INSIDE: By ruling karma, Saturn highlights those areas of our lives that need to be worked on. Being all about diligence, structure, and discipline, this planet leaves no space for indolence or procrastination. Therefore, Saturn return meaning helps us grow, opening gateways to learning important life lessons and karma.

 

Saying goodbye to young adulthood and stepping into a full adulthood is usually associated with the second half of our twenties. As mentioned on NCBI, our late twenties are a period of adaptation to college, job, and family responsibilities which have never been experienced before.

This is the time when we are in between two worlds, gaining full independence, changing and adapting to adult, real-deal responsibilities.

In astrology, this significant change is associated with Saturn return meaning, an important transit that marks the beginning of a new, incredibly sober era in our lives called adulthood.

What is a Saturn Return?

Saturn return is an astrological transit that happens when Saturn goes full circle, going back to the sign it was in at our time of birth. Because this planet stays in one sign for approximately two and a half years, the return is lengthy, and brings about a significant change in our mentality and how we see life.

It takes approximately 28 years for Saturn to go full circle, so it is no wonder that this powerful change is associated with maturing. The very theme of the Saturn return is about becoming older, wiser, and restructuring life. 

With that being said, there are two, or three Saturn returns in one’s lifetime, all of which mark an important change, a transition from young adulthood to adulthood, from adulthood to maturity, and maturity to old age.

The first and probably the most powerful return is experienced around the age of 28, marking an official astrological goodbye to the twenties. 

How to Calculate Your Saturn Return?

Although the return comes at an approximately similar age for everyone, the effects of it vary depending on your personal chart. Here's how to calculate yours. 

Check your Natal Chart Transits 

The first step to calculate when the return is happening for you is to go to a birth chart calculator. Here are some websites where you can find free birth chart calculators:

Free Chart - Astrodienst

CafeAstrology Free Astrology Birth Chart Report

Astroseek Free Birth Chart Calculator

Enter your name, exact birth date, place of birth, and birth time.

Knowing your birth time is essential for knowing which houses or areas of your life are directly associated with your Saturn return.

Knowing the exact birth time and birthplace will set the coordinates and give you insights into house placements, which are incredibly important for understanding your astrological makeup.

Look for the Sign & the House That Saturn is Placed in

The key to understanding how to calculate your Saturn return lies in the graphic wheel and the table. When the calculator shows you the natal chart wheel, the first step to understanding Saturn return meaning is to check the sign and the house your Saturn is placed in.

Look for the Saturn symbol in the chart wheel to find where it’s placed. 

There are 12 houses in total in the graphic chart wheel, and each is marked with a number and divided with visible lines. Look for which segments/houses contain the Saturn symbol, as this will give you insight into what area of your life its transit will affect the most.

For the sign that Saturn is placed in, look for the table of planetary placements and find Saturn and the sign it is linked with. You can find the Saturn sign at the cusp of the house it is placed in as well. The sign will give you an insight into the nature of your Saturn return and how its energy manifests in your life.

Saturn Return in Signs and Houses

How this transit will manifest in your life depends on the house placement and the sign your natal Saturn was at during the time you were born. To gain a deeper understanding of Saturn return and how it will manifest for you, check both the sign and the house that are impacted.

1st House/Aries Saturn Return will affect how you show up in the world, your self-esteem, personal resilience, and stamina. It will challenge your beliefs about yourself, your appearance, and your basic character.

2nd House/Taurus Saturn Return will affect your area of stability. Your finances, what makes you feel safe and secure in the material world will be under examination, pushing you to become more disciplined and persistent in obtaining security in your life.

3rd House/Gemini Saturn Return will affect how you connect with others. Social isolation, difficulty in sibling relationships, your skills, and learning will be particularly highlighted. Short distance travel, relatives, as well as an online presence can play a role for you during the return. 

4th House/Cancer Saturn Return will affect your home life. Your Saturnian lessons will revolve around your memories, childhood wounds, relationship with parents, things you cling to emotionally, and your home life.

5th House/Leo Saturn Return Meaning highlights pride, ego, and indulgence. This transit will challenge the relationship between id, ego, and superego, but also urge you to work with your inner child. During this time you may find it difficult to feel enjoyment, feeling restricted, like all the fun is gone from your life.

6th House/Virgo Saturn Return can affect your health but also urge you to put your needs aside and help others. This is the area that will push you to find the right balance between work and play. It will help you learn to take your health seriously, sometimes the hard way, by pushing your limits.

7th House/ Libra Saturn Return brings all focus on partnerships. Codependency, unhealthy patterns and attachment styles, and toxic relationships will all be brought to light. Legal matters and hidden foes may resurface to teach valuable lessons about trust.

8th House/Scorpio Saturn Return meaning will prompt you to dive deep into subconscious fears and self-imposed limitations. Fear of abandonment, power struggles, issues around control, and learning how to empower yourself are common themes that arise during this time.

9th House/ Sagittarius Saturn Return will prompt you to reevaluate your belief system. Your faith and hope may be tested, and your knowledge proved outdated. This transit will encourage you to think about what truly matters, testing your values.

10th House/Capricorn Saturn Return is here to push you to succeed through strict prioritization and discipline. This placement deals with status and career matters, and transit will highlight everything that holds you back from achieving your goals.

11th House/Aquarius Saturn Return will revolve around your ideals, humanitarianism, and the role you play in society. It will prompt you to think outside the box, which isn’t always comfortable. Friendships and social norms will be put to the test, enlightening the true roles you play and whether these roles still serve you.

12th House/Pisces Saturn Return is here to teach you how to surrender, trust your instincts, and go with the flow of life. Deep emotional wounding will be brought to light, and things from the subconscious are going to resurface, urging you to heal.

How to Survive Your Saturn Return 

Saturn is a planet that forces us to mature and learn. Sometimes it does so the hard way. But although it can be trying and sometimes incredibly difficult, Saturnian lessons can prove to be one of the best life-lessons that lead us to a more fulfilled life. Most of the time, this is exactly what happens.

The very Saturn return meaning implies that it’s time to finish a cycle and approach life clear-headed, with a renewed sense of stability. The trick to reaping the rewards from a challenging Saturn return lies in awareness and knowing how to handle its energy.

Not Every Saturn Return Manifests Equally

Before we dive into other survival methods, it’s important to know that not every Saturn return is bad. Some people only feel fragments of Saturnian influence during this time. Everything will depend on how hard we have worked prior to this transit on our shortcomings that are associated with Saturn-ruled houses.

If we were diligent in our healing journey, doing what we can to overcome personal obstacles and unhealthy patterns, Saturn return will come with rewards for all that hard work.

However, if we were procrastinating, and putting off dealing with ever-present issues, Saturn may force us to learn the lesson once and for all, so that we don’t come back to it when the next return happens.

Be Aware of What’s Ahead...

Being aware of what is coming (what the return is about) will help you get in the right mindset and understand the grander scheme of your life.

Sometimes the old simply needs to die in order for something new to emerge. Endings are not comfortable, but they are necessary and are part of personal evolution. This return serves to highlight burdens and urge us to drop them, one way or another. 

Sometimes during a transit, unexpected endings happen, and we may feel like a rug was pulled underneath us, not knowing how to cope.

Saturn return meaning is linked with time. It teaches us to sail through life, accepting that some things are out of our control. The tighter we hold onto the rope, the more the hand will bleed.

Although it may not look like it at first, what comes after the return is much, much more rewarding than we could have imagined while the transit was happening.

...But Don’t Be Afraid of Your Saturn Transit

Although infamous, Saturn isn’t a bad planet in and of itself. It is just a more strict, rules- and regulations-type of planet, and this is something not many people want to deal with.

Every transit that happens, happens for a reason. It is true that this planet challenges us, but more often than not, it is in challenges where the serious potential for personal growth lies. 

Your Saturn return needs to happen, as it is meant to clear up what is no longer serving you in your life. The process might be painful and you might face a lot of obstacles and triggers, but eventually, you will pull through it.

Not only that, but by the end of the transit, you will feel relieved, more mature, and confident in your abilities to deal with change. This important cycle is here to help us mature and become stronger in who we are, not to permanently scar or defeat us.

Say Yes To Your Karmic Lessons

Saturn rules the old - old people, old beliefs, old relationships, old patterns, and fears. Therefore, its return is here to remove the old and outdated and prepare you for the next phase of your life, creating space for new things to come.

Most of the time, when this transit happens, what limits us and keeps us stuck is exactly what we need to release, but are afraid to let go of. In its essence, Saturn return meaning is associated with the process of purging, and the more open we are to letting go, the less painful it will be.

On the flip side, if we hold tightly to what Saturn urges us to release, this transit can be a real source of headache, making us feel like the whole Universe is against us. This is why, to survive it, it is essential to dive deep within and ask ourselves:

• What is this circumstance teaching me?
• What am I refusing to see?
• What unhealthy patterns keep repeating in my life and feel impossible to break free from?
• What is unhealthy in me in this situation?
• Why am I clinging to this person for a job?

These and similar questions can be your guidelines during your Saturn return. While we can’t escape what Saturn brings with its return, we can definitely learn to embrace and be open to learning the karmic lessons it tries to teach us.

Be Prepared To Put In Hard Work

People fear Saturn’s return because this planet is the strictest teacher of them all. When Jupiter is the teacher, it encourages exploration and spontaneity, allowing you to pass the test, relying on sheer luck, and maybe even cheat a little bit.

However, with Saturn, we simply need to study real hard for the test, but the knowledge will be long-lasting, having significant effects on the future.

This is the ideal time to practice discipline in the areas of your life you have been avoiding and truly dedicate your time to what matters. This transit will push you to shift your focus from unnecessary tasks and teach you how to use your time and resources wisely.

Saturn will require time management, prioritization, and decision-making. It forces us to make difficult choices or make important changes in our lives.

Do what you can to organize your time and give your routine a little structure, because you'll be rewarded by the end of the return when you do so. 

Give it Time

Saturn is not only associated with time, but also with earth, soil, and with planting seeds. Although the land is barren at first, when the time comes, the seed will sprout into a beautiful plant. The same applies to Saturn return meaning and lessons.

During the transit, you may juggle a handful of responsibilities. Paying bills, living independently, trying to sort out finances, starting a family or business venture are just some of the examples.

We may feel rushed to achieve everything, afraid we are being left behind in the race of life, and this is a very typical Saturnian trap that harbors frustration and self-deprecation. 

Suddenly we can’t postpone and run away from responsibilities, but we also feel incredibly blocked. However, what we can do is be patient, both with ourselves and others.

Your Saturn return will slow down everything while making you feel like you are constantly behind schedule. Because of that, it is essential to take your time accepting things you can't change and trust that everything happening is in Divine timing.

Although not right away, the rewards from your hard work, especially the hard work you put in during the return will come. Saturn does not like rushing, so to survive it, it urges you to be patient and diligent, following your own pace.

Nourish Yourself

Because we are dealing with challenges and restructuring life, it is important to dedicate time to healing - as there will be a lot of healing required during this time.

Meditation will help you gain clarity from Saturn return meaning and the challenges you are facing. Self-reflection and self-care rituals can help you ground yourself, but also alleviate stress and tension which are very prevalent during this transit. 

To protect your aura from negative influences during this time, try healing crystals to help you clear the space energetically.

Some of the best pieces include Black Obsidian, Black Onyx, Black Tourmaline, Black Jasper, Shungite, and Smoky Quartz. They will help you persevere and keep you centered in your time of difficulty.

Final Thoughts 

Although a stressful time that requires a lot of adaptation to change and ever growing responsibilities, Saturn return marks the beginning of a calmer, more stable period of life. 

Saturn is not about imprisonment, but more about mindfulness, development, and internal and external restructuring. When its lessons are accepted and learned, this planet helps us create positive routines and an organized life, that helps us use time and energy wisely - and that’s where it’s true lessons and rewards lie.