By stufflovely
This year’s Saturn retrograde begins Sunday, May 23, and goes through Sunday, October 10, in the sign of independent Aquarius. There are a few things to know about this ringed planet — and its backward motion — to help you prepare. To start, think of Saturn as the strict daddy of the zodiac. It rules self-discipline, restriction, and authority.
When Saturn is direct, this planet can help keep you on track and steer you in the right direction. However, when it goes retrograde (which occurs just over every 12 months and lasts roughly four and a half months each time), it’s perhaps more important than ever to set boundaries. At times, you may become quite frustrated and feel tempted to be more flexible than you know is good for you, but don’t give in. Saturn is testing you. Saturn retrograde is like when a parent steps back at a crucial moment to see if their kid can figure life out on their own rather than saving the day. This particular transit is all about figuring out our individual comfort levels to survive in these strange times, as we navigate what it’s like to reenter society while vaccinations roll out during this new phase of the pandemic.
It’s important to note that Saturn retrograde can cause you to feel sluggish and that it’s OK to rest during this time (and any time you need to rest, for that matter). According to AstrologyKing, during this 2021 retrograde, Saturn, which is the planet of rules, squares Uranus, the planet of expansion. A square is a challenging aspect, and this will likely be as exhausting as it sounds. Make sure to stay connected to your body during this time. Staying caught up with sleep, meditation, and moving your body in a way that feels good to you can help. What do you need to feel good? Maybe you need to go to bed an hour earlier to allow yourself to recharge. Saturn may love productivity, but it understands that downtime is crucial to be our best selves.
During this four-and-a-half-month period, it’s easy to imagine this ringed planet ordering us to go, go, go, and push through the challenges that come our way, but this is also a time of surrender. Regardless of how your personal life has been affected during the pandemic, we’re all going through a collective trauma right now, and setting boundaries is crucial. The weather is getting warmer, many people are getting vaccinated, and an optimism that was absent a year ago is beginning to fill the air. However, that doesn’t mean that returning to socialization will be easy. You may have anxiety surrounding “going back to normal,” and that’s okay. This Saturn retrograde asks you to tap into your mental, physical, and emotional health and create boundaries that work for you. Taking it a step further, it also asks you to clearly state those boundaries to others.
During this time, Saturn also makes harmonious trine aspects to the moon, Venus, and the North Node. These aspects will help ease any tension caused by the Uranus square. With the caring moon, loving Venus, and the guiding North Node, you should find it easier to find and communicate boundaries that match your inner needs with the demands of the outside world. Perhaps you want to ease back into dating and keep your social gatherings small. Saturn retrograde demands that you honor yourself and don’t let others pressure you into anything that makes you uncomfortable. You are also asked to do some work when it comes to letting go of negative thinking and self-limiting beliefs. It’s time to bring in healthy boundaries and to push out fear-based hangups.
Finally, Saturn retrograde asks us to engage with the past, present, and future — everything comes full circle. This may be a time of closure. If you have treated someone unfairly, don’t be surprised if you begin to regret it during this time. Likewise, if someone strung you along romantically, let them feel regret and jealousy when you show off all your new accomplishments and happiness. Ideally, this is a time when you’ll realize your comfort levels, erect strong boundaries, and then go forth and prosper. Yes, this has been an unpredictable time, so who knows what life will be like in October when Saturn goes direct. But if you use this retrograde to start a safe reintegration into society at your own pace, you should be as prepared as possible when that time comes.
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