Don’t worry — your second Saturn return isn’t here to ruin your life. But it might bring some tough love when you need it most. If you’re in your late 50s, the planet of boundaries and limits is finishing a second lap around the zodiac, and it’s once again asking whether you are (or aren’t) showing up as your most mature self. This isn’t your first Saturn return rodeo, though — you went through that in your late 20s. Since then, you’ve survived some career pivots, relationship shifts, family drama, and other dilemmas. Now you have an opportunity to apply all the lessons you’ve learned the hard way.
What happens during your second Saturn return, and how is it different from your first one?
You’ve probably heard more about your first Saturn return, which happens when you’re between the ages of 27 and 30. The second time around, when you’re between 57 and 60, you’re more prepared for the obstacles and setbacks this planet can throw your way. While your first Saturn return is an initiation into adulthood and an invitation to clarify your priorities, the second one encourages you to take on more of a mentorship role and share the wisdom you’ve gathered. While you may get a few flashbacks to the existential crises you had in your late 20s, this second round with Saturn is also a moment of moving into elderhood — a stage of life that deserves to be more appreciated and understood.
What can you expect from this second rite of passage?
Just like your first Saturn return, this period can bring its fair share of challenges, reality checks, and late-night “what am I actually doing” spirals. It’s the transition into your life’s third act, when you take stock of what’s worked for you, what hasn’t, and where you want your story to go next.
This may be a time when your career is slowing down, your body’s needs are shifting, and any kids in your life are leaving the nest. You may be asking what truly matters and releasing any roles, obligations, or expectations that don’t fit you anymore. You may be revisiting the dreams you once filed away in your “someday” folder and figuring out the legacy you want to leave behind. Or you may find yourself becoming a mentor to younger generations, even if you’re just reassuring someone that a bad date or a messy haircut isn’t the end of the world. All of your experiences — even the cringiest moments — have prepared you for this second go-round with Saturn. So own your hard-earned wisdom and put it to good use.
How to know if you’re in your second Saturn return
First clue: Are you between the ages of 57 and 60? Second clue: Is Saturn currently moving through the sign it was in when you were born (aka your natal Saturn sign)? If you answered “yes” to both questions, congrats — you’re in your second Saturn return.
For the next few months, Saturn is in Pisces for a farewell tour of this mutable water sign. If that’s where your natal Saturn lives, you’re at the tail end of your Saturn return. And if your natal Saturn is in Aries, you got a teaser of your Saturn return from May 24th to September 1st, 2025, and it will resume when Saturn re-enters Aries from February 13th, 2026, to April 12th, 2028. (In our opinion, your Saturn return lasts for about three years, from the moment this slow-moving planet enters your natal Saturn sign until it exits for the last time.)
If you don’t know your Saturn sign, don’t worry — you can find out by checking the Me tab of the CHANI app or using our online chart tool.
7 ways to make the most of your second Saturn return
- Reflect on the themes that came up during your first Saturn return. Though your second Saturn return might feel different, similar obstacles, challenges, or frustrations will be coming back around for review. Ask yourself: What would you advise your younger self to do, knowing what you know now? How can you use your hard-won wisdom to meet this moment with a little more confidence?
- Experiment with saying no. Spoiler: The world will keep spinning, and you’ll have more time for what matters to you. Pour as much energy as you can into the projects, people, and places that feel truly meaningful.
- Revisit your dreams. That goal you put on the back burner in your late 20s? The tattoo you secretly wanted but worried was “too much”? The trip you said you would take “one day”? That day is here.
- Commit to working through any grief, loss, regret, or other bittersweet feelings that this period brings up. Saturn returns can remind us of the passing of time, so let yourself process what’s ending or changing at this stage of your life. Vent in your journal, write letters to past versions of you, or talk it out with a friend (bonus points if they’ve already gone through their second Saturn return).
- Invest in your future self. Whether that means financial planning, taking care of your health, strengthening your community ties, or carving out time for your passions, think about what will sustain you over the next 30 years. Then follow through.
- Ease into this transit with our Saturn Sleep Story in the Listen tab of the CHANI app. Saturn returns can sometimes magnify our worries, but catching up on rest can make everything feel more doable.
- Learn how to hack this tricky transit with our Saturn Return course. It breaks down everything you need to know about the planet of boundaries, your personal Saturn placement, and how to navigate your Saturn return. To get started, head to the Grow tab of the CHANI app, and prepare to say goodbye to the Saturn return scaries.
