When Saturn's Rings Disappear

Moments in the Flow--astrology and astronomy

Hello again,

Saturn and its tilted axis. Pixabay

A friend texted me this morning with the link to an article, saying it was about the fact that Saturn’s rings were going to disappear soon. What did I think this meant?

Okay, I thought, that doesn’t sound good. Where would all the orbiting ice, dust and objects go?!? And how could it happen?  I also thought this may be another faux news scam. But to give my friend an answer, I decided to open the earth.com article itself. There, part of the answer was revealed and this inspired more thoughts.

Disappearing Rings?

Like earth, Saturn has a tilt to its axis. This idea appears in many photos, like the one above. And Saturn also spends half its time tilting toward and the other half away from the sun. But there is a moment in March of 2025 when the tilt puts them on their edge and the rings will remain, but no longer be visible from earth.

Saturn with no axis tilt, NoHaggerty Pixabay

And so, it was another dramatic headline that doesn’t live up to the emotion it evoked. The disappearing rings is a regularly occurring phenomena, but it takes 29.5 years for it to happen again. When they briefly disappear in March 2025, they will reappear and then briefly disappear again in November.

The Saturn Return

Here’s where my thinking went after reading this information:

Saturn takes approximately 29.5 years to fully orbit the Sun. This is a significant number for us on Earth. 29.5 days is the time it takes our orbiting Moon to pass through all its phases (only 27 days to complete the orbit of the earth). And in  the birth chart of an individual, this is the age (more or less) for both the progressed* Moon and transiting** Saturn to complete a passage through the Zodiac, arriving back at the degree of the sign they are in at birth.

The Lunar and Saturn return may coincide, or the Moon may be slightly ahead. Both represent the completion of an important developmental cycle of life. Like the monthly lunar cycle, the progressed Moon and transit of Saturn creates quarters of 45 degrees each. When they begin there may be conflicts, along with aspects during that time that have a positive or negative flow. Both contain a period of reevaluation and release at the end. And those 4 quarters represent approximately 7 years each.

The Astrologer can see and comment on where you are in these cycles and make suggestions about how to deal with the lessons being learned. Realizing when you are on a square (45 degrees) or opposition (180 degrees) to the natal Moon or Saturn can help illuminate issues and ease feelings of frustration. Knowing when you are near the end of a cycle, you can begin that process of looking at your growth, what you would like to improve and then plan for new beginnings when the next cycle begins.

Note: If you need help with this, find information about Natal Chart Readings and wy to order

Time and the Ballerina Rene1905, Pixabay

The first of these returns represents coming into the age of full responsibility. As some say, you become an adult. The second is when you become an Elder and have wisdom to share. Changes in career, public life, relationships, and location can occur at or soon after both returns. Some reach the age of 90 or so, and achieve a 3^rd return, which is a time when many are completing their karma and preparing spiritually for their passage out of this lifetime.      

What Will the Disappearance of the Rings Create?

My initial impulse was to say, not a lot, or only as a symbol. Saturn rules the cold earth sign of Capricorn. Both concerned with status, career, achievement, structure, tradition, regulations and a cautious approach to change. Saturn’s current transit (now retrograde) in Pisces is not an easy combination. Pisces relates to deep, fluctuating water, ruled by Neptune (oceans, seas). It is known for its ability to dissolve things. While it can enhance both spirituality and creativity, it also brings deception and fantasy. For many, this transit has brought up fear and pessimism, and the realization that many structures we had counted on are now uncertain or literally ending (Saturn is the Lord of Time, Karma, and the image of the Grim Reaper).

The disappearance of Saturn’s structured rings may be seen by some as creating even more instability, and by others as an opportunity for some openings in the paradigm. Both may be true. The midpoint of the March and November invisible ring events is when Saturn takes a dip into Aries--the next sign it will transit. Active fire sign Aries is about new beginnings, leadership, courage, and innovation. It is also passion, anger, and war. We may begin to explore lessons related to these things during this transit, but Saturn is also uncomfortable with speed and fire.

Many other things: planetary energies, eclipses, retrograde cycles, fixed stars and more, go into the full meaning and message from the skies. We will see these things come into focus when this astronomical event arrives. Stay Tuned!

See you next time!             

*progression This term is applied to the movement of the planetary positions after birth. There are different ways to calculate this; the most common is called Secondary Progression and looks at the positions as one calendar day equals one year of life. Another method is the Solar Arc, which gives all planet positions one degree per year.

*transit refers to the position and sign of the planets in the sky on the day in question.