Year one with the Get Your Shit Together planet

On October 30, 2009, Saturn moved into Libra. To most people, this planetary event means nothing. I on the other hand have been preparing for this moment for years. Like most of us, I survived my fair share of smaller battles throughout my twenties and came out only slightly worse for the wear. But this - this is war.

If you're unfamiliar with what the Saturn return is, here is a basic overview: When you are born, each planet is in a position in the sky. This is why, for example, someone can be a Leo (aka the sun was in the part of the sky known as Leo when they were born), but have the moon in another sign, Mars in Virgo, Mercury in Cancer, etc. This is why astrology is not so simplistic as sun signs. There are a lot of planets with a lot of possible locations at the time of your birth, and there are a lot of permutations and combinations that come together to make your personal birth chart. Saturn is generally known to be the ruler of structure, discipline, hard work, overcoming bad habits and faults, tough love and also as a sort of planetary paternal figure. Or as I like to call it, the Get Your Shit Together planet.

A Saturn return occurs about every 29.5 years - that is, when Saturn returns to the part of the sky it occupied when you were born. So depending on how far along in a sign Saturn was when you were born (it spends about 2.5 years in each of the 12 signs, then starts the cycle again), your first Saturn return will occur sometime between the ages of 27 and 31, and will last for about 2.5 years. This period is often associated with life-changing trials and tribulations, which can mean any number of things: divorce, losing a job, a traumatic break-up, health issues, money problems, death of a loved one, etc. The idea is that you'll be confronted with things you're doing wrong or approaching wrong. Some heavy things will happen to you, and they will sometimes occur as a result of self-destructive or unhealthy habits you've engaged in (dating people who don't treat you well, drinking too much, not taking care of your body, not keeping track of your credit). Sometimes what happens will seem to be random and not because of anything you did (like the death of a loved one), but the challenge will lie in how you deal with it and turn your grief and misfortune around.

The flipside of this is that the SR isn't just a time where it rains crap on you. This period marks an occasion to learn, become stronger, re-evaluate, and make necessary changes in approach, practices and attitude - basically to evaluate what is working for you and what is not, and to adapt in order to become someone who is more self-aware and self-confident.

Each sign has its own lore and traditional symbolism and, depending on what sign Saturn was in when you were born, your SR will most likely (but not necessarily obviously) be focused on issues relating to these. For instance, my Saturn is in Libra (and if you were born between September 22, 1980 and November 29, 1982 or from May 7, 1983 to August 24, 1983, yours is too), the sign of relationships and balance. These are both issues I've already been confronted with since my SR started two months ago - I've had an amazing friend I was just getting to know pass away in a freak accident, re-evaluate quite a few long-term friendships that are going nowhere, deal with drama with an ex, and make some important decisions regarding work-life balance (you'll get to read all the gory deets of mine and others' SRs later, don't worry).

This blog, which I'm planning on making into a zine after this whole Saturn ordeal is over, is intended to document the struggles and lessons learned from the Saturn return, both for myself and others. It's a way to reassure myself that I'm not crazy and I hope it will do the same for others.

BRING IT, SATURN.