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Writer's pictureTess Joyce

Father Time and Saturn - Systems in Astrology

As we collectively go through this purging of Pluto moving in the last degrees of Capricorn, we may be noticing more truths coming to light regarding the themes associated with Capricorn and its ruling planet Saturn (father, government, systems, systems of time/order) so that collectively we can bring these areas into balance with the earth again and heal patterns of control and power abuse. We may notice political events - people standing down or revelations emerging - we may see more people finding the courage to stand up and challenge any systems which aren't working. Uranus is preparing to go into Aquarius which may bring about revolutionary change - around the last time that this happened, America gained independence and France experienced the revolution. Interestingly, etymologically the word 'revolution' was originally used for celestial bodies e.g. 'one rotation or revolution of the earth' and the word was connected with a change of affairs by the mid-15th century and as a political overthrow by c.1600!


Revolutionary Times


Our psychological relationship with time is needing to be looked at collectively along with our systems of time including our calendars, which I've written about recently. Many beings on our planet have become ruled by their clocks, stuck in a machine-like existence and have lost connection (remembrance) of 'true time' or the eternal present moment and its natural cycles and rhythms. 'Time is money' has become one of the famous adages of our age which has led to people feeling disconnected during times of work and constantly seeking their 'free time,' the week-end or even their pension time. When Saturn's energies are inverted or out-of-balance we may see Satanic-Saturnic systems dominating in society. Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is associated with the Devil card in Tarot which is associated with limitations, control and power, yet it also will reveal these patterns which can be revolutionary and enable us to transform; Capricorn can invite us to reclaim our power when it comes into our life and develop new systems.


I recently had a chat with Oka Fala about this topic regarding the current systems and how we can collectively heal these imbalances and allow the feminine (right hemisphere) wisdom to return in balance with the more logical and analytical masculine (left hemisphere) part of the mind and life.


Time - the Connection between Time and Saturn (Capricorn)


In Roman mythology, Saturn was the father of many gods including Pluto, Neptune, Jupiter, and was the founder of the first Latin tribe - he strongly embodied 'father' energy. He was the god of time, wealth, periodic renewal, agriculture and liberation – his name was derived from satus meaning sowing. We can see the Capricorn qualities of discipline and work here. From this planet, we have our ‘Saturn’s day’ or Saturday. Saturn's astrological symbol was derived from Greek letters in the abbreviation for Κρονος meaning Cronus, which was the Greek name for the planet.

Saturn holding a sickle - fresco from a house in Pompeii.


His Greek equivalent was one of the first Titans, Cronus, and many of his myths were adopted from the Greeks. Rather confusingly, Chronos was the pre-Socratic personification of time in Greece – he was an old man who turned the zodiac wheel. Chronos was the Greek equivalent of ‘Father Time,’ who was often associated with Saturn as well. The suffix chrono- (as in chronology) is connected to time and derived from the Greek word khronos meaning time. Father Time was a personification of time, portrayed in the arts in more recent centuries, and was usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, holding an hourglass or scythe.


Chronos and his child by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli from the 17th century.


Saturn's Time


Saturn reigned during a Golden Age of peace and abundance. In Roman mythology, according to Virgil, he arrived as a fugitive but brought agriculture, statutes and systems of civilisation and taught the nature spirits many things including law and how to yoke bulls and save their grains. Yet it was described that this golden age was followed by degradation, which we have directly experienced in our age now:


"thus, in peace and quietness, did he rule the nations; till gradually there crept in a sunken and stained time, the rage of war, and the lust of possession.” From Virgil's Aeneid.


With Sa-turn, we can turn things around, we can turn the world, we can turn the hands of the clock (lock.) The planet Saturn has the largest ring system of any planet in our solar system and they were either made at the planet’s formation, or, it is thought that they were composed within the last 100 million years and are constantly losing material – they are slowly disappearing. Unlike the rings of trees that increase as the tree grows older, Saturn gets older as his rings get smaller. It could be said that at an esoteric level, his 'grip' on time will lessen as he ages.


The rings of trees are counted to determine the age of a tree or forest, since a ring is formed every year - they are natural 'time-keepers.' Interestingly, an anagram of trees is 'reset.' Dendrochronology is the scientific method of dating trees in its most accurate form which requires awareness that sometimes several rings can form in a year due to poor or favourable conditions. Radiocarbon dating (carbon dating) is a method of ascertaining the age of an organic object through the properties of radiocarbon, which is the radioactive isotope of carbon. It could be argued that our sciences have advanced dramatically regarding time - yet something also has been lost - it is vital that as a society we evolve in heart-centred ways regarding our understanding of the cosmos.


The Saturnian influence has become out-of-balance in recent times and I recently wrote about how our calendars and time systems have lost alignment with natural cycles and rhythms. Time has almost become a 'man-made' construct, with some people fighting against the clock or needing to fight for 'free time,' instead of flowing with the natural rhythm. Rarely do we wake up in recognition that our existence and how our day pans out is dependent on the frequencies of light of the sun and our exact latitude on the planet and that we are not separate from those processes.


Fear of Time


Chronophobia is the fear of time or the passing of time and it is commonly seen in prison inmates (prison neurosis) who may get fixated on the time - finding it to pass either too slowly or too quickly. One study recently revealed that many people who were quarantined during 'Covid-19 time' experienced chronophobia:


"Chronophobia- dread of passing time is a common experience for those in quarantine; a neurotic fear of time typically described in prison neurosis where duration and immensity of time is utterly terrifying to prisoner and passage of time throws him into a panic. At a later stage, people become phlegmatic automatons who live by the ‘clock’- wondering when the 14-day isolation is over, when curfew is over, and most importantly when this hardship is over." From 'Coronaphobia and Chronophobia - A Psychiatric Perspective' which can be found here.


Manipulating Time


Conversely, one study conducted at the University of California found that high-power individuals psychologically perceive themselves as having a greater 'control over' time:


"Moon and Chen found a relationship between sense of time and stress; the high-power group reported the least amount of stress and the most amount of time, the low-power group reported the most stress and the least amount of time, and the equal-power participants fell in-between."


Time has also been manipulated in other ways through 'daylight saving' - twice a year the clocks go forward and back again - some appreciate the extra hour of sunlight after work whereas others feel that it puts us out of sync with the natural cycles.


In the 1980s, the CIA conducted the Gateway Experience which was a training operation to experience different brainwave states of the left and right hemispheres of the brain to alter consciousness in regard to time and space. Yet having a deep sense of connection with the greater cycles is vital for mental well-being so that we don't get lost in egoic agendas it could be said.


Larger Cycles of Time


Our zodiac is in fact taken from a belt-like section of space which measures 8° to the north and south of the ecliptic which is the pathway of the sun as it moves across the sky as seen from earth. The paths of the moon and planets are found within this belt which has been divided into 12 sections of 30° in celestial longitude known as the zodiac - these are the twelve signs which roughly correspond to the constellations found in those 'areas' of the sky. Due to the changes of the earth's rotational axis and resultant 'precession of the equinoxes,' the stars in the background seem to shift gradually - our equinoxes move westward (or 'backwards') along the ecliptic meaning that the sun now rises in Pisces at the equinox, whereas it used to rise in Aries more than 2,000 years ago. We are currently in the midst of another shift of the equinoxes moving into Aquarius - hence the term 'Age of Aquarius.' The approximate cycle length for each age is around 2,160 years, although some astrologers believe that this can change depending on the size of the constellation.

The red line shows the path of the ecliptic - the sun's path.


Time is Frequency


In the past, our ancestors knew the importance of these great cycles of the sun and the equinoxes and solstices, which can't be controlled or manipulated. Relative hours of the day were calculated by determining the time from sunrise to sunset - at the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the sun will rise at 6 a.m. and set at around 6 p.m - this will change throughout the year with there being the least amount of sunlight at the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. The hour of dawn was considered the first hour of the day for the Romans and in old Jewish time-keeping. There was perhaps a more heightened appreciation for the sun and its life-giving properties and cycles in these times, something which has perhaps been taken for granted and overlooked in more recent times. As quantum science has revealed to us - life is not solid matter - everything is waveform and is vibrating. Light is energy and waveform and frequency. Some believe that time is also frequency and is cyclical:


"Time is the frequency of longitudinal energy waves. However, time is not constant. It changes with motion. The evidence for time’s relation to wave frequency is based on Einstein’s relativity. If the wave’s frequency changed today, we would not know the difference. Our perception of time would still be the same; clocks would still run and would appear normal to us." From Energywavetheory.


This may explain the strange feeling that people sometimes get that time is speeding up. The following blog from Harvard speaks about this topic on the psychological feeling of time passing more quickly as people age. Sometimes time seems to 'stand still' - in profound moments of meditation for example. Our brainwaves shift through different frequencies throughout the day and night.


"An operational definition of time, wherein one says that observing a certain number of repetitions of one or another standard cyclical event (such as the passage of a free-swinging pendulum) constitutes one standard unit such as the second, is highly useful in the conduct of both advanced experiments and everyday affairs of life. To describe observations of an event, a location (position in space) and time are typically noted." From Wikipedia.

The twelve zodiac constellations.


The Tropics


The Tropic of Cancer is the zenith of the sun's position on this line of the ecliptic (the path of the sun as seen from earth.) This appears to move due to the earth's tilt as mentioned. The Tropic of Cancer is the highest point on the ecliptic which the sun reaches at the Summer Solstice (in the northern hemisphere) in the sign of Cancer before it 'shifts direction' and curves back down. The word Tropic came from the Greek word trope meaning to change direction. It is currently measured at 23.43° north from the equator.


The Tropic of Capricorn is the furthest point south for the sun on the path of the ecliptic and is 23.43° south from the equator.


23.43+23.43= 46.86 which can be rounded up to 47, meaning that they are 47° apart.


A map of the constellations with the curved line of the ecliptic, by William Croswell, 1810


The Number Game - 47 and 15


Time is associated with the number 47 (74) and Saturn is associated with 15. Here I will go into the relationship between these two numbers and the sacred geometry hidden within our reality.


Interestingly, both of the tropics are not only 47° apart, but they are drifting towards the equator at a rate of 15 metres per year, at the rate of 0.47 arcseconds!


Time = 47


In gematria (the practise of assigning value to letter or word,) the ordinal number of 'time' is 47.

(T=20, I=9, M=13, E=5) = (47)


'Time is money' = 147 (ordinal number)


In mathematical theory, a Keith number signifies a number whose digits when starting a Fibonacci sequence with those numbers, will reach the original number at the end and one example is 47: 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47.


47 is the 15th prime number!


There is also a '47 conspiracy' or observation that this number, or its reverse 74, appear quite frequently in films etc with some noticing a large prevalence in the Star Trek episodes - this was a television series which heavily focused on themes of time and spacetime travel. In fact, Joe Menosky, a writer for Star Trek graduated from Pomona college in California, USA which has a deep connection with this number and is located off exit 47 on their interstate road. A research project at this college was conducted in 1964 to see if 47 appears with unnatural frequency in nature and Professor Donald Bentley looked at the number 47 and did various mathematical tricks. The clock tower of Pomona college chimes on the 47th minute and they organise a community service day every 7th of April (4/7.)


The number 47 appearing in a Star Trek scene.


Other notable 47's include the 'Black 47' which described the worst year of the Irish Great famine (1847) and there is a film of this title. This was a 'time' of great disempowerment and abuse of power in terms of British colonialism.


The 47 Society can be found here with archives of findings regarding this number.


Saturn and 15


The magic square of Saturn adds to 15. A magic square contains rows and columns of numbers which always add up to the same sum and various planets have been associated with these squares.


15 x 24 = 360. The zodiac wheel (360°) is divided into 12 signs of 30° each.


A clock-face has four 15 minute sections.


The 15th card in Tarot is the Devil card which is associated with Capricorn, ruled by Saturn which can become Satanic when out-of-balance. Interestingly the ordinal number of Lucifer is 74. If Luciferian or Satanic agenda is focused upon, time can get aligned with control, greed, materialism, 'free time' and fake 'positivity.' A recent traffic filter scheme for Oxford has divided the city into '15 minute neighbourhoods' which has created a lot of controversy and is perhaps a good example of Saturn out-of-balance with systems of control.


When this happens, we may find that we are chasing time. We are keeping track on time. We can't wait for the week-end or the holi-day. Our sense of holiness with every day may get lost along with our connection to the present moment and the sun's frequencies.


Time is Money


The following is a quote from the blurb for the book Time is Money by T Williams-Nelson - note the choice of words used:


"While there will be highs and lows—and you may not succeed at your first business venture—it’s up to you to fight the battle. Get proactive about chasing your dreams with the lessons in Time Is Money."


Sunday (named after the sun - divine masculine principle) was traditionally a day of rest - to remember with the sun. Monday (named after the moon - divine feminine principle) has now become the common day to start working - yet many people dread working on a Monday - is it perhaps because they are not in remembrance of the moon on that day and certain Luna needs? In the past, our ancestors were aware of the influence of the planetary bodies and their rhythms and believed that the hours of the day and days of the week were influenced by the heavenly bodies and their cycles - this knowledge was known as the 'planetary hours.' As we heal our relationships with our own fathers, male archetypes and government, we will also heal our relationship with Capricorn and Saturn and the associated themes of father and governing systems.


Saturn and the Hexagon


A hexagon-shaped cloud pattern can be found on Saturn. Interestingly, a hexagon is a 6-sided shape and Saturn is the 6th planet from the sun. There is something omnipresent about this shape and its formation on Saturn is still shrouded in mystery with various hypotheses proposed. A hexagon shape can also be found on Jupiter.


'Hexagon' - ordinal number = 74


This shape occurs fairly frequently in nature for example in molecular structures, snowflakes and at the Giant's Causeway in the rock formations - it is considered to be an efficient shape and is structurally very stable. Architects are also finding inspiration from this shape from nature - hexagonal tiling is in fact the most efficient way of covering a surface with regions of equal size with the least total perimeter.


The hexagon in nature is also associated with the bee and its honey comb - a very universal symbol of collective teamwork and cooperation. These patterns and systems are natural and beautiful, yet strong and resilient.


'Queen bee' - ordinal number = 74


Internal Clocks


Interestingly, studies have been conducted which have suggested that bees are able to tell the time since they will visit the same flowers at a certain time each day:


"Research, mostly with the honeybee, Apis mellifera, has implicated the circadian clock in key aspects of their foraging for flower rewards. These include anticipation, timing of visits to flowers at specified locations and time-compensated sun-compass orientation. Floral rhythms in traits such as petal opening, scent release and reward availability also show robust daily rhythms. However, in only few studies was it possible to adequately determine whether these oscillations are driven by external time givers such as light and temperature cycles, or endogenous circadian clocks." From the following study.


One study conducted in Paris in 1960 suggested that bees do also have an endogenous clock since they were given sugar water every day at 4 p.m. and then proceeded to leave their hive everyday at 4 p.m., demonstrating they had awareness of time - they were then flown across the world to New York and rather extraordinarily, the bees left their hive at 10 a.m. instead (which was 4 p.m. in Paris,) demonstrating the presence of an internal clock or rhythm that had adjusted rather than purely following environmental cues. Endogenous clocks are vital in biology and are responsible for controlling the rhythm of many biological processes. Our body's natural circadian clock is synchronised with solar time, meaning our body can anticipate the day-night cycle and adjust accordingly regarding our behaviour and sleep. Perhaps there are further clues here of the need to develop organic systems, like the bees, which are in sync with our deeper internal rhythms and biological clocks.


Omnipresent Spirals


Spiral patterns are also omnipresent in our universe - another underlying principle. We are part of a greater cycle which spirals through the cosmos with our solar system revolving around the galactic centre in the Milky Way where there is thought to be a supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A. For the sun to orbit once around the centre in a spiralling motion is thought to take around 230 million earth years and is known as a galactic year! It is perhaps not often that we contemplate our relationship with the galactic centre, but it could be said, it is equally as vital to our lives and this large cosmic dance or spiralling energy of massive cycles is what keeps us stable and alive. At an esoteric level, it could be said that Sagittarius A represents the end of cyclical existence (Samsara) - the return to just 'being' - the bliss of simply being and observing the divine. Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, black holes don't 'suck' objects towards them like a vacuum and shouldn't be feared. There is of course an 'event horizon' where the gravitational scope will entail capture, but if for example, our sun became a black hole, our planet would continue orbiting around it. They represent the evolutionary end of the star - enlightenment and final peace. We are all manifestations as part of the star's evolution.



It is clear that the 'time is money' adage is a deeply unhealthy paradigm to live by and our systems in society need to be addressed so that everyone (not just the privileged few) can remember this ancient esoteric knowledge and connect with their true power. When we are disconnected from nature and her rhythms, we are weak and easier to control - knowing our place in the greater cosmos with its rhythms and patterns can bring about personal empowerment and great revolutionary change for our planet.


Many blessings for the new dawn.


Blogpost about time.

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