Every zodiac sign has its own element and modality. 

Analyzing the sign of your natal Saturn by considering these principles will give you clues about your Saturn return. 

Today, let’s focus on the concept of elements in astrology. 

But if you want to know directly about the sign of your natal Saturn, check this introductory text. 

This is the table of contents for today:

1. Elements in Astrology
2. Elements in Your Natal Chart
   1. Saturn in Fire
   2. Saturn in Earth
   3. Saturn in Air
   4. Saturn in Water
3. Journaling Prompts to Understand the Element of Your Natal Saturn

Ready? Let’s go!

Elements in Astrology

The concept of the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water dates back to Ancient Greece.

Presocratic philosopher Empedocles considered that these four elements comprised all the structures of the world. Therefore, each element had a vital role. 

In astrology, the four elements represent approaches to experience, ways of living, and a particular disposition to handle existence. 

Each of the twelve Zodiac signs corresponds to one of the elements, and every fourth sign shares the same element. This means that there are three signs to each element: 

• The 1st, 5th, and 9th signs are Fire signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius
• The 2nd, 6th, and 10th signs are Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn
• The 3rd, 7th, and 11th signs are Air signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
• The 4th, 8th, and 12th signs are Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

The neighboring signs on the chart wheel, each belonging to a different element and modality, don’t share many common characteristics. This often means they see each other as challenging.

For example, Scorpio and Sagittarius seem pretty alien, even though they are next to each other in the zodiac wheel. One of the reasons they clash so much is that one has positive polarity, and the other has negative polarity. 

Related: What Is the Natal Chart? Astrology 101

Earth and Water signs have negative polarity. 

“Negative” doesn’t have a bad connotation in this context. Think of it as the negative part of a battery: It’s not better or worse than the positive part. It’s just different and serves a different function. 

Negative signs are receptive, introverted, and quieter. 

Fire and Air have positive polarity, meaning they are social, extroverted, and louder. 

Signs belonging to the same element share some common characteristics but are also unique in their own right. This is why we have 12 zodiac signs and not just four. 

Elements in Your Natal Chart

Assessing the balance of elements in your natal chart offers a remarkable overview of your approach to life and relationships. 

Each element and how it manifests in your natal chart contains the strengths and challenges you’ll encounter throughout life.  

Some natal charts have a balanced distribution of elements. But most of them don’t. 

If your birth chart has many planets in one element, this will manifest as the ability to engage with the topics the element represents. 

Instead, if you only have one planet or no planets in an element, the area of life represented by it will feel challenging. You may engage with it by overcompensating and developing a fixation. 

You can analyze the balance of your birth chart. To do it, focus on the elements of the traditional planets, your Ascendant, and your MC. 

In this instance, you should ignore the transpersonal planets because they spend years in the same sign.

Related: Astrology Basics: Your Birth Chart States of Consciousness

People from the same generation will have these planets in the same element.

Therefore, transpersonal planets don’t “count” when assessing the abundance or lack of that element. 

These are the planets and angles you have to check out: 

• Sun
• Moon
• Mercury
• Mars
• Venus
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Ascendant (rising)
• MC

Don’t worry if you have a lot of planets in one element and a lack of representatives in another one.

Your life will offer plenty of opportunities to connect with the missing element (or elements.)

You’ll usually achieve this balance by engaging with people who have the elements you lack. 

Without further ado, let’s analyze Saturn by element using Bil Tierney’s Twelve Faces of Saturn: Your Guardian Angel Planet.

Saturn in Fire

Saturn is a practical and cautious planet. The Fire signs are highly spiritual and like to take risks. Therefore, there’s always some sort of clash when they are working together.  

When filtered by a heavy Saturn, vital and pushy Fire energy cannot always be expressed fully. 

Fire wants action with complete disregard for the negative consequences that action could entail. But Saturn doesn’t want to move an inch until it has analyzed every possible result.  

Since Fire doesn’t tolerate blockages and can get frustrated easily, it can destroy everything around it to move forward. For good or for bad, Fire is passionate and doesn’t want to take “no” for an answer. 

On the other hand, Saturn symbolizes resistance and the pressure that makes diamonds. This means that it works in a very different fashion than Fire. 

Therefore, if Saturn is in a Fire sign in your chart, you must develop patience to embody your potential. 

Related: The Fire Element in Astrology

The volatile temperament of Fire contrasts sharply with Saturn’s inclination to tend to life logically and carefully. 

Saturn plans practically to ensure stability and predictable results before jumping to action. Fire disregards safety and embraces exploration. Fire dates the unknown, and Saturn fears what cannot be controlled. 

Fire signs are highly impulsive and courageous. Therefore, they defy life’s limitations without a second thought. However, this bravery may lose some power when combined with Saturnian principles. 

Saturn represses Fire’s instinct to burn its energy freely. This could offer slow and steady results, especially for Leo, a fixed sign. 

But sometimes, repressing Fire’s energy can create resentment. This resentment may have been brewing inside you for a long time and emerged abruptly in moments of tension. 

Even though Fire’s vitality and enthusiasm are guarded by Saturn, a planet that likes to preserve energy, both the planet and the element share the need to express their autonomy. Both want to free themselves from controlling factors and handle business without intruders.   

Just like Fire, Saturn is motivated by self-knowledge and awareness. In this regard, Fire signs evoke Saturn’s independent qualities. This planet prefers distance rather than intimacy. 

The problem is that Saturn can become selfish and scared of the outside world. In this case, Fire could reinforce an inclination towards loneliness, making Saturn feel disconnected from human connection. 

If you have Saturn in Fire, you possess the ambition to achieve goals and be recognized. However, ego trips, selfishness, and insensitivity could become problematic. 

A good way of handling this energy is channeling egotistical impulses in a creative outlet. By doing so, your egotistical impulses won’t shut down your spirit.  

Saturn represents well-defined energy. It also symbolizes the metaphorical brakes that life puts in the car you drive in your existence. Therefore, Saturn prevents Fire’s vitality from destroying itself and becoming too hot to handle. 

Tierney says that maybe you went too far in your past life. As a result, in this incarnation, you have to be more tactful and thoughtful when acting. 

Saturnian lessons help Fire to express its power healthily. Saturn in Fire combines vitality and willpower with self-control and direction. This combination makes it possible to achieve goals with a good dose of creativity and wisdom. 

Saturn in Earth

Saturn portrays its most specific tendencies when working in an Earth sign. The common denominators between planet and element are easily established. 

Saturn in an Earth sign focuses on the practical use of time, space, and energy. It hates to spend unnecessarily, but it also loathes holding on to useless objects. 

Both Saturn and Earth propel you to improve life’s tangible elements. Both want to handle daily needs purposefully.  

Saturn and Earth recognize and accept what they can perceive with the five senses. They look forward to understanding what they consider real. 

When in an Earth sign, Saturn has to work slowly and diligently to deal with the reality it perceives. Earth is an element that may resist change. 

Saturn can succeed in this element through organized tasks and a detailed goal. When Saturn is in an Earth sign, solid structures that offer stability and longevity can be built. 

The main themes of Saturn in Earth are applying effort realistically, being efficient, focusing on durability, following a tight routine, and preserving resources correctly. 

Saturn in Earth wants to be grounded. This is why it takes care of daily tasks until it gets concrete results. 

The planet and the element are concerned about safety, stability, and preserving the status quo. This is not a risky pair. Both are in favor of caution and prudence. The unknown is intimidating rather than exciting. 

However, Capricorn can have an entrepreneurial spirit when it feels confident about its goals. Capricorn is a cardinal sign, and cardinal signs need to initiate new ventures. 

Saturn in Earth is aware of the importance of survival. As a result, this placement is capable of building defensive walls. Sometimes, these walls are not needed. Still, Saturn in Earth values safety at all costs. Expressing individualism is less important than feeling safe from the outside world. 

Saturn and Earth are reluctant to change. They like familiarity and predictability. However, this stance on life could drive you to stagnation and hamper real growth. 

The lesson is to start venturing outside of your comfort zone. Being in your small and safe world will prevent you from engaging in stimulating challenges. Cultivating adaptability is crucial to avoid feeling stagnation. 

When channeled appropriately, Saturn in Earth offers sensibility and practicality to engage with the problems of everyday life. However, the desire for safety could lead to monotony and repetition. 

As a native of Saturn in Earth, you may feel pain with less intensity. You may be called to understand why life hurts and what you can do to relieve the discomfort responsibly. 

Related: Essential Tips to Prepare for Your Saturn Return

The dilemmas that may cause you pain include the lack of some external resources. Money, housing, and increasing your savings are the usual suspects ruminating in your head.  

Saturn in Earth tends to deal with problems in the present. This astro placement solves one problem after the other until all of them are handled. You focus on what is next to you rather than on the uncertain future. 

For you, patience is a duty, just as sensing opportunities and working hard. You know how to endure delays because you are confident they are needed to actualize your goals. 

Saturn in Earth considers the game of life as a chore rather than an exploration. Life may seem heavy. Things that are easy for other people feel like a burden to you because you are very thoughtful and careful. 

Saturn is a planet associated with perfection and excellence. But expecting perfection is not realistic. Saturn in Earth must accept that a perfect and definite state is an illusion because life constantly flows and ebbs. In this incarnation, you’ll learn that everything is dynamic, and static conditions can paralyze you.  

It’s no surprise that you may be too rigid when dealing with changes. This attitude could contribute to a personality that can’t adapt and will become increasingly fragile with age. If you resist flexibility, you’ll calcify. 

Saturn can be introverted and melancholic and throw the towel in if the pressure is too much. But Earth doesn’t give up. Earth works tirelessly, even under pressure or in conditions less than desirable. This could be a point of contrast between planet and element. 

The Earth element also has a component of sensuality, and Saturn could struggle to accept this fact. Earth controls our bodily functions, even those associated with pleasure. Saturn, instead, is more concerned with the painful and limiting facets of having a human body. 

Learn how to relax and stop pushing yourself physically to the point of exhaustion to feel worthy of rewards. You ARE already worthy. Don’t forget it. 

Saturn in Air

If you were born with Saturn in Air, your mind dedicates a lot of time to deep thoughts. But your way of expressing them probably doesn’t allow others to grasp that depth. 

Saturn in Air can be insecure and isolate itself. When this placement acts in this way, other people may not perceive how smart or observant the natives actually are.

Your brain may work logically and objectively while being detached from other human beings.  

Air, as an element, is rational and interested in science. Saturn feels comfortable here because it is a brainy planet devoted to the truth. Justice and fairness are also essential for both Saturn and Air.

Saturn helps Air, a usually diffused element, to reinforce its mental power by adding concentration, discipline, patience, and stability. 

Air is tireless and hard to contain, so this element is regulated when Saturn is present. The planet of limits allows for thoughts to consolidate rather than disperse randomly. 

Saturn offers direction and focus. Air signs may not want to use that direction or focus toward practical or scientific purposes. Air’s abstract thoughts can become more structured, organized, and concrete thanks to Saturn’s help. 

As an element, Air doesn’t want to engage with pre-established limits or permanent structures. It wants to be free to wander and express ideas to society. This attitude fuels a broad and stimulating array of relationships and a better understanding of the diversity of life. 

In contrast, the planet Saturn can be reserved and exclusive. Saturn fears the chaos caused by being open to the different stimuli that Air needs to function correctly. Therefore, Saturn limits Air’s adaptability and restricts its social endeavors.  

If you have Saturn in Air, you are friendly and social. At the same time, you may come across as cold, aloof, and detached. If you are stressed out, indifference or insensitivity can be a coping mechanism to avoid vulnerability in intimate relationships.  

Saturn in Air usually doesn’t trust its intuition. This could happen because there’s a deep fear of what seems irrational or beyond the mind’s logic. But only trusting facts and disregarding intuition, hunches, or speculation could actually narrow Saturn in Air’s mental powers. 

Not everything can be explained by logic and science. Saturn in Air needs to learn this lesson as soon as possible to keep the mind sharp and active. 

When nurtured properly, this sharp and active mind can become a valuable tool to evaluate life without distorted emotions. 

Saturn’s restrictions don’t have to go too far. Air still needs to circulate. Otherwise, your mind could become rotten and lose its vitality. As a result, the intellect can become dry and arrogant, lacking imagination, color, or texture. 

Sometimes, Saturn demands so much depth that Air can become deflated. However, the right dose of Saturn can remove the superficiality characteristic of Air signs. 

Well-handled, Saturn in Air exhibits a high degree of mental discernment, cohesive thoughts, consistency, simplicity, and clarity in communication. Saturn effectively reinforces this element, which can be fidgety and unpredictable, allowing ideas to become more solid and detailed. 

But Air, like Fire, must work harder to appreciate Saturn’s discipline and the need for a routine. 

Consistency is needed for Air to become efficient. Otherwise, this element will try a little bit of this and a little bit of that without committing to anything. 

This lack of commitment results in not being the best at anything. And not being the best at anything feeds the bitterness you may feel if you don’t know how to handle your mental power. 

Related: What Is the Saturn Return in Astrology?

You have to use your mind like a skilled tool. One way to sharpen this tool is by constantly educating yourself. Do it with great esteem and respect because your mind should not be wasted. 

Being coherent with your words and thoughts is also part of your karma. Don’t hurt people with your words or engage in gossip that could cause unpredictable consequences. 

Choose your words wisely, get informed, and think carefully before speaking. 

Saturn in Water

When Saturn is in a Water sign, it generally responds with hypersensitivity and lack of trust. This occurs because Water signs can feel easily threatened. 

Saturn and the element of Water are very concerned with safety, which can sometimes have a negative impact. 

Saturn in Water tends to withdraw behind protective barriers against real or imaginary attacks. Both Saturn and Water are cautious and concerned with self-preservation. 

If Saturn is in a Water sign, you may be extremely sensitive and vulnerable to external influences. You may feel exposed at all times. This situation could cause irrational fears that may prevent you from expressing your genuine emotions. 

Due to the unconscious nature of Water, your irrational fears may manifest as phobias or fear of intimacy. Water makes us aware of the pros and cons of interacting with others. Intimacy (not only sexual) can be comforting or make you feel like you are drowning. 

The persistence of those fears could happen because you won’t allow your anxiety to be analyzed consciously. 

Both Saturn and Water are interested in the past. 

For Saturn, the past is a sequence of ordered activities. It is seen as a continuum that offers purpose and inspiration for the present. 

However, if you have Saturn in Water, you can consider aspects of the past as traps. You may remember failures and defeats painfully. 

For Saturn in Water, the past can be a source of guilt and remorse.

Water symbolizes the end of cycles, whether resolved or unresolved. A healthy assimilation of past experiences allows this element to develop internal strength, flexibility, and the capacity for self-renewal. 

On the dark side, Saturn can propel some of the most damaging characteristics of Water. These include defenselessness, dependency, lack of willpower, and inability to deal with life’s challenges. 

Related: Returning Home: Facing Tough Times During My Saturn Return

If Saturn in Water is not embodied appropriately, it can cause inertia, stagnation, and inhibition. You may fear making a move or lack the motivation to do it. Any of these two situations will make you unsatisfied and lack self-confidence. 

You may be too scared to handle the issues of the present. However, only by doing so you will gain the self-confidence necessary to move forward. The first step is accepting responsibility for examining your emotional world and changing the distorted images plaguing your inner self. 

If you integrate Saturn in Water, you can grant yourself the safety you expect to receive from the outside world. By doing it, you won’t act defensively, believing that people are mean and trying to destabilize you emotionally. 

You don’t have to be alert or scared all the time. You can show your emotions and inspire others to do it, too. 

If emotional energy gets trapped inside, it can become concentrated power, especially if your natal Saturn is in Scorpio. The result of such concentration (or compression) could mean having fixations that are difficult to understand. It could also mean that you possess visceral intuition. 

Saturn in Water implies that you can learn how to regulate yourself internally. You trust your ability to do so by nurturing and expressing your feelings. 

This placement may indicate that you don’t have a bubbly personality. You may seem rude, grumpy, distant, and out of reach.

This is even more true if your natal Saturn is in Cancer or Scorpio.

Saturn in Pisces is not as grumpy as Saturn in Cancer or Saturn in Scorpio. But Saturn in Pisces natives have many defensive walls that prevent them from having intimate contact with others. 

Even though you may not seem eager to help those in need, time and maturity prove that Saturn in Water is a competent caregiver. 

You may care for others, believe in their abilities, and root for them. Your persuasion and cheerleading skills are off the charts. You give others the encouragement and safety you desperately crave for yourself. 

Feeding others literally and at the soul level is one of the lessons Saturn in Water must embody. So get those pans and start cooking, whatever this means to you. 

Journaling Prompts to Understand the Element of Your Natal Saturn

Do you have your Saturn return diary handy? Great! Jot this down: 

1. Grab your natal chart and analyze the balance of elements in it. Write down the list of the traditional planets, your Ascendant and MC, and next to each of them, put the sign and element they are located in: 

• Sun:
• Moon:
• Mercury:
• Mars:
• Venus:
• Jupiter:
• Saturn:
• Ascendant (rising):
• MC:

A reminder of the signs by element: 

• Fire: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius
• Earth: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn
• Air: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
• Water: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

2. Is Saturn part of an abundant element in your chart or an element that you lack?
3. Read again the characteristics of the element of your natal Saturn. Which ones do you like the most? Which ones do you like the least? 
4. Write a small action that you can implement THIS WEEK to work with the areas of the element of your natal Saturn that you struggle with. 

That’s it for now. Hope this helps!