The Ego’s Role in the Saturn Return Cycle

The Saturn Return is a time of great chaos and change in people’s lives. More than just an astrological event, the ego plays a part in preventing change.

From an astrological perspective, the term Saturn Return refers to the time when Transiting Saturn’s position is identical to Saturn‘s placement in the birth chart. This culmination of a cycle occurs roughly every 28-29 years for each person (or roughly around an individual’s 30th birthday).

The Saturn Return is a time during which individuals are forced, usually by unplanned and unexpected circumstances, to examine and evaluate their progress up until the current point in their lives and determine what needs to change in order for them to continue to grow. Often this assessment compels the individual to release some of the attitudes, possessions, and even relationships that no longer serve a meaningful purpose in life. By ridding life of these unnecessary parts, they make room for new beliefs, things, and relationships.

During any of these Saturn Return periods the individual can either try to fight the change, kicking and screaming all the way or recognize that this time represents an opportunity for them to make positive, necessary changes in their life.

What Role does the Ego Play in a Saturn Return?

It would seem a simple thing to weigh the options and choose the path of spiritual growth. But it isn’t always that easy. In fact, the closer an individual gets to their Saturn Return cycle, the harder it becomes to divest themselves of the attitudes, possessions and relationships that are holding them back from further spiritual growth.

The ego, as if sensing that its power over the individual is at stake, puts forth a concerted effort in attempting to wrap the individual up in layer upon layer of obligation and responsibility in order to keep it from paying attention to the changes that the soul is struggling to bring to the surface.

At the specific time that an individual is facing their first Saturn Return, (approximately age 30) is the same age that society in general encourages them to start ‘getting serious’ about life. It is during this time that individuals are encouraged to get married, establish their careers, begin families, purchase homes (complete with 30 year mortgages), all events that severely impact their ability to make choices and changes freely, uninhibited by feelings of obligation and responsibility.

So What Happens if the Saturn Return window is missed?

The good news is that even if an individual is so wrapped up in societally-generated obligations and responsibilities that they miss the Saturn Return window of opportunity for spiritual growth, all is not lost. The Saturn Return cycle is just that – a cycle. The desire and opportunity to enact change and spiritual growth will arise again. It may take another 30 years (usually between the ages of 58-60, and again at 86-88). Known as the “midlife crises,” the second Saturn Return is usually much more successful when it comes to enacting change.

Last updated on May 28, 2017 at 1:42 pm. Word Count: 502