Saturn's Retrograde Transit in Aquarius
A sign-by-sign guide to this important planetary shift
Transiting Saturn will retrograde in late June. This planetary shift can create major changes in your personal or professional life. In this special article for my paid subscribers, I'll explain how this transit might impact each Rising Sign.
Understanding Saturn Retrograde
On June 29, 2024, Saturn will station retrograde. This means that it will appear to stop its forward motion and slowly begin moving backward. Saturn will remain retrograde until November 15.
During its retrograde period, Saturn will move from 25 degrees back to 18 degrees of Aquarius, and during this time will remain mostly within the fiery Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra. I say “mostly” as Saturn will also go back through the last two degrees of Shatabhisha nakshatra, at which point it will station direct.
Saturn is transiting in Aquarius from January 2023 until late March 2025. You may want to check out my previous article about this transit, where I also go into detail about the Aquarius nakshatras.
As Saturn retrogrades, it will go back over the same ground that it covered in the period extending from this past March into late June. Some of us will be able to revisit, reconnect, reevaluate, and ultimately to conclude any unfinished business from this prior period. Such matters would be indicated by the house position of transiting Saturn and any aspects it makes in the natal chart.
Saturn is a tough taskmaster whose lessons are associated with personal responsibility, professional matters, limitations, boundaries, discipline, patience, and forbearance. These lessons become even more challenging during Saturn’s retrograde periods. During these cycles, we might experience various annoyances, setbacks, or endings. We could begin to question certain commitments, and some of our goals and plans could change dramatically.
Duty and responsibility (Saturn) is the dam that holds the mind in check. Hence, that area of the chart wherein we find Saturn is an area where we experience specific karmic duties and responsibilities which serve to help us discipline our minds and desires. This discipline in turn helps us to begin to take responsibility for our actions, desires, and involvements in this area. The discipline may for a time be experienced as frustration or inhibition, but—as every counselor or psychotherapist should know—frustration may be therapeutic in that it throws the person back on himself, thus giving the opportunity to develop an inner strength by drawing on his own deeper resources. (Stephen Arroyo, Astrology, Karma & Transformation, p75)
It’s important to be especially mindful during Saturn retrograde cycles to avoid pessimism, self-sabotage, and defeatist or fatalistic thinking. Keep in mind that Saturn (Shani Dev) is the Sat Guru according to Vedic Astrology, meaning the Lord of Truth. He is also the Lord of Time and the Lord of Karma, and his purpose is to awaken our spiritual insight, release our inner fortitude, activate our inner power, and help us face and overcome our blind spots—all in order to help us manifest our highest potential.
As a special reward and thank you to my paying subscribers, I am providing this in-depth analysis of the potential impact of Saturn for each sign.