyles or a completely foreign philosophical premise.
If you feel as though you are breaking free at forty four then this year might be one which is exhilarating and seems full of so many potentials for you to grow and learn. The desire to expand your world may be compelling you to question your opinions, search your options for spirituality, and dive into life with renewed vigour.
The planet that rules your own ninth house will offer up plenty of suggestions and new distractions but before you leap on them, consider first if you are prepared to let go of the ‘old’, in order to embrace the ‘new’. Promise and price are critical indicators to ninth house decisions – what does your ruling planet promise (and can it deliver)? What price will the ruling planet ask in order to fulfil its promise?
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Profections Summary for 42: 43: 44 years of age
Firdaria: Time Portions Belonging to the Planets
Regardless of whether you were born during the day or night, by the age of forty two you will have experienced a range of combinations between your major Firdaria lords, who rule for years, and your short-term Firdaria lords who rule for a number of months.
These short-term rulers pass the baton from one to the next over a period of at least one year and these planets are the ones that need to be watched closely to see their influence as they pass swiftly through our lives.
It is the combination of the two planets which colours our perception of life at that time and how they work with each other will influence whether we believe it is a spell where we feel good about ourselves or it marks a difficult and painful period in our lives.
These periods of changeover from one planet to the next are generic and everyone born in either the day or night will share the same time periods and confront the same term rulers. However, a planet’s situation in your chart will affect your reactions, your memories, and your attitude to that planet, and this is the basis of what makes Firdaria unique to your experiences.
I have added a footnote at the end of this blog, so if you normally only read the Daytime Firdaria and skip the rest, you might be interested to go to the end and read the footnote as it applies to you too.
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Daytime Births 42 – 44 years of age
DAYTIME BIRTH – Age at Birthday : 42 years
Major Long-term Lord: SATURN (Years)
Minor Short-term Lord: JUPITER (Months)
It’s going to be hard to escape Saturn when it features in both your Firdaria as the major lord, and in your transits, when it is making an opposition to the natal Saturn in your chart.
Any opposition means that two parties are totally in disagreement with each other and often use extreme behaviour to get what they want. Saturn is no exception to this rule, even when the battle is with itself, as it indicates the Saturn of your past (natal Saturn) is at loggerheads with the Saturn of your present (transiting Saturn).
Go back in your memory to when you had this aspect at fourteen or fifteen years of age. You are now the adult, but it doesn’t mean that those memories are not still painful, or the events of that age have not left a scar. See this as an opportunity to change some negative behaviours and to free yourself from some habits that no longer suit you.
Lessons from Saturn are never easy as this planet has an uncanny knack of showing us reality when we are trying to keep our eyes tightly shut. Because this year also features your relationships with other people through the seventh house you are likely to hear the ‘truth’ from them and this is not something we like to hear if we are busy fooling ourselves that our life is perfect ‘just the way it is’. Major relationships are likely to be tested throughout this year and even when Jupiter is your short-term ruler, it often compounds or exaggerates a situation so that you have to deal with something that no longer lies hidden beneath the surface of your psyche.
Jupiter can signify a medical or legal professional so you may be seeking advice in order to make a life-altering decision during this year. Make sure you consult more than one expert as the changes you make on a Saturn opposition will have long-term effects on your life.
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DAYTIME BIRTH – Age at Birthday: 43 years
Long-term Lord: SATURN
Short-term Lord: JUPITER
Jupiter can be a great aid in having the courage to start afresh and branch out towards new horizons if you have found that the previous year has meant some changes to your relationships.
An eighth house year can be bumpy but at least the first two months have provided some good opportunities to readjust your finances and establish some new goals at this age.
43 years and 2 months
Short-term Lord Changes from JUPITER to MARS
Long-term Lord: SATURN
NEW Short-term Lord: MARS
Eighth house years often indicate endings or chaotic events which surprise you or leave you feeling that life is spiraling out of control so the thought of a wearying combination with loads of unexpected events is not great news for the body, mind or spirit.
The combination of Saturn with Mars is a tough one which feels heavy, punishing and exhausting all at the same time. Both of these planets have extreme methods of problem-solving so perhaps if you understand their techniques the rest of this year can be bearable.
Saturn runs cold if things aren’t going its way. It likes to stay in control and uses withdrawal tactics to pull things back into line and re-establish its authority. Saturn will cut and sever its connections through ‘freezing out’ those who do not comply with its rules.
Mars on the other hand runs extremely hot and also likes to command the situation by staying in control. If its position becomes weak or it can no longer compete to get its own way, Mars becomes loud, aggressive, unreasonable and unmanageable. Mars cuts and severs its connections through heat – arguments, tantrums, insults, lighting fires and burning bridges all over the place – all ways designed to bully the other party into submitting to Mars’ wishes.
In some situations during this onerous Firdaria combination you will experience one or the other planet’s methods of separation, and sometimes you will find yourself behaving in this manner, or it will be others behaving towards you as either Saturn or Mars. Your own behaviour is your choice, as is your reaction to their behaviour. Try to pick your battles during this Firdaria combination as you can’t take on the entire world. Learn what works for you because ultimately Saturn’s Firdaria is about being able to look yourself squarely in the eye at the end of each day and truthfully say ‘I’m the best possible version of myself that I can be’ and that’s a tough ask when Mars is your short-term ruler.
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DAYTIME BIRTH – Age at Birthday: 44 years
Long-term Lord: SATURN
Short-term Lord: MARS
Mars is still your short-term ruler for the next eight months but there should be some respite from the battles once you move into a ninth house profected year.
Ninth house is usually an improvement from the eighth and things should be looking up, or at least giving you a new direction, or the hope that you are moving out of the most difficult part of a poor situation. The combination of Saturn with Mars may be one of these times when the lessons are hard, but the growth is enormous and it may be that when this period has passed you feel stronger, resilient against tough times, and proud of yourself in surviving an extremely painful passage. New births are never without trauma and if you have shed one skin to take on another then it is because Saturn’s intention to teach hard lessons through Mars’ actions have led to this new version of yourself.
44 years and 8 months
Short-term Lord Changes from MARS to SUN
Long-term Lord: SATURN
NEW Short-term Lord: SUN
It may take the changeover from Mars to the Sun to help you realize the fact that you have been through a punishing time but you are now moving to a better space. Previous to the movement from Mars to the Sun you may well have felt too bruised and battered to be capable of celebrating the new You until now. The Sun is your primary and most important luminary so finding new facets of your personality and new strength within your spirit brings illumination that survival can be exhilarating at the end of a pair of tortuous years.
You might like to celebrate by treating yourself to a ninth house experience – new travel, new life philosophy, new spiritual path, or new study opportunities. The combination of the Sun under Saturn’s direction is not without its challenges but after Mars’ stint, it should feel like the sun’s come out after a ‘long cold lonely winter’.
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Night Births 42 – 44 years of age
NIGHT BIRTH – Age at Birthday : 42 years
Major Long-term Lord: SUN (Years)
Minor Short-term Lord: MERCURY (Months)
For nocturnal charts the Saturn opposition at forty two is often a painful reminder of the puberty years when unfortunately, Saturn was the major Firdaria lord. Saturn ruled from the ages of nine to twenty and buried memories of loneliness, social isolation, clashes with authority figures, and a general sense of foreboding accompanying teenage years, are possibilities which may surface again during the second Saturn opposition.
Seventh house relationships are still the focus for a night-timer but as it is a Sun Firdaria you may be wondering what benefits you gain from a stagnant relationship that feeds neither your emotional needs (Moon), or which supports your unique qualities and satisfies your soul (Sun).
Mercury is the short-term ruler for the entire year and this may allow communication channels to be opened up so that you can discuss how to get this relationship moving again.
Another facet of the seventh house involves relationships of a business nature and Mercury is a perfect planet to network with people who you feel are advantageous to your hopes and dreams of a better future. A word of warning here. Mercury can be an extremely fickle planet so make sure that you and the other party are talking the same language. Otherwise a seventh house partner can become an open enemy, especially if they think you have misinformed them or promised something that neither your Sun, or your Mercury, can deliver over the next eighteen months.
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NIGHT BIRTH – Age at Birthday: 43 years
Long-term Lord: SUN
Short-term Lord: MERCURY
Mercury remains the short-term ruler as you celebrate the next birthday and turn forty three years of age. As the eighth house often deals with finances through lending institutions, loans, mortgages, fines, wills and the passing of money from one hand to the next, Mercury can be in its element in the first four months of this year.
Again, be scrupulously honest in your dealings with others. Under the shadow of a Saturn opposition any cloak-and-dagger stuff, dishonest dealings or underhand behaviour on your part will come to light and Saturn will sever ties or destroy your reputation with its usual cold efficiency.
43 years and 4 months
Short-term Lord Changes from MERCURY to MOON
Long-term Lord: SUN
NEW Short-term Lord: MOON
The Sun is the major lord through these three years when moving Saturn is in opposition to natal Saturn. The Sun is not so comfortable in a nocturnal chart as it must bow to the wishes of the Moon instead of being the leading light. These two luminaries have very different agendas, particularly as one looks for power and prestige (Sun) whilst the other wishes to serve and thrives best on the reflected happiness or contentment of others (Moon).
When Mercury hands over to the Moon, the two planets come face to face, and the combination works well so long as the Moon understands what is required from it to keep the Sun’s agenda on course.
The Sun’s ten year period is often a journey towards understanding oneself and many facets of the personality which might have been projected onto others, or been lying dormant or less pronounced are brought into the light of consciousness during the years of the Sun’s major Firdaria between thirty nine and forty nine years of age. Some of these self discoveries are almost like epiphanies or moments of such clarity that it changes our attitudes from that point onwards. But not all of them occur during pleasant or comfortable moments.
Eighth house often gives us the feeling that certain features of our lives are out of our control, and whilst these may be tagged as financial crises, there are times when doors shut unexpectedly and we wonder if another door will open in its place. The Moon as our short-term ruler reminds us that we are driven by our emotions and our intuition, especially during times of uncertainty.
The Moon rekindles our connection to the physical world and to our own bodies as well as stimulating our desire to protect our loved ones and shield them from harm. Under the Sun’s direction, the Moon’s seventeen month period is a reminder that whilst we may be individuals, unique in our own way (Sun) we still desperately need to stay connected to others (Moon) and to feel worthwhile and loved within our relationships, families, communities and society.
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NIGHT BIRTH – Age at Birthday: 44 years
Long-term Lord: SUN
Short-term Lord: MOON
The Moon is the short-term ruler for the first eight months after turning forty four years of age. The movement to the next house may bring a sense of relief as the ninth house often has a more positive focus than the one before it. The aspect between the Ascendant and the ninth house sign is called a trine and there is a lovely flow of energy between the two houses. For this reason, a positive frame of mind often accompanies the shift from eight to nine in the natal chart.
Forming a philosophy or a new mindset becomes a possibility after two tumultuous years and Saturn should have passed its halfway mark by now leaving you feeling more in control of your life. I would love to say that you have completely left Saturn and its issues behind you, but the next short-term Firdaria lord that follows the Moon – is Saturn.
44 years and 8 months
Short-term Lord Changes from MOON to SATURN
Long-term Lord: SUN
NEW Short-term Lord: SATURN
The final four short months of being forty four will be taken up by Saturn as the Moon has completed its seventeen month term and now hands over to the next planet in the Chaldean Order. This is a tough changeover : moving from the gentle guiding hand of the Moon which looks to nourish and tend to your wounds and to cherish the time you spend with your loved ones to being cast out once more by Saturn’s desire to survive by standing alone.
The last four months of the ninth house profection is a time of contemplation as you begin to ask yourself the question: Where do I go from here?
For a nocturnal person, it is hoped that when the previous Firdaria lord was the Moon, there was a sense of being nourished, having the time to heal and recover from Saturn’s onslaught in the form of the halfway mark in its cycle. Finding your balance and reprioritizing the important things in your life under the influence of your prime luminary should provide you with the strength to face Saturn and truthfully answer its questions about the future. After all, you will be forty five soon and halfway through this decade as well as reaching the top of your chart at the tenth house profection.
If this has not been the case, and the Moon’s Firdaria has accentuated family breakdowns, partnership dissolutions, fatigue, illness or accidents, then Saturn will test your metal to the full. The next seventeen months might feel never-ending, but take heart as this too shall pass, and if you are willing to plough through and keep moving, then Jupiter will show its rewards after Saturn.
With Saturn’s trials in mind the words of Winston Churchill may keep ringing in your ears and give you some good advice, “If you’re going through Hell, keep going”.
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FOOTNOTE
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTRIGUED BY PATTERNS
If you have been reading both the daytime and the night time Firdarias for these three years you may have noticed something about the handovers.
The daytime Firdaria has Saturn as its major long-term ruler.
At 44 years and 8 months the Sun becomes the new short-term ruler.
The nocturnal Firdaria has the Sun as its major long-term ruler.
At 44 years and 8 months Saturn becomes the new short-term ruler.
This reversal of long-term /short-term rulers is not unique to the Sun and Saturn.
As the following table shows, there will always be a reversal of the same two planets within each of the seven major time periods. This makes sense as each of the planets is required to step up and take its place as a sub-lord in any given period. But this age of 44 years and 8 months is unique simply because it is the only time that the reversal occurs at the same time.
In the remaining six periods there is a reversal of the two lords at reasonably close times in life. But it seems one of astrology’s minor miracles when what seems to be a totally random coincidence occurs and the same system aligns in a way which is based purely on mathematics. If you follow astrology (and life patterns) long enough, you begin to believe that nothing is a coincidence. Random crazy stuff makes sense when we look back in hindsight – and what better time to use 20/20 vision than a year that echoes this principle?
Firdaria is the perfect example of looking back to make sense of the present moment, and to gain insight into future possibilities.
It’s important to note that these reversals are not identical in the circumstances they present or in the manner in which they manifest. There are subtle differences in Firdaria which must be taken into account if you are going to work with this system.
In terms of Firdaria Mercury / Jupiter is NOT the same as Jupiter / Mercury.
If Mercury is the long-term lord for 13 years, Jupiter must do its bidding for 22 months of that period. Mercury sets the agenda and Jupiter, within its own nature, must find a way to fulfil that agenda. Mercury’s domain is concerned with memory, thought processes, reasoning and communication. But it also rules commerce, banking and marketplace cunning so these will also be covered during its 13 year term. As one of the seven short-term rulers, Jupiter is required to adopt these themes and produce positive results during its time by finding the right social connections and advancing the individual’s good fortune by being noticed by the right people in the right place at the right time.
How well is achieves this is shown by Jupiter’s condition in the natal chart.
Likewise, if Jupiter is the long-term lord for 12 years, Mercury must take the material of Jupiter and fulfil its tasks according to its own ability. Jupiter’s field of expertise is knowledge, abundance, good fortune, ambition, children and politics, to name just a few. Mercury takes these themes and adds its own capabilities to think, communicate, and adapt to any given situation. Unfortunately Mercury is so scattered in its nature that its twenty months does very little good for Jupiter’s ambitions. Mercury is too flighty, too changeable to stay the course and Jupiter gets frustrated by Mercury’s constant distractions and change in plans.
This same difference occurs for the 44 year old when both Sun and Saturn are featured in Firdaria but their roles are reversed.
For day-timers Saturn is the material and the Sun must give its own form to that material. Saturn’s wish-list is for the individual to learn responsibility through restriction, to take the minimum material provided and get the maximum return from it. This kind of miserliness is alien to the Sun which thrives on bountifulness and expects to have everything working in its favour. The Sun’s sub-period may increase your leadership abilities, but it also puts a target on your back.
Both planets signify father but Saturn is the father who is dogmatic, controlling and judgemental whilst the Sun is the father who is kind, generous and benefic in nature. The clash between the two father figures at age 44 is the pulling away from the old and creating a new father figure for your own children. But patterns are not so easily broken and you may find yourself repeating some of the mistakes of your own Saturn father.
For night-timers the Sun is the base material and Saturn must be directed by the Sun to use its own characteristics to achieve the Sun’s wishes. Saturn’s cold nature struggles to fulfil the Sun’s list to gain public acclaim, respect and to shine with brilliance and intelligence. However, Saturn does understand the Sun’s desire for authority, power, and the right to judge others for their mistakes. Saturn will test the individual’s patience as there are delays, trouble with authority and bureaucracy, resistance from others, even lawsuits and dismissals if you push too hard.
The Sun has a Walter Mitty complex – it dreams of great things and looks for situations where the individual can grow large and brave and save the day. Saturn is the harsh light of reality and measures success in tangible results.
Sun is optimistic, Saturn is pessimism at its most depressive core. Both day and night births will reflect these principles when these two planets combine, but simply put, for day-timers Saturn starts with a glass half empty (look what I don’t have) and Sun has to keep trying to top up the glass and try to make the best of it. Conversely, for night-timers Sun starts with a glass half full (OMG, look what’s here!) and Saturn does its very best to drain the glass as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
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Perhaps the most significant part of this ‘coincidence’ is that everyone (regardless of whether they were born during the day or night) has just experienced their Saturn opposition in the previous couple of years.
The Saturn/Sun reversal at 44 years and 8 months hints that even though we are travelling different paths through Firdaria, day-timers and night-timers are united by Saturn’s reminder that precious time is passing and this is coupled with the Sun’s urgency for us to fulfil our potential. This may be the perfect time to review our lives at this point, and pause our frantic lifestyle in order to take the time to decide who we are (and who we’re not), what we want from life (and what we don’t want) and where it is we want to go in the future (as opposed to where we don’t want to keep going).
