Are you in your mid to late 20s? Has your life started to go haywire? You could be in your Saturn Return! But ever wondered how to know if your Saturn Return has started? We’ve got ya covered, mates!
There are many astrological hurdles that exist, including Mercury Retrograde and Eclipse Season, but Saturn Return is in a league of its own. It’s heavier… it’s more impactful.
Read on for everything you need to know about your Saturn Return, from when it kicks off to how to survive its chaos.
Saturn Return
Look at her go!!!!!
What is a Saturn Return?
So, ya know how retrogrades involve a planet suddenly travelling backwards? Well, a return is a planet making its way through the sky and back to the exact position it was at when you were born. So basically, it’s the ending of the cycle you’ve been travelling along your whole life and the beginning of a new one.
Every 27 to 30 years, Saturn makes its way back through all 12 signs and into yours. It’s not the only planet that makes a return, but it’s the most revered one as it holds the most impact — much like how Mercury Retrograde strikes fear in most people’s hearts but they have no bloody idea that every planet goes retrograde. (Need help deciphering all the planetary retrogrades? We’ve got ya covered!)
What happens during the Saturn Return?
The biggest thing that I want to impress upon you is that your Saturn Return isn’t something to be feared. It’s like the Death card in tarot or Eclipse Season (how did we all fare, btw?), although they signal chaos, you need to remember that chaos is a necessary part of life and from that chaos, something beautiful will come.
The key to deciphering what any planetary event means lies in what that particularly planet governs. For example, Mercury rules communication, hence why during Mercury Retrograde, all forms of communication go bonkers.
In this case, Saturn is the teacher planet, so when it passes through your sign, you’ll learn a heap of valuable lessons that’ll help you on your next journey.
Expect to be faced with different challenges and experiences that may have you wondering if the path you’re currently on is the right one. If your answer is “no”, then you can start to put plans in place to alter your path. In some cases, you may not even need to make the change yourself… it may happen for you. Shit friends may drop off, you might break up with your partner after realising your paths no longer align you may fall out of love with your job or course of study. Whatever the case may be, it’s a necessary part of your journey. Don’t fear it, embrace it!
Saturn’s energy is a lot of things, but it’s definitely not malicious. Saturn is your strict teacher who is testing you to see what you’re made of. These tests aren’t designed for you to fail, but to help you grow stronger and learn those life lessons.
For this reason, many people consider the Saturn Return to be the end of your youth. That might seem dark and daunting, but again, it’s necessary! The events that occur during your Saturn Return will help you adopt a newfound maturity and responsibility and with it, a greater sense of purpose.
During this time, your priorities may shift and what once seemed to glisten will sudden lose its shine and you’ll wonder why you’ve been wasting your time on certain things, people, habits, etc.
Saturn is also believed to carry karmic lessons, so your past misdeeds (we all have them, dw!) may come back to bite you in the butt. So, if you’ve cheated on an ex, you may learn that your current partner is cheating on you. If you knocked off someone’s assignment, you may find that shit hits the fan at work. This part of the process may be a bit jarring (a slap in the fact, if you will), but at the end of the day, it’s a necessary part of growing up and achieving a more enlightened state of being.
What should I do during my Saturn Return?
Look, there’s no cheat sheet or how-to guide for surviving your Saturn Return. That would be like asking how to avoid puberty. It’s a planetary rite of passage that we all must go through.
That being said, it always helps to be vigilant! When you’re going through something heavy, remind yourself that you’re being tested and be as thoughtful as possible in how you go about it.
If your first instincts are to approach things from a fiery angle, reassess why you feel the need to respond that way and decide if that’s the person you want to be, moving into the next phase of your life.
You on your next path…
It’s a tricky dance though, because while it’s important to be on the lookout, you also don’t want astrology to dictate your life and lead to overthinking. You need to go through these tests in order to pick up valuable lessons. Sometimes you need to make those fuck-ups if you hope to level-up.
Another helpful tip is to remember the basic laws of manifestation: our thoughts can impact our reality so if you’re constantly worried and stressed, your life will be worrisome and stressful. Instead, direct your energy into smashing your goals and focusing on where you’ve been and where you hope to go next.
During this time, be sure to give yourself a break! Don’t blame yourself if you’re not where you hoped you’d be before hitting your 30s.
Don’t set unrealistic goals or compare yourself to other people’s success — that’s a toxic mindset and it won’t help you transition into this next phase of life. Instead, focus on your achievements, celebrate your wins and analyse what you can learn from your losses.
When will I go through my Saturn Return?
While retrogrades and eclipses hit everyone at the same time, your Saturn Return is based on the time you were born and what age you currently are, and so it impacts everyone at different times!
To figure out when your Saturn Return begins, tap your date of birth into this calculator and boom! You’ve got your x3 Saturn Return dates.
In summary, your Saturn Return isn’t a thing to be a feared. It’s a time to slow down, reassess your goals, cut the bullshit out of your life and make choices that will craft the path you want to follow into your next chapter. See you on the other side!
Matty Galea is the Managing Editor of PEDESTRIAN.TV, as well as our resident astrologer. His first book How To Spot The (Star) Signs is out now! You can find him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
