The Saturn Return – Myth and Reality

by Robert Wilkinson

The Saturn return always occurs between the age of 27 and 29, seemingly lasts a lot longer, and is one of the most feared and misunderstood points in personal evolution. It is usually a difficult time with a lot of stress and pressure, where things come to an end, hard realizations are faced, and the weight of the world is felt, very acutely. However, it is also a time of many opportunities to make important choices and decisions, moving out of unconscious patterns and obsolete conceptions of our purpose into more deliberate and thoughtful expressions of our unfulfilled self.

It represents a time of completing a major life cycle, and because it is Saturn, it shows that we now have completed some lessons about what we can do and cannot do, what we can live with and what we cannot. It is a time where we examine our chains, and lift off the ones we no longer need to wear. It is where we choose behaviors that will lead us to forms of dominion and slavery in our life. Before now, these were chosen for us by our elders and our unconscious patterns. But no longer. This is the moment where free will works most powerfully to make our lives a grand adventure in becoming our true authorship in the world, stepping into our chosen authority, or where we perpetuate life habits that enslave us to obsolete authoritarian patterns.

It is a time of important endings, but also major new beginnings that will affect our lives for many years to come. It is a time where our free will shows us more of our life purpose freed from old patterns we once needed, but do not need to live with any longer. It is often associated with a time of hardship, difficulties, and major challenges, but these occur because we are resisting our own tide of personal evolution, or because we need the skills to deal with these things that will help us reveal our higher purpose in the years to come. During this time of clearing our old psychological refuse, whatever must change WILL change, whether we want it to or not, and whether we like it or not.

It is important to note here that Saturn is not "causing" these things to occur. We are the engineers of our own lives, the determiners of our fate through our free will. As it was said, we are the dispensers of "glory or gloom" to ourselves, and no others. Nothing external compels our destiny. Since character is destiny, as we make our character we make our destiny. Saturn and its cycles merely indicate the part of our inner nature which must learn certain lessons as a direct result of our own maturation process, and show us clearly the cause-and-effect cycles we have set into motion before this time of radical choices and changes.

The Saturn return is a time when the "chickens come home to roost," for good or ill. Again, this is a time of evaluating what we can live with and what we cannot. It is the most important time for examining what our priorities are and what must be dropped from our lives to allow us a more mature expression of our "dharma," a Sanskrit term approximately meaning "true function" in the higher sense of the term. This is when we learn to make time and experience our ally, and come out of immature ways and lesser ways of being into our greater response-ability.

Saturn again returns to its birth place again between 57 and 59, where we choose once more how we want to live, this time for what most of us believe will be the rest of our lives. Again we make choices. This time, though, we are challenged to turn away from old limitations, rules, responsibilities, fears, and unfulfilling behaviors. This is the time to distill wisdom from the realizations we’ve had so far, reflected through the filter of over 30 years of adult experience. It’s usually hardest on those who still operate out of immaturity, irresponsibility, or fear. To the extent that we have not learned how to fulfill our higher purpose, or ignored the physical or emotional lessons of the various crisis points between 29 and 58, this is a very difficult time. Of course, it may also show us that we have done exactly what we were supposed to do, and marks the point of embracing a new adventure, having fulfilled the old purpose.

Any time Saturn touches any planet in our charts, it indicates a time when all of the above factors are brought to bear on the psychological function of the planet visited by Saturn. For example, when Saturn conjuncts our Sun, it is a time of receiving the rewards of "living our light," or feeling oppressed as a result of past self-betrayals. It may be a time of recognition for what we have accomplished, and where we restructure how we view illumination, and how we live your heart's higher purpose. Things end, but only those things which our light no longer needs.

When Saturn touches our Moon, it is a time of seeing what habits and feelings we can live with, and which ones have become too calcified to endure any longer. It is a time of restructuring our emotional experience. Though it may be experienced as limiting and restrictive, it also brings emotional and experiential rewards as well as a deepening of our inner connectedness with our true nature if we show the virtues of patience, responsibility, maturity, perseverence, self-discipline, and organization.

Saturn shows us the lessons we must learn to grow in our "authorship" in life, regardless of what personal, interpersonal, or transpersonal sphere we move through. The Saturn return shows us how we are or are not exercising "free will," rather than fear. Saturn is the part of us that has learned to be rigid and authoritarian, but also where we take responsibility for our lives and choices, and come to a genuine life renewal by ending whatever has oppressed us while embracing a more mature sense of self. Saturn may symbolize our limitations, but also shows us the way to the perfection of our personalities so we can live our Dharma, which is our Highest Self.

Though it is not usually a "joyous" time, it can be if we find the right point of view. Though it is not usually an "easy" time, it can be if you are living your higher purpose and don't resist the process of becoming more than we were. We simply must learn what people and circumstances and fears we no longer want nor need, and let go of lesser things. Then we can find a greater maturity, effectiveness, and purpose that enables us to enjoy our future as a grand adventure rather than be frustrated at not being able to stay in childish or unfulfilling patterns of acting, feeling, or thinking.

Ultimately Saturn can lead us to our primal innocence, where we do what’s right for the greatest good for all, without ulterior motives and controlling behaviors. We just have to learn to be mature, without being old. With the perfection of our Saturn function, we become part of the wisdom of our ancestry, our era, and the holographic patterns of all who share our life lessons. Our Saturn lessons help us learn and teach the greater way for those who follow us in the portion of the wisdom we are here to learn. The trick to it all is to embrace Saturn and its lessons and not fear that which makes us greater than we could have imagined.

(Originally posted May 11, 2004)

Comments

[Louisa]

Hi Robert
Just read this on your recommendation on previous post. I like the description - being mature without being old. I am 29, and feel my SR did all its work last year, when i was fighting various uphill battles. Somewhere though, it seems i crossed an invisible threshold, and now i'm secure in teh knowledge i will never go back to the intense self doubt that used to plague me before such battles. As if, when stretched once, you can never go back to your original size!
I have Saturn in Leo in the Second. I was learning to call myself a journalist, and now see that all my doubts actually helped me not to become arrogant. My mum and friends now laugh i was afraid to use that term, as if i didn't deserve it, for so long. Though i'm sure saturn is still doing its work the hardest part was last year when i had to eat kidney beans for a few weeks as i didn't think i 'deserved' to be paid faster than 3 months for every invoice! I was too scared to follow up in professional terms, with a voice echoing over and over "how dare you think you can make a living from your dream?" Now i laugh at how lowly i saw myself. I dreaded my Saturn Return but now see that it was like doing Year 12 - a crash course in my weak side, turning it into a strength. I now know concretely and without a doubt what i only guessed beforehand - everyone deserves to live from their passion!
Thanks for your apt descriptions.

[dcu]

Hi Robert. I got here following your links from your current article on Saturn in late Leo. We baby boomers are now getting Saturn transit natal Pluto. We also are going to be getting our second Saturn Return over the next couple of years. I think that Grant Lewi would say "I told you so" as we see the chickens really coming home to roost on the neocon chicken hawks. There is an excellent article up on Common Dreams right now summarizing the Alberto Gonzales fiasco.It is by Larry Beinhart and is titled "Ah, Alberto Gonzales." Check it out.

For those of us disciples on the Path I firmly believe that we are now entering the time of our power. We came here to help create the world of the Aquarian Age and foster the transition. Many of us now are beginning to focus seriously on the kind of world that we want to leave for our future generations to inherit. One example of positive intentions in that direction is the cabinet level Department of Peace that Marianne Williamson, Dennis Kucinich, and many others are working on.
With Saturn ruler of my ascendant I have always been very aware of it. I have never feared it, but have always welcomed the strength and understanding that it brings. Your quote from Paul Foster Case about bringing oneself into alignment with natural law seems very approprite as the mass public is becoming aware of the not so secret law of attraction.
Plese comment on the Baby Boomers' impending second Saturn Return. Namaste. dcu

[Robert]

Hi dcu - Well, yes, everyone born between 1947-1949 had Saturn in Leo or early Virgo, so they've been put through changes, with those born between 1949-1951 about to go through same. Will try to address some things that haven't been handled in other articles after I plow through a backlog of requests. ;-)

[Chris]

Hello Robert.

I will keep this short as I certainly said my piece in my previous comment on the Saturn/Ascendant article. I do remember trying to brace myself for the tr. Saturn conjunct Ascendant years ago when I read up on Robert Hand's classic, "Planet's in Transit". I was apprehensive of the forboding experience, because I still didn't have a clue as to what to expect. I over thought it and read too much into the concepts associated with each component; therefore, I was lost to the meaning until the transit was complete. I was able to look back over the time period and saw how very simple it actually was, even though it was arduous and sullen to a degree. Nevertheless, I gained much insight into the Saturn transits that I try to help others when I know they need it.

Your acticle here on the SR is perfect as it simplifies everything, so one doesn't over do the need to contemplate this cycle. Your most profound comment, which is also the most concise, is about the SR "guideline" (if you will) indicating that this is only a diffcult time if your refuse to take on responsibility and carry out the burdensome tasks that underline this humanizing experience.

If only EVERYONE my age could allow themselves to be open enough to follow the advice Astrologers have been doling out on this subject for decades. They would certainly eliminate their needless suffering from traversing this growth period alone.

Thanks, again.

---TO LOUISA---

It is remarkable hearing your experience of this time in your life. I find it so intriguing how you subjugated yourself to the common pitfalls a negatively expressed Saturn can put you through. Leo is all about ego affirmation and the sense of self worth, so to hear how Saturn's placement in this sign affected you for the majority of your life is very enlightening. Since my Saturn is conjunct my Sun, I can relate to your experience as they are very similar.

For a majority of my life, I, too, supressed my self worth, because I've too often felt unworthy of self love and undeserving of the appreciation I'd sometimes receive from those around me who would commend me on my unique talents and gifts. Hearing how you've changed all that and have converted your needless suffering into the optimal expression of Saturn's placement in Leo gives me hope of what I can expect as I experience my SR over the next year. To be honest, some occurances recently have given me more self contentment than what I usually garner. My modesty can be a good thing, but not if it takes away the basic need for self acceptance every human being has.

I certainly commend you on a job well done, and I thank you for expressing your thoughts and experiences. It has, and will continue to, help me make the most my transition into adulthood.

Best Wishes, Louisa!

[Robert]

Hi Chris - While "Planets in Transit" is an excellent work, some of how he describes the frictional aspects is fairly "foreboding" as you put it. Of course, they do work out in difficult circumstances when we don't cooperate before the fact with our Divine impulses (and sometimes when we do!) Looking back is a great way to evaluate transits from the perspective of hindsight. When we're in the thick of things, we often don't have the perspective to see the larger workings clearly. Saturn brings the lessons we MUST learn, and often we've gotten ourselves into situations that must end in order to embrace a higher Dharma. Saturn shows us those endings.

[Helen]

Hi Robert,

As you know my chart by now, I don't fear my Saturn return. Again, when people get scared about any aspect of Saturn, I tell them look at the house, the sign that Saturn is in and the aspects that it makes to the natal chart.

Example: Among other aspects, my Saturn in Libra in the 12th, sextiles all my Leo, conjunts my Nep. and trines my NN.

Makes sense?

Peace,

Helen

[Christi]

On the surface, is it a coincidence that ages 54-58 (2x27-29yrs.) is probably the average life expectancy for humans naturally, meaning without modern medicine, so maybe "Saturn Return" is literally "a mid-life crisis"??

[Robert]

Hi Christi - Well, if we are to believe ancient Vedic and Chinese ways of computing the possible span of a human life, the ideal is about 120 years. I believe more would live over 100 if we dealt with (choose any or all): bad nutrition, bad water, pollution, stress, genetic shortcomings, wild beasts, and human destructiveness, both intentional and unintentional. In that sense I suppose 58, being about midway to 120, is a "mid-life crisis." 54 is the second Lunar return, always an emotional default re-set.

[81]

Hi Robert!

What is the difference between a Saturn Return and the Saturn Shifts?

[Natasha]

Robert,

Could you please tell me and my Aquarius friend when Saturn return ENDS?!?!? Whether it is myth or reality the both of us empathise with the above article and just want it to end. We are both born in 1974 and Aquarius can you help us PLEASE????

Thanks,
Natasha

[Lan]

Hi,
I learned about Saturns Return not too long ago. At first I was skeptic but after doing further research and looking back at my past 2 years - I am 30 year old female leo turning 31 in about a week - I can honestly say that my past few years has been total chaos! Not only did I move to hawaii with a boyfriend and then moved back but then proceed to break up with him while we were planning on getting married, changed careers and moved from one town to another! The last part of the change was in a span of 2 months! I felt like the rug had been thrown from beneath me. Life as I had known it had done a 360 and for the first time since I was 15, I was finally single! The strange thing is, I think that is what I needed to learn - how to be single and love myself since I had only been in relationships. Anyhow, thanks for the article. It did shed some light into what the hell has been going on in my life for the past year or so!

[Robert]

Hi 81 and Natasha - Sorry it took me so long to get back to this stream, but July was stacked and packed and a lot of comments dropped off before I could get to them.

Hi 81 - Saturn returning to its natal position is a Saturn return. Saturn squaring or opposing its natal position are shifts, in my way of using that term.

Hi Natasha - The Saturn return begins when Saturn enters the sign it's in at birth. It ends, such as it can, after it leaves the sign, or should your natal Saturn be at the end of a sign, like mine, then the Saturn return can last well into the next sign. In any case, it never really ends once you've been through it, since the lessons continue to impact your life for a long time to come afterwards. You and your friend had your Saturn returns back in 2001-2003. Between 2005-2007 it opposed your Suns, a different type of Saturn influence.

Hi Lan - It only creates chaos in the parts of our lives we're not supposed to be bound by. Sounds like your odyssey involved figuring out not to move anywhere based in dubious relationships not grounded in a long term productivity. Changing careers is a natural event at a Saturn shift, as is figuring out what and who you can and cannot live with, in a real sense. And of course, you're welcome. No doubt you're living the life you're supposed to, freed from old chains and limitations no longer appropriate to your evolving Dharma.

[harvey]

i dont want to let go of anyone or anything, my saturn conjunction saturn is starting soon and i am freaking out...

[harvey]

how does SR affect birds and animals ?:) the height of freaking out....

[Vladimir]

Good description of what is going on with me right now. As a matter of fact Saturn is touching its natal position in mu chart right these days.
But what about when at the same time Saturn returns and oppose natal Sun. Meaning that i have a Saturn in opposition with Sun in natal chat. :) Any thoughts?

[Robert]

Hi Harvey - The Saturn Return may or may not mean we have to let go of a loved one, but in any case if we don't learn detachment in this impermanent world we are bound to suffer when it is inevitably time to say goodbye. That's just the way this place is. It feels lousy, but no one goes through this plane without letting go of a lot.

The best we can do is use the time to strengthen our heart through loving the object of our love with all our being so we know the difference between conditional and unconditional love. It hurts, but it's the only game in town and feeds our compassion in the future. As for the creatures, they too must learn to let go at the appointed time. They too are subject to the same cycles of birth, growth, decay, and death that we are. Same with the plants.

This is an impermanent plane of existence. However, the love we share never dies, and makes all of us stronger and more bonded across space and time. The love we share with all other life forms strengthens all of us together and assists the evolution of all that share that love. And while freaking out is natural, it is not helpful in focusing the love we have in the precious moments we are here. Better to meditate on the timeless experience of our greater love with all who love us and we love so that we grow in our capacity to love and express that love however and whenever. Truly, may you find peace with the process of this Earth. There are times I don't much like it, but I have learned to accept it. There are beings on the other side of life that my Eternal Self rejoices in knowing we will be reunited, in whatever "Eternal" forms we are.

Hi Vladimir - Sure. Check out Saturn cycles - What it means when it makes a conjunction, square or opposition to planets or the Ascendant. Enjoy finding a greater purpose and intention these next few months, throwing off old chains and obligations no longer appropriate to who you have become in your life. Definitely don't let old power figures dampen your fire of becoming!

[harvey]

Extremely kind and penetratingly thoughtful advice.Awesome.. -Thanks Robert.

[Aisha]

Hello,

I'm 29 and my SR started around August 22, 2008. And it looks like from what I have researched, Saturn was in conjunction with itself back in Dec2007/Jan 2008. I have been told that this type of retrograde and return means that sometime this during Sept-Nov, something from the past will pop up that needs to be addressed and settled that wasn't before. Is this true? Because if so, I'm a bit nervous as I don't know how many more surprises I can take. This past year has been lots of self-reflection, depression, and figuring out the next steps in education/career/relationship for my future. My other question is, once the saturn return has occurred, when do things start to typically pick up? I've been told that marriage is in my forecast for the next year, but at the current moment, that seems to be highly doubtful.

My DOB is 03/05/1979 at 6:28pm EST in Camden, NJ USA.
Could you tell me what house my saturn is in?

[Robert]

Hi Harvey - Sure. You're welcome.

Hi Aisha - Actually, your Saturn return began last September. You've been dealing with those challenges to embrace "the unlived life" since then, and will still be finishing up some of the lessons through Summer 2009. Whatever you weren't seeing last Autumn you got a new look at between Jan-May 2008, and now you're picking up where you left off and getting another layer of the wisdom. Saturn has been opposing your Mars and Sun, forcing you to conserve energies and not be too hard on yourself. I believe Jupiter in Capricorn has blessed you more than you imagine, and as it goes forward exactly trine your Saturn your life should be doing quite well. And of course, when Jupiter and then Mars cross your Venus and sextile your Mercury expect an entirely different long term life experience to present itself. If you have the first 10 degrees of Virgo rising, your Saturn is in the first. If your Ascendant is greater than 12 Virgo, you have Saturn in the natal 12th house. There are free commercial sites where you can compute your chart.

[Aisha]

Hi Robert :) Thank you for the prompt response. Yeah,you are right, I don't know how much Jupiter has blessed me with, I assume that I will be looking back someday and it will become clear to me.

Do you know around when Jupiter, and then Mars will cross my Venus and sextile my Mercury? When you say entirely different long term life experience, do you mean in terms of education, career, or marriage?

Also, do you know which sites I can go to to see which house my Saturn is in?

Thank you very much for your time and guidance. I really appreciate it :)

[Moni]

I am confused as to my Saturn Return time. My natal Saturn is 27 Virgo 21'49" . I've just undergone some major changes--I bought a house, got engaged and changed jobs all within 8 months and I did all this while Saturn was transiting Virgo--as it was when I was born 28 years ago. However, now I'm seeing that Saturn is only 11 degrees into Virgo right now and I think its about to exit. Does this mean that my Saturn return will come in 2010... if so what aspect did I just go through? Thank you Robert,
Moni

[Robert]

Hi Aisha - Jupiter and Mars will move through early Aquarius in Jan-Feb 2009. As for how it will personally affect you, that's beyond a comment stream. Use a search engine to find who offers free astrology charts. Find your Asc, and you'll see where your Saturn resides.

Hi Moni - Saturn is yet to exactly conjunct your Saturn, but you've been learning Saturn return lessons for a year, along with Pluto squaring your Saturn since 2006. You've also had Solar Eclipses conjunct or opposed your Saturn since then which are still working out in your life. That said, what you describe are typical Saturn return choices. You'll still be learning Saturn return lessons through 2010, so be patient, organized, mature, and let go of whatever has fulfilled itself. Will power is the key to all good things in your life, the means for you to find purpose as well as reasonable limits.

[Aisha]

So I did some searching and according to my natal chart, I believe my Saturn is in my 12th. I've been told that a lot of things will start to move in a very positive forward direction after Sept 2nd. So let's see what pops up in the next couple of months.

I do have to say that you were absolutely on point with saying that whatever I wasn't seeing in Autumn 2007, I got a new look at between Jan-May this year. Nothing has come up yet as far as picking up where it was left off. So I'm waiting to apply that new layer of wisdom that I have gained over the past few months. Patience has certainly been a virtue that I have had to test since January.

Thank your for your insight and your explanations. I really do appreciate the time that you take out to reply to all of these posts. It's a great service that you provide.

-Aisha

[Moni]

I just want to say thank you for your prompt response. I didn't realize I had so many Saturn aspects going on in my life! I'm a little daunted that I'll be "learning Saturn return lessons through 2010" since the last year nearly caused me to completely lose my sense of humor. Forgive me if this is posted somewhere, if so I couldn't find it. Do you do professional readings?

Moni

[e]

Hello Robert,

first - thank you so much for the compassionate knowledge you supply to us all in abundance!!! you're work is amazing!

sr is kicking my butt!!! any advice for a bday on 6/5/79 nashville, tn? thank you so much for any and all advice.

also, do you do personal forecasts?