What is a Saturn return, and when does it happen?
In the simplest terms, a “Saturn return” is when the planet Saturn returns to the same place it was when you were born. It takes between 27 and 30 years for Saturn to travel through the zodiac, so that means everyone goes through a Saturn return at the end of their 20s, 50s, and 80s. Thanks to Saturn’s slow speed and retrogrades, each Saturn return lasts approximately three years.
Your first Saturn return is the one you’ve probably heard about the most, as it often brings the biggest shock to your system. That’s because it’s the first time Saturn, one of the most challenging planets we work with, comes back to your natal placement.
Whenever a planet in the sky “returns” to where it was when you were born, it asks you to check in with the themes it represents — and requires you to face how you are (or aren’t) showing up in those areas in your life. Since Saturn is the planet of accountability and wake-up calls, its first comeback can feel pretty sobering. It’s often after your first Saturn return that you feel like an official “grown-up.” You might be living on your own for the first time, starting a family, or pursuing a career that’s meaningful for you, and not just a “for now” job.
Saturn is known as the “greater malefic” in traditional astrology. It represents reality, restriction, mortality, and loss. On the constructive side, it brings much-needed structure and stability — but you’ll need to work for it.
Where is Saturn now?
As of May 24th, 2025, Saturn is in Aries. If your Saturn is in Aries, that means you’re currently experiencing a Saturn return and will be until 2028. (In our opinion, your Saturn return lasts from the moment transiting Saturn enters your natal Saturn sign to the moment it exits.) If you don’t know your Saturn sign, don’t worry – you can check yours using the Me tab of the CHANI app or our online chart tool.
What to expect from your Saturn return
- Your Saturn return is a threshold. It’s a transition from one phase of life into the next: from youth to adulthood. Adulthood to late middle age. Middle age to eldership. It’s not uncommon to experience major milestones during a Saturn return. You graduate from college. You enter the workforce. You have children. Your children leave home for the first time. You retire. (And so on.)
- Your Saturn return is about responsibility. If this is your first Saturn return, you might have to account for things you never had to account for before, like paying bills, or navigating the housing market, or learning about 401(k)s. If this is your second or third Saturn return, you might experience echoes to experiences you had in your late twenties. Except this time around, you get to reflect on all that you’ve learned.
- Saturn returns are about understanding your growth edges. They have a way of bringing up realities about yourself or your situation that you have avoided in the past. They’re the moments you realize there’s no one else to do this work. While that can feel daunting at first, this is exactly how you move into the next stage of realizing your potential.
How to survive (or even thrive in) your Saturn return
- Do your literal and proverbial homework. Whatever you’re working on right now, Saturn is in the details. Do the humble, prep work — not just the showy statements.
- Take responsibility. We all get it wrong sometimes — that’s a feature of being human. The important part is taking responsibility. Be honest with yourself when you make mistakes. Learn all you can from them. View each misstep as a mentor.
- Be accountable to yourself and other people. Gone is the dog who used to eat your homework. Show up for yourself. Every day. Trust that every step is preparing you for something great.
- Enroll in our Saturn Return Course. Say goodbye to the Saturn scaries with an astro masterclass that breaks down everything you need to know about the planet of boundaries, your personal Saturn placement, and how to hack your Saturn return. Head to the Grow tab of the CHANI app to get started.
- Commit to you. Commit to your dreams. Commit to your vision. Commit to your values. Commit to your integrity. Commit to your goals. Write a list of your non-negotiables and tape it to your bathroom mirror — and stick to it.
- Be endlessly compassionate with yourself. Like all rites of initiation, Saturn returns can be challenging. Practice instant forgiveness with yourself. Remember that in real life, things don’t always go according to plan. And that’s okay. It’s all part of the learning.
What’s the difference between the 3 Saturn returns?
- Your first Saturn return occurs between ages 27 and 30, and it’s an initiation into adulthood. It is the time when you must define yourself for yourself. Not for your family. Not for society. Not for any fantasy anyone else has of you.
- The second Saturn return occurs at the end of our 50s and encourages us to move into more of a mentorship role. This is when you offer the wisdom you’ve gathered since your first Saturn return to others as a guidepost. It’s a time of moving into eldership — something our society desperately needs to cultivate an appreciation for.
- The third Saturn return occurs at the end of our 80s, and it prompts us to gather the wisdom of our lives and distill it into seeds for future generations.
Exercises to help you work through your Saturn return
Download the CHANI app or use our online tool to pull up your birth chart on our website and use it to answer the following questions.
- What sign is your natal Saturn in?
Once you’ve pinpointed it, read about this sign placement in the Me tab of the CHANI app. - Are any other planets “talking” to your natal Saturn?
If one of the so-called benefic planets (Venus or Jupiter) is forming an aspect (aka relationship) with Saturn in your birth chart, your Saturn return might feel gentler, more constructive, or even less noticeable. If the other malefic planet (Mars) is forming an aspect with Saturn in your chart, your Saturn return may feel more challenging, or like it’s churning up more complicated problems that need to be worked through. - Were you born at night or during the day?
The ancients believed that Saturn brought more challenges for night babies. That means your Saturn return might feel crunchier — though ultimately transformative for the better — if you were born at night. To find out, reference your chart and read the descriptions for your Sun and Moon, where we discuss your light leader (aka which luminary was lighting the sky when you were born). - Are you over the age of 30? If so, you’ve already experienced your first Saturn return.
Think back to those years between 27 and 30, and reflect on the following questions: How did those years change you? What felt challenging? What did you learn? What responsibilities did you gain or set down? Returning to that period of time will give you some insight into the lessons you’ll re-encounter during your second or third go-around with Saturn. - What houses do the Saturn-ruled signs occupy in your birth chart?
Find out what houses Capricorn and Aquarius correspond to in your birth chart. During your Saturn return, you might notice that these areas of your life go through their own growth process. For example, if you have Capricorn in the 7th House, your Saturn return could bring up themes around committed relationships. Knowing this information will help you gain a more complete picture of all the parts of your life that your Saturn return will directly impact.
Remember: Saturn doesn’t bring overnight results, or overnight understanding. This work is slow and steady. All Saturn asks is that you commit to the process of your own healing, your own growing, your own learning. There’s no finish line or gold star at the end of this journey. It’s one that lasts a lifetime.
