When Is My Saturn Return (and Why Does It Matter)?

Astrological inspiration struck recently when three pop stars each sang about a very special time in a young person's life: Not the onset of puberty (we're talking later), not first love (later still) but that period of time just around 30, called the Saturn return. Kacey Musgraves sings about it on her single "Deeper Well," SZA calls it up in "Saturn" and Ariana Grande explores it in a tune called "Saturn Returns Interlude." Are you 29 years old? Do you feel like you’re just going through it right now? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, or if you're wondering what all those singer-songwriters are warbling about, here's an explainer about the Saturn return and what it might mean in your life.

On Earth, we know it takes 365 days to orbit the sun. Saturn, the sixth planet in our solar system and way further than Earth, takes approximately 29 years to orbit the sun. This means that between the time you're born and your 29-ish birthday, Saturn has traveled through all the signs of the zodiac and has finally returned to the location and sign it was in when you were born.  

Your first Saturn return (and typically the most impactful) happens between the ages of 27 to 31. This is when Saturn quite literally returns to the same degree of the same sign of the zodiac as when you were born. Subsequent returns happen around the age of 59 and then again at around 89. You can use this calculator or—even better!— consult a professional astrologer to figure out when yours is occurring.

Think of it like this: during your Saturn return, you are a teenager and the planet of discipline is your dad, barging into your room checking to see if you’ve done your homework. If the assignment is complete, you are rewarded. But along with this accolade comes a warning: you can’t rest on your laurels. You must keep going to maintain your status. On the flip side, if you haven’t done the work, you still have to learn those lessons. What you’ve been avoiding catches up with you—Saturn doesn’t let you get away with it anymore; you must correct the course. For many, the Saturn return aligns with fulfilling milestones: weddings, giving birth or promotions. For others, it lines up with unnerving shakeups: cross-country moves, career changes or heartbreaking breakups. However the transit manifests for you, you can’t escape this total renovation of your life. It’s a rite of passage; it’s a time to grow up.

Saturn rewards diligence. So, as your Saturn return approaches, identify what isn’t working in your life as well as what you’re willing to fight to hold onto. It’s impossible to completely prepare for this transit. You can’t outsmart Saturn, but if you pay attention, Saturn will prepare you for the next 30 years of your life. It’s like a bootcamp, you only get out of it what you’re willing to put in.