RECONSIDERING A 'HARD' PLANETARY ASPECT: ANOTHER LOOK AT SATURN-SQUARE MOON

I think it’s safe to say most “old school” astrologers would tend to agree that Saturn-square-Moon is a decidedly “malefic” aspect. Indeed, it was back in the 1970s I even heard one astrologer say (in casual conversation) he felt that this was the “single worst planetary aspect one could be born with.”

Well, okay.

But if indeed it’s really so bad, then we’re obliged to consider: why do we see this configuration in the charts of so many creative luminaries? Consider this partial list of well-known individuals born with a Saturn-square Moon:

Joni Mitchell

Steven Spielberg

Louis Armstong

Judy Garland

James Joyce

Stephen Sondheim

Jane Austen

Leonardo DiCaprio

Ray Bradbury

Martin Luther King Jr.

Walt Disney

Johnny Cash

Quincy Jones

Iggy Pop

Tennessee Williams

Rene’ Magritte

John Denver

Brian Wilson

Buddy Holly

And that’s just a partial list.

As one way to address this question, what follows are some (slightly rewritten) paragraphs from two of my essays on Saturn (“Why Your Bad Moon May Actually Be Your Best Friend” and “Saturn the Late Bloomer”):

“I’ve noticed that a surprising number of my creatively gifted clients also have a marked Saturn–Moon connection in their horoscope. I suspect some of that may be due to the insecurity this pattern brings, which causes them to seek out public approval in later years. Perhaps they felt starved for attention early on, and now they’re going to try to get “fed” by the world in other ways.

Another possibility is that the Saturn–Moon energy has the effect of drawing these individuals inward in ways that prove useful for their eventual creative work or reflection. And over the long run, the sheer frustrations brought on by this pattern early in life can become so pent-up that these people really have to find an outlet of some sort later on, simply to keep a grip on their sanity. As one musician who has this aspect said to me, during his childhood he felt as though his emotions were completely bottled up, but when he writes or performs music nowadays, it’s like a cork is being taken out of the bottle and its contents being released into the open air.

But aside from motivating a person to compensate for those perceived failings by excelling in some area, Moon–Saturn aspects can also confer an element of depth or gravitas that moves the person’s work out of the shallows and into deeper waters. Think about it: Could Joni Mitchell have written weighty songs like “Both Sides Now” at the age of 22 without a tight Moon–Saturn conjunction? Not likely.

But there’s another side to Saturn here, and that involves its ability to crystallize. Any planet in the horoscope that Saturn is aspecting indicates something that one is attempting to structure or materialize. If it’s Mercury that Saturn is aspecting, the person will struggle to materialize ideas, whether in the form of books, blogs, or teachings; if it’s Venus, then it could be artistic impulses, love, or money — and so on. In the case of the Moon, it’s emotions. So, what better friend to a creative person than having a Saturn–Moon connection, if the aim is to take otherwise invisible emotions and draw them out into structured, tangible reality? Time and again, I find Saturn–Moon connections (or Saturn–Venus and Saturn–Neptune, these likewise being emotional symbols) in the horoscopes of artists, photographers, musicians, writers, or architects.”

To be clear, I’m not saying here that there aren’t serious challenges with hard Saturn-Moon aspects - a certain emotional rigidity, sense of isolation, or even a potential for depression are among those - simply that we shouldn’t let those overshadow the more constructive potentials!

So, were you born with a Saturn-square-Moon? If so, feel free to offer your own insights into its influence below.

Ray Grasse is a writer, astrologer, and photographer living in the American Midwest. He is author of ten books, including The Waking Dream, Under a Sacred Sky, and An Infinity of Gods. His websites are www.raygrasse.com and www.raygrassephotography.com.