Today, May 23, the planet of responsibility, maturity, power, change and karma goes retrograde in the sign of Aquarius. Saturn is entering its yearly retrograde from May 23 to October 10. 

Retrogrades are always a time of review, reflection and introspection, and when speaking of Saturn, it’s incredibly important to understand the lessons he’s here to teach you. By reviewing your lessons around responsibility and karma, you can move through them easier, as lessons only continue to appear in a different form until they are learned. By taking time during this retrograde cycle to understand what is being highlighted in your life, it will help you move through and transmute any karmic lessons into understanding and growth. 

Saturn has been in the sign of Aquarius since December 17 and has been pioneering new ideas and inspiring new methods of approach for the collective. On a personal level, you can look to see what house Aquarius is for you (by getting your natal chart on astro.cafeastrology.com, enter your birth day, time and place, and then scroll down to the houses, find which house is ruled by Aquarius. I’ve included a screenshot of mine as an example below. Personally my 7th and 8th house will be in focus). Each house in astrology holds different themes, lessons, and blessings. By looking to see where Saturn is influencing your chart through his 2.5 year transit in Aquarius, it can help you get a clearer picture on what this time of your life is meant to teach you. By being open and receptive to Saturn’s lessons, it will make his transits and retrogrades less stressful or tense.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 1st house: Personal identity will be up for review during this time. How do you present yourself to the outer world?  How confident are you in who you are as an individual? During this transit reflecting on one’s authenticity may be in focus. This transit is a time of introspection that is here to help you understand yourself on a deeper level, how you show up in the world, and strengthen your self-confidence by commitment to your values.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 2nd house: The second house not only rules money and finances, it also rules our self-worth. How you spend your money will come up for review with Saturn’s transit through your second house. Are you spending your money frivolously? Are you investing in causes that you care about, spending your money on things that support you and help you grow? What is your relationship to money and how responsible are you being with the money you make? But also this time is for focusing on how your worth is wrapped up in money, success, how much you produce/productivity, wealth, and how much you value others opinions of you.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 3rd house: The way in which you express yourself will take center stage during this transit. Communication and your community come into focus. Are you communicating effectively? Is your intention being received in the way that you are hoping for? During this time, you may not have the patience for small talk or idea sharing in ways that do not light you up. Who you surround yourself with and the alignment within your community may also come up for review. 

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 4th house: “Retrograde energy” is potent when any planet retrogrades your 4th house. The classic reviewing your past is heightened, and during this transit, you may explore childhood trauma, programming, or conditioning. I highly recommend seeing a therapist during this time because you can really work to clear a lot of karmic energy you’ve been carrying around with you.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 5th house: The house of pleasure. When Saturn transits the 5th house, a lot of different potentials can come up for review based on what lessons you need to explore. Are you stepping fully into your talents? Are you using them wisely? But also, are you playing “too much?” Are you investing in yourself and your purpose? And finally and sometimes the most transformative reflections are around love, and your feelings of worthiness in romantic partnership. Are you seeking validation where you need self-love? Or do you not feel like you are deserving of love? There are many potential ways this transit can be highlighted for you.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 6th house: Health and habits are in focus during Saturn’s transit of the 6th house. Are you taking care of your body the best way you know how? What about your mind? Are you spending time feeling and acknowledging your emotions? How can you adjust your daily habits in work or in life to have a healthier flow and connection to yourself? You will be supported in exploring any new habits to help transform your  health during this time.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 7th house: Committed partnerships and compromise come up for review when Saturn transits your 7th house, and this can be in the realm of friendship, business, community, or romantic. Where do you commit yourself and do you show up fully? Are the people you surround yourself with in alignment with your needs and values. Loneliness is explored during this transit and understood at a deeper level along with what you are willing to compromise in your commitments. The outcome of this transit will be healthy and strong relationships taken more seriously. 

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 8th house: Relationship to power and addiction can come up for review when Saturn transits the 8th house. Where in life have you been too controlling? Are you trying to control the outcomes of your life? Where can you release control and allow things to unfold naturally? Has escapism shown up in different forms? Acceptance and presence are lessons to be learned during this transit. 

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 9th house: Saturn’s influence on the house of spirituality can show up in questioning your purpose and understanding the deeper meaning for your life. Are you stuck in a mundane day to day routine? Do you feel fulfilled? What areas of learning do you wish to explore in more depth but have been putting off? This transit can cause us to question our path, but we will come out of it with more confidence and faith in our unique journey.

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 10th house: Not only does Saturn’s transit get us to review our career, it gets us to explore our relationship to masculine energy, whether that’s our relationship to father figures, the masculine energy in society, or our own personal balance of masculine energy. When reviewing your career, this transit is very heavy on how you are handling your responsibilities and showing up in your career. We look to our accomplishments and recognition and review if where we are is where we want to be. 

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 11th house: Different from the 3rd house the transit through the 11th house gets us to review not only our communities but our place in them. Seeking out soul fulfilling relationships are heightened during this time as we begin to review the depth and inspiration we feel through our community. What is becoming important to you and do the people you surround yourself reflect those values and beliefs? Do they inspire you? Do they support you? Do they want to see you win? Are the people in your life aligned with your future?

Saturn Retrograde (and transit) in the 12th house: As we end the astrological wheel, this transit can signify a time of endings and new beginnings. It is a time of review of the past 12 years and all that Saturn has taught us as its moved through each of the houses. What parts of us have evolved? What parts have we shed and left behind? This transit asks us to review where we are headed as well and if we are on the path that we feel we are meant to be on. The 12th house can represent behind closed doors processing and feelings, and this is another transit that I feel like a therapist is a great supporter to have in your corner during. 

Commonly, I believe that Saturn gets a bad reputation. That it’s “hardness” comes through as intense lessons in responsibility, change and growth, but my personal experience is this tends to occur when you haven’t been listening.  The lessons only get louder and louder for you to hear them, so if you take time to understand the transit you’re in and explores its personal lessons to you, they will become easier. With time, you can step into a place of observation. You don’t always have to participate in order to learn.