Saturn is twisting my melon, man. Waving his stick in the air. Telling you to cut your hair and get a real job.If, like me, you're emerging from your 20's, then perhaps you always assumed Youth, Time and their scrappy little sidekick Gay Abandon, would be your buddies forever.
However, between the ages of 27 and 30 (57 - 60, and if you're lucky, 86 - 88) the planet Saturn returns to the exact position it held at your birth, bringing with it new and powerful elements of structure and responsibility. In astrological terms, this means change.
If you haven't decided which path to tread in life, or if you're following one that isn't right, Saturn will be sure and let you know. He'll pit against your fears and limitations, shake you senseless until you're honest about who you are. Saturn will bring you screaming into maturity, whatever it takes.
You think I'm kidding? Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, James Dean (to name but a few) all bowed out of the game at 27. It seems some folk'll do anything to avoid a whipping from 'Ol Man Saturn.
Why? Because it hurts. It's distinctively uncomfortable, this 'facing up to life' business. I should know, I've visited the support blog: We Will Survive: The Saturn Return Blog www.saturnreturn.net
But it isn't all self-examination and flagellation, it's also a time of immense and lasting personal growth. Careers and relationships formed in the misty bloom of youth may come to an end, only to make way for more mature and fulfilling ones. Van Gogh, for example–well adjusted model that he is–decided to leave the church at 30 and pursue a career as a painter.
Is there any way of avoiding this cantankerous old astro-botherer? Apparently not, according to star writ. Unless, of course, you're already treading the right path. In which case you can take a gold star and sit at the front. For those of us who are left to the mercy of Saturn, it's advisable not to resist his meddling. Holding on to any unwanted elements will only cause suffering.
Well then, I guess it's time to wave goodbye to long summer days with Youth & the Boys.
Except Gay Abandon. He can stick around. I'll need someone to cheer me up when Mortality invites me over for a drink.
