Traditionally Saturn ruled most of the bad stuff that happened to people. That's what Saturn was for in a horoscope. The 12th house (and to a lesser extent, Mars, the 8th and 6th houses) pretty much ruled the bad stuff that was left.
This pessimism began to change with modern astrology. I highly recommend Liz Greene's book, Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil.
Saturn is my wisest planetary teacher. Learn his lessons, and you can get through much of what life throws at you.
When Life Isn't Fair, Saturn gives you strength to get through the unfairness. When you're broke, Saturn gives you the resourcefulness and resilience to get through the hard times.
Incidentally, I have had some Saturnian days recently. We just bought a "new" (to us) house in a 55+ community, in need of extensive renovations, including the landscaping. I spent days clearing out overgrown juniper shrubs, and pruning the 4 survivors according to Japanese garden principles (as I understand them.) The work was physically strenuous, hot, sweaty, and prickly. 3 pickup truck loads of branches to go to the dump. Very Saturn. Saturn rules hard work and old age.
But we recently had several neighbours tell us how much they appreciated the work we were doing. (A rough-looking yard affects the neighbours' property values, as well as their sense of aesthetics.) One man brought us a bottle of wine to welcome us to the neighborhood.
This may seem like a small reward, but Saturn deals with the long-term time frame. Good will from one's neighbours, especially in a small town like ours, counts for a great deal.
The other reward is seeing how an overgrown mass of shrubs can become a beautiful garden that lifts the soul.
So no, Saturn isn't the planet of get-rich-quick, or feel-good-now. Its message is more, put the hard work in now, and rewards will come later.
Saturn is in it for the long haul.
