Don’t you just love Saturn? The great disciplinarian of the zodiac right? Kind of like a astrological personal trainer-the taskmaster of the skies…..Saturn’s mantra is in a nutshell is “cruel to be kind”. It breaks you down, makes you lift the heavy weights so you can build those rock-hard muscles and get into fighting shape! Wherever Saturn is in your chart will point to not only your toughest lessons, but the ones you might become obsessed with breaking through. Those things within your karmic journey which limit you.
Every 29.5 years (approximately) you’ll get the nudge you need to advance into a new stage of adulthood. In astrology we call it the Saturn Return. There’s a very obvious reason for this name: Saturn takes approximately 29.5 years to complete one full orbit around the Sun and literally return to the same zodiac sign it was in when you were born. The first Saturn Return, which can happen between ages 27 and 30, is a rite of passage welcoming you into your more mature role here on Earth.
We often see people finding careers that match the zodiac sign their Saturn is in. It’s not surprising since Saturn can help us with excellence and mastery. Here is where we will toil away for hours, obsessively, to reach our grandest goals. It makes sense that Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn, the high-achieving, hardest working kid in the zodiac.
During the Saturn return—which lasts 2.5 to 3 years you will come face to face with your own blocks and be forced to push through them. All the “mistakes” you made in the 28 years leading up to this seem to crystallize. Rather than repeating them on autopilot you have a chance to turn lemons into lemonade. And if you refuse to heed those lessons Saturn will bring a drill sergeant style smackdown. Indeed, the Saturn Return starts off feeling a bit like boot camp for a lot of people. But drop and give him twenty instead of rebelling against those barking orders. Three years later you’ll be General Awesome or Captain Fantastic of your own kick-ass army—at the very least, you’ll be decorated with a star or two.
First let’s look at what “Saturn Return” is. Astrologers pinpoint the exact location of the planets for an individual’s time of birth. We put it in a diagram we call the natal chart. The natal chart is a circular diagram of the Sun, Moon and the planets surrounding at the exact time a person was born. Now after a person is born those planets continue spinning counter-clockwise around the circle. Some planets spin around quickly (the Moon whirls around once a month) but others move quite a bit more slowly.
Saturn is one of the slowest planets to make its journey. It takes 29 years (for a small few 28 years) to move all the way around the natal chart once and return to the same place it was in the zodiac when the person was born. Hence the name, Saturn return. And everyone who hits 29 gets this. It brings with it the energy of housecleaning, refinement and complete reevaluation. As the planet realigns into its position when you are born all of its energies come along with it. It is a time when you are forced to look at your life up to this point with brutal honesty so you can move forward with what works for you. Dreams can and will be deflated, ideologies can be dropped and foundations can be rocked all in the name of clarity. Major life changes from career shifts, divorces, marriages and relocation are known to take place. This transit can be viewed negatively, however it’s merely urging us to get rid of what no longer works for us so we can prepare for our next 29.5 years.
Saturn Returns are here to help us grow!
Many people are feeling this shift with added intensity as the Earth and humanity are experiencing rapid changes. With these shifts, the individuals in Saturn Return may feel extra pressure to find something meaningful to dedicate their lives to in a world that is ever changing. The ways of the past, of accumulation, of greed, of ego are slowly cracking as the energies of Aquarius, of love, unity, and balance try to push their way to the surface. This can be a time of great growth as well as a time of great heartache; the two are not mutually exclusive. Saturn brings tough love, but love nonetheless. However, how much we open to the energies of Saturn will directly correlate with our ease or struggle in this transition.
When in this transition (crisis) period it is valuable to ask yourself the following questions:
What kind of a career am I temperamentally suited for?
What kind of a person do I want to grow old with as a mate?
Do I want the responsibility of a family?
How hard am I willing to work?
How much responsibility and I willing to take on?
Where am I feeling burdened, restricted, confined and limited?
How can I change my life to feel competent, capable, expert, and in charge?
What skills have I developed through my life to date that I can put to work in the world?
Am I still living out the “should” and “shouldn’t” of someone else (parents, teachers, partners, etc.) If so, how can I be truer to my inner essence?
How, where and to what do I want to make an enduring commitment?
If I view this as a time to lay a foundation what is it I would like to build in the next six to seven years?
Generalized Paths
During transition periods people reappraise their lives. They leave the old and begin the new. Sometimes the changes are quite far reaching. These transition periods identified by psychology correspond with the major transiting astrological patterns. Certain patterns occur universally that is, everyone gets them at approximately the same age.
One common experience is that people suddenly feel “old” perhaps for the first time. “I’m almost thirty,” the inner refrain goes, or “what have I done with my life?”. A sense of time passing emerges along with more urgency to accomplish something lasting. People are likely to examine their lives to date and judge their achievements or what they see as lack of achievements.
People will usually take a good hard look at the structures of their life-careers, family and relationships. They may decide to change jobs or careers even relationships. Endings are quite possible but so are beginnings. Some people, for example have their first child-a major responsibility-around this age.
How much or how little and what kind of responsibility and power the person is wielding becomes a focus for examination. Typically, people who have been carrying too much of the load, overdoing responsibility will look for ways to cut back. People who have been avoiding responsibility may be forced to be more grounded or willing to take on additional tasks and power in order to gain the achievements they desire.
There tend to be four generalized pathways of possibility here.
Individuals who have chosen in their twenties a life of structure which is really very suited to their character and may simply solidify their gains. They may receive an important promotion or take on additional responsibilities, gain increased power, but generally are just expanding on the path already selected. (This is a relatively small group among the total).
Individuals who have not really settled into a life structure, who have been experimenting or wandering, seeking and searching in their twenties, will feel the pressure of time. A group of them will make their first real commitment at this point. They will settle into a career (as opposed to “just a job”). They will get married. They will select a life structure which gives them a sense of stability, but fits what they’ve learned about themselves through the years of “trying on” different things in their twenties. They will set their sights on accomplishments and be ready to really dig in, building a foundation for the future.
Individuals who have also searched in their twenties but have not developed skills, self-confidence or the necessary expertise may continue to flounder. They will also feel a sense of pressure, of time passing then by and of wanting to do something that will last-that will make a difference. Without adequate preparation or commitment however they tend to end up feeling blocked and frustrated. Things don’t really work out for them. Nothing seems to be coming together. Their efforts seem futile. To escape this trap they must go back, build up their skills, competence and willingness to be practical about responsibilities. They have to take more time to catch up with their peers.
Individuals who have chosen in their twenties a life structure which is not very suited to their character or who have simply changed a great deal will make breaks. The old ways will feel confining, limiting and restrictive. Old patterns of behavior seem formalized and lifeless. In such cases the people involved may end relationships, quit or be fired from jobs, move or otherwise alter the basic structure of their lives. Sometimes they break out before they know what they are going toward. They simply know that they cannot continue to work with the current design. After (or while) making their breaks these people will actively seek a firm commitment. They will look for a life tasks which will provide them with a sense of achievement, mastery and competence. They will seek out responsibilities that will help them to feel they are making a real contribution and gaining expertise.
Of course some people will do a mixture of these four generalized paths. They may build, advance and solidify their family life while making major breaks in their career (or vice versa). Each individual will meet the “Age Thirty Crisis” in his/her own way!!
Once people master the Age 30 Transition they enter a “stable period”. Stability periods usually last six to seven years. (Seven years is one quarter of a Saturn cycle, astrologically.) During stable periods people build life structures and elaborate foundations they have already set.
The “Settling Down” Stage follows the Age Thirty Transition. During their “settling down,” people will make major strides in a career, do substantial building in a relationship or have major accomplishments in raising a family. They enlarge, expand and carry further the foundation that was set by the end of the Age Thirty transition. (Shortly after the “Settling Down” Stage comes the Mid-Life Crisis, which is yet another topic!!
So what can you do if you’re experiencing a particularly rough Saturn Return?
Take Action
Saturn has been known to reward people who take action and depress those who procrastinate. This is the taskmaster. It’s a time to act on your intuition and move on that idea that’s been resting comfortably in the corner of your mind. The results of these actions can propel you into your next life cycle.
Cultivate Discipline
Last month I tried going on an antifungal diet. No grains, no sugar, no alcohol. By third meal, I wanted to high dive off of a cliff into a canyon of brownies. A month, and a small amount of nonjudgmental compromises later, I felt better, clearer, and healthier than I had in years. A lot of us who lack discipline are avoiding it because we don’t know its benefits. Experiment. Set healthy boundaries for yourself for a day, for a week, for a month. Whatever amount of time you believe you could go without sabotaging yourself. Monitor your results. If they are positive (and they will be) then you’ll know what you’re sacrificing each time you avoid discipline. This is a huge aspect of Saturn Return energy.
Self -Honesty
What isn’t working for you anymore? Are you holding onto something that no longer fits? Saturn Return will give us the answers to these questions even if we don’t want to look at them. Embrace the courage to face these truths and remember that new doors are waiting to open for you as soon as you close the old ones.
Be Kind to Yourself
Trying to find stability and discipline if you’ve spent most of your life avoiding it can be depressing, frustrating, and even infuriating. Naturally, when you can’t seem to get something right, the blame tends to fall back on yourself. “What’s wrong with me?! I’ll never figure this out! I need some (insert: drinks, Facebook, mommy, etc.)!” Phrases like this can ring in our heads, creating doubt and confusion in an already tough time. You’ve been operating a certain way for your whole life and now you’re trying to shift it. It’s not easy, but you’re trying. Honor that. You’re engaging in the sacred act of conscious evolution. It took 4 billion years for slime to turn into humans, give yourself a break if you don’t right your ship overnight. Be kind to yourself in this transition.
Listen to Your Heart
I still have trouble with this one. How do you know it’s your heart talking or your mind talking? I was recently watching a TV show and the main character was faced with a particularly difficult decision. A peer gave him this advice: “flip a coin, when it’s in the air, you’ll know which side you want to land.” Your Higher Self always knows. Your psyche creates a whole web of excuses, stories, and fears for you to untangle, but deep down you know. Cultivate the courage to look at it. And be kind to yourself if you fail. Your intentions are on track, your conditioning needs to catch up.
Set Goals
I don’t like this one. I only want to do things to make me feel free and open like wild bird in an open sky and somehow goals feel like a boulder tied to my ankle. But they make a difference. They really do. If you don’t clearly define what you want, you won’t get any of that sweet universal assistance that comes from setting an intention. The Saturn Return is here to jolt the drifter into choosing a path. And there’s no better way to move along a path than to set goals.
Let Go
This can be a time where we’re particularly attached to our accomplishments. In fact, it’s not uncommon to start identifying ourselves completely the results of our actions. As Krishna, from the Hindu holy book, The Bhagavad Gita, says, “those who are motivated only by the desire for the fruits of action are miserable for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.” Let go and just do what you think is right. Material success is no longer a valid excuse to compromise your beliefs. While Saturn pushes us into action it also pushes us into alignment with our values.
Your challenge can be to identify the basic rules and law of life and to work wisely and well within them and to accomplish as much as you can to create an enduring testament of you having lived on this planet. Some of that enduring testament may be an outer (career) or achievement. But the most vital part is your personal growth, maturity and increased mastery of your life and being.
On its most basic level the major task during Saturn Return is to consolidate all of your experience to date into an increased expertise at living, loving, growing and managing your life with common sense, foresight and with concern for the greater good.
