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Mercury Saturn Connections

To understand the concept of Mercury Saturn connections, we first have to go back into the past for a moment.

In the early 80s a "new" approach of assessing major themes in a natal chart saw the light by the "invention" of the so-called "ZIP Code."

It was a method invented by Dr. Zipporah Dobyns (hence the name "ZIP Code") and further propagated by her daughter Maritha Pottenger, that made use of the so-called astrological alphabet.

The concept of the astrological alphabet is that astrology deals with twelve basic ways of being, twelve human drives and modes of operation that are all needed in this world.

These twelve sides of life are mirrored in the natal chart by a planet, a house and a sign.

So it is in the astrological alphabet that Mars, the 1st house and Aries all share the same principles (though they are NOT the same!).

Venus, the 2nd house and Taurus also share the same principles and this goes on for the other planets, signs and houses.

What the theory of the ZIP Code or astrological alphabet presents is that certain groups of planet/house/sign combinations share similar themes.

For example: Pluto in Libra or Pluto in the 7th house share the same principles. The 7th house is in mundane astrology a Libra house (wathever zodiac sign is on the cusp of the 7th house in the natal chart).

This system has been enhanced by German astrologers who developed their own system based on the same principles but they converted the signs and houses to their respective planetary rulers.

For example: Pluto in Libra becomes a Venus/Pluto theme because Venus always rules Libra. Pluto in the 7th house too becomes a Venus/Pluto theme because the 7th house is associated with Libra, which is ruled by Venus in mundane astrology.

Also, the ruler of the 8th house (in mundane astrology ruled by Pluto because Pluto rules Scorpio and Scorpio is always the 8th zodiac sign in the natural order of the zodiac) in the 2nd house (in mundane astrology ruled by Venus as the ruler of Taurus) is another Venus-Pluto analogy.

The more we find such analogies, themes or connections between two planets, the more this planetary combination becomes an important part of the natal chart and the life of the native.

To find out the connections or analogies between planets, we take especially into account:

• planets in signs
• planets in houses
• the aspects between planets (the tighter the stronger)
• the rulerships
• solstice or mirror points

Planets in houses are more important and powerful than the planets in the signs because they work on a more personal and individual level (we use the Topocentric house system which gives almost the same results as the Placidus house system).

When do we have Mercury Saturn connections, themes or analogies?

In most cases, the following configurations are used (there are more though (!) but this would lead us too far and make it more complicated than necessary):

• Mercury in the 10th house
• Saturn in the 3rd or 6th house
• the ruler of the 10th house in the 3rd or 6th house
• the ruler of the 3rd or 6th house in the 10th house
• Mercury in a close conjunction, square or opposition with Saturn (a close sextile or trine counts too but in a minor way)
• Mercury at the solstice or mirror point of Saturn
• Saturn in Gemini or Virgo
• Mercury in Capricorn

When at least three of the above listed analogies or connections can be found in the natal chart, we have a very powerful Mercury Saturn connection that will be felt and noticed in the character and life of the native.

What do Mercury Saturn connections signify?

When cerebral and communicative Mercury is connected to defensive and detached Saturn, the intellect serves as a defense mechanism and all (life) experiences tend to be filtered in a rational and detached way.

In other words, people with such strong Mercury Saturn connections often reflect the 'primacy of the intellect' and may have it difficult to be be empaths and show feelings.

This can be a calculated connection or affinity that can be welcomed in a business-minded setting or world but that is rather difficult in matters of love and romance.

It's a critical connection, questioning everything and even rejecting everything that cannot be expressed or explained rationally.

It's the connection or affinity of skepticism, often involving a rather narrow mindset and not being able to see the bigger, more complex picture, the larger Whole.

Systematic thinkers, like programmers and scientists who need to be structured and well-organized, often have this connection predominant in the natal horoscope.

People with powerful Mercury-Saturn connections in the natal horoscope are often deep thinkers, who build a fence around them, leaving them solitary in their own (intellectual) bubble that nobody is allowed to enter.

Hence, it's a connection pointing to loneliness, quite demanding to the outer world as the external environment has to prove itself worthy to enter the world of the nativity with the powerful Mercury-Saturn connection.

People with such a predominant connection enjoy rejection as it makes them stronger and in the 'upper-hand role' but, in a later phase of development or stage, this may result in frigidity and discontent.

In some instances, this connection coincides with either an anemic constitution (a lack of vitality and being too analytic) and/or a diabetic constitution (not being able 'to be sweet').

Issues with (a) sibling(s), often lead(s) to a separation or detaching oneself from them.

The lack of empathy and/or feelings often results in cynical remarks, unfulfilled longings, and the inability to let any tears.

In matters of love and romance, it is found that this connection or affinity, attracts partners who are 'out of reach', or differ a lot in age and/or are just unavailable (for whatever reason).

In whatever way, there is a distance between the partners, some kind of a separation that prevents meeting each other a lot and/or that blocks getting together at all.

'Love' grows the more partners are out of reach and diminishes the more partners meet personally and get closer physically and/or emotionally.

The saying 'the one that I long for, I cannot have; the one that I can have, I don't long for' makes perfectly sense with this connection.

Love relationships only exist because the partners are both cerebral and/or are both living together because of friendship and/or like experiencing a brother and sister relationship.

The female partner especially may lack emotional support, which evolves into frigidity, after starting to 'complain' about the detached behavior of the other partner -- neglecting or forgetting the fact there even was never any emotional bond from the beginning...

In other words, both partners lived in separate worlds from the beginning but their imagination prevented them seeing and experiencing it, and so come they got together to live and experience the division.

Only this way, by this learning experience, partners can become conscious and develop further.

Emotions are being taken over by fear and anxiety for almost anything.

People with predominant Mercury-Saturn connections try to analyze any situation to counteract any dangers and traps.

Both Mercury and Saturn are rather passive planets, making that people with a Mercury-Saturn connection tend to wait, hesitate until the moment is right.

Hence, there are often periods in life during which the natives tend to withdraw.

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