This is most likely the toughest of all Saturn’s placements, and arguably one of the most challenging placements in astrology.  This is Saturn’s debilitation sign and it’s so difficult because of the huge conflict of energy between Mars and Saturn. Mars (Lord of Aries) is a very intense, forceful, competitive, and active energy, with the desire to be first and to take action now. Saturn is by nature the opposite. He is slow, careful, and enduring, so there is a painful conflict in the mind between needing to be slow and calculated, but with the Aries tendency to rush through things and get them done. It becomes very hard to relax, and impatience is often seen. 

These people are faced with delays because Shani (Saturn) is trying to teach patience, but they become frustrated, angry, and critical. They also often get things wrong, and have to start again, because they might rush (Mars) when what is needed is patience (Saturn). Conversely they may sometimes take too long (Saturn) when what is needed is action (Mars). These natives must learn how to be patient, because they will cause great trouble if they are too Mars-like. Ultimately they have to learn to be calm and notice when it is time to act and when is time to wait. This is not easy when you have past life memories of violence. 

In past lives, it’s possible that they were in a war scenario, possibly someone who needed to take action quickly. Maybe they were in a violent, bloody situation where they had to act fast or die. They carry that memory with them so there is a constant feeling of being threatened. They become defensive, attack too quickly, and there is the constant activation of  fight or flight, where they feel they need to attack or run away. This leads to an unsettled and anxious energy where they feel they need to fight or they will be defeated or that someone will take away something they love.

Time and again, Saturn will try to slow you down. That is the lesson he’s trying to teach, but it is hard to learn with all that past life trouble. Saturn will give rivals, difficulties, obstacles, frustrations, and delays, and until you learn to endure them, they will keep coming.

With this placement you have to keep moving forward. Don’t give up. It’s important to always do what is right. The Aries tendency is to react, and to do what is there now. But Saturn wants you to learn that when you slow down, when you realise that you don’t need to keep on fighting, you can benefit those around you.

St Teresa of Avila once said, “Patient endurance brings you to victory, once you have God, you’ll want nothing more.” It would behoove these people to keep this in mind. You have to move forward, but slow down and connect with the Divine within. Frustrations will come, but you must not lie or cheat in order to get what you want now, because you will harm others in the process. Now you have to follow Saturn’s rules.

Saturn in Aries can be very inspired (Aries), motivated, have big ideas, even be an entrepreneur, but as always with Saturn it will come slowly over time, not in a flash, like when Mars is in Aries. You will most likely work best by yourself and you won’t like being told what to do. Aries doesn’t love authority and likes to be his own boss, so independent work and self-employment make sense. You can also be very innovative and successful just as long as you do what Saturn asks, which is to do things properly, do things slowly and well. It can help also to get counselling as there is a large dose of fear and anxiety in this sign. Ultimately service to others, especially those who are needy, old, sick, or otherwise unwell, is the best way to move forward.