The Saturn Crone Project

I think this is a good time to pick up this ongoing theme on my blog, and talk about what I’m working on. I want to summarize where I’ve been on the subject of Saturn as Crone, and what direction I want to go from here.

Back in February of this year I published a blog post titled Saturn as Feminine, Part One, exploring the ramifications of viewing Saturn as feminine, based on a text from Dorotheus. I took this further in a later post where I looked at the symbolism of Saturn as the Old Wise Crone figure.

I got a very strong reaction to these posts; apparently they touch on something that is very important to people.

Since February I’ve been exchanging emails with my friends Ben Dykes and Chris Brennan on this topic, where we have been sharing discoveries we have been making. Recently Chris put a out a new episode of his Astrology Podcast on Saturn as feminine, and the likely first woman astrologer.

Here is the approach I am taking now on researching this topic.

What I am looking for is how Saturn as Crone plays out in people’s charts and in their lives. We live in an era which is re-discovering lost dimensions of the feminine as sacred, and I think the Old Wise Crone is an important part of that sacred recovery.

Here’s my thesis: If I want to go looking for evidence of Saturn as Old Crone, I should go looking in the charts of strong women who are embodying that Old Crone archetype in their own lives.

What I am finding is very powerful and interesting, and I want to share a bit of it here.

And, to take this further, I want to ask for your help.

The idea for this research came from a comment I got from the first couple of posts, asking if I would consider writing on how Saturn as feminine could be used in delineating charts.

Thinking that over I realized that I already had a good instance of that in the chart of a client I had, where Saturn represented an old wise grandmother in her life who she looked to for support, wisdom, guidance and inspiration. That inspired this blog post named Living Crone.

It was soon after that it struck me that I should go looking in the charts of strong, famous, independent women who were living out the recovery of the Crone in our history – In other words, strong feminist figures, pioneers in the women’s movement.

Here are a couple of examples of what I have found so far.

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This is the chart of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross and pioneering advocate of women’s rights.

I have an earlier post on Clara Barton where I look at her chart in more detail, emphasizing how the essential dignities illustrate her roles in life.

For our purposes here I want to concentrate just on her Saturn, in Fall in Aries in the First House.

Saturn also rules her Sun, which is conjunct the Midheaven in the 10th house. Jupiter, conjunct Saturn, rules Mercury which is in the 9th house. Along with her work with nursing during the Civil War, and founding what became the American Red Cross, Barton also traveled widely (Mercury 9th house) and made many speeches for the cause of women’s rights and women’s suffrage. Most of this activity as a women’s rights advocate took place in the later part of her life – hence Saturn.

Here I think we can rightly interpret one dimension of Saturn in Fall as Barton being a spokesperson for a large segment of the population that was collectively in Fall – not respected, not listened to, not given any power, looked down on, ignored.

In addition to her women’s advocacy work, Barton’s work in nursing, and her care for the wounded and dying on the battlefields of the Civil War, is very much a Saturn Crone kind of a role – healer, caregiver, source of strength and support. Obviously she also saw her share of death and suffering, which can give a person the kind of understanding wisdom of age for those who can go through such experiences and keep their hearts open.

Death and suffering is part of the experience of Saturn, and the wisdom and compassion from that, which is the fruit of age, is Saturn as Old Crone.

I think it is clear that Clara Barton embodied a lot of the virtues of the Saturn as Crone archetype.

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This next example is the chart of Betty Friedan, pioneering feminist and author of the ground-breaking book, The Feminine Mystique.

Again, I want to concentrate just on Saturn.

Note that Saturn here is conjunct Jupiter, in 9th house of Philosophy, religion, teaching and publishing. Note also Saturn and Mercury have mutual reception by rulership. Note Saturn is conjunct the ruler of the Ascendant and in mutual reception with the ruler of the Midheaven, so Saturn is a key player in this chart. You also have the obvious link of Saturn with writing from the mutual reception with Mercury.

As a powerful example of Saturn as Crone in her life, Friedan published a book in her later years titled The Fountain of Age, examining the lives of people who found a way to make growing old a positive part of the cycle of their lives. I recall seeing her on a talk show shortly after she published the book, and thinking she was beautiful in a happy, self-accepting and serene sort of way.

In other words, she became Saturn as Crone in a very positive sense, and The Fountain of Age is the fruit of that. This is work on recovering the beauty, dignity and wisdom of getting old, especially for women.

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After I wrote the first draft of this post, I was amused to note the coincidence  that both these charts happen to have Saturn and Jupiter conjunct in a prominent location in the chart.

Interesting, yes?

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I am going to be pursuing this line of research into women exemplifying Saturn as Crone,  and writing further on the topic – and, to really do this right, I want to ask for your help.

I’m interested in talking with people who want to explore the symbolism of Saturn as Crone in their own charts and lives. This can be where you think Saturn manifests as a strong Crone figure in your life, an older woman who has been a source of inspiration and strength. Or, this can be where you feel that Saturn Crone qualities explain important roles you play in your own life.

If you would be willing to share or explore your own life experiences with Saturn as Crone with me, then please contact me – my email is, charlie@studentofastrology.com.

To really understand Saturn as feminine and Old Wise Crone, I think we need to discover, and make conscious, how that is actually being lived out in people’s lives today. We need to tell those stories, and we need to realize how very important and sacred they are.

And that, Gentle Reader, is why I am asking for your help.

Blessed Be,

Charlie Obert