Saturn has an orbit of between 28 yrs. to 30 yrs. to complete its cycle around the Sun. When Saturn reaches a point where it returns to the place it was at the time you were born it has made its Natal return in your chart.
These are long term cycles and are often felt for long periods of time. So when Saturn returns to the point in Natal chart where it began for you, it isn’t just days or the day when it returns that you “feel” it - it is usually YEARS!
The ‘feelings” can be even more intense when Saturn gets near the Natal return point and it goes retrograde, and it will make three passes back and forth over the Natal return point. So the impacts and experiences can be very long term.
So we can say that most of your 20’s is a “Saturn” return!
Saturn, like every planet placement and sign has a range of expression of potential expression, from the lowest to the highest.
Saturn can express itself:
- In more challenging ways
- In wonderful ways
Many of us, even those of us who are very aware, are often only conscious of about 10-20 , or at best 30 % of what is happening to us. The rest of the things happening to us and around us are happening at a mostly unconscious level. That’s why many things tend to express more in the negative. Much of what is happening to us gets shunted into that unconscious space that we are not aware of, and this where some of our experiences begin to show these unconscious feelings.
These unconscious feelings and experiences that appear in our lives will often point to unresolved issues. That is what Saturn returns will show us! It shows these unresolved things in our lives!
Saturn defines your approach to life!
The house Saturn appears in your Natal chart will establish and define your approach to that area of your life. Each “house” in your chart, and there are 12 Houses in everyone’s chart, defines an area of experience in your life.
So, for 2 ½ to 3 ½ years Saturn will stay in a particular house or sign. While it is there it will define your approach that field of experience, which is defined by that house or sign.
It does by showing you what your life is like at the time:
- By your parents or caretaker
- Your religion
- Your culture
- Your society
- Where you are in the world
- What your circumstances are
- Who the main influencers are in your life
These are the people, experiences and things Saturn is using to form and define your approach to life.
When Saturn returns to the Natal house in your chart that’s when you start a new cycle of “redefinition” to all of those fields of experience in your life!
So you get to spend the next 28 yrs. to 30 yrs. “redefining” all of those experiences of life based on all of the previous experiences you have had up until then.
Often what happens in your 20’s is you begin to realize that much of what you have experienced and “know” about life is based on what others have taught or impressed upon you, but has little or nothing to do with what is good for you personally!
These things were defined by what was important or true for other people or the circumstances around you. This is where you may begin to feel that divergence from the things happening in your life and you begin to question whether these things are authentic and true for you!
Often, the answer is No!
They were authentic and true for the people and influencers around you who created that definition of life for you. This is where you begin to weed out what was before, and being brave and walking away from everything that you knew on the “Quest” for authenticity in your life!
Many experiences and things in life have an astrological basis. There is scientific research that shows that divorce rates are lower for people who marry after 30 yrs. old.
Why is that?
It’s part of the influence of the Saturn return! It’s not just some arbitrary number, it’s because people are now more in tune with what is authentic to them.
Now, the degree to which they have shed or cast off the things that were not authentic is a personal process, and anything you don’t deal with during the 1st Saturn return you will have to deal with on your 2nd Saturn return. On top of that, you have to live with the challenge of not having dealt with those things during that first cycle!
Some people experience their Saturn return as a really big deal and a time where everything gelled.
That is the positive aspect of a Saturn return!
- Saturn can bring things to fruition
- Saturn can bring important events to manifestation
- Saturn can create the tangible from the tangible
Many people will go through big changes in their lives during or after a Saturn return:
- They get married or divorced
- They have children or children leave the home (or have some other significant milestone or situation)
- They start a business
- They start a whole new approach to life
- They redefine themselves
Saturn returns can set the course for the rest of people’s lives!
Some people experience their Saturn return:
- As heaviness
- As confusion
They people may even experience both things:
- Where some things are gelling
- Some things are coming together
- While other things are weighed down
- Or blowing up
Some people during their 2nd Saturn return will have experiences related to issues that they worked with during their 1st Saturn return. They worked on them, but they are experiencing whatever was not completely resolved the first time through someone who is close to them in their life now!
So it is a little further removed from them as a personal experience, but the lesson is still there for them to learn from and to work with. So you’ll know what you’ve cleared up by what doesn’t come back around again!
Where before their life was defined by their partner and the way their partnership was defined, now they have clean slate. So this time can be very stressful and it can also be very exciting. If you understand that this is what is going on it can make it easier.
So what does Saturn what of you?
- It wants discipline
- Hard work
- Dedication
- Persistence
- Continuity
Any way you can apply these things toward the problems and issues in your life is how Saturn manifests in your life!
If you have health issues you’ll have to:
- Apply steps toward healing your body
- Change your diet and routines
If you have challenges in your relationships you’ll have to:
- Apply persistence and healing work there
If financial issues are plaguing you, Saturn wants discipline and hard work in that area of your life.
Anywhere that Saturn brings its attention in your chart, persistence, hard work, and discipline are in order.
And there is all of the other sectors of that your Saturn return could be challenging you on!
The Story of Two Grandsons and their Grandfather!
Saturn represents the Grandfather, which is a strong male energy that is stoic and emotionally reserved. He is pragmatic and practical, but he is not too terribly emotionally involved, but he is stern and persistent.
The Grandfather had a very large fortune, and while he has his Grandsons visiting him, he began to try to teach them how he had created all of his tangible wealth that he had benefitted from throughout his life.
He began teaching his Grandsons by having them work on projects. Now, one of the grandsons was very respectful of his Grandfather, even though he was annoyed by the work and he didn’t really understand why he was doing the projects his Grandfathers has tasked him with.
Now, the other Grandson was very disrespectful and very rebellious, and he absolutely refused to do the projects his Grandfather had asked him to do. He didn’t respect his Grandfather or the process of doing any of the work.
Time moved on, and the Grandfather passed away, which is symbolic of Saturn passing through the cycle. After Saturn’s passing it brings gifts from the lessons that you were supposed to be learning. The degree to which you learned the lessons is the degree to which you will experience the gifts.
After his passing, the Grandfather left his estate to his Grandsons in a certain ratio.
Both of the Grandsons received an extensive series of books that showed them how to manifest and create in the world. Within these books were all of the answers to manifest and create anything and everything they could ever want in the world. They both received the same series of books.
But the Grandson, who was respectful, and who did the work and was listened to his Grandfather inherited not only the library of books he also inherited the rest of the Grandfather’s estate, while the other Grandson did not.
This is about perspective and Saturn’s lessons are all about perspective!
If you are feeling:
- Victimized
- Put-upon
- Angry
But you are not being accountable or willing to do the work to turn the situation around. You will have much harder time with Saturn, and you will not be able to receive the Quality or Quantity of the gifts that are available to you!
So, the disrespectful Grandson, who had the entire library of how to manifest everything he wanted in the world, did not perceive that he had a gift!
But the respectful Grandson, who got it and did the work, now has even more ability to create more, and he has the ability manage the estate and everything his Grandfather gave him because he did the work.
That is what Saturn wants from you!
- Saturn wants you to be disciplined
- To be persistent
- To have a good attitude
- To work hard
- To not fall into a victim role
Know that the work that you are doing is part of your individual experience that you created. When you have difficulties in your life you have to look within yourself to get the resolutions, not to blame anyone or the circumstances in your life for your situation. This is the Story of Saturn, and you can apply this knowledge to any transit of Saturn that happens in your life!
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