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In this installment of Practical Magic, Lisa Stardust explains the Saturn return. Always remember that magic is for believers, but this column can also simply serve as a guide to getting in touch with yourself — magically or not.
The Saturn return is an infamous time in astrology, marked by Saturn making a full rotation around the sun from its position at our birth. Typically, it takes about 27-29.5 years for Saturn to make its orbit, so it's sort of a marker of adulthood, happening between the ages of 28 and 30. One's Saturn return is known as a tumultuous time in life, so you can expect lots of big life changes to happen during this time (breakups, marriages, moves, career changes, etc). However, we can still prepare for this karmic shakedown years before the Saturn Return even happens, just to get us in the right mental space for the big cosmic event. In fact, working with the energy years before can help cement a prosperous Saturn return that will leave you unscathed by this often-dreaded celestial happening.
For those who don’t know, Saturn is the authority figure of the zodiac. It makes sure that we are doing the work needed to have a fruitful life. When we act according to the rules, it bestows greatness into us. Unfortunately, the opposite is true when we are being shady. And, trust that Saturn knows all — so don’t even think of hiding anything from this austere planet. But it doesn't just appear in our late 20s.
The first awakening we’ll get from Saturn will happen when we are as young as 6 or 7 years old. This is the first time your natal Saturn squares off with transiting Saturn — this particular planetary square occurs when your natal Saturn is at a 90° angle from transiting Saturn. (To learn more about the planets positions when you were born, read about how to understand your birth chart.) Usually, the first Saturn square is a time of intellectual growth and our first taste of independence. Think about it: We are in first grade and making new friends. Also, we’re learning how to behave in a classroom setting (raising our hands, doing homework, and keeping quiet while working).
Our Saturn opposition (this happens when our natal Saturn is in the opposite sign of transiting Saturn, or is at an angle of 180°) occurs during our freshman year of high school. The one after happens in our early to mid 40s and is known as a midlife astrological transit. Although we are too young to buy a flashy red sports car during our first Saturn opposition, it is kind of like a mid-teenage crisis. We are adjusting to a new school with a lot of different people, prepping for college, and changing up our cliques. It's time to get serious about our studies to prepare for college. The conflict that comes into play is that we are rebelling against the life our parents planned for us and forging our own path. We can stand up to our parents and pick the studies we want to pursue in high school. We can dye our hair green and get nose piercings. We can protest and revolt against authority. This is a time when we realize that the world is full of possibilities and we have the power to control our own destiny.
Between the ages of 21 to 22, you’ll receive a karmic “test” from Saturn, a sort of pre-return rehearsal if you will. This occurrence is called a square, because the sign your natal Saturn is in will be at a 90° angle from transiting Saturn. It is our first entrance into adulthood, as we are usually graduating college and moving into “the real world.” As many of you know, it’s hard out there. During this time, we will begin to learn that we have to work super hard to make it on our own. Friendships, goals, relationships, and career paths change. Many of you will begin to assert your individuality as a post-collegiate graduate working to support yourselves. The most important lesson of all during this time is to learn not to be hard on yourself. We all stumble and make bad decisions now and again. It’s all part of becoming a grown up.
Also, it’s important to consider that your parents are on their way to or are experiencing their second Saturn Return. This transit occurs when they’re in their late 50s and marks a change in the direction of their lives. And, our grandparents may be going through their third Saturn Return, which occurs in the mid to late 80s and is a time of reflection. They’re going through changes too, so be gentle with them if you can.
So, whether you have a decade until your first Saturn return or are just a few months away, be sure to listen to the clues Saturn is giving you as you age. Take those lessons and apply them when you reach the rocky waters of your late 20s — you'll be much better prepared to weather the storm.
To find your Saturn sign, click here.
Lisa Stardust is a NYC-based astrologer and author of Saturn Return Survival Guide: Navigating This Cosmic Rite of Passage due out this month from Hardie Grant Publishing. Follow her @lisastsrdustastro on Instagram or visit her website for more astrological goodness.
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Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: How to Read Your Birth Chart
