The 1st House is often the house that collectively represents how we view the world. The house represents the first breath we take, and our impressions of the world. The 1st House can usually rule over what we are consciously aware of. The 1st House is arguably one of the most important houses, for it is a template for the natal chart, setting the chart for which signs rule which houses.
When Saturn is in the 1st House, the individual is often focused on refining and improving the impression they give off to the world. For these individuals, there is a standard to how they should act and respond in and to the world. Due to this, those with Saturn in the 1st House pay a lot of attention to their self-expression and themselves, working hard to make sure they live up to their own standards. Saturn in the 1st individuals express themselves carefully.
Due to this constant refining and care into their self-expression, those with Saturn in the 1st House can often hesitate when it comes to expressing themselves. They are constantly stifling themselves in their own self-expressions if such self-expressions do not fall under the inner standard they have. Due to this, Saturn in the 1st individuals feel as if people don’t really have a firm and true understanding of them. Saturn in the 1st individuals simultaneously longing and fear for people to understand them. There is a sense of loneliness these people tend to have due to not being able to completely relate to others, but at the same time, there is a sense of fear because these individuals do not want to show any sort of vulnerability.
Saturn in the 1st individuals tend to have high expectations on the world, and due to this, they are often disappointed and can be quite judgmental to others due to being judgmental to themselves. When they encounter others who do not fall into their inner standard, they are often disappointed and displeased. This judgmental aspect can often contribute to the inner loneliness these individuals feel because not only do they alienate other people, they alienate themselves.
The standard that Saturn in the 1st House individuals have when it comes to self-expression often comes from the realistic, yet somber perspective they have of reality. Saturn in the 1st individuals will often respond to the world defensively, the inner standard they have is a defensive response to the realistic workings of the world. These individuals are aware of how uncaring and unsympathetic the world can be, so they will often give the same response right back. People with Saturn in the 1st House try their best to not be immature and naive, and will often dismiss themselves if they ever were to find themselves in a vulnerable position.
Due to the consistent questioning, redoing, and stifling of self-expression, those with Saturn in the 1st House can struggle with self-esteem. A lot of these self-esteem issues stem due to having overly high expectations of themselves. Those with Saturn in the 1st House have a strong understanding of how important self-expression is, and this is why these individuals work so hard on managing their self-expression. However, with so much management on their self-expression, these individuals often wonder if they will still be accepted if they were to stop standardizing their self-expression. The fact that these individuals work hard to manage themselves makes these people question if the hard work is indicative of inadequate self-expression.
However, even though the manifestation of negative self-criticism can be devastating for these individuals, the ability to reflect on oneself is a skill these individuals will eventually learn to master. Through difficult experiences, these individuals learn the power and urgency to be self-aware. Even though these individuals can attempt at self-awareness by being overly critical of themselves, attempting to be self-aware at all shows evidence that these individuals only want to achieve being the best individuals they can be. These people are ultimately ambitious, and at their best, motivated. There is always a sense of direction for these individuals that can lead to success. At their best, these individuals have a strong idea of how they affect themselves and others, and they intimately understand the idea of self-expression. Self-expression is important for these individuals and ultimately, it is a part of themselves they ultimately want to master.
Having Saturn in the 1st House ultimately shows an ambitious individual who wants to be their best. However, what these individuals need to learn is that while it is empowering to have an objective, it is important to not let the objective crush them. Often, the ambition and pressure these individuals put themselves under for the sake of success can often freeze them, often stopping them from moving towards their goals at all. These individuals need to understand that while implementing self expectations is responsible and practical, freezing oneself out of criticism is impractical and ultimately not realistic.
Those with Saturn in the 1st House need to familiarize themselves with the idea that having any sort of freedom should not be a threat to their goals. It’s okay for one to not be consistently on par with their goals. For these individuals, they need to understand that one’s efforts to be the best is enough, for one’s efforts is the only thing these individuals can control. Rather than determine the value of their efforts based on the results of their efforts, these individuals should base the value of their efforts on the fact that the effort is present at all. These individuals can not control the outcomes of their self-expression, but they can control the self-expression themselves.