Saturn Returns: A guide to mastering your cosmic coming of age, according to Caggie Dunlop

We use the phrase "the universe doesn't revolve around you" far too often when...actually, it kind-of does.

From full Moons to Mercury retrogrades, we've entered an era where if we've got a reason to ask the universe for answers, we're there - manifestation journals and all.

At a time when we've got access to more information than ever, we're naturally becoming more open-minded and curious about how astrology and human behaviour intertwine, which is why we're seeking out Saturn as to why our late twenties can often feel like a bit of a hot mess.

It's usually a transformational period of life for many of us, with no clear explanation - you might change career, move to another country, or end a relationship that no longer serves you - and it's also the time when the planet Saturn returns to the very position it was in when you were born (also known as the 29.5 years it takes to orbit the sun).

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Welcome to your Saturn Return.

It's worth noting that our Saturn Returns are completely unique to each of us. It averages every 29 years, but its exact date will depend on where and when you were born, as well as where you are now.

“It can be a crumbling of everything, which feels huge, but it's essentially about an initiation into adulthood, and also about putting you back on a path that is authentic and truthful to who you are, not who you've been pretending to be", notes Caggie Dunlop, host of the Saturn Returns podcast, and author.

In that respect, for many, it can be a time of attempting to resist change. Perhaps you've gotten so used to making excuses for someone who isn't good for you, waking up every day to go and do a job you hate, or aren't fulfilling your creative potential. These are all things we know we need to address, but quite often put it off.

While letting go might feel negative initially, it's about serving the greater good, and making space for our lives to align the way they were intended.

“A major part of the pain that we go through during our Saturn Return isn't actually what's happening - It's our resistance to what's happening", Caggie says.

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“It's us trying to hold on to a version of ourselves that we have outgrown, that is outdated. We want to hold onto the familiar, even if it’s bad for us. If you’re one of those people who feels like everything is coming crumbling down and you’re having a massive identity shift, you need to trust that what is aligned for you authentically will not slip away, but what isn’t, will.”

She adds: “That doesn’t necessarily make it easier in the moment, but it does in the long run because you’ll be able to retrospectively look back and see that something was wrong all along.

“For me, the version of myself I had created in my twenties, trying to be who I thought I needed to be, I felt this sense of needing to change - not wanting to change - needing to change."

That meant rerouting the Made in Chelsea lifestyle that brought her into the public eye completely.

“I moved away from the friendship circles that I had been surrounded by because I didn’t feel they were very healthy", she continues. "I remember my friends back in London thought I’d gone a bit crazy, but when I’d actually gone through it, I was just living my life.

“It felt like riding a bike without stabilisers for the first time; I had the infrastructure, both internally and externally, to feel like I knew what path I was on.“

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In fact, Caggie's career pivot focused around how astrological happenings shape who we are has resonated with so many, that W London has even launched a luxury hotel stay dedicated to Saturn Returns, and easing into yours feeling more empowered than ever.

But, if you're already visualising when Saturn's powers might make landfall for you, it's time to put the calculator down, because this won't be your only planetary intervention over the years - and you've probably already had a few without realising.

“Saturn has seasons, and they last seven years - which are your Saturn squares", Caggie tells us. "That means you get these mini initiations every seven years, where similar life themes, challenges, and opportunities will come up."

By the time you reach your second Saturn Return in your late fifties (which has otherwise become affectionately known as a 'midlife crisis'), it's less about experiencing change all over again, but rather reflecting on what you've already built - turning it into a legacy.

So, why do we all care now?

Saturn even makes an appearance on Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine on a track titled 'Saturn Returns Interlude', while Adele admitted in an interview she "lost the plot" during her own, and that it inspired her own album, 30.

“People have a lot more awareness than they did 20 years ago, in terms of how much information is available to us", Caggie says, nodding to the thousands of Saturn Returns videos now at our fingertips on social media.

“Before, you didn't have this abundance of information about opportunities, different careers, or alternative ways of living life", she concludes.

"Your Saturn Return is about living a life that's authentic to you, and that is what people want now more than anything.”

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