Christine,
Saturn on the ascendant, as Joseph said, is much better as you get older, at least in theory. Can we see your chart or give us your birth info? Because the aspects to and from Saturn has a lot to do with how it operates, especially during transits.
Saturn on the ascendant is traditionally difficult to get to understand, as Saturn itself doesn't come into it's own, or is not internalized until after the Saturn return. Saturn rules structure, self discipline, control, necessity - all the words that are the opposite of FUN. HOwever, it does tend to make others think of you as trustworthy.... you will automatically be trusted unless you let Saturn and yourself down by being deceptive or doing anything illegal, especially in business.
You (and all of us, actually) have to just 'get through' our Saturn transits, and then look back from the safe "future" to see what it "all meant". Because if there is an intellegence in the universe, a meaning, then Saturn represents it, along with Uranus. But Saturn is the energy we think of as more "personal" as in 'God the father in heaven', to use a common metaphor.
Pluto and Neptune also rule energy we think of as godlike or universal, but that is a different discussion.
LIN