things i’ve been learning to love about saturn
I went through my Saturn return a few years ago at this point, and it was undoubtedly a pivotal turning point in my life.
I ended a long-term partnership, gained (and then lost) 90 lbs, and experimented with being intentionally single, reparenting, and healing my attachment wounding, which changed the course of my relationship trajectory for the rest of my life.
I see the Saturn return as a spiritual graduation of sorts. You walk through its landscape, and your feet are firmly planted in the world of adulthood afterwards.
There is a lot of fear in the astrology world about Saturn. A lot of misunderstanding. As someone with a night chart (which means Saturn is my most challenging malefic), I have definitely fallen into the trap of rejecting this powerful planet and what he embodies.
But, lately, my heart has softened towards Saturn. Perhaps it’s because with time I have been able to see how the hardship that Saturn can bring was not random; those lessons stayed with me and helped me create some of the most deeply abundant things in my life currently (like a long-term relationship that is everything I could have dreamed for myself). And how very Saturnian of an insight!
So, here are 3 things I’ve been learning to love about Saturn. I hope this helps you relate to this planet with more awareness and balance :)
1. Saturn will help you actually build stuff.
Yes, Saturn brings challenges and delays. But, in a world where we are conditioned to be seduced by the quick fix, or the shiny new thing… Saturn says slow the f down and learn what is lasting. That is a gift.
What I have often observed is that while in the moment the delay might be annoying, there is actually long-term wisdom to the delay that Saturn brings. Saturn is always, always, always playing the long game. The thing about the long game is you have to zoom WAY OUT in order to see it. The thing about the long game is that in the short term, it might be highly uncomfortable. The essence of Saturn medicine is giving up short term comforts for long term gains. This is often a theme when you are in a Saturn transit of any kind.
We have lost reverence for time in our fast-paced, modern culture. Colonial thinking has robbed us of the ability to appreciate the time it takes to build things. Everyone wants something now; actually no, YESTERDAY.
A piece of wisdom I have carried in my consciousness for a decade comes from the Tao Te Ching, and it’s a principle that goes like this: what rises slowly, falls slowly. What rises quickly, falls quickly.
This is a truth that I have observed over and over and over again in my life.
Everything, whether it’s romances, work projects, etc., seem to follow this pattern. If it starts quickly, it ends quickly. But if it’s built consistently bit by bit over time… that thing is going to dissolve (as all things do) slowly as well.
I personally feel like this principle is going to be especially important to remember as we enter Saturn is Aries season, as Aries will want to build structures quickly, which is the antithesis to how Saturn does things.
You want to build something that lasts? Consult Saturn. Accept his delays and challenges as necessary ingredients for the solid foundation of your dreams. Know that 10 years into the future, you will be looking back on those moments with so much perspective on just how important they were to shaping where you are now!!
2. Boring is actually the medicine you probably need.
Everybody wants change, but no one wants to do the simple, daily habits that create it. With Saturn on your side, commitment becomes second nature. You show up over and over and over again to something. When you’re excited. When you’re NOT excited. When you feel great. When you feel like shit.
So much these days, from consumerism to technology, are actively training your attention. Your attention has a direct relationship with your nervous system, which has a direct relationship with your state as a spirit or soul.
The fact that so many people these days cannot stand to be bored or have been trained to be constantly stimulated speaks to how little presence there is in the world currently. People are not taught how to rest in their bodies in the present moment. If this is you, or if you notice this in yourself sometimes… don’t punish yourself! This is simply just a dynamic of being alive on Earth right now. We all navigate this and learn to work with it.
And the thing is: the present moment is where all the juice happens in life. Most people spend their time in the past or the future, but the present moment? You have to slow down to get there. It’s not fast or shiny or even especially special. The present moment includes a TON of very mundane moments. When you are present in the mundane moments of your life, you might actually discover magic. Magic hides in the simple warmth from the kitchen sink as you wash the dishes day in and day out. Magic is found not in the next new, shiny thing, but in a regulated nervous system that sees the sunrise.
Slow, simple, steady. This kind of medicine is often what most people are needing in order to come into balance in our modern world. Saturn can be an ally to call on in order to bring more of this practical commitment and not fanciful structure into your life.
3. Growing up might not be comfortable, but it will create a more empowered life.
Saturn can sometimes operate like a stern father. He teaches us about boundaries, often by pointing out where our boundaries are missing. He isn’t afraid to point out your immaturities (we all have ‘em). He isn’t afraid to give you a sober talking to, like hey: that unconscious pattern where your wounded inner child is running the show in your relationships? That’s not going to fly anymore.
Growth is inherently uncomfortable. It’s not going to feel great all the time. Saturn is concerned with reality, and reality is not all rainbows and roses! But, when you can validate what is real, instead of existing in a fantasy, you can actually give your dreams roots in the physical world.
Responsibility tends to come up a lot when it comes to Saturn’s influence in our lives, and that’s because Saturn represents authority and how you hold responsibility. Most people think about responsibility as an external thing. These responsibilities you have for other people or in your job. But the greatest responsibility you have in your life is yourself. You are responsible for yourself. Self-responsibility will completely change your life. When you graduate into being a true adult, you are actively taking responsibility for your life. You are no longer living in a child consciousness where everyone else is responsible for what happens to you.
Now, people can get carried away In the self-development world when it comes to self-responsibility…. You are not 100% responsible for absolutely everything that happens (other people make decisions that impact us), but once you assume a stance of self-responsibility, where you are willing to take ownership of your actions and decisions, you gather more of your power around you. You start to own your life, and when you can own your life, you can change it. This is where change begins.
So, tangoes with Saturn can bring necessary delays and challenges. He can test us to grow our relationship with time, encouraging us to seek a longer, more long-term relationship with time than we are used to in the modern world. He can remind us of the power of being bored and showing up when we don’t feel like it. He can help us build incredibly solid things that last for generations. And he can help us grow up and assume responsibility for our lives.
There is a weight to Saturn transits, and that weight when you are going through it can definitely feel like a lot to carry. Actively doing things to lighten up can help so much when we are walking with the weight of Saturn… whether that’s making it a weekly occurrence to listen to your favorite comedian so you can remember what laughter is… or engaging in spiritual practices that put you in touch with your inherent buoyancy of spirit. Cultivating lightness during a Saturn transit will go a long way!
A Saturn in Aries note: Saturn is dipping his toe into Aries, beginning May 24th, 2025 until August 31st, 2025. He will then officially move into Aries for good in mid February 2026.
Saturn is not comfortable in Aries, and that’s because Aries and Saturn have opposite perspectives. Saturn is concerned with the discipline of the long-term, and Aries wants fast, instinctual action now! It’s like when two opposites come to meet. They have a lot to teach each other through the opposition, AND there is an inherent tension between the opposites. Saturn’s energy is not as well accessed or expressed when it is Aries, so folks who have this natal placement could struggle with Saturn related themes (what I just discussed in the above article).
This does not mean that Saturn in Aries people are doomed, however. Or that the next few years are going to be the worst ever. It simply means that Saturn related themes (discipline, long-term, authority, etc) are places where you need more support in this lifetime if you have this natally. It simply means that the challenges with Saturn related themes are places where you can have very meaningful growth (and that goes for all of us these next few years).
Saturn in Aries, for all of us, will likely bring challenges where we are invited to be the hero of our own story. Aries has a heroism and a brave, warrior energy to him, and there are likely to be times that test this aspect within all of us.
In our culture, we love the hero or the heroine’s story. It is what so many movies and stories are based upon. Why is that? Because persevering through the challenges or the obstacles the heroine faces makes her stronger. She is more capable and usually more integrated on the other side. It can be helpful to think about this Saturn in Aries transit this way.
Aries is ruled by the Sun, and so when examining Saturn in Aries, you are essentially looking at how the Sun and Saturn interact with each other. Saturn brings a sobriety to the ego or the conscious self, represented by the Sun. It’s likely that this Saturn in Aries transit is going to bring a flavor of humility to everyone’s egos or identities, especially when it comes to those in positions of power. If you are on a self-growth path, you can welcome these challenges to your ego! Because, once again, this will help you grow and become more mature. These “blows to your ego” can be helpful in that they can shape you into being a grounded, mature, and trusted leader, instead of a selfish one.
Finally, another big theme when it comes to Saturn in Aries is abuses of power and rebellions against abuses of power. There can be a disrespect for tradition and authority that is present with this transit, which honestly, does not have to be a bad thing.
In so many ways, we are moving collectively into a space where the Empire of how it was is crumbling to make way for something new. This Saturn in Aries transit is just another astrological signature that points to the fall of empire. A lot of people want to stoke fear when it comes to this, but isn’t this what most of us who value freedom, collective liberation, and consciousness on the planet have been wanting? The old way has to fall in order for there to be room for a new way to be built; it’s just the way of things. Perhaps this fall is actually something to be celebrated not feared. Remember: you are here on Earth at this time for a reason, and that means that you have exactly what it takes to be alive at this very moment!
Whether you are navigating your first Saturn return (woohoo welcome to your spiritual initiation into adulthood), or you navigating another type of Saturn transit, or you are just surfing the collective waves of Saturn in Aries these next few years… I hope this information can support you in feeling more prepared and less fearful about what is to come. Maybe even a littleeee excited about the dragons you are going to slay these next few years and the way that will build your character for decades to come? (I know excitement might be a big stretch, hehe!).
If you notice yourself feeling uncertain or anxious about relating to Saturn these next few years, I highly recommend reaching out to an astrologer you trust and booking a session to support you. In truth: challenges are not meant to scare us. They are meant to help us GROW, and you can find a boisterous sense of bravery within you to tackle any challenges that come your way these next few years. And remember to laugh!!!!!!
With lots of love,
Fēnix
P.S. If you’d like to book a Saturn-focused astrology session with me, I have a number of sessions available by request. Email me at hello@fenixgrace.com if you desire one.