A Hymn

To truly begin, I ask that the reader indulges me in a hymn to Saturn before we dig into the meat behind it.

“Etherial father, mighty Titan, hear, great fire of Gods and men, whom all revere:

Endu’d with various council, pure and strong, to whom perfection and decrease belong.

Consum’d by thee all forms that hourly die, by thee restor’d, their former place supply;

The world immense in everlasting chains, strong and ineffable thy pow’r contains

Father of vast eternity, divine, O mighty Saturn, various speech is thine:

Blossom of earth and of the starry skies, husband of Rhea, and Prometheus wife.

Obstetric Nature, venerable root, from which the various forms of being shoot;

No parts peculiar can thy pow’r enclose, diffus’d thro’ all, from which the world arose,

O, best of beings, of a subtle mind, propitious hear to holy pray’rs inclin’d;

The sacred rites benevolent attend, and grant a blameless life, a blessed end.”

– Orphic Hymn to Cronus

Basic Definition

To get a high level introduction to Saturn, I will center discussion around the essence that Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens provides in his Anthologies, at the end of Book I. We will return to the more specific list of significations once we have a firm grasp on the fundamental nature of Saturn.

Valens uses two words to describe the very essence of Saturn: ἄγνοια and ἀνάγκη. Let’s address these two terms in order to gain a baseline understanding of what Saturn is all about.

• ἄγνοια (agnoia) is a noun formed from the root word γιγνώσκω (gignosko), which means “to know” or “to be aware of”. The ἀ- prefix negates or makes the meaning opposite, and the suffix -ια simply makes it into an abstract noun. The meaning of ἄγνοια is pretty simple, then: the concept of not knowing, of being unaware. This is usually translated as ignorance.
• ἀνάγκη (anagke/ananke) is a noun with a less clear origin, so I won’t speculate on that. The meaning of ἀνάγκη is force, constraint, or necessity.

So, why did Valens choose these terms to explain the essence of Saturn? If this is the heart of Saturn laid bare, what exactly does it mean? Let’s explore each concept in further depth.

Agnoia

We start our discussion with agnoia. I mentioned that this is usually translated as ignorance. While that is a correct and accurate term to describe it on the face of it, we tend to think it connotes malicious intent or an inescapable deficiency. I think it is much more palatable to liken it to the term agnosticism, which is similar in formation and meaning to our word, agnoia. It is quite simply a lack of perception, insight, awareness, familiarity, and knowledge. Saturn’s essence is this agnoia.

Very commonly, this is used to associate Saturn with what is secret, concealed, or hidden. These things are unknown to us, so it should make sense why they are under the agnoia umbrella. Whether or not they are intentional secrets or not does not really matter.

To illustrate the concept of agnoia in a more spiritual context, I point to the Hermetic tradition. In the Hermetic worldview, a soul that is being incarnated has to go through the domain of each planet. The first step of incarnation is Saturn’s, in which our soul has to forget its own divinity and oneness. This is the agnoia of Saturn, the fundamental deception or unawareness.

An interesting continuation of this in Hermetic texts is that this “forgetting” that the soul has to do is said to be where vices stem from. It makes logical sense that if the soul forgets its own divinity and is no longer aware of or perceiving the divine good, then it can begin to stray from whatever that objective goodness is. That is, a sinner sins because they are separated and unaware of the divine good. If they could truly see the light, they wouldn’t partake in their vice.

Ananke

We can explore a couple of senses of the term ananke. Ananke is force, constraint, necessity. When something is necessitated, it must be so. Necessity is the concept of unavoidability. When something happens by necessity, it is forced to happen. That is, it’s irresistible, undeniable, impossible to avoid. This is a pretty simple concept in and of itself.

Another sense of the word ananke is compulsion. This should bring to mind any instance of a superior enforcing some form of compulsory action upon you. This could be as simple as a parent putting you in time out, or it could be more serious forms of compulsion, such as punishment or torture. These are all things that are exerted upon you by a superior, and the main component is that you can’t escape it. In this vein, a useful symbol for Saturn is the chains. Chains that bind you to where you’re at, the constraint of being in shackles. As an extension of this concept of compulsion, specifically from the more torturous aspects of it, ananke can also refer to pain or anguish, being forced to withstand punishment or consequence.

Those are the more mundane meanings of the word ananke. To personify things a bit more, there is also an Orphic deity named Ananke. She is the personification of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity. She served a crucial role in the formation of the cosmos, and she is constantly and tirelessly at work, subjecting every immortal and mortal being to the decrees of necessity. It is through her that things are made necessary and inevitable. Ananke is also the mother of Adrasteia, the goddess of rewards and punishments. She also birthed the Moirai, also known as the Fates.

So, ananke also has a relationship to the concept of justice. Punishment and reward as stipulated necessary by law is justice as we know it. Not only that, but ananke also has a relationship to fate: if something is primordially necessary, as signified by the decree of Ananke, then it is akin to deterministic fate. That which is compulsory is fated to happen. Whether you try to escape it or not, it is inevitable.

Saturn’s Essence

We now have the fundamental core of Saturn: it is agnoia and ananke, unfamiliarity and inevitability. I want to clarify here that I don’t mean Saturn imposes these things upon you. Saturn is these things. Any time you are feeling unfamiliar with something, that feeling is Saturn. Any situation where you are being compelled to do something and you don’t have a choice, that is Saturn. Saturn’s innate nature is that of agnoia and ananke.

So… Significations?

Now it is hopefully more clear how ancient astrological authors developed their lists of significations for Saturn. They are simply listing things that have the essence of Saturn. Let’s walk through an example. We return to Book I of Valens’s Anthologies.

“The star of Kronos makes those born under it concerned about trifles, slanderers, those who bring themselves into disrepute, solitary, deceitful, those who conceal their deceit, austere, downcast, those who have a feigned appearance, squalid, black-clad, importunate, of sorrowful countenance, miserable, given to sailing, those who work at waterside trades. And it causes depressions, torpors, inactions, interferences with what is being done, long-lasting punishments, dismantlings of things, concealments, constrictions, bonds, griefs, accusations, tears, cases of orphanhood, captivities, exposures. It also make laborers and farmers because it has authority over the earth. It produces tax and customs collectors, and forced activities. It procures great reputation and notable rank, guardianships and the administration of the affairs of others, and fathers of the children of others.”

Now, let’s actually break this down by signification and attempt to explain each from our first principles of agnoia and ananke.

• Significations about personality
  • Concerned about trifles: this is related to both agnoia and ananke. Somebody who is concerned about trifles or is petty either doesn’t know what is actually important, or they dealing with things that have to be handled even though they seem inglorious.
  • Slanderers: First of many mentions of deception and lying. This is evocative of agnoia. Somebody who doesn’t know the truth has to speak in lies.
  • Brings themselves into disrepute: Relevant to agnoia and ananke. If one isn’t aware of what’s reputable, they will fall into disrepute. If one does something disreputable, it is ananke that deems they inevitably get their punishment in this case.
  • Solitary: Mostly related to agnoia. Somebody who is solitary is distant, unknown, unfamiliar. They keep themselves secret and hide away from the world.
  • Deceitful: Again, if somebody is unaware of the truth, they must be deceitful in some capacity (whether it’s intentional or not).
  • Conceals their own deceit: I read this as somebody who doubles down on their “lie”. Remember, this can be purposeful lying or unintentional mistruths. In either case, they are hiding or trying to explain away their own unawareness.
  • Austere: This is similar to solitariness. Somebody who is austere is very held back or does not reveal much. So they are once again a bit of a secret, an unknown. Austerity can also be harsh or bitter, which dovetails with the punishing aspect of ananke.
  • Downcast: I relate this mostly to ananke. Specifically, thinking of somebody who is experiencing that anguish. I suppose you could also spin it as related to agnoia- somebody who doesn’t see the light in life will be pretty gloomy.
  • Feigned appearance: This is another lie-related one. They appear one way but are another. They are once again hiding themselves, similar to the austere or solitary person.
  • Squalid: Related to agnoia and ananke: both dirtiness and moral dirtiness require that you either don’t know standards or are in some way not allowed to follow them. The Greek word here literally means dry or parched, so evokes the imagery of being uncared for.
  • Black-clad: This is similar to being downcast and squalid. Black is usually considered to be a secretive sort of color, like what you’d wear at night to rob somebody.
  • Importunate: This is related to ananke and agnoia. Being importunate means being persistent to the point of being annoying or obstructive. Compulsory things have this quality. It also makes me think of the first signification about being petty or concerned with trifles. You wouldn’t be importunate if you knew what was actually important, unless it is necessary.
  • Sorrowful countenance: Similar to being downcast, above.
  • Miserable: Again, similar to being downcast.
  • Given to sailing: This and the next one are perhaps the most puzzling ones. Perhaps this has to do with the many dangers that being on the sea posed.
  • Works at waterside trades: This one poses a similar conundrum as the previous one. I don’t know if working near/on the water was considered labor for the needy, or if it produced a lot of downcast types.
• Events
  • Depressions: This has to do with ananke. Again, all of the anguish and difficulty that comes with having things imposed upon you. This can be taken in many ways: financial depression, dejection, general negatives.
  • Torpors: This is related to both agnoia and ananke. Torpor is a state of apathy, inactivity, slowness. The only reason you would be in this state is that you either don’t know what to do (agnoia) or something is holding from doing it (ananke).
  • Inactions: Similar to torpors, inaction is a result of not knowing that there’s anything to do/how to do it or being compelled not to do it.
  • Interferences: Similar to depressions above. An interference is something imposed upon you, a compulsory obstacle.
  • Long-lasting punishments: Readily relates to ananke. Punishment is often how we experience our superiors compelling us to do something.
  • Dismantlings: Similar to interferences. A dismantling is the destruction or obstruction of what we have established, which forces us to return to it and handle it.
  • Concealments: Related to agnoia. Concealed things are unknown to us, secrets that we do not know.
  • Constrictions: Related to ananke. Constraints that hold us to doing something or prevent us from doing things.
  • Bonds: Related to ananke. Bonds are just physical constraints.
  • Griefs: Related to depressions above. We experience grief in response to punishments or things imposed upon us.
  • Accusations: Similar to the mentions of slander and lies. An accusation implies it is not necessarily true. Either that, or an accusation is an impediment or interference that griefs us.
  • Tears: This is a pretty easy leap from understanding everything above. If something gives grief or it is depressing, it’ll make you cry.
  • Cases of orphanhood: Relates to agnoia and ananke. Being an orphan usually means not knowing your parents. Being an orphan is also a bit punishing, or you have to scrape to get by.
  • Captivities: Kidnapping and captivity are similar to bonds above. Literally being compelled to be in a certain place by somebody who has physically overpowered you.
  • Exposures: This refers to an infant being left out in the elements, usually because the child was illegitimate or the parents could not afford to take care of them. This seems pretty similar to the orphanhood mention. It’s also more severe in terms of being forced into a deadly situation by a superior (in this case, whoever it was that left you outside).
• Activities/Occupations
  • Laborers and farmers: I mostly relate this to ananke. Being a laborer or farmer usually is done out of necessity, somebody has to do it. Not only that, but it can be quite punishing work, physically taxing. Unless it’s a case of indentured servitude, this is more so the economy or nature necessitating that this work be done.
  • Tax and customs collectors: This is mostly ananke. It is similar to the interferences or constrictions above. You are forced to pay taxes by the government, so there has to be a tax collector.
  • Forced activities: Very simply related to ananke. Ananke is quite literally things that you are being forced to do. There’s an implication here that the forced activity is an occupation that is ill-suited or outside the norm, which again relates fairly easily.
• Results
  • Great reputation and notable rank: This one is understandably odd after the long list of compulsory and trudge-y things above. The point being made here, I think, is that being willing to do what needs to be done means you clear your debt and you get clean. You have to slave away in the trenches before you can work your way up to greatness. Or more simply, a rags to riches story.
  • Guardianships and administration of the affairs of others: This has to do with agnoia. You are managing affairs that aren’t yours, they are unfamiliar/don’t belong to you. This has an element of ananke to it as well, it sounds like the nice version of a burden being imposed upon you.
  • Fathers of the children of others: Similar to the mentions of orphanhood above, just in reverse. Also similar to the previous item. Taking care of other people’s children means handling a child that is biologically unfamiliar to you, as well as it being an added burden, another mouth to feed.

So now it should be clear that the essence of Saturn truly does explain the basis of all of the significations given. The essence of Saturn can be seen in the presence of all of these above things in our lives, not to mention the infinitely many other things that can happen in a life that have the essence of unfamiliarity and compulsion.