Saturn Returning Phenomenon
Astrology Attempts to Explain the Quarterlife Crisis
Heavily looming questions coupled with the fear and doubt surrounding your 30th birthday can be easily explained. At least that is what astrologists want you to believe.
If you haven't yet encountered the anxiety, fear, confusion and heaviness that surrounds the time prior to your 30th birthday, don't fear, you undoubtedly will. Astrologists would like us to believe that the period of time between our 27th and 30th years are wrought with these insecurities because of an event happening somewhere out in our solar system. This phenomenon is referred to as Saturn returning and it is astrologically explained by simple science: It takes Saturn approximately 29.5 years to orbit the Sun, thus returning to the location where it was positioned upon a person's birth.
Typical Signs of a Quarterlife Crisis
Turning 30 marks a person's official entrance into adulthood. Pressures loom about life decisions and the days of youthful indiscretions become a fond memory. Although the term "quarterlife crisis" technically refers to a person turning 25, most of the symptoms of that tumultuous time do not manifest themselves until the time immediately preceding one's 30th birthday. Some common signs of a quarterlife crisis include the following:
- intense self-evaluation, especially regarding one's future.
- extreme anxiety, especially when it comes to making life-altering choices.
- pressure to find a mate and settle down.
- a person's so-called biological clock begins making itself known.
- physical symptoms including insomnia, depression, irritability and insecurity.
- an overall sense of anxiety over such things as career choices, relationship decisions and general life-purpose contemplations.
How the Astrological Event of Saturn Returning Attempts to Explain the Quarterlife Crisis
Astrologer Rob Hand explains Saturn's return simply as, "one of the most important times in your life, a time of endings and new beginnings." When viewed in this context, it is easy to see it as a time of transition and part of the natural cycle of the universe.
However, this time period in a person's life can vary greatly. Some people experience a grief-like process, while others welcome it as a way to embark on the next chapter of their lives. According to Sky Alexander of newage-directory.com, each person must take some time to inventory their life and "examine [their] true needs and desires and the role [they] want to play on the world's stage." This being the only way to make peace with the past and move ahead along one's path in life.
Other Common Themes Related to Saturn's Return
While the most prevailing theme surrounding Saturn's return is one's impending 30th birthday, there are also other motifs that have some relevance to this event as well. Some additional things that coincide with this life event have included:
- the historical marker for maturity and adulthood.
- a time to get rid of old, presumably bad habits.
- the pop culture reference of the "27 Club". This is a general term used for musicians who died within a 2-year period of their 27th birthdays.
There is no scientific proof that Saturn's return has any effect -- physical, emotional, or psychological -- on a person, however it does seem to be a phenomenon that has stood the test of time. For those who take this concept with a fair amount of skepticism, you can still use this time in your life as an evaluation point. Take some time to breathe, examine your life and question your future.
