The Saturn Cycle

The first major cycle that I validated for myself goes for about 29 years and it manifests in life in a very physical and tangible way. It is equal to the time for the planet Saturn to complete its revolution around the Sun, and hence its name as the Saturn Cycle. It turns out that this cycle correlates with how we set up material goals, acquire the necessary skills through perseverance and discipline, and eventually accomplish those goals in the external world.

Try It for Yourself

So, imagine you were just newly born. Here you are a newborn in a brand-new material form – the crown of your achievement. You are at the crest of the cycle. Everything unnecessary from the birth is discarded – placenta and water, the cord is severed, and the beautiful baby body is yours to learn and play.

Fourteen and a half years later, however, you find yourself at the bottom of the cycle. You are far from a baby now. Nobody claps at your antics or fawns over your baby steps. It is time to set up new goals for the material world. And what more appropriate than lifting your eyes to the top of the mountain and deciding on aiming high. Here is when the intentions are set: to have a great career, to become an astronaut, to learn how to build houses, and so on and so forth.

Few of us are really clear about what our goal is, but that doesn’t matter – as long as we actually set to acquire specific skills and do something in the world.  It is the time when we finally decide to learn the rules of the game so that we can win. The grades in school begin to matter, our motivation to complete tasks and assignments is strengthened, we get our first job. The following fourteen and a half years will see us toiling diligently towards our goal. At the age of 29, we find ourselves at the top of the crest once again. It is time to congratulate ourselves, but also to evaluate our achievements and let go of any habits that we have outgrown.

So, do you see how the dynamics of the Saturn cycle and our response to it can determine the level of frustration as well as the amount of effort in life? If we go along with the crests and the troughs, we’ll be planning in a natural way and our path will require less effort than if we simply went against the “grain”.

The Matter of Free Will

Let’s see how this can possibly play out one or the other way.

If, at the age of 14-15 when at the bottom of the cycle, I didn’t set up goals or directions, I will miss my window of opportunity for intention. I risk finding myself with empty hands another half cycle later. I will have planted nothing to bear fruit, so to say. If, on the other hand, at the age of 14-15 I decided to clean up my school grades, take a job so that I can gain experience, or focus on acquiring some specific skills, the process will naturally lead to some form of accomplishments by the time I reach 29 years old. It might not be the accomplishment I thought I was setting up at the age of 14-15, but it will nevertheless be a worthy one.

At the other end, at the crests of the Saturn cycle, we “reap what we have sown” half a cycle before. Let’s say I have been diligent earlier and set up my goals and have been working to that end. In that case, I will reach some form of achievement at the peak of the cycle. And here is the trick for those “overachieving” of us. The pitfall here is that I might have trouble letting go. Will I have the strength and foresight to recognize that my sharp specific skills have outgrown their purpose? They did carry me to the top, after all. Will I recognize that the next cycle will be about a different set of goals? Anything that I have kept that should have gone, might now prove to be a burden rather than an asset.

What about the time after 29 years of age?  Well, we begin yet another cycle. Most of us will go through at least two of those Saturn cycles. A few may be long-lived to complete even three (about 90 yrs). We meet every new cycle with a more developed maturity, yet the dynamic remains the same. At the bottom of each cycle (about 14.5, 44, and 72.5 years), we have an opportunity to set up new goals and directions about the material structure of our life. At the peak of the Saturn cycle (about 29, 58, and 87 years), we get a break from the pressures to achieve, enjoy the fruits of our labor, and are freed from everything that we have outgrown.

Food for Thought

There are two other long-period cycles the timing of which runs close to, if not completely coincides with the sensitive times in the Saturn cycle. The Neptune cycle runs for about 165 years, and the Uranus cycle is 84 years. Somewhere between 40 and 44, we touch on sensitive spots of the Neptunian, Uranian, and Saturnian cycle, in that order. Within the span of several years, we find ourselves at the midpoint between the bottom and the top of the Neptune cycle. Then, we move through the bottom of the Uranian and finally through the bottom of the Saturnian cycle.

This period in life used to be called the “mid-life” crisis. Nowadays, with an improved length and quality of life, we have transferred that label to other sensitive periods in our 50s or 60s. The fact remains, however, that mid-life crisis or not, every one of us goes through a very challenging time in our early forties when we actually have to navigate carefully through at least three large-scale cycles. Often, we find ourselves with motivation for work at all time low and wonder who we truly are. We feel confused and discontent even if we already have what we always wanted.

The key to a successful navigation at this time is to simply accept what comes our way. It also helps that we are not alone in this and that many others are going through a similar experience. If we do not resist the changes that Universe invites to make and accept things as they are, things clear up within two-three years. If we resist the changes, however, or are too entrenched in our ways, matters can appear quite distressing and painful.

The times when two or more major cycles intersect are very sensitive and difficult to navigate. And, the age of 40-44 is not the only time when it happens. I will have to write first about the other cycles, however, before I revisit the topic. Until then, see how the Saturn cycle has played out in your life. And, if you feel so inclined, share your thoughts here or in a private email.

Tatiana