Semi-Quintile Mercury – Saturn

(Transit. Mercury → Natal Saturn)

Avesalom Podvodny. Aspects

Mercury’s Decile: To express concern, one must actually possess it. In the areas ruled by the Planet, the individual’s thought processes and particularly rational reasoning will tend toward humanitarian aspects of corresponding issues. Verbally, the person will demand a humane approach and will be deeply offended by what they perceive as harsh remarks from others, interpreting them as inhumane. However, in this case, the connection between the Planet’s principle and Mercurial influence is weak; thus, on one hand, negative manifestations related to Mercury (for example, offensive words) have little direct impact on the areas governed by the Planet, although the person may believe otherwise. On the other hand, Mercury’s positive influence on the individual and on human spheres corresponding to the Planet has only a weak direct effect, though the person may not notice this. Therefore, they should strive either for subtle results or involve other planets to avoid appearing, from others’ perspective, an empty talker and demagogue who cares about others’ well-being only in words. Saturn’s Decile: People’s misfortune lies not only in their inability to recognize their own happiness – they also fail to understand each other. Interpretation of the aspect depends on the level of Saturn’s development, the Planet involved, and the horoscope as a whole. At low and intermediate levels, this aspect produces in the Planet’s spheres a specific kind of humanism – a desire to make people happy by maximally restricting their freedom, which (in the person’s view) quickly turns into freedom for evil: both external and internal. This individual sees (in the Planet’s areas) human and societal happiness in order, organization, rigid structure, and strict routine. With an afflicted Saturn, this may take horrific forms (totalitarianism, bureaucracy); with a harmonious Saturn, the person enthusiastically and with humanitarian zeal may, for example, participate in creating artificial environments that separate humanity from uncontrolled and anarchic nature – builders of modern machine civilization. Working through this aspect involves deep study of human nature, primarily as the reality of inner life, and along this path one can grasp many profound truths, especially if beginning with self-study and the structure of one’s inner world and subconscious in areas ruled by the Planet. Then, the rigidity of humanitarian convictions will be replaced by their depth, and in particular, the person will overcome pathological anxieties and feelings of vulnerability in areas related to the Planet (for example, an unprocessed decile Mars-Saturn produces a sense of human weakness and inability to withstand aggression, yet an acute sensitivity to its inhumanity).