The Relationship Between Neptune & Saturn
Spoiler Alert: They Need Each Other
In all my time on Tumblr, you'll notice I have been a GIANT advocate for Cancer placements and how they are so far away from what everyone portrays them as.
To speak in brain rot, some may call this glazing, some may say it's real, but there's one thing in particular that I want to talk about today that I haven't touched on yet even through all my advocacy.
The reason I haven't talked about it yet is because for a long time, I was still of the belief that this was a detrimental placement, until Mel and I were going through another idea for a newsletter and it dawned on us.
Saturn & Neptune
Saturn is often called the planet of restriction and control, and Neptune is often considered the planet of illusion and a lack of energetic boundaries.
Obviously, with these two interpretations, you would assume they don't get along very well, but what if I told you that's not the case?
What everyone tells you about Saturn in Cancer is that it's in its detriment, since it's the opposite sign to Capricorn, Saturn’s rulership.
You'll see many say it can cause extreme emotional hypersensitivity, or the exact opposite.
The home life will be unstable and likely full of conflict, the relationship with parents will be restricted and difficult, etc.
This is all going off of Cancer being ruled by the moon, which we should know by now, I do not believe.
Saturn and the moon don't have the best relationship, but it's not all bad either. Saturn is currently in Pisces, the sign that I believe the moon rules, and there has definitely been a focus on our relations with other people and the emotions we have floating around in our psyche, during this time.
However, Saturn and Neptune (which I believe rules Cancer) have a shockingly good relationship. They both want the same things, and Saturn is the one who actively pushes for them.
Saturn & Neptune’s Relationship
Saturn is all about balance between ego and soul, our human life and our immortal life.
Neptune is the soul, and the soul craves to be understood throughout each lifetime. This is where past life debts are developed.
Yes, Neptune represents our soul, and I know what you're thinking, “How can an outer planet represent our soul? Does everyone born in one generation have the same one?” and the answer is no.
Take a group of people and let's assume they all have Neptune in Capricorn. Their Neptune will not always have the same effect and display because some people will have different aspects to it, different house placements, and different degrees.
These aspects to Neptune act as channels of either innate understanding of the soul, or difficulty understanding the soul.
Neptune creates what needs to be understood, Saturn is the one who goes out and actively teaches us the lessons to help us understand. They work together.
If you make no effort to understand your soul, where you came from before this life (Neptune) and where you're going now/what you are here to learn (Saturn), you’re failing both Neptune and Saturn, which can be a painful lesson.
Since these two have such a great relationship, when they are in each other's signs (Saturn in Cancer, and Neptune in Capricorn), they're not doing too bad at all.
Saturn & Neptune in Each Other's Signs
Saturn and Neptune, in their classic rulerships, actually form a sextile to each other, so they have a bridge that would infer innate understanding of one another.
That's in Capricorn and Pisces, but we're talking about Capricorn and Cancer today.
In this case, the two oppose each other, but an opposition that has been brought into balance, much like a square, is an understanding that was difficult to achieve, but can never be lost.
We've already seen the Neptune in Capricorn generation, and a solid amount of them are responsible for communicating spiritual topics in an easily digestible way. Take Dan Koe for example.
Neptune moves into Aries next year, and personally I'm very excited to see what that'll bring for us.
Saturn is in Cancer once every 29 or so years, so we've seen plenty of people with Saturn in Cancer already, and the best example I can give you of the energy it brings to a natal chart is David Goggins (#stayhard).
I don't wanna go too far into detail about that example just yet because Mel and I are saving it for an entire other newsletter (the one that made this one spawn out of nowhere).
Cancer is a powerhouse sign, more like the powerhouse sign. Yeah, it's not really Aries or Scorpio, it's Cancer.
Don't get me wrong, those two signs are incredibly powerful, but Aries burns out and Scorpio can stagnate, Cancer does neither.
To put it simply, similar to Saturn in Aries, Saturn in Cancer gives an unshakeable willpower. It gives a determination like no other, one that absolutely cannot be challenged, not even by Saturn in Aries.
Fire can burn out or be snuffed out. Water can evaporate but even then, it comes back as rain eventually.
Saturn is a planet that needs an infinite well of energy to be able to masterfully act out its karmic lessons, and those karmic lessons are to push us closer to understanding Neptune and therefore, our soul.
Cancer, being ruled by Neptune (in my opinion, of course), gives Saturn the opportunity to do what it does best: bridge the gap.
Saturn in Cancer: Bridging The Gap
Saturn in Cancer is effectively a placement that puts willpower and life force into practice. People with this placement may be able to push themselves much harder than anyone else, like David Goggins, the pinnacle of this energy.
Interestingly, the willpower and life force in this placement does not come from Saturn, but instead it comes from Neptune.
Something I've noticed in many Cancer placements, especially Cancer risings, is they have an unfathomable rage rooted deep within them that can move mountains.
This anger often presents itself as some sort of primordial force that they can tap into very easily, because Cancer risings specifically are essentially the one time the 4th house moves above ground, and I'll write a newsletter about that in the future, don't worry.
So that got me thinking, “why is it always Cancer risings that have that?” “What is it about Neptune that drags along with it anger?”.
And I wish I had the answer, but right now I only have theories.
Neptune, Cancer & Anger
One theory I have is this:
We have all lived multiple lifetimes by now, some were much more difficult than others.
Neptune is like a databank of all of this life experience.
When this life experience is forced to be filtered through the lens of the human mind, we think what we went through is unfair. The pain we felt was unnecessary.
In the afterlife, separate from our vessels, we know it all had a point. It was just to learn.
But as humans in this life, we don't understand that, so we get angry, operating off of the assumption that what we went through was unfair or unnecessary.
Another theory I have that I think is more accurate, but I haven't figured it out completely yet, is that anger is a primordial force.
It's something that genuinely is buried deep within our souls, and Cancer risings just tend to have access to it more than any other sign, because Neptune is their life force, their driver in this life.
The reason a Cancer rising’s anger is unmistakable is because of how bigger than themselves it is. It can lead to injuries because their body just has no capacity for it.
That anger is also their driving force. They use it to their advantage when they feel like they can't go on anymore, and it literally lights a fire under their ass and gets them to keep going.
Circling Back To Saturn
This is why Saturn in Cancer is so strong.
Most people don't like Saturn's lessons, but with Saturn in Cancer, you have an unlimited well of energy to just keep going, no matter what that planet throws at you.
“I'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired” (Sleep Token, Take Me Back to Eden) is the epitome of Cancer energy.
Saturn in Cancer specifically though is a little more limited. Saturn isn't the planet of restriction, but it can confine Cancer energy just slightly.
Mel: I think it’s less about confining and more about attempting to define Cancer’s energy which can lead to a type of confinement - I’d say more of a focus.
It dilutes the rage Cancer has and converts most of it into just pure drive. So you might not see someone with Saturn in Cancer have the same fire in their eyes as a Cancer rising.
I think the rage of Cancer is diluted in almost any planet though, and it's at its fullest when it has something vast like the ascendant to occupy.
Mel: I think the only exception here might be Mars in Cancer. Mars comes with its own rage, which Cancer can amplify. I’ll elaborate more below.
Neptune is the one that gives Cancer a home to calm down in, but still be itself. When Cancer is on the ascendant, it has infinite room to be angry and energetic.
The downside of this is nervous energy and finding it very difficult to calm down.
Mel: I agree, I think Cancer on the ascendant is too free to be itself, it has nothing to channel its energy into. I think this is the case with all ascendants, but most noticeable with Cancer.
Other Planets in Cancer
Saturn isn't the only one that benefits greatly from Neptune's sign, though it's most likely the one that benefits the most.
Mars is often considered in its fall in Cancer, because it's exalted in Capricorn, but Mars in Cancer can manifest very similarly to Saturn in Cancer. Once again, it bestows determination and the strength to do difficult or painful things.
Mel adds: You probably also like metal music with this placement. 😂 Mars in cancer is all about action, and this can lead to an exacerbation of the Cancer anger. ESPECIALLY, if there is something holding this Mars back, like a Capricorn or Taurus ascendant (Virgo is mutable and so is less likely to hold Mars back). This can lead to the anger being expressed as anxiety because it’s repressed.
Like Saturn in Cancer, Mars in Cancer can lead to a willpower that is unmatched, because Cancer gives the fiery planet Mars the infinite energy it needs to do what needs to be done, even when Mars’ fire burns out. Mars also has the benefit of being able to strategize and use this energy “wisely,” assuming it’s not afflicted or held back/caged.
This placement may also manifest as more physical “hard things.” Things like fitness, particularly hard exercise like weight lifting, make this Mars placement very happy and helps burn up some of the excess energy Mars may have in Cancer.
I think what is really special about this placement though, is it’s lust for life, which I believe it has more of over Saturn in Cancer. Mars is fire, a passionate element, and Cancer is water, meaning it feels emotions more deeply and in connection with the soul (Neptune). Put the two together and you have someone who is madly in love with life and its lessons.
They won’t give up because they love their lives so deeply, even if it isn’t the life they believe they should have. This makes them push through any struggles. They know that life is about the journey, not the destination. In fact, this may be the one placement that allows the conscious mind (not the unconscious) to actually connect to the soul. This may be the placement that allows the soul to actually fully live the human experience.
Contrary to popular belief in modern astrology, water and fire need each other. Put the two together in real life and you get steam. What can steam do? Power a locomotive… a locomotive like Saturn.
Mercury in Cancer is considered a weak placement, but it can actually make someone incredibly good at talking and especially getting their points across.
Mel: Mercury in Cancer can also act like Gemini. They can more easily understand others, and since Mercury is hyperobservant by nature, in Cancer, it can pick up on peoples emotions allowing it to pivot a train of thought to more readily connect with the listener. This also makes Mercury really good at listening to and actually empathizing with others because they can more easily see the other person’s perspective and relate it to their own perception.
Jupiter in Cancer is considered to be exalted, but for the wrong reasons. It's considered exalted because Jupiter seeks expansion of the consciousness, and our mothers are our first teachers.
I say Jupiter in Cancer is strong because Jupiter is looking for meaning and the bigger picture in life, and Cancer, under Neptune's rulership, shows it exactly what it's looking for.
Neptune & Nothingness
I've done so much research and had so many theories as of late that I'll be making a tumblr post about this, but Neptune, like any planet, has two sides.
Neptune’s two sides can be summed up in two Egyptian deities, Apep and Ma’at.
Apep (or Apophis) was the Egyptian snake god of darkness and disorder, and was the opposite to Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of order and truth.
So on one hand, Neptune is the devourer, the abyss, the nothing (by Korn 😂) and on the other, Neptune is pure truth, strength, balance, and infinite life, since the soul never dies.
This is why Neptune can be so painful. It can singlehandedly destroy your life if you ignore its calling, just like Saturn, but it can bless you with so much at the same time.
The outer planets are beyond powerful, and yet Neptune is boiled down to being the higher octave of Venus and associated with Hollywood and fame, when it has nothing to do with that.
Cancer as a sign is boiled down to being a whiny crybaby, Capricorn is boiled down to being all business and finances, Aries is boiled down to an impulsive toddler, and Saturn is boiled down to restriction and control.
Mel: I agree. I’m not sure when these planets/signs became about just one thing. Maybe because humans need simple archetypes to understand, but there is so much more to all the planets and signs. Our astrological chart is a picture of our soul’s plan for this life. These planets and signs cannot be completely superficial because the soul is not superficial in any way.
Neptune & Saturn: Best Friends
So, to summarize, Neptune and Saturn are absolute best friends for life. 🤘🏻
Neptune and Cancer supply the energy that Saturn needs, and in turn, Saturn bridges the gap between soul and human life.
Neptune creates and houses what needs to be understood (the soul), Saturn is the one who goes out and actively teaches us the lessons to help us reach that understanding.
Contrary to popular belief, Neptune isn't boundless and Saturn struggles to define it because of that, they actually get along quite well.
Brightest Blessings,
Sam :)