7 Tips to Master Your Saturn Return
Your Saturn Return is a period of about 2.5 - 3 years when the planet Saturn returns to the position of the zodiac where it was at the moment you were born. This significant transit takes place for all of us around the ages of 28-30, again at 57-60, and if you’re lucky enough to grow old, once again at around 88-90 years old.
Right now, Saturn is moving through the sign Pisces, so if Saturn is in Pisces in your natal birth chart (if you were born within one of the below date ranges), then congratulations, you’re experiencing a Saturn Return!
If you were born between February 6, 1991 - May 21, 1993, or between June 30, 1993 - January 28, 1994: You’re currently going through your FIRST Saturn Return
If you were born between January 3, 1962 - March 23, 1964, or between September 16, 1964 - December 16, 1964: You’re currently going through your SECOND Saturn Return
If you were born between February 23, 1932, and August 13, 1932, or between November 19, 1932 - February 14, 1935: You’re currently going through your THIRD Saturn Return
If you’re not sure what sign Saturn falls in your natal birth chart, you can look it up by creating a free birth chart on astro.com or by checking on cafeastrology.com.
ASTROLOGICAL RITE OF PASSAGE
Many people fear or dread their Saturn Return since it can often be a time of significant changes and growth - and, of course, change isn’t always pretty, or what you want at the moment.
However, I firmly believe that you don’t have to view your Saturn Return with doom and gloom - and, in fact, on the other side of your Return, there are many gifts and rewards for you to claim.
To give you a better understanding of the energy that might show up at various points within your Saturn Return, here are some of the main archetypes and keywords associated with the planet Saturn: Grandfather, teacher, time, lessons, restriction, fear, responsibility, maturity, commitment, tests, reality, structure, determination, hard work.
So it’s pretty easy to see why many people fear the idea of a Saturn Return - it’s like that feeling when your super strict teacher in high school walked around the classroom while everyone took the final exam, and you suddenly felt super self-conscious about your answers when you knew she was standing right over your shoulder, evaluating your aptitude.
The sign and house where Saturn falls in your chart tell you a lot about where you’re going to need to put in hard work, face your insecurities and fears, and face lessons to fuel your self-growth. When your Saturn Return comes along, these issues are all put under the spotlight to ensure you’re putting in the work your soul signed up for.
7 TIPS TO MASTER YOUR SATURN RETURN
Now that you have an overview of what a Saturn Return is all about, here are my top 7 tips to help you move through yours with the grace and wisdom of a truly old soul.
1. Listen when life gives you lessons
The number one reason why some people experience significant turmoil during the period of their Saturn Return is that they’re not paying attention or listening to the lessons that the Universe and their souls are trying to teach them.
This is actually a solid life strategy in general, but especially during the time of your Saturn Return, you should be asking yourself questions like, What am I learning from this challenge or setback? How does this experience change my ideas for what I want or for what I’m currently doing in my life?
The answers might not always be immediately apparent, but if you commit to staying open to receiving the lesson you’re meant to learn, you will be able to pivot and adapt any ill-aligned plans that the Universe is trying to steer you away from.
Here’s a real-life example I experienced in my Saturn Return (in Capricorn, related to my work and career): By the time of my Saturn Return, I had worked in corporate marketing for 10+ years.
I had just wrapped up a total dream job project when I was suddenly faced with two complimentary lessons: First, I was surprised and disappointed to realize that I didn’t feel as fulfilled at the end of my marketing dream job as I thought I would; and second, I was about to get laid off for the first time ever.
The Universe (and Saturn!) was clearly trying to steer me in a new direction that would be more soul-aligned - and yet, change is scary and confusing, and so I continued to push that soul-knowing down and reason my way into applying for new marketing jobs.
That was when the third lesson along the same track came: Even though I had one of the most recognizable brands on my resume at this point, I could barely get a call back from the dozens of companies I was applying with and definitely qualified to work for.
Once again, it felt like Saturn was closing doors that my ego was desperate to latch onto. (Luckily, I eventually listened and struck out on my new path...and so here we are!).
2. Think long-term impact > short-term gain
Saturn Returns are often time periods rife with self-reflective questions like, What am I doing with my life? How did I get here? Where am I going?
These are important questions for us to spend time with, and not brush off as a silly quarter- or mid-life crisis that can be placated with a new apartment, car, or vacation.
They’re coming up to the surface of your consciousness during this time as a way to get you thinking more of long-term impacts - both yours on the world around you, and the ones of your decisions on your soul’s fulfillment.
You don’t have to have your full 10-year plan figured out by any means, but having an overall vision for your life's long-term direction and how you’d like to contribute to the world will help you more easily discard the things that aren’t supportive.
If you still get stuck and don’t have any idea about your overarching mission, I recommend starting with identifying your top 3-5 core values. Once you’ve done that, reflect and begin to let go of any behaviors, habits, or vices that are not in alignment with those values.
It can be uncomfortable to realize all of the ways that you’ve been living out of alignment with what your heart truly prioritizes in life, but by doing this work yourself, you’re ensuring that your Saturn Return won’t have to do this dirty work for you in cutting out what’s no longer aligned for you.
3. Put in the time & effort
Saturn Return is like the months of conditioning and training athletes put in before a new season or big competition.
The daily 6-mile runs, 2-hour strength training sessions, and never-ending uphill sprints are never anyone’s favorite part of playing a sport, but it’s what sets the true champions up for success once they reach those big game-time moments.
Similarly, your Saturn Return is a period that asks you to put in the time and effort needed to fully understand the area of life you’re being called to work through.
You don’t need to fear hard work or grit, but you do need to be prepared to potentially make some sacrifices if the ways you’ve been living are not in true alignment with your highest path.
The house and sign where Saturn falls in your natal chart will give you more specific information as to the area of life you’re being asked to put this work into, and the qualities and characteristics you have at your disposal to help you accomplish the task at hand.
The sign and house where Saturn falls in your chart tell you a lot about where you’re going to need to put in hard work, face your insecurities and fears, and face lessons to fuel your self-growth.
4. Invest in a mentor, coach, or therapist
Our blind spots are called blind spots for a reason - we can’t see them, no matter how self-aware we may be. And the tests and lessons that come up during your Saturn Return are usually the results of some previously unforeseen blind spots.
The beauty of working with an objective third party - whether it be a coach, a mentor, a therapist, or a healer - is that they can more easily recognize your blind spots and bring them to your attention before you potentially have to learn a lesson from them the hard way.
Additionally, it’s normal to have a lot of fear, limiting beliefs, self-doubt, and uncertainty about the future come up in the midst of major life transitions that can come with the Saturn Return territory.
Working with someone to guide you through these things without getting stuck in the stories around them will not only help you understand and master your lessons faster, but it will also equip you with valuable tools and strategies to employ well beyond your Saturn Return.
5. Create new systems and structures
As part of your life might be under construction during your Saturn Return (again, check which sign and house it falls into in your personal chart for clues as to which specific part of your life it’s most impacting), creating new systems and structures to support who you are in the process of becoming is extremely beneficial.
Plus, since Saturn is the planet of structure, it doesn’t hurt to incorporate its planetary strengths as you work with and learn from its energies.
Practice setting and maintaining healthy boundaries with friends and loved ones. Commit yourself to new, healthy daily practices that incorporate insights and realizations you’ve gained during your Saturn Return.
Keep a journal to reflect on what you are learning about yourself, your purpose, your roles, and your responsibilities to others around you.
6. Run your dreams through multiple reality checks
Listen, I am a dreamer, a visionary, and an eternal optimist, so I am not normally the person who is ever going to tell you that your dreams are unrealistic.
However, the 2.5-3 year period of your Saturn Return is a time when it pays to be extra in tune with reality; otherwise, the Universe is going to keep sending you lessons to get you to refine your dreams.
One of the best explanations of the Saturn Return I have ever heard comes from my favorite Astrologer/Author, Steven Forrest, in his book The Changing Sky.
He shares the example of a young man who believes that he is and will be a rockstar, and so he parties his way through his early and mid-twenties. Then his Saturn Return comes along and offers him the reality check to these dreams.
His Saturn Return basically says to him: Is this dream still realistic? If you still dream of being a rockstar, are you willing to put in the hours of practice, songwriting, vocal training, choreography, etc. that comes along with it? Is this a desire of your ego or of your soul, and can you learn to discern between the two?
You can stay ahead of the curve by running your own dreams and big ideas through multiple reality checks and taking concrete action steps to ground them into the physical, material world.
7. Ditch the victim mentality
Saturn's Return reminds us that we all have work to do, areas where we need to apply ourselves with extra diligence to evolve and grow, and fears and insecurities that we must learn to face and integrate.
Once you know and accept these truths, it’s a whole lot easier to approach your Saturn Return as sacred work, with the determination of a climber on Mount Everest and with the humility of a young student bowing before a master teacher.
The alternative is to go through your Saturn Return feeling personally victimized by the Universe and refuse to take responsibility for the lessons your soul came here to learn.
Life is tough, change is difficult, and learning from the experience of a Saturn Return can sometimes feel exhausting.
It’s ok to grieve what is falling away, to safely express your anger and frustration, and to question the meaning of it all. But remember not to get stuck in those states for too long, or else you’ll miss out on the views of the mountaintop you just worked so hard to climb.
Have you been through your first Saturn Return yet? Tell me about your experience and the major lessons you came out of yours with in the comments below! If you haven’t gone through yours yet, what sign is yours coming up in?
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Chelsea Jewel is an Intuitive + Karmic Astrologer, Spiritual Coach, and Intuitive Mentor to those waking up to their own intuitive powers. You can connect with her on Instagram or via her website, chelseajewel.com
