4 Reasons Why Saturn Return Might Not be as Bad as You Think It Is
The Saturn return is a significant astrological event that often strikes fear into the hearts of those who are approaching it. In fact, even people who know very little about (Western) astrology, have likely heard of a Saturn return along with its pop astro sibling-in-spirit, Mercury retrograde.
Saturn, the planet associated with maturity, suffering and sorrow, hard work and hardship, discipline and endurance, has long been regarded as a harbinger of challenges during its return.
However, whether it’s your first, second or third(!) Saturn return, here are four reasons why it might not be as bad (or life-changing) as you think.
But first, let’s take a quick look at what exactly a Saturn return is.
Saturn return: the technical deets
As is the case with much of Western astrology, a Saturn return is based on the planet’s relationship with the sun, a.k.a. its synodic cycle.
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, has a distinct synodic cycle that lasts approximately 29.5 years. This cycle is the time it takes for Saturn to return to the same position in the sky relative to the Earth and the Sun. As a result, Saturn return events occur at specific ages in a person's life—around 29-30 years old for the first return and around 58-60 years old for the second return.
Should a person live long enough, they will also experience a third Saturn return between the ages of 87-90.
To put things in a perhaps simpler nutshell, if you have, say, Saturn at 16 degree 03 of Aquarius in your 7th house, your Saturn return will begin when Saturn returns to the sign of Aquarius again, and peak when it reaches the same degrees it was on the day you were born.
Saturn return myth busting
Many of these myths are most widely spread by people in their 20s who have yet to experience their Saturn return. By the second go-round, it doesn’t usually strike as much terror, although it does tend to bring up different issues (more on this later).
Myth 1: Saturn Return Predicts Inevitable Doom
One common misconception about Saturn returns is that they herald unavoidable misfortune or a life full of hardship. While Saturn return may bring challenges, it also presents valuable opportunities for growth and transformation. The outcome largely depends on how individuals navigate and learn from the experiences during this period.
For example, my first Saturn return happened in my 10th house in the sign of Gemini. During that time, I started teaching English as a Foreign Language at a university here in Berlin. At the time, I was a very shy, melancholic person, which made teaching in front of a group of people an intimidating task. Taking on a new profession (10th house) where I had to take on responsibility and exude authority (Saturn) in teaching a language (Gemini) was ultimately something that boosted my self-confidence and helped me come out of shell, leading to a happy life in general. A Saturn return success story for sure.
Myth 2: Every Saturn Return Is the Same
Another myth is that all Saturn returns are identical in their effects. In truth, each Saturn return is unique, influenced by the individual's birth chart. The struggles, delays and obstacles it may bring up will therefore vary accordingly.
In traditional Hellenistic astrology, they also use the concept of “sect,” which divides people into groups of those who are born in the day and those who are born at night. According to the rules of sect, those who are born during the day are less likely to have a particularly heinous Saturn return (or issues with Saturn in general) than those who are born at night.
Although sect is a good rule of thumb, in my experience, it still depends on what Saturn is doing in your chart. For example, Saturn in the 2nd house can bring a lack of resources, delays and obstacles around finances – and if you are experiencing your Saturn return in this house, these are the type of issues that will likely come up.
But it still won’t be a one-size-fits-all suffering.
For example, if you had Saturn strong in Libra, the sign of its exaltation, your experience would likely be more positive (e.g., restructuring your financial planning, reducing your spending in a smart way that pays off down the road, etc.) than if you had Saturn in Cancer or Aries, which are signs the planet struggles in.
In my experience, this would hold true no matter the sect. Case in point: I was born at night, but my Saturn return experience was actually positive, as I mentioned above.
Myth 3: Saturn Return Spells the End of Fun
When it comes to that first Saturn return, I’ve heard a lot people worrying that it return means the end of all fun and spontaneity in life, leading to a rigid and joyless existence. However, this is definitely not the case. While Saturn encourages discipline and responsibility, it also promotes lasting fulfillment and authenticity.
Saturn likes hard work, grinning and bearing it, facing struggles and challenges with a stiff upper lip – the easier you find it to have this type of attitude towards whatever part of your life Saturn is impacting (as seen by its house), the easier a time you’ll have of it.
And, ultimately, you will be rewarded.
The first Saturn return has to do with the maturation process, i.e., growing up and becoming a responsible adult human being.
The second Saturn return is about accepting ageing and the fact that certain aspects of your life are slowly winding down.
I’m not entirely sure what the third Saturn return brings, but I would guess that a person who has reached such an advanced age has truly become a child of Saturn, lord of time, old age, death, decay and disease.
To accept these sobering processes leads to growth and grounding as well as (self-) respect. A Saturn return may represent the “death” of a former way of being, but if you lean into it and accept Saturn’s lessons, your life will unfold into a new chapter that has its own gifts to give.
Myth 5: Saturn Return Is a Time for Radical Change Only
As doom-sayer as that last section might have been towards the end, it is worth mentioning that a Saturn return is not necessarily a period of radical life changes, such as quitting a job, ending a relationship, or relocating. Saturn's lessons can also be integrated into existing life structures, fostering gradual and sustainable growth, both very Saturnian concepts.
Do they talk about Saturn returns in Vedic astrology?
No, not exactly.
That said, Jyotish (Vedic astrology) does take transits into account, i.e., the affects of the current position of the planets on your chart, and therefore your life. A Saturn conjunct Saturn transit (i.e., Saturn return) would still be considered a (potentially) significant event in the system.
Then again, so would Saturn’s transit over any of your personal planets, such as your Sun, Venus or (particularly harsh) Moon. In fact, the period when Saturn transits over your moon as well as the house before and house after is known as Sade Sati, which has its own definite infamy in the Vedic astrology world.
Poor Saturn. I guess that’s what happens when you stand for so many of the things that make life hard in the first place.