After the First Saturn Return

Saturn provides a powerful structure from which to view life after the first Saturn Return around age thirty. Saturn’s aspects to its birth position mark a calendar of astrological events that reflect changing emotions and thinking throughout adult life. The conjunctions, squares, and oppositions of Saturn to its birthplace often mark specific events, or at least trends that are identifiable in the world outside yourself. Ages are listed for each milestone.

Milestone—Sense of Purpose Age 35 to 37

This developmental transition gives you get a chance to review what you have been doing since your Saturn Return. It parallels the changes at around age seven, the earlier challenge to develop a sense of self. Now the challenge is to develop a sense of personal purpose. No longer under the thumb of family and society, you face life's challenges as a true individual.

At this time you begin to sense the empty places in your life. There is a strong tendency to fill them with something—anything. Experience tells you, however, not to fill them with just anything that comes along. There is an intentional quality to your decisions that is thought out more carefully than when you were seven.

Milestone—Midlife Crisis age 42 – 44

The often-mentioned, much misunderstood midlife crisis is actually a period of self-evaluation that benefits from objectivity. Now is the time to assess everything that has happened since your Saturn Return at age 28 to30. Because you make this assessment yourself, it must be based upon your own values, and not upon some measuring stick outside yourself. Depending on other major milestones, such as the Jupiter or Uranus opposition and the Neptune or Pluto square , this period may be very confusing. Analytical ability and abstract thought, learned around the time of the previous Saturn opposition, allow you to sink your teeth into the problem of sorting out events and feelings, assessing the facts, and making decisions that will carry you into the future successfully.

Milestone—A Time of Change Age 49 or 50

Similar to the crisis at age 21 or 22, once again you are taking a look at your typical behavior, and you may be deciding to make changes. Your attitudes and values may be pushing you to do more. Some people return to school. Others develop a creative talent. Still others find charitable work. If your own children are grown, and have moved away from home, you may have time, money and energy to spend on travel. In addition, you now must begin to treat your own children as adults, which can be a challenge in itself.

You are probably earning the most you ever have. If you are not satisfied with your career, there can be a major job change. This involves certain risks, and you may have to work through emotional issues from the past in order to be able to make the change.

Health issues could call for a change in lifestyle and/or diet.

Milestone – The Second Saturn Return Age 58 to 60

Some time near the 58th to 60th birthday, Saturn again returns to its birth position. This signals the beginning of a third life phase—that of mentor. In traditional societies the role of elder is an honored position. Generally the elders no longer participate in many of society's activities. They no longer are the hunters, the warriors, or the hard-hitting business people. Instead they take on the roles of historian, teacher, mentor, and counselor, and the wisdom that comes with experience is highly valued.

You have just completed about thirty years of creative, productive work, and there is no need to cut yourself off from that at this time. However, you benefit from turning your attention away from new creative projects of your own, and using your energy to help younger people develop their creative potential. You are able to help them because you have been there - you have had revolutionary ideas, you have changed careers, you have lived the life that they are embarking on.

This transition requires that you make some changes in your thinking. The second Saturn return chart indicates where you have been, and also shines a beacon on the path that remains before you. Because this third period includes old age, the chart for the second Saturn Return provides indications of what your final years will be like in terms of health, social activities, family responsibilities, and all other areas of your later adult years. Just as you have gathered wisdom along the path, as seen by Saturn's passage through your chart, you now have the capacity to understand issues that have followed you, provide guidance for younger people, and look forward to planting the seeds of your experience for others to nourish themselves.

Inevitably, this is a time of letting go. You are no longer as strong, as energetic, or as interested as you once were. We know that people are often able to maintain robust health well past the age of sixty, so it is not as if you suddenly switch off. You may, however, find yourself making "sensible" decisions, where formerly you could say yes to just about every opportunity, and not worry about rest, diet, and other security needs.

At this stage of life, your responses to the energies around you should be more mature, more considered, and more consistent. As you compare the indicators at this point in life with those from age 28 to 30, you can see trends in your life. It helps to look ahead to future energy patterns, and aim for a place that will work with those energies.

Keep in mind that you may have many years yet ahead of you, and this is no time to quit. Instead, set your sights on specific, manageable goals that help you to develop and embrace the mentoring role.

Milestone—Retire or Re-vision Your Life? About age 65

Consistent with earlier evaluation phases, one at age seven and one at around age 35 to 37, you are poised to evaluate your entrance into the mentoring period and to decide if you are on a comfortable path. You may have continued an active career path up to this point, and may even decide to continue for a few more years. If an actual teaching role does not suit you, you may teach by example. People will look at the way you handle problems, for example, and benefit from your experience.

You are likely to face some physical challenges throughout this phase, and attention to the demands of your body is essential if you are to continue to be active.

Milestone—Inspire Others About age 72

At this point in life, awareness results in a different focus for creative effort. For example, at this time, work is often accomplished through others, instead of having to do everything yourself. You offer the inspiration4. You have heightened awareness of the roles you choose to play. You are also aware that you have somewhat limited energy, so you must make definite choices about how to direct your activities. You may find that while you sleep less at night, you need time to rest during the day.

Your emotional life is steadier now. You have experienced increasing self-awareness around ages fifteen, when you were becoming more of a social being, and around 42 to 45, when you were evaluating your successes or failures as a productive member of society. Now you evaluate your capacity to help others to become aware of their own abilities.

Milestone—Think Young About Age 79 or 80

There is very likely a sense of wrapping up your active life. You find that you have accomplished a lot. You may have some regrets. If you feel constrained to reach goals at this time, expect to apply greater effort now. Focus on where you are now, and how to make the most of it—and think young!

You may still hold a position as the elder family member, and you may be active on the board of an organization or as a volunteer in a community organization. In this way your wisdom is put to use in exactly the way you choose. You may be in a position to require some care-taking yourself. At this juncture you identify the shift of responsibility off your shoulders and onto someone else, to the extent that you have not already completed this kind of transition.

Milestone—Third Saturn Return about age 86 to 88

At the time of your third Saturn Return, you have completed three full phases of your life. Traditionally, only a very few people lived to this age. With better nutrition and modern medical advances, more people are living well into their eighties, and even nineties. The physical body has slowed down some. Yet you continue to grow emotionally and spiritually. You have had three full passages of Saturn through your birth chart, and have therefore had three full opportunities to live life to the fullest. At this point you may be looking back as well, recalling the high spots and the low moments. To the extent that you have remained true to yourself throughout your life, you are content with the outcomes of your decisions.

Summary

The twelve milestones of Saturn's passage all stem from the birth chart. To make effective changes at any point in your life, you always consider the birth chart to discover ways to use your natural gifts for greater success and happiness. Then consider Saturn’s transits to aspect the birth position as timers of developmental process throughout life.

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