1) That's certainly been my experience of him -- though it's worth noting that Saturn is well dignified in my birth chart; if he's afflicted in yours, that may not be true.
2) Yes, and in fact the practices in The Way of Initiation are included (with attribution) in a forthcoming book of mine, The Way of the Four Elements, which is a sequel to The Way of the Golden Section.
3) It depends very much on the god! Some do, some don't, and how to work with them really does depend on who you're working with.
4) I've always found it best to start the working before the opposition perfects, though it seems to be okay to let the working continue after that moment. So there's a little effective time afterwards, but not that much.
Re: A few questions
2) Yes, and in fact the practices in The Way of Initiation are included (with attribution) in a forthcoming book of mine, The Way of the Four Elements, which is a sequel to The Way of the Golden Section.
3) It depends very much on the god! Some do, some don't, and how to work with them really does depend on who you're working with.
4) I've always found it best to start the working before the opposition perfects, though it seems to be okay to let the working continue after that moment. So there's a little effective time afterwards, but not that much.