Saturn Returns
Saturn is how we handle responsibility, constraints, and limitations. Saturn's Grecian equivalent is Cronos, sometimes known as “father time”. Without going too far deep into the mythology, the important take-away for our purposes is that Saturn/Cronos was the “ruler” over the heavens and earth between the reign of his father (Uranus) and son (Jupiter/Zeus). This period of time is known as the “Golden Age”, where bounty was plenty, immorality was essentially non-existent- so there was no need for law or rules. The famous Roman holiday “Saturnalia” (much of the christian Christmas is derived from this holiday) was celebrated in remembrance or in an effort to reenact the mythological Golden Age. In other words, there was gift giving, feasting, merrymaking etc. When we begin to think about Saturn in this context, we can start to unravel the oppressive and patriarchal tones of “father time” and begin to think about how self-imposed boundaries and structure can help us create more clarity and support in our daily lives. Constraint and limitation isn’t bad when we get to choose how it affects us. Just don’t forget to consider how it affects those around you! Saturn is a “social planet” because it affects a group of people all born within a few years. This is also a reminder that we are in this together, and you are not alone in your efforts to apply healthy boundaries!
In the solar system, the planet Saturn takes approximately 28-30 years to make it’s full orbit around the Sun. In other words, the Saturnian year is about 29 Earth years. Over those 3 decades, Saturn spends 2-3.5 years in each of the 12 zodiac signs (the amount of time varies frequently due to retrogrades).
"Saturn Return" is when Saturn returns to the sign it was in when you were born. Depending on the house Saturn is in, your Saturn Return is said to challenge us to reconsider what we put our energy into and why. What do we feel responsible for? What have we been neglecting?
