Saturn Retrograde, 2020: How To Grow Through The Discomfort
Saturn turns retrograde on May 11, in Aquarius and moonwalks into Capricorn on September 29. Saturn is the planetary ruler of both Capricorn and Aquarius, so its serious, disciplined, and ambitious energy will have a noticeable impact on you when its energy dramatically slows down during its retrograde. Saturn stations retrograde every year for 4-5 months at a time, opening doors to change, karma, and revolution. During this period, you will feel called to evaluate your decisions before making choices and take on new responsibilities. Brace yourself as you may experience the positive or negative effects of the intentions you set and actions you took in previous seasons as Saturn retrograde's lessons often come from reaping what you sow. But it's not all doom and gloom! If you've committed your time to lay the groundwork for your success, you will finally be rewarded for your hard work or find the perfect solution to resolve the problems you've been facing.
Get Comfortable With Feeling Uncomfortable
Of all the planets, Saturnian lessons can often be the hardest to navigate. Saturn retrogrades aren't smooth sailing for everyone as we tend to make a few (very human) mistakes that we later have to acknowledge and take accountability for during Saturn's backflow. During Saturn retrograde, you may feel uncomfortable; self-discipline will require a bigger effort, making it harder to stick to your usual routines, and you might slack off with your responsibilities. The trick is not to resist how you're naturally feeling! Give into the flow of Saturn retrograde by taking things one step at a time and paying closer attention to the future outcomes of the decisions and commitments you're making in the present. If you keep forcing yourself to keep up with life's changes, you'll always feel like you're one step behind or underachieving.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
On May 25, your emotions may dip as Saturn retrograde will merge with Altair, a star in the Aquila (Eagle) constellation. This cosmic alignment could stir up feelings of sadness or emptiness, causing you to pay closer attention to your mental and emotional well-being. Lean on the people around you if your feelings of loneliness intensify, and find healthy and positive ways to distance and distract yourself from external events that are casting shadows of doubt, disappointment, and insecurity over you. This karmic energy is a challenge to find day-to-day pleasures and moments of satisfaction where you can and to seek comfort in the temporary nature of life.
Stop Trying To Keep Up With Everyone Else
Saturn retrograde will remind you of the importance of upholding boundaries to protect your peace and well-being and to reassess and re-establish them as your needs evolve. Be kind to yourself during this retrograde period. Holding yourself accountable and pushing yourself to reach your potential should be done with realistic expectations and empathy. It's easy to get so caught up in life that you begin to race against an invisible alarm clock or push yourself to breaking point by holding yourself to standards that society has written out for you rather than finding your own rhythm.
Take care of yourself in the ways you need it, and make time to pause, rest, or create new routines that better fit your changing surroundings. Remember, there's nothing wrong with you if you can't keep up — or don't want to keep up — with the ways other people are handling life. This is your moment to break free and restructure your life in alignment with your purpose.
