I first wrote about the Saturn Return process (which you can read here) well before my Saturn Return was about to begin. Now I’m writing the second and final part (at least for now), three years after my first Saturn Return was completed.
If you want to know the basics of what a Saturn return is all about I recommend reading part 1, but essentially it’s a 2.5 year period where you are forced to grow up somehow . It is a time when you are led to take responsibility, face your past and put down some roots.
Many astrologers believe that your first Saturn return, which begins around age 28, is your official welcome into adulthood and your first step toward true adulthood. We then have another Saturn Return at 58 and if we’re lucky, 87. The first Saturn Return, however, remains the most important.
Now that I’ve experienced my first Saturn Return, I feel like I can talk about it from a somewhat wiser and more informed objective.
My first Saturn Return experience
Just before my Saturn Return, I had just written my first professionally published book. It had always been a dream of mine to write a book, and I poured so much of my heart, energy and life into that book. To this day it is still the book I am most proud of.
The book was called The Power of Positive Energy and I feel it contained all the wisdom I had gained on my spiritual journey up to that point in my life. I felt that book contained a huge release, a huge birth of information from my heart, mind and soul into the world.
Once the book was out, I felt an empty space and I felt ready for the next chapter. I remember getting this deep feeling that my next chapter was about to begin.
I never dreamed that my next chapter would start with the death of my little sister. We were extremely close. We were best friends. We shared everything.
My whole world collapsed. I wrote the book, The Power of Positive Energy, and yet no positive energy was powerful enough to get me out of this situation.
Before I go any further, I want to point out that Saturn’s return did not involve the death of my sister. Planets don’t have that power. Saturn’s energy isn’t about dealing with death either, so no, someone you love doesn’t necessarily have to die on your Saturn Return!
Again, planets are not responsible for everything that happens to us in life. They’re just energy forces that we can learn to decode to understand ourselves and our human experience a little better. I don’t want to scare anyone reading this post! This has been my experience and my soul lesson to learn, and I know you have to go through your own too.
Looking back, all the lessons that came out of my sister’s passing (which happened when I was 27) set me up for the lessons of my Saturn Return that followed in the years to come.
I hope that sharing what I have learned after my first Saturn Return will be inspiring and encouraging as you go through it or try to understand your own return.
These are the biggest takeaways that I feel inspired my first Saturn Return in me-
1.) Bad things happen to good people
My Saturn Return taught me that no matter how much positivity you throw into the world, how nice you are, how many rules you follow, or how long you meditate in 5D, nothing can save you from the rigors of life. We are humans, and part of that human experience sometimes includes dealing with tragedy, illness, painful situations, and death. While a positive outlook and spiritual awareness can certainly alleviate these situations, it cannot prevent them or save you from them. Life is hard sometimes. Bad things happen to good people, of course, on a higher level, who are we to judge what is good and what is bad, but on a practical level Saturn’s teachings remind us that none of us are immune to hardships and challenges , no how ‘good’ we are.
2.) Life is not obligated to make sense to you
We have a limited vantage point here on Earth. We are all birds walking on the ground, maybe we will be able to fly and see the whole view when we die or ascend into consciousness. But until then, we just have to accept that some things will never make sense to us because of our limited rational mind. Until now I thought I knew a little bit about life and how it all works, but after the death of my sister I felt like I knew nothing! I feel like Saturn has taken many of my beliefs and brought them back to Earth. I felt like it gave me a reality check and helped me realize that there were no absolute truths.
3.) No, you didn’t manifest that
Our thoughts, emotions and feelings are powerful, but you are not responsible for everything that happens. You didn’t necessarily manifest that illness, that bad boyfriend, or that horrible encounter with an abuser. No amount of negative thinking means you deserve to experience any of these things. Sometimes things just happen because this is the world we live in, this is our conditioning, this is our karmic destiny, or this is what our soul has come to learn, or who knows why! We are co-creators of this Universe and work in synergy with others, with nature and with God. Saturn teaches us what we are responsible for and what not. And while we may not be responsible for causing everything that happens to us, we are responsible for how we choose to deal with it.
4.) Everything happens for a reason?
This comment has almost become controversial. Some people have come to hate it, and I certainly understand why. There is no good enough reason in the entire universe to justify some of the tragedies that life can bring. I do feel that Saturn’s energy removes any sugar layer and forces us to confront that sometimes there’s no good reason for things to happen. But on the other hand, I do think there is some truth in this statement. Everything happens for a reason, but it is the reason we choose to give it. I feel like the only way I’ve found to deal with my grief and loss is to give it a purpose. To take this nonsensical, horrible thing and give it a reason to exist in my life. Saturn challenges us to take our hardships and turn them into something rewarding or even, our legacy.
5.) Setting Boundaries
Grief is incredibly taxing on the body, so for the first time in my life I had to set boundaries. I just couldn’t be around certain people, have certain conversations, or tolerate certain behaviors. I had to stand my ground and say no. Not everyone liked this, I lost friendships and broken relationships with relatives, but I had to put myself first. I had to withdraw. Saturn is the planet connected with boundaries, it helps us to be firm in what we want to tolerate and where to draw the line. When Saturn’s energy is strong, such as during a Saturn Return, we can very often feel the need to challenge our limits or retreat to figure out where to begin and end.
6.) Making commitments
Many traditional astrologers advise against getting married during your Saturn Return. The belief is that the energy of your Saturn Return will forever be embedded in your marriage and will eventually result in a feeling of being stifled, held back or smothered. But even knowing this, I decided to get married on my Saturn Return! I was with my partner for five years and the timing felt just right. After all the grieving, I wanted to celebrate love and all that was good in my life. I wanted to hold on to those who were most dear to me. I feel that before my sister passed away I might have waited to rule it out, but after my sister’s untimely death I didn’t want to wait out of fear, I wanted to embrace everything I felt and follow my heart. Saturn helped me realize what was really important to me and helped me affirm my commitment.
Have you gone through your Saturn Return? Feel free to share your biggest takeaways in the comments below! And I’d love to hear from those who’ve had their second or even third Saturn Returns and how they might have felt differently!