Saturn + Saturn Returns
“I feel like I am living in a new reality.”
I woke up and wrote this in my journal back in December 2017. Little did I know then, I was.
I had the same thought more recently in December 2020 - I woke up with a sense of lightness that I hadn’t felt in years. But this time, I knew the reason right away.
While there are many things one could contribute these shifts to, the clearest and most profound correlation for me is that these dates almost exactly mark the beginning and end of my Saturn Return, the astrological event that I lovingly call “spiritual puberty.”
In this BLOG POST I’m going to share a little more about Saturn: who this bad boy is, why you might want to care and how you can find where this planet lies in your birth chart. I’ll also introduce the concept of the Saturn Return.
Who is Saturn?
My favorite description of Saturn is that it is our “cosmic alarm clock.” It wakes us up to our life’s purpose, sometimes (okay, most often) in uncomfortable yet very necessary ways.
Saturn is seen as a few different archetypes: The Teacher, The Father and The Leader. This planet (and where it shows up in your birth chart) represents your fears, your work, your duty or responsibilities and (most importantly) your growing up.
While Saturn’s lessons might feel harsh in the moment, ultimately this planet helps us align more fully with our life’s path and our destiny.
Why might you want to study Saturn?
When we work with this energy, we can learn the lessons we need to learn, and mature accordingly. We can come out the other side wiser, stronger and more clear on our unique purpose.
As with all astrology, I find studying the planets, signs and different placements to be a super helpful tool in articulating what might be going on underneath the surface of what’s happening in life. A sudden breakup or getting fired can be a challenge, but if you come to it with knowledge of the astrological energies at play, it can be easier to find the lesson.
Where do you find Saturn in your birth chart?
If you don’t have it already, you’ll need to look up your birth chart.
Still new to the conversation and not really sure what a birth chart is? Check out this video: VIDEO: The Astrological Birth Chart
You can look up your chart here: www.astro.com
Step 1: Identify which sign Saturn is in using the key on your birth chart.
Step 2: Identify which house Saturn is in using the zodiac wheel (you’ll absolutely need your birth time for this information to be correct).
Once you’ve identified the sign Saturn is in, and maybe even the house, you can start to dive deeper into what this means.
Because Saturn teaches us our life’s lessons, often the energy of our Saturn sign is one we resist. For example, the archetype of Capricorn is The Boss, which is an archetype I’m drawn to in many ways, but also feel very resistant to especially since leaving the corporate world.
For the last few years (ie throughout my Saturn Return), I struggled with this idea of what it meant to be a boss in my work, and what it means to be the boss of my own life. For a while I gave up on the energy, thinking “I’m not like that” but more recently I’ve had a shift in perspective and am able to see how I can embody this archetype in my own way.
Below I’ve listed out the archetypes for each sign, specifically connected to a Saturn placement in this sign. Once you find your Saturn, you can dig into the archetype and ask yourself:
Do I see this archetype within me? Where and how?
Do I resist this energy? Where and how?
What lessons do I feel like I’ve learned connected to this archetype?
What lessons do I feel like I’m currently learning?
Saturn in the Signs:
Aries: The Hero
Taurus: The Beauty
Gemini: The Writer
Cancer: The Mother
Leo: The Star
Virgo: The Help
Libra: The Lover
Scorpio: The Alchemist
Sagittarius: The Explorer
Capricorn: The Boss
Aquarius: The Revolutionary
Pisces: The Dreamer
What I love about playing with archetypes is that you intuitively know what they represent. You have had experience that gives you an idea of what it means to be the Hero, the Mother, the Boss, etc. Trust that.
While the lessons of my Saturn Return felt tough in the moment, I am so grateful for them now. I feel I’ve stepped more clearly and confidently into my purpose and perhaps you can see that too!
In any period of intense growth, it can be easy to want to speed through it. But Saturn reminds us to slow down, to be in the “suck” and trust that if we do the work, we’ll come out the other side stronger, wiser and more connected to our unique path.
Whether you’re currently in your Saturn Return, just coming out of it or somewhere in between returns, you can learn a lot from studying your Saturn placement.