There seems to be a lot of fear mongering around retrogrades, with Saturn getting a real bad rep due to the internet catching on to the absolute tea of Saturn returns. Despite the negative stigma, it has become one of my favourite planets to work with for sparking positive life changes.
Not only have I just been through my Saturn return, but I am also Saturn ruled – The girls that get it, get it. My Saturn return was almost cliché – I got kicked out of my home, left a long term relationship, quit my job, then moved back to one of the first places I called home to figure out what to do next and how to rebuild.
This destructive ‘burn everything to the ground’ energy is highly synonymous with my personality anyway (so don’t fear if your Saturn return is approaching, it’s not like this for everyone). For me, Saturn gave things an extra sense of urgency, making me think “it’s now or never baby”. Either way, I’ve had my fair share of learning to navigate this energy and want to share some ways to work with Saturn (and its retrogrades) to level up and shape your creative practice.
Saturn – ruler of time and the planet of responsibility, discipline, and structure is going retrograde on July 12th (or 13th depending on where in the world you are situated). When a planet is in retrograde, an optical illusion takes place where the planet appears to be moving backwards in the sky. Unironically, this often impacts us by forcing us to look at our own lives from a different perspective.
If you’re anything like me, you may have noticed a denseness in the shadow period leading up to the retrograde – The last 2 weeks have felt like I was walking through thick mud. Regardless of how much motivation I had to charge forward, I knew that trying to go any faster would burn up my energy and leave me stuck.
The Saturn in Aries transit is a fantastic time to start working with the planet, because the energies of consistency and discipline combined with the quick energy of Aries means that problem solving and decision making can happen much faster. It will be continuing its retrograde back into Pisces from September 1st until November 28th, when it will go direct and transition back into Aries – giving you time to revisit and wrap up anything you started over the last 2 and a half years.
It’s my favourite planet to work with because the 2.5 year transits present a nice window of time to hone in on specific goals. Saying “I am going to commit to (x) for 2.5 years” and then re-examine the next best steps to take at the end of that transit creates a healthy relationship with progression. It’s easier and healthier to say “I have 9 months left of this, let me see it through”, than it is to navigate your way through the remains of the rubble after burning everything to the ground because you felt trapped in something that had no end in sight – And to all my impulsive creators, read that line again.
If you’ve not already done so, get clear on where you want to be when Saturn leaves Aries on April 12th 2028. You can make alterations to plans and goals as you move through the next couple of years, but being in the midst of a Saturn retrograde without a sense of direction is not a fun place to be. Having goals in place keeps you accountable. When setting these goals, consider the long term result you are reaching for, then work backwards to set the weekly or daily tasks that help you get there. For example – say you want to grow your Substack account, decide how many posts you can realistically share in a week and stick to it. Perhaps another goal is to earn a certain amount in commissioned work – set monthly targets around portfolio development, networking and outreach. You’ll know in your heart what is true for you.
These may seem like simple pieces of advice - set goals, check in with yourself, hold yourself accountable, but it’s easier said than done.
The challenge in working with Saturn is the honesty and commitment that is required to yield results. If you stay committed, you place yourself in a good position to be able to level up significantly at the end of the transit.
Saturn shows us the lessons and the blessings are in the doing and the done. It reminds me of that nursery rhyme from when we were children - “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we have to go through it”. The only way towards your aspirations is by getting through the work, one day at a time. For anyone who is trying to cut corners, this is a good time to get serious with yourself and make some changes.
Look at everything through a mature lens and identify how you may be playing the villain in your own story. Lying to yourself or burying your head in the sand will catch up with you eventually, and it is better that you be the one initiating a change now rather than being forced into it later down the line.
This is a great time to identify any ways in which you are self sabotaging. Whether it’s by overworking/over committing to things, abandoning projects, or staying attached to people, places, and things which are not good for you and drain your energy (all of which are usually rooted in low self-worth). By identifying what is not working, you can make changes to move you in the right direction.
This is also a great time to identify any missed steps. Imagine you are planning a party. With all the excitement and inspiration flying around you have charged forward and begun buying balloons, chosen a caterer, a DJ, but you then realise you haven’t confirmed the venue or written your guest list. They may be smaller tasks, but you can’t move forward or throw a successful event without actioning them. Saturn retrograde is exactly that – backtracking over unfinished things and doing what needs to be done to have a successful outcome.
One way I approach my creative and personal development is like an experiment – I try things, collect data, and see what does and doesn’t work. I then use that data to inform how and when I work. Consider Saturn retrograde as a time when you can review the data you’ve collected so far and identify any obstacles (whether internally or externally) that are getting in your way.
The seriousness of the transit may sound scary, but approach it from a positive perspective. Instead of thinking “this sounds challenging”, switch your perspective to “I am weeding out the barriers that hold me back so I can live a better life”. For anyone who has seen the video of the girl saying “choose your hard” – it’s giving exactly that! It’s about honouring yourself enough to do what needs to be done.
It’s not about getting everything right or taking the biggest strides – As long as you’re holding yourself accountable and learning from your mistakes along the way, you’re going to be just fine.
Wishing you the best of luck.
May you find the strength to create with purpose, live with integrity, and never give up on your dreams.