Saturn Return: It’s time to master your life

I have wanted to write this blog post since the idea of having a blog was only a sparkle in my mind. I want to bring awareness to the Saturn Return Astrology transit. Astrology fascinates me. It is so much more than just your “sun” sign that you might read as you flick through a magazine; Having a conscious awareness of your natal chart is like being given the keys to your life. All your natural attributes, your gifts, your challenges and opportunities for growth can all be identified in an “OMG, that’s amazing!!” way. Throughout our lifetime we go through different transits and journey’s as the planets around us influence our energy and make up. Does this mean we have no control and we are at the planets mercy? Our lives all mapped out to fate? No, I don’t believe that. However when we have a conscious awareness of what is happening with the planets and transits it empowers us to work WITH the universe and nature, rather than against it floating around unconsciously feeling like a ship lost at sea. Working with a good astrologer is like having a great navigator on your ship, someone who can see through any bad weather and let you know the best way to get through any storms you may face. They can help you focus on what’s important, give you a head’s up about opportunities & challenges, make sense of any chaos and give you deep insights on how you can live to your highest potential.

One of the most powerful transits and journey’s you will go through in your life is your Saturn Return. It is a transit we all must face we reach the ages of 28-30, then again at 58/60, then if we live a long life for a final time in our 80’s.

A Saturn Return transit is a gift. It’s an opportunity to master your life. The first Saturn Return is when astrologers state we truly come into adulthood, and the second time around is a chance to embody the wisdom of the elder. Saturn’s energy is like a stern teacher that sees your greatest potential, how you’re here to serve the world and evolve as a soul and he knows exactly what lessons and growth you need to get there. A hard taskmaster that won’t stand for denial, fluff or avoidance, he will come along and shake your world upside down if that is what you need to grow. To master a life takes hard work, determination, patience, commitment and unconditional love. Saturn loves your deeply. Sometimes the best love in life is tough love. We all need tough love to grow & claim our personal power. If we never faced resistance, we would never grow. Saturn wants you to take 100% responsibility for your life and become a leader in it.

Part of my reasons for writing this post is as a healer I find it no coincidence that for many of my clients the first time they come to see me they are in their late twenties and late 50’s, and going through their Saturn Return. The look of relief on their faces is always priceless as I inform them about the transit. It is so comforting for them to realise they aren’t going crazy, life isn’t out to get them, something deep IS in fact happening to them to help them grow, which helps them make sense of the chaos and challenges they are facing.

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Saturn Return can be likened to the Tower Card in the Tarot. The energy will come along and shine a light of TRUTH through all areas of your life so you can see what you need to let go of or commit to. Truth is always a catalyst for change. Saturn will destroy anything that isn’t built on a strong and lasting foundation. If something or someone has passed its use by date in your life, and doesn’t serve you moving forward, Saturn is going to come along and remove it. On the same hand, if things ARE working its time to commit more deeply to them and the energy will give you the courage and clarity to do that. This is why you often see people getting married, having their first baby and/or buying a house all around their first transits.

My Saturn Return was challenging, yet the growth it gave me as a result has transformed my life, so that now I am living my dreams – instead of just fantasying about them. I didn’t go into my return unconsciously, I knew it was coming. I naively thought going into it that I had it covered, yet there is one thing to understand intellectually what was coming, and something very different to EXPERIENCE it first hand.

So what happened during mine?

– Long standing friendships I had been in for years started to disintegrate as truth came to light that I was really remaining in the relationships based on the amazing memories of what “was”, rather than the reality of what they actually had become.

– Any areas of my life where I wasn’t being authentic or not being true to myself became battlefields of conflict and pressure. Forcing me to take a stand, or walk away from what wasn’t right for me. I stopped being so passive & repressive with anger and had to get better at communicating my truth.

– I surrendered the ideal of becoming a full time professional singer, and instead committed to my path as a healer and teacher. My business started to flourish as a result.

– I stopped waiting for the perfect man to come and save me and I got “real” about my life, turning 30 gave me the kick up the ass to clear over $30K debt I had incurred over my twenties and I also finally started travelling the world to places that called to my soul.

– I trained in Theta Healing, which allowed me to shift a truckload of old limiting beliefs. I did my Reiki Master Teacher Training, which was incredible. Both those journey’s supported me to heal deep emotional wounds, forgive people from my past and heal my relationship with my Father.

I was blessed that during my Saturn Return I actually “won” a free astrology reading via an astrologer I followed on Twitter. I had worked with astrologers in the past, all great and insightful, but Katie Sweetman from Empowering Astrology came along at the perfect time. She is an expert in Saturn transits and was a godsend when I was going through mine. Katie uniquely works at a very deep soul level, making the unconscious, conscious – she acts as a healing channel for your soul, bringing through information about past lives and soul purpose for this lifetime. I thought whom better to include in this article, then Katie herself. I hope her insights help give you some further clarity and awareness around Mr Saturn.

How would you explain what a Saturn Return transit is for someone who has no astrology knowledge?

Katie: The Saturn Return is a right of passage that everyone goes through from about age 28 to 29, right up to the threshold of age 30. It is an invisible point of no return when we leave behind our 20s and our adolescence for true adulthood. But why is it called the Saturn Return? Well, Saturn takes 29 years to go around the Sun and in astrology Saturn is the planet of commitment, structure, order, and ambition — all that fun adult stuff. When Saturn “returns” to the sign and position it was at when we were born, we’ve come full circle on a very long journey. And it’s time to take Saturn’s test. What have we learned along the way? What have we mastered?

What type of things can people expect when going through their Saturn Return? What are common transformations that you see with your clients? 

During the Saturn Return there is usually a crisis of maturation. We feel the weight of time, as if an external force is pressuring us to make a series of hard and sobering choices. The Return is about taking on the mantle of responsibility and leadership. If we’ve been screwing around in our 20s and not committed to much of anything, the Return tends to be a rude awakening. Relationships may fall apart, careers disintegrate. We may realize that the structures of our lives are too shaky to keep building upon them. A change of direction may be needed along with lots of soul searching. Saturn says start again and build it stronger.

But the Saturn Return doesn’t have to be a terrible time. I often see it coincide with major milestones — marriage, the birth of a first child, and the first steps taken on a major new career path. There can be much needed clarity during the Saturn Return as Saturn lays out the path forward in life. A fantastic astrologer here in New York City, Eileen McCabe, says that the Saturn Return is when we first commit to the incarnation and karmic path ahead. I couldn’t agree more.

How did you transform as a result of your own personal Saturn Return?  

Oh god, my own Saturn Return was a beast. It coincided with something called a Moon/Pluto opposition, which is a once in a lifetime experience that not everyone will have. (I must be extra lucky.) Lots of deep dark themes of life and death, power, control, and rebirth. I went to hell and back during my return. But I have Saturn on the cusp of my 9th House, which is a fancy way of saying that Saturn is working me hard so that I grow wiser. I’ve had to transmute painful experiences into wisdom and share it with the world.

Everyone will have a different Saturn lesson depending on where it is in his or her natal chart. Mine is in a place that will push me to be a teacher — Saturn in Virgo in the 9th. In fact it was during my Saturn Return that I committed to astrology as a new career path. Six years later I’m doing just that.

Saturn tends to have a pretty ominous reputation as a hard taskmaster, full of tough lessons, initiations and limitations. Instead of perpetuating any more fear and doom and gloom around the transit, what do you believe is the benefit and gift/s within this transit?

Saturn is a hard planet, make no mistake. But Saturn is supposed to be hard. How else would you climb higher if you didn’t feel the push of adversity? How else would you be a better version of yourself if you didn’t put the work in? Fear is seeing the path ahead or the peak of the mountain top towering above and thinking that you’ll never reach the summit. That fear will cripple you and keep you from taking that first step. But if you take Saturn’s outstretched hand, you will reach the top of the mountain. It will take effort, dedication to the path ahead, and strength. It may even take 29 years. Let Saturn be your guide not your enemy.

I wrote more about Saturn here: http://empoweringastrology.com/in-defense-of-saturn

What would be your best advice for someone going through their Saturn return? 

The sooner you can sit down with Saturn and start sketching out goals and ambitions for the future, the better. If you are in debt, make a serious stand to get your finances in order. If you are in a job you hate, what would make you happier? How can you make a small step towards a better future? I think people get overwhelmed with the enormity of the process. Just make a baby step. That’s all. Saturn will reward your hard work and the time you spend getting your life together. True story.

What are some of the benefits to people going through their Saturn Return having a chart reading with an astrologer? 

An astrologer can help their client map out the path ahead. And by looking at Saturn’s position in the natal chart, an astrologer can get a better idea of the lessons and challenges being worked on in this lifetime. More importantly, talking to an astrologer will give someone validation of what they are going through and the realization that, no, they are not crazy!

The Saturn Sisters book “Surviving Saturn Return” ended up being a bit of a bible for me when I was going through my Saturn Return, and it is one I often recommend for clients. Is there any other books that you would recommend someone going through their return read?

“Surviving Saturn’s Return” is an excellent book because it really makes this process understandable for someone who doesn’t know a ton of astrology. And that’s what sets the book apart — Stefanie and Sherene cornered the market. The other books out there are, in all honesty, for astrologers and thus not a good resource for those who don’t know the language. However, if someone wants to take the plunge, Liz Greene’s “Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil.” is a classic. It’s very steeped in Jungian psychology and astrology.

Thank you so much Katie, that is wonderful information. For people who would like to keep in contact with you, get your astro updates and perhaps book a session what are your social media links?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/empoweringastro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweringastrology
For anyone wanting to book in a session with Katie, you can book via her website. http://empoweringastrology.com.

In closing my personal recommendations and advice for thriving through your Saturn Return:

1. Get comfortable with your own company and spend time alone in introspection. For the primary purpose and intent of connecting to your inner self and heart. You need to know what makes you tick, what lights you up and what type of life you want to live. If you don’t know, its time for some serious self-discovery!!

2. If you aren’t already, start meditating. It will assist you to connect to your inner space, let go of old thought patterns and stop you from merging and being overwhelmed by your emotions. If you need help with that I have a couple of wonderful meditation albums that are awesome for beginners on my shop here.

3. Commit to your life & dreams. You are the one you have been waiting for. No one is going to come and “save” you. This life of yours is YOUR responsibility. So stop playing the victim or blame game of excuses, stop self-sabotaging and take back your power and create life on YOUR terms. Stop wishing your life was different and instead ACTION what you need to, to bring your dreams to life.

4. Read “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie. Her process “The Work” is life changing and will give you a phenomenal tool for letting go of projection and owning ALL parts of you.

5. Start to question your belief systems. Heavily. What we believe about our reality creates our reality. So if you want to change the external world, you need to let go of the old limiting beliefs keeping you stuck. Why do you believe the things that you do about the world? Where did you get them? Are they really YOURS? Perhaps upon reflection you may discover in fact some of your beliefs don’t belong to you at all, they might be something picked up from your family, an old teacher or society?

6. Know if things are falling apart or ending that Saturn won’t be taking away or destroying anything you aren’t meant to let go of. Everything eventually ends, so get comfortable with the life/death/re-birth cycle that happens throughout life. Whenever anything leaves our lives it creates space for something new to come in.

7. “This to shall pass”. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Be patient. Working through your Saturn Return it’s important to keep your sense of humour and have a long range perspective. You WILL get through it and it will make you stronger, more grounded and empowered.

8. Book a session with an astrologer and discover what exactly Saturn will be hitting in your natal chart and what specific gifts it’s bringing to you. Obviously I highly recommend Katie and she works with clients worldwide via Skype.

9. Start working with a healer/therapist to really make the most of the transit. A good healer will help you let go of limiting beliefs, create new ones, move through challenges, give you tools for processing emotions and support you to create a life you really love. If you resonate with me, I love working with people moving through their Saturn Return.  I see clients for 1:1 sessions in person and worldwide. 

Have you gone through Saturn Return yourself, reflect back to your late twenties or late 50’s how did your life change? I would love to here how you transformed. Or perhaps you are going through your return right now, did you find this helpful? Feel free to connect below in the comments. 

Sara x