In your birth chart, you look at not just where the sun is (your Sun Sign), but where all the planets are. After your birth, the planets keep moving of course, so astrology looks at the movement (“transits”) of the planets relative to your natal chart (the fixed chart when you were born, like a snapshot in time). Saturn takes approximately 29- 29 ½ years to travel around the Zodiac. The Saturn Return occurs when Saturn “Returns” to the degree where it was when you were born, completing a full cycle. Your own Saturn Return phase will be specific to your birth chart, but you’ll feel it for about a year.
Saturn is the planet that represents restriction, contraction, rules, but also responsibility, maturity, and manifestation, among other things. When Saturn returns to its original place in your birth chart, you’ve gone through a cycle of change that hopefully brings you to a higher level of maturity.
For some people the Saturn Return is difficult, especially if they’re not ready to give up things from their youth. If you’re resistant to change, the SR can be hard. But Saturn is asking you to give up things you’ve outgrown. If you go with the flow, you can embark on another 29-year cycle of growth. Some people fly by their SR’s without even noticing any difficulty, because they’re ready for the next level in their lives.
A lot of people do major things around their 29th/30th birthdays, such as getting married, getting divorced, starting a family, moving, changing careers etc. Most people just put it down to “turning 30”, but it’s really Saturn prodding them to “grow up”. Saturn is saying, “this box is too small – time for a bigger box.”
If you're between the ages of 28 and 30 and feeling antsy, you're feeling your Saturn Return.
If you've never had your chart cast, you can do one yourself at
www.astro.com. From there you can chart the transits against your natal chart.