Saturn's major influences are through its astrological qualities of seriousness, concentration and a measured, cautious approach. Saturn can open an individual to the spiritual aspects of life by encouraging a reflective, meditative and even reclusive mien. Saturn can inhibit the drive to power, especially the empowerment necessary to form strong friendships, inhibiting self-belief, and pressing some to hold back when their need is to let go. Saturn's influence on passion is a calming one, encouraging caution, economy, reserve.

Until relatively recent times, Saturn was the most distant of the known planets. Today, Saturn is one of the most popular planets, thanks mainly to its beautiful rings. In ancient astrology Saturn was considered to be a cold planet, and because it was the greatest distance from the Earth in the center of the old system, it was accorded the most power. Astrologers then thought Saturn's influence to be mostly malignant and the cause of misfortune, disease and death. The Renaissance scholar Marsilio Ficino proposed his own doctrine of melancholy, the Saturnine humor, as one of the four humors that most influenced the mind.

Today astrologers are more inclined to recognize the beneficial influence of Saturn, whilst agreeing, by and large, on its inhibiting influences. An overview of these includes the principle that Saturn has a dampening or repressing effect on the qualities of a sign in which it is placed, whilst at the same time, it can assist in the restraint of excesses. The following influences of Saturn should be seen in this light. They include concentration, seriousness, inner authority, conscience or super-ego, caution, economy, melancholy, reserve, and taciturnity. Saturn is strongly associated with Capricorn and Aquarius.

More information on how Saturn influences the different starsigns

Starscine uses the Inverse Square of the distance between the Earth and Saturn to calculate the relative astrological influence of Saturn.