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Saturn Return: Coming of Age

One of the most popular topics discussed in online astrology forums is "Saturn return". What’s that exactly?

Saturn return refers to the time (usually lasting for around 10 months) when transitting Saturn returns to the exact same spot in the zodiac at the time of your birth. That's why it's called "Saturn return". As it takes Saturn around 30 years to journey through the zodiac, that means a person will have his or her first Saturn return at around age 30 (so the second Saturn return will be around age 60, the third around 90).

Saturn represents taking responsibility for what you want to achieve. You can’t expect others to do the hard work for you. You HAVE TO do it yourself. That’s why it’ll also be particularly satisfying when your efforts finally pay off. Saturn return is the "harvest time", showing whether you’ve made sufficient efforts to get what you wanted. For some, it could mark a pretty fulfilling period, as they feel they’ve at last come of age and got what they wanted on their own. But for those who have been taking short-cuts, skipping the hard work, Saturn return could be quite unsettling, as what they’ve built may just collapse, simply because those things have been lacking a strong foundation.

One of the best known fictional characters in Western literature is Shakespeare’s Hamlet. People have debated for ages why he procrastinates in killing his uncle. Astrologically speaking, it’s interesting to note that Hamlet is said to be 30 years old in the play, just the time when the first Saturn return happens.

Saturn Return: Coming of Age Hamlet

(Benedict Cumberbatch plays Hamlet)

As Saturn represents "achievement as a result of hard work". Achievements not brought about by personal efforts (like because you've got a rich dad) don’t really count. When people are starting to experience their Saturn return, they’ll be confronted with questions like: "Can I really make it?", "Am I good enough for that?", "What can I achieve?", etc. If they’ve persisted in their efforts despite these doubts and external pressure, they would be able to reap rewards by the time Saturn return is over.

So for Hamlet, as a prince, all his riches, power, fame and privileges are due to his royal background. He’s never had to EARN any of these things. But when Saturn returns, when he’s been presented with a challenge, with a situation in which he must fight for himself, to achieve something entirely on his own, the pressure is just overwhelming. He doesn't even know where to begin (at least not until he hits on the idea of staging a play). This explains all the wailing, the bitterness, the melancholy and the contempt he feels towards others and most of all, himself. He just feels immobilised and burdened, lacking the strong inner belief to move forward with his task.

But after he's found out the assassination attempt put in place by his uncle when he sails to England and even manages to turn things around for himself there, Hamlet comes back to Denmark a different man. He's discovered he can actually stand on his own feet in this tumultuous world. Saturn has completed its teaching and he's found an inner calm which was impossible before.

For the year 2020, transitting Saturn will hover between 21°24’ in Capricorn and 1°57’ in Aquarius, meaning those experiencing their first Saturn return this year were born in 1990-91 (but it doesn't mean EVERYBODY born during 1990-91 will have their Saturn return this year).

Though the essential meaning of Saturn return is pretty much the same for everyone, the actual circumstances in which each individual encounters the challenge will be different. The same goes for individual responses. Astrology can help because the birth chart indicates the unique potential of each individual and the possibilities they could explore. This therefore helps people in making choices for themselves.

Want to learn more about your Saturn and birth chart in general? Check out my online chart-reading services

For more insights from astrology, take a look at my private, one-to-one astrology tutoring!




Based in Hong Kong, Belinda has got over 10 years of chart-reading experience and holds four university degrees, including Psychology and Counselling. Before becoming a professional astrologer, she was doing a highly stable and well-paid job. She switched careers because astrology had simply changed her life… Read on


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