Saturn In Pisces: The Mirror Maze | 2024
March 7th, 2023 - February 13th, 2026
Sometimes an image or metaphor penetrates your mind, and will not leave you alone. Even building on itself and evolving, refusing to be ignored. The following is such a creature, insisting on coming into the world.
I tend to visualize the horoscope signs as landscapes. Territories that the celestial bodies pass through, with each acting on the other for that time. Of the water signs, Pisces comes to my mind as open ocean, where Cancer strikes me as the tide pools, and Scorpio the trenches where leviathans lurk. When the cold, dry presence of Saturn slowly makes its way through the unbounded sea of Pisces, things don’t stay unbounded for long. They begin to gel and freeze, impeding what once was free flow.1
At first, the marine life feels the chill, and this causes everything to slow down. The creative waters of Pisces begin to lurch, and we are forced to sit with ourselves more as our outlets become less fluid. To reflect on our emotions and their formulation, rather than simply feeling them and expressing them without examination. And what creative outlet we do have access to must be approached in a structured way. A moment of currents and directed flow.
As this cold, constricting presence lingers, the waters freeze solid, but not as a singular, undefined mass. With the Great Definer at work, they freeze into an exquisite refractory palace, whose inner-most reaches form a vast and unfathomable labyrinth of translucent mirrors. Imagine the shock of a fish or a mermaid, swimming through familiar and once-open waters, only to bump right into its own reflection. Pisces nature tends to just do and be, navigating by feel without considering why. The constriction and interruption is jarring here, but necessary. A sudden mystery, begging us into its chambers.
Called in by some haunting siren song to move through winding channels toward unknown destinations, surrounded by reflections of oneself; some of which may be grotesque distortions, blurring the sense of self. You may turn a corner and find an oceanic monstrosity frozen in place, or a long downward slide through an arboreal tunnel. A place of otherworldly beauty and inspired awe, mingled with swells of momentary terror at the thought of feeling trapped, or taking distortion for reality. Strangely, all these experiences feel somehow measured; a labyrinth tailored exactly to the dimensions of your psychic topography in order to evoke responses and shifts. Like the house knows what it’s doing. Remember, it is made of the waters of you. You may end up stumbling through a gallery of personal trauma.
With all this captive energy influencing the emotional realm, we may suddenly find ourselves able to draw emotional boundaries where we previously could not, especially those with Pisces placements (thank goodness). We may even find that those emotional boundaries simply materialize without our doing, to our own surprise. We may enter into relationship with those who have very deep-reaching reflections for us, especially in the psychic, emotional, or creative realms. Companions placed in our path by the Saturnian machinations of this place. Pisces folk may gravitate toward abnormal relations with other Pisces folk specifically.
It would be a mistake not to mention the other planetary influences involved here. Neptune, the modern ruler of Pisces, is still in its domicile, even if only on the outer boundary. This provides a dream-like quality to your stroll through the labyrinth, but also scales up the fun-house mirror effect and the danger of delusion and escapism. Especially for those who tend to cope with drugs. Do not forget that mazes have entrances and exits! You must see your way out.
At the same time, we saw Mars moving into a conjunction with Saturn on April 10th (coming right off the solar eclipse in Aries), activating the energies described above. When the two malefics get together, you can be sure that the results will be uncomfortable at the least, and often costly. There is a burst of energy to smash through stagnation or stale-mates, but such applications of force come with the risk of great violence, or even sabotaging oneself by jumping the gun. Saturn has organized all his next moves, and is rankled as Mars shows up making rash decisions and jeopardizing his best-laid plans (bringing to mind that Saturn is in his fall in Aries). They irritate each other, and then take it out on you.
The hot, dynamic Mars saw to blasting through the icy innards of this oceanic palace as he passed. Progress we have made in the maze could be lost as the walls reform in new and jagged shapes. Or maybe we found a way to smash through them ourselves, dispelling illusions or strengthening resolve when all hope seemed lost. A burst of creative agency and vital restoration in a chilly, disorienting museum. At the same time, this may mean those fortified emotional boundaries start to develop an edge, or even become explosive. Especially with the deeply-personal psychic attunement of Pisces nature underneath any conflict, coupled with the Saturnian long-game that holds onto old wounds.
We could be left to reflect on our own capacities for violence as part of our continued journey through the labyrinth.
As an aside, I will relate some personal experiences with this transit just to better illustrate it. This is purely for the purpose of giving you points of reflection:
On the 9th, (coming right off the solar eclipse) with Mars applying to Saturn, I had an argument with loved ones revolving around deep family issues.
Had a noticeably and uncharacteristically conflict-driven day on the 17th, as Mars exited the Decan of Pisces occupied by Saturn. At that time I drew an uncompromising but necessary boundary with a person, which severed a connection. That same day, I also opened the door with another creative whose works have a curious mirroring effect with my own, and with deep experience that has been plumbed up from my personal spiritual history as a result. An unlikely sharing of warmth in the depths.
Mars will be transiting Neptune on the 28th of April, bringing an active surge to one’s engagement with the imaginal. Beware, as personal delusions can create volatility (more than usual) around this time.
All-in-all, this Saturn in Pisces moment is a rare opportunity to have a structured encounter with one’s unconscious, and find it reflected in the world. Saturn has built you a semi-safe container for this exploration. This is not to needlessly beguile you, but to show you the walls of the maze you were already lost within. To teach you how to structure your own imaginal realms and truly build your palace. Pay attention to the experiences you have here; there is a wealth of knowledge and treasure to be hauled back to dry land.
Update 3/7/2025:
After writing this article, I would discover that in Austin Coppock’s 36 Faces, he writes about the First Decan of Pisces as ‘The Labyrinth’. This was completely unknown to me when the ice palace imagery came to me, and as I was writing this article. This bit of post-publishing confirmation was a mind blower.
I was pleased to find that his entries on the subject are quite similar to my own (though vastly more eloquent, of course), even mentioning siren songs and deep labyrinths of images and constructs beneath the waves. Of Saturn in Pisces Decan I, he writes:
“Saturn’s time in the first face of Pisces opens a door into the labyrinth. Images can crafted here to reinforce a particular reality structure, earthing and
hardening dreams. Contemplative work with Saturn in this face will reveal
the nature of the story one has superimposed upon their life, and the degree
to which it works to imprison and protect.”
I share this passage in hopes that it does not offend, because to leave this out would be to leave out a deep synchronistic confirmation that blessed me in the course of exploring these ideas. I believe this acts to strengthen these significations and themes, as they seem to have reached us independently of one another.
I will also note that last year, when Saturn was in Pisces Decan II, envisioned as ‘The Net’, I had a veritable Siren encounter in my life which began on the exact day Saturn went retrograde; and I was released from the clutches on the exact day that Saturn stationed direct. I failed to lash myself to the mast and paid for it. This lends something to the ensnaring and punishing influence of Saturn, residing in a Decan literally envisioned as a nautical trap. The Siren may be the Saturn in Pisces mascot par excellence.
On the up-side of ‘Net’ effects, I did make a lot of progress in my meager blogging and professional astrology efforts. It ain’t much, but it’s more than I’ve ever built of and for myself. And I do sincerely believe that it has saved my life between last year and now.
So thank you again to everyone for your reading and encouragement! It has been dearly, dearly appreciated. More than you know.
Saturn entered Pisces in March of 2023. At the time of this writing, it is right in the middle of the mutable water sign.