What Is a Saturn Return? Everything You Need to Know

A Saturn return—the moment when Saturn completes its orbit around the sun and returns to the place it was at the time of your birth—is a big deal, astrologically speaking. Happening to us between the ages of 27 and 29, the influence of Saturn return can set up the next 30 years of your life. People often find that pretty significant events, discoveries, and motivations happen during this time period.

But some effects of Saturn can also be mundane. For instance, was your standard ice cream order a chocolate cone? Don’t be surprised if you suddenly feel an urge for a vanilla cup. Saturn returns are a time when we shed certain aspects of our identities, take on others, and end up in a position where we’re ready to see the world with new eyes.

That said, even though Saturn return can have a pretty significant impact on your life, it’s never the final word. You can always manifest an existence that’s in tune with your soul. So if your own return was rocky—or its after effects were meh—know that it’s never too late to take charge of your destiny.

We asked our readers to share what happened during their Saturn return. Here’s what they told us:

Inspiring Saturn Return Stories

Courtesy of @mayraarvizo

I Stopped Sharing Stuff on Social Media

“The most significant impact of my Saturn return was that I no longer wanted to share every little detail of my life on social media. Before, I was taking a lot of snaps a day; but as I neared 30, I began much more carefully curating the content I put out to the world. I’m not sure if it was Saturn, or just getting older, but I look back at old photos I posted and it feels like I’m looking at a different person’s feed.” —Brittany, 30

I Fell in Love

“I dated a lot in my 20s, but I had never met anyone serious. For me, it was just fun, and I sort of thought I would be single forever. But then, when I was almost 29, I met a woman who I realized that maybe I did want to settle down and I could see myself being with one person forever. I haven’t looked back!” —David, 35

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I Started Cooking

“I became obsessed with making meals when I was around 27. Before, I was a peanut butter out of a jar kinda girl. All of a sudden, making good, nutritious, homemade meals became a priority in a way it hadn’t been in the past.” —Stacy, 30

I Made a Major Move

“I thought I’d live my whole life in my hometown but when I was 28, I got this amazing offer that brought me to a city across the country, where I didn’t know anyone. I had to make friends, figure out new skills, and survive without family or friends that had always been a five minute drive away. It was really hard, but also awesome.” —Cassie, 34

I Got Help

“I had always identified as a party girl, but when I was 27, I began getting scary blackouts. I actually reached out to a therapist for help, and also stopped drinking. I definitely see 27 as the age where my ‘real’ life started.” —Jenna, 35

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I Became Single

“I had been in a relationship pretty much since I was 14! But when I was 28, my boyfriend, who I thought I was going to marry, broke up with me. It was devastating. I was single for two years, and those years were really hard, but they were also the first times that everything—decisions, goals, plans—was on me. I finally met my now-husband when I was 30, and I’m so glad. I don’t think my boyfriend and I would have lasted, but I only realized that from being on my own.” —Cari, 40

I Became a Runner

“I was always so afraid of running. I went to the gym a few times a week, but running seemed really intimidating. When I was 28, I signed up for a 5k and became hooked. I began running every day, made a ton of new friends, and even trained for and ran a few marathons!” —Nikki, 30

I Quit Credit Cards

“I started really focusing on my finances when I was 27. I had nearly $15k in debt, in addition to student loans, and I became really focused on getting rid of as much debt as possible by the time I turned thirty. By 31 (except for those student loans) I was debt free.” —Stephanie, 34

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I Had a Really Hard Time

“Oh man, my Saturn return was rough. I lost my job, had a bad breakup, had some major health issues, and ended up moving back in with my family. I saw all these people around me doing such incredible things with their lives and I just felt like I had failed. I began having to count my blessings in little ways. I realized I had an awesome family, realized losing one job meant I had the opportunity to consider going back to school for a career I loved, and realized it was okay to start fresh. And I did. Now, I think I’m happier than I was in my early twenties, but it wasn’t easy to get here.” —Carolyn, 35

I Stopped Caring What Other People Thought

“It was definitely a process, but I pinpoint the age of 27/28 as the age where I was like, ‘You know what? I’m done pretending.’ I ended up totally changing my look—I got pink streaks in my hair, got a nostril piercing and a tattoo on my forearm—and also just stopped second guessing myself. I lost some friends and had some lonely periods, but it was a really awesome time of self-discovery.” —Emily, 31

I Went to Therapy

“I never thought that I ‘needed’ therapy, but the job I worked at had this free employee assistance program, and I had been having a hard time with some personal stuff. So I finally went to talk to a therapist when I was 28, and it was really life changing for me. The ability to just talk about what was working and what wasn’t in my life without judgement was something I think everyone should experience.” —Sid, 29

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I Traveled Solo for the First Time

“I was 28 when I took my first backpacking trip. Before, I would always wait for friends to have the same time off as me. But I went to Spain for two weeks by myself, and it was scary and  magical at the same time. I think I realized that, okay, who I am isn’t defined by who my friends are.” —Jess, 33 

Lead photo courtesy of @max164