Saturn in Taurus Comprehensive Analysis
Saturn in Taurus Issues
If you were born with Saturn in Taurus, the issues during your Saturn Return will be about self-worth, self-esteem, the body, bodily instincts, how you earn your money, morality, isolation, and sensuality.
As astrologer Stephen Arroyo says, Saturn shows what we regard as “important”, i.e., so important that we try to control it – so important that we get all nervous and fearful and frequently blow it. If you have Saturn in Taurus, what you consider this important are resources and self-esteem, issues that are intricately braided throughout for you. You spend a lifetime trying to figure out the relationship between the two and what your real worth is.
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Early life patterns
People with Saturn in Taurus usually begin life searching for self-esteem and well-being in the material world. Or they begin it by competing with others, wishing they were something they were not and never could be. Gradually their attention turns to more essential ingredients for self-esteem, such as an internalized positive self-image based on self love and acceptance.
Money, good physical health, and appearance (good looks, nice clothes, appropriate quality car) all play a part, but beyond that each individual embarks on a journey to determine his or her own basic needs. Some may decide that an intact family is the most important anchor. Others may decide freedom is. Some may anchor their self-esteem in being nonmaterial, while others find they need a stable home. For each it is different, but the Saturn Return should one way or another help you distinguish what you need from what you want and what really nourishes you versus what others think you should have.
From birth to thirty years old (the end of the first Saturn Return) you got misinformation or strike an imbalance regarding self-esteem. In the middle stage, ages 30 to 60, you work through your karma from the first part of life and learn the lessons of self-discipline, accountability, and good habits. Often this is a hard and slow process, but if you’ve been paying attention there are also rewards. The final stage of life will be your opportunity to share what you’ve learned, helping others with how to build self-esteem.
Famous Figures with Saturn in Taurus Natal Placement
Search the databases of celebrity horoscopes for those born with Saturn in Taurus, and you find very likable folks, perhaps because these people have no pretensions. Whenever I see Tyler Perry dressed as Madea in a housecoat, I’m reminded of his example. Even when they gain wealth and status, people under this influence stay grounded in the basics, making them relatable to the rest of us. Melania Trump is a famous homebody who eschews elite social occasions.
Roy Rogers and Lucille Ball are two other Saturn in Taurus natives whose fame and fortune left them unassuming. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s affinity with the common man, as shown through the fireside chats, may also be attributed to Saturn’s grounding influencing in Taurus. The enduring mystique of Pele is as much about how he played the beautiful game as it is about his rise from poverty.
People born during this transit value authenticity and are usually therefore quite humble. Native Martha Stewart puts on no airs. Despite her considerable wealth, she was happy to associate her name with K-Mart, set up a dating profile on Match.com, and maintains a strong (and inexplicable to me) friendship with rapper Snopp Dogg the rapper. These people value money for what it can do, not the social status it brings.
A penchant for resourcefulness
Some celebrities born with Saturn in Taurus prove the resourcefulness and practicality of this placement. Jennifer Lopez, Jay Z, and Sean Combs are all well known for leveraging their stardom to build business empires. Douglass Fairbanks was a popular silent film star from Hollywood’s early days. He also had Saturn in Taurus, of course. Fairbanks also was one of the first actors to ensure the money from his fame benefited himself first and foremost. He worked with peers to form United Artists. Creating the studio was meant to empower the artists. This resulted in giving them control over distributorships, as well as total artistic license and all the profits.
Contrast such actions with other performers who squander their fortunes, lose their money to unscrupulous business managers and agents, or dilute their personal wealth through costly divorces. Speaking metaphorically, Saturn in Taurus people dread spending their golden years touring the country’s bars and casinos singing their hits from the 70s because they can’t afford to retire. They act accordingly.
Parental influence dynamic
This keen attention to money is not random. People born with this placement feel that one or both parents undervalued, underinvested, or perhaps even exploited them. It is for this reason they often take a special responsibility for children’s welfare as adults. Andre Agassi was forced to play a tennis match at the age of 9 by his father in order to win some money. The same parent later pressured his teenage son into attending Nick Bollettieri’s famous tennis academy in Florida for three months. Three months was all his dad could afford, but this led to Agassi leaving school to play tennis full time. It’s not uncommon for these people to be fending for themselves at a young age.
No surprise then that Agassi hated tennis for much of his life. Agassi, winner of eight career Grand Slam titles, was one of the greatest players of his generation. In interviews given after the publication of his autobiography, Agassi explained that as a youngster he played out of fear of his father. Then he played because he wanted to escape the tennis academy. And after that, because he had reached a situation where there was no other way to make a living. It wasn’t until his first Saturn Return in 1997 that he took ownership of his career and chose tennis, after falling to 141 in the world.
Finally, he felt he was getting more from tennis than he gave. “Tennis gave me the school [a college preparatory school Andre opened in Las Vegas]; tennis then gave me my wife.” He added, “tennis then gave me the time to raise my children and to live with them, and then it wasn’t lost on me. … It no longer only came with a price.”
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Saturn in Taurus aligned with drive
That’s a common dynamic for a person with this Saturn placement, especially before the first Saturn Return. They do what they have to, all the while thinking “my poverty consents but not my will.” It’s not until they figure out a way to get more than they give that the world stops feeling like a total rip off. Sometimes they fight and fight and fight to achieve something only to realize too late that they were only doing it to prove a point or satisfy someone else.
Agassi won the Wimbledon title in 1992. This is one of tennis’ greatest honors. When he won it, he dedicated the win to both his father and Nick Bollettieri. This was “proof positive that he had lived up to their paternal expectations,” as one sportswriter put it. Sometimes it’s only after achieving such success that a Saturn in Taurus person gives himself the chance to reflect on what really brings happiness. In this case, it took Agassi’s fall to 141 in the world for him to see that the great investment he had made in tennis could be used to do something that would actually make him happy — make money to care for himself, his family, and others.
It’s not uncommon for the Saturn in Taurus struggle to be about money, and depending on one’s life circumstances, the native can be preoccupied with poverty. He may be perpetually broke and die penniless, like Vincent VanGogh. Or she may choose to become poor, like Mother Theresa. Other natives work to help people find a way out of poverty, like Muhammad Yunus, who pioneered the use of microcredit and microfinance.
Famous women with Saturn in Taurus
It’s not always about money, however. Sometimes the feeling of being depleted or taken advantage is about something else entirely. Proto-feminist Virginia Wolf was born under this transit. Both Sheryl Sandberg and Gloria Allred share this placement, too, and both have used their success to advance women’s issues, the former assuring women they can have both a career and a family and offering guidance on how to maximize their worth in the marketplace, and the later representing women in sexual harassment suits.
Artistic contributions
Some of the most famous female liberation songs of the 60s and 70s were sung by women with Saturn in Taurus. Here’s Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman” (note the hallmark Taurus determination):
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever gonna’ keep me down again
Oh yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong
(Strong)
I am invincible
(Invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul
Nancy Sinatra promised “these boots are gonna’ walk all over you,” and, best of all, Aretha Franklin demanded her propers, calling for R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Feelings of being ripped-off
Of course you don’t have to be a woman to relate to wanting respect. Anyone who has been ripped off knows the feeling. It’s just that a person born with Saturn in Taurus has been feeling ripped off for a lot longer and more often than everyone else.
Muhammad Ali, born while Saturn passed through Taurus, learned to box at the tender of age of 9 when an adult sought to provide the child a positive channel for the anger he felt at having his bike stolen. That’s how early it starts with these people. Fighting for resources or for their self-esteem are some of their most formative memories of childhood. Their whole life is about figuring out how to get enough of what they need and how to stop others from robbing them of it once they get it. It may not always be at the Saturn Return, but at some point, Saturn in Taurus people have to draw a line.
Legendary assertiveness
When they do, the stand these folks take can be legendary. When Rosa Parks refused to move on that bus, Saturn was in opposition to her native Taurus placement. Muhammad Ali declined to be inducted into the armed services at the height of his career, claiming conscientious objector status. He was convicted of a felony. And as the appeals case made its way through the courts during his Saturn Return, Ali was denied a boxing license in all states. He also had his passport revoked. His conviction was finally overturned on appeal after public opinion turned against the war and in favor of civil rights.
Natural born leadership skills
While Taurus energy is not normally associated with bravery, the actions of these individuals can resonate in a way that truly inspires others. Of Muhammad Ali, Al Sharpton said:
For the heavyweight champion of the world, who had achieved the highest level of athletic celebrity, to put all of that on the line—the money, the ability to get endorsements—to sacrifice all of that for a cause, gave a whole sense of legitimacy to the movement and the causes with young people that nothing else could have done. Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didn’t voluntarily do that. He knew he was going to jail and did it anyway. That’s another level of leadership and sacrifice.
It’s easy to see why Ali’s actions seemed like leadership to Sharpton, but do not mistake them for anything other than what they are — a personal commitment to integrity and self-esteem. What profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul? People with this placement spend their whole lives pondering that question. One should not interpret their battles for anything other than a very basic need to have their boundaries respected and their persons treated with respect.
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Strong individuality
Saturn in Taurus native Bob Dylan never missed an opportunity to stick it to the man, but it’s the very intimate and personal sentiments that give his songs beauty and integrity. When Dylan proclaimed “I ain’t gonna’ work on Maggie’s farm no more,” he wasn’t just protesting the commercialization of folk music. He was making a simple declaration about being true to himself, true to himself in a world that tempted and pressured him to be something else: “I try my best/To be just like I am/But everybody wants you/To be just like them.”
Because they feel such pressure to be authentic, these people generally do not tolerate bullshit in others, either. Pablo Picasso, who lived in France during both WWI and WWII, was not legally obligated to fight in the conflicts as he was a Spaniard. He continued to work through both wars, and, like anyone else who lived in Paris at the time, suffered the indignity of Nazi occupation. It’s said that a German officer visited the artist at his Parisian studio and asked “Did you do this?” pointing to a photo of Guernica. “No,” he said. “You did.” Saturn in Taurus is about accountability if nothing else.
Risk for being too simplistic
At their worst, people born with Saturn in Taurus are overly simplistic in their analysis of affairs. This leads them to justify whatever they feel needs to be done. In such cases, the natives have a thuggish quality. They find themselves doing things considered debased or just uncouth out of what they feel is necessity. Niccolo Machiavelli, Jimmy Hoffa, Jack Ruby, Pete Rose, Tanya Harding, and Soon-Yi Previn are all natives. They are natives whose actions — from posing nude for a step-father, to betting on professional baseball games in which one is a participant, to killing a man on national television — belie some pretty base calculations. Sex, money, revenge, comfort, boundaries. These are the things that drive a Saturn in Taurus person. The personal basics, in other words.
Motivation to fight for basic needs
It’s interesting then to consider the current debate in America over health care, one of the most — if not the most — basic need(s). Previous generations of politicians with Saturn in Taurus, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, sympathized with the poor and fought to allocate the nation’s wealth more equitably.
We see this echoed today in the aging leadership on the left. Both Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi, key players in the fight for universal health care, have this placement. Sanders has declared health care a basic right and not a privilege, and Nancy Pelosi was instrumental in getting the Affordable Care Act passed in the House. For the next generation of Saturn in Taurus, however, limited resources, personal accountability, and fiscal conservatism are paramount. Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Tucker Carlson, and Ted Cruz, all born under this influence, have each indicated they see health care in this context.
Strength in Conviction
As you might gather from the examples of Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali, people born with Saturn in Taurus do not back down when they believe they are right. Nor do they compromise. Here we see two generations of the most stubborn people in the world (those born with Saturn in Taurus) butting heads with each other. Sadly — to paraphrase the Indian saying about elephants — when the bulls fight, it’s the grass that suffers.
Considering the three cycles of the Saturn in Taurus lifetime, one wonders if the younger generation might have a change of heart at their second return. Their second return will happen for them starting in late 2028. In any case, whether it’s because the older generation dies and opposition crumbles, or because of a stunning change of direction by the younger folks, I think we are in for a decade (the 2020s) of this fighting.
Every generation has its politicians. But for the most part, it’s unusual for a person with this placement to be involved in so much policy consideration. These people are known for nothing if not being absorbed with tending their own garden. The philosopher Gottfried Leibniz, born during the transit of Saturn through Taurus, proposed that this is the best possible world that God could have created, and that people go about their daily business as if that were true, nurturing considerably everything around them, making the most of whatever enters their orbit, and stretching beautifully whatever resources they have.
Stamina is one of the greatest gifts for Saturn in Taurus
One of their great gifts is a hearty stamina, and you often find Saturn in Taurus people very active later in life. Bob Dylan began his “never ending tour” in 1988, playing roughly 100 dates a year for two decades. He continues to tour today (2021) at the age of 80. Neil Diamond, the same age, retired touring only because of Parkinson’s at age 77. Phil Mickelson became the first player to win a major after turning 50 , crediting fasting and healthy eating for his stamina. Agassi was competitive on the grueling tennis circuit until the age of 36. Stephen Hawking, who was expected to have a shortened life span, lived to 76.
Directions to take for Saturn in Taurus
So be patient with yourself, Saturn in Taurus. Pacing is very important for you. Don’t ever rush. Take your time. Use the Saturn Return to find out what really makes you happy, what you truly value. You will accomplish many things in life; from now on, be sure they are your accomplishments, and not things someone else thinks you should invest time in.
Don’t let others intimidate you into pursuing their dreams. Your Saturn Return should clarify this for you. It’s okay to tend your garden, nurture your relationships, provide for children, care for your home, take care of your body, and do whatever you deem as valuable work. You don’t need to make someone else happy.
When you create real security for yourself, you’ll have a safe space where you can find the words for your feelings and dreams. This is the only way to integrate your “slow, gentle, and inarticulate” shadow (as Liz Green describes it). Many beloved songwriters of the last century have this placement. The list includes John Lennon, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Neil Diamond. Their songs endure because they transport us to the comfort and beauty of a Saturn in Taurus incarnation, even if it’s just for a few moments.
You, too, can touch others with authentic and simple expressions of your reality. However, you must first slow down and listen to that small still voice inside you. After the first Saturn Return, this should become easier. Maturity allows you to distinguish your own values from others’ and circumstances conspire for you to take better care of yourself. The benefits of healthy habits, self-discipline, limits, and positive thinking become ever clearer and easier to maintain.
So set good boundaries, save your money, and take good care. Gradually you will come to ever deeper and more profound understandings of what’s really important to you. As you make those realizations, guard them with your life. Each one is truly a prize beyond measure.
One last piece of advice
I know you like to keep it real, so I’ll add this one last piece of advice, too. When you do leave home base — whether literally or metaphorically — and venture out into the cold, cruel, world, do not, under any circumstances, take any crap from anybody. We’re all counting on you to hold everyone else accountable for their own messes. You take care of you, and let everyone else’s chips fall where they may.