Important Ages to Take Note of Astrologically

What comes before and after the Saturn return?? Let's take a look at important years for major changes and significant personal development from ages 20-60.

Hi everyone!

Today we are talking about one of my favorite topics: the astrology of various ages. I am fascinated by patterns and numbers, as well as the passage of time, which is why I love using astrology to track critical turning points throughout a person’s life. If you are familiar with transits, you may know that there are going to be certain years where bigger life events are likely to take place for you, whether that be an eclipse happening in your sun or rising sign, or Saturn transiting over your moon. However, outside of these individual transits there are specific ages that are more important for everyone who is that age. For example, the “terrible twos,” which happens to toddlers, coincides with the first Mars return everyone goes through at age two. Feelings of anger, irritation, or a need to assert yourself and challenge authority figures become more prominent at this time. Likewise, the first Saturn return occurs for everyone right at the age of 29, and marks the transition into “real adulthood”, which can often feel very heavy and frustrating. 

I will be going through every important age that you should take note of, from age 20-60, just because I’m pretty sure that is the age range of the majority of my audience. For anyone who wants to go further and dig deeper into the astrology of your 60s-100s, I highly recommend the book The Astrology of Midlife and Aging by Erin Sullivan. 

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Before we jump into it, here are my monthly recs. 

Podcast:

Astrology with Alice - I launched my brand new podcast this week! Every Monday, I will be going over the astrological forecast for the week ahead, and every other Thursday I will be discussing a fun astrology topic, responding to listener Q&A’s, and soon bringing on guests. I’m always open to suggestions you have for the Thursday episodes, so definitely message me if there’s a specific subject you want covered. 

Book:

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. This is one of the best fiction books I have read all year. It is a story about four sisters whose lives drastically change over the course of like a year, as life comes at them hard. There’s also a major romantic plot twist 100 or so pages in that got me hooked. It’s one of those books that you want to read instead of watching tv, if you know what I mean. 

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Okay, on to the main topic. I hope as you read through these various ages that you’re able to step back and realize how long life really is, that is if you end up living until old age. There are so many various chapters that make up your life, and these ages we are about to go over mark those different eras. Your birth chart is not fully realized as a child or even as a young adult, and parts of the chart become activated periodically over the years. You are learning how to lean more into your chart throughout the course of your entire lifetime.

I have chosen the below ages because of how significant the astrological transits are happening at that time, mainly looking at longer outer planet transits, like Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Uranus etc, as well as the secondary progressed moon. Again, if you look at transits to your individual chart there might be years besides these that stand out for you based on where eclipses, Jupiter, Saturn, or other big transits transits might be taking place in your own chart, so that is something else you will want to take note of. 

Age 21

Let’s start at 21, which is honestly not the most fun year. At this age, we have two significant transits taking place. The first is the closing Saturn square. At age 7, transit Saturn made its opening square aspect to your natal Saturn, and at age 14 a Saturn opposition occurred. By the time you get to 21, you will again encounter similar tough growing pains that popped up at those two ages prior. 21 is often a year where you’re figuring out how to be on your own, and you’re hit with all of these new responsibilities that you didn’t have before, which is major Saturnian vibes. College graduation might be quickly approaching, or you’re getting established at your first real adult job. You’re basically figuring out how you can be your own person in the world, as well as recognizing what goals you want to pursue in your 20s. Whatever interests or opportunities are established around this age will likely prove to be important throughout your entire 20s, leading up to your Saturn return. So for those of you who are in your late 20s now, you may want to reflect on how similar themes from around the age of 21 might be resurfacing.

At the same time, transit Uranus is coming into a square with your natal Uranus around the age of 21. Whereas Saturn is all about duty and responsibilities, Uranus wants to break free from any restrictions and be a bit rebellious. So at this age, you’re also experimenting with different identities, and you may have the urge to break away from how you were raised in order to establish your independent self. Uranus can be a very self centered planet too, so at this age your focus really is all on you, and sometimes it can be difficult to see outside of your own problems. With both Saturn and Uranus transits happening simultaneously,  there can be a lot of inner tension that also occurs. 

Age 24

24 is when you reach your 2nd Jupiter return, the first one having taken place at age 12. This is typically the most positive year of the 20s. I know that’s not going to hold true for absolutely everyone, but it’s still usually a very empowering, personal growth year where you might receive significant opportunities or have an aha moment abut what you actually want to do career wise. Important relationships may also enter your life around this time. After the tough transitions that occur in the earlier part of your 20s, 24 can feel like you’re finally having somewhat of a breakthrough.

Age 27

27 often gets mistaken for being the Saturn Return, when it is actually not. There are two huge astrological events that take place at this time though, which explain why it can be such a challenging year for people. One is that you have a nodal opposition, which is when the transit North Node meets up with your natal South Node, and vice versa. See the diagram below for a visual. This transit is like the universe checking in on you, making sure you’re on the right track. If you’re not living true to yourself at this time, you might be pushed to realign your life path with the themes represented by your North and South Nodes. It may even feel fated in a way, where some doors shut in your life in order for new chapters to begin. Leaning into your the sign and house placements of your nodes will automatically help you to feel more fulfilled, but this can definitely feel uncomfortable or scary. 

The above diagram shows a nodal opposition taking place.

27 is also the year when you experience your first progressed lunar return. This is not a transit - you have to look at a separate chart called “secondary progressions” to see this taking place. It is when your progressed moon returns to the same position your moon was in when you were born, so the house and sign themes of your natal moon become super prominent at this age. At age 27, you’re learning how to reparent yourself. You might be developing better practices to nurture yourself, or you’re doing a lot of reflection on early childhood and your family dynamics. The theme of family will come up frequently, whether that be you spending more time with them or you needing to set boundaries or redefine those relationships. Also, you might be moving homes at this age, and developing a stable and comfortable living situation for yourself will likely be a bigger focus.

Age 29

Though the entire Saturn return period usually encompasses the period from 28-30, it always goes exact right at age 29, meaning Saturn reaches the exact degree it was in when you were born at that time. Your Saturn return typically feels frustrating and emotionally heavy, like you know you need to make some changes in your life, but everything is taking way too long to happen. It’s also a period where you’re reflecting more on your childhood and the past and how those experiences have shaped who you are today. You also start taking a more realistic approach to your future, as you figure out what structures in your life will last in the long term. For instance, you might thinking more about saving money to eventually buy a home one day, or you could be reflecting on if you want to have kids or get married, or if you actually want to further commit to a relationship you’re in. This may also be a time when you’re taking on a lot more responsibilities in your career or gaining recognition for all the effort you’ve been putting in. You’re stepping it up and showing that you’re capable of being a responsible adult. You will want to check the house placement of Saturn in your birth chart, as well as the two houses that are ruled by Capricorn and Aquarius to see the themes that will be most relevant for you at this time. But basically, you’re having to face all the adult stuff you may have managed to avoid throughout your 20s, and you’re getting clear on who you are and where you want to be headed over the next several years. Whatever is started or whatever mindset shifts may occur at the Saturn return will come to define the next three decades of your life. As we will see below, there will be various check in points throughout those next 30 years to make sure that you’re living up to your full Saturnian potential. 

Age 32

Age 31 can feel like a drag for people - it’s often a year of internal reflection, overcoming negative relationship patterns, or dealing with the topics you may normally like to avoid discussing, particularly death, sex, and money. By the age of 32, this emotional heaviness starts to lift. Right at your 32nd birthday (your solar return), you will also have a Mars and and Venus return take place. Refer to the diagram below for a visual. This is rare, so it’s important to take note of. With these planetary returns taking place in your solar return chart for the year, 32 can feel like hitting a reset button. Check the houses in which your Mars and Venus are located, as well as the four houses that these two planets rule (Aries, Scorpio, Libra, and Taurus) because that’s where you will the biggest themes pop up. You may have more energy to put towards new ventures at this age, or you’re feeling way more confident and ready to assert yourself. A new chapter might be unfolding in relationships as well. You may enter into a new relationship, or reach a big milestone in a relationship like moving in together, getting engaged or married, having a baby, etc. On the other hand, you could finally work up the courage to leave a dissatisfying relationship and stand up for yourself. Whatever it might be, you can be sure that a new life direction is revealing itself to you at this time. 

The above diagram shows a solar return, Venus return, and Mars return all taking place at the same time.

36

While the first few years of your 30s tend to be very full speed ahead, once you hit 35 you may notice that it is a slower year overall. Throughout 35 you’re going within and maybe having a more mental health focused or spiritual year. Then at age 36, you experience your  3rd Jupiter return, full nodal return, and your opening Saturn square, so it’s a lot coming at you at once. 

As you may recall, your last Jupiter return would have taken place at age 24. So here we are again, 12 years later with similar themes coming back up again. To reiterate, you may feel more empowered at this time, or positive opportunities or events are occurring either at work or in your personal life. For further insight, check the house in which Jupiter falls in your chart to see how this will affect you on a more individual level. You may also be drawn to Jupiterian type activities throughout this year, like foreign travel, writing, education or spirituality (astrology definitely falls into the spirituality category). 

Simultaneously, you are going through a full nodal return, so the North and South Nodes are returning to the same two signs they were in when you were born. This is another nodal check in, like what you may have experienced at age 27, where you’re evaluating if you’re living true to your life purpose. If you haven’t figured out what you’re truly passionate about by this point or have felt like you’ve been in a rut, this can be a time of finally receiving some clarity or pivoting in a different direction and uncovering new facets of your identity. Again, check the house locations of your North and South Nodes in your birth chart for further insight. 

Finally, you will also experience transit Saturn squaring your natal Saturn, so this is the first major Saturn phase that will have occurred since your Saturn return back at age 29. There might be some tough growing pains or added stressors to your life that pop up at this time, or you could have to make adjustments to what responsibilities and work you’re committing to. You might be scaling back at your career, or you’re getting clear on what relationships you want in your life, or you may have greater responsibilities to tend to at home. Saturn is once again asking you to evaluate what is meant to last in the long term, and will have you establishing better structures in your life moving forward. 

42-43

The transits that take place at this age are what I refer to as the astrology of the midlife crisis. The early 40s has a similar vibe to your early 20s, where you’re wanting to strike out and be your own person and shake things up in your life, but you may also feel restricted by other people or held back by the responsibilities you have on your plate. This is due to your Saturn opposition and Uranus opposition occurring at the same time. If you have been living life to please other people up until now and have been suppressing goals you’re passionate about or interests you might be embarrassed to share, the Uranus opposition will have you wanting to embrace your unique self, and you could end up making some drastic changes as a result. You may want to quit a career you no longer love or leave a relationship that feels restricting. It may also be that you end up joining new communities and forming all these different connections, or you’re moving past fears of trying out unusual experiences. For example, maybe you’ve been scared to travel alone your whole life, but around this time you suddenly want to go on a group trip abroad where you don’t know anyone beforehand. It doesn’t necessarily need to be huge external changes, but the way you think about yourself is definitely shifting. You’re looking less to other people to give you direction as you develop greater independence.

Meanwhile, with the Saturn opposition, you may end up running into some conflict in your close relationships. You may go through a tough period in your marriage or with your child (if you have) or another family member, or you could realize that a friend isn’t totally supportive of you. What sets the Saturn opposition apart from the Saturn square is that tough learning lessons are likely coming through relationships, rather than from internal tension. 

46

Once again, you arrive at another nodal opposition at this age, so refer back to what I wrote on the nodal oppositions at age 27 and the nodal return at age 36 for insight into that. 

Pluto square Pluto - If you are of the Pluto in Scorpio generation, you will experience a Pluto square in your mid 40s. This will be Pluto’s entire transit of Aquarius, so pay attention to when transit Pluto in Aquarius is squaring your natal Pluto in Scorpio to the exact degree to narrow down the time frame. If you are born under Pluto in Sagittarius (aka Gen-Z), you will not experience this transit until your 50s when Pluto reaches Pisces. This is because Pluto has an irregular transit, so the amount of time it spends in each sign varies. When this transit occurs, you can expect Plutonian themes to come up strongly in your life for about a 2-3 year period. You may experience the death of someone important to you, or you could find yourself thinking a lot about your own mortality. There could also be power struggles and themes of control that surface in your life, or you may be confronting buried emotions or fears that are still lingering from childhood. Your sex life and how that might be improved may also be a focus. 

48

At 48, you get another Jupiter return. I’ve gone over this transit a couple of times now, so refer back to ages 24 and 36 for an explainer on themes that may come up. But you may have a newfound interests in Jupiterian activities like foreign travel, spirituality, or education. 

50

50 is a big milestone for a reason. At this age, you experience your first and likely only Chiron return, and the closing Saturn square of the Saturn cycle that started at your Saturn return in your late 20s. With the Chiron return, a lot of insecurities you normally repress may be brought to the surface. You will be learning how to use your wounds and deep seated anxieties to your advantage, and you may feel called to share and teach about them to others who have gone through similar experiences. There could also be a situation that comes up that is emotionally painful at this time that triggers you a bit. Refer back to the house themes of wherever your Chiron is located in your birth chart to see what area of life you might be feeling insecure about, but which you will also be healing at this time. 

The closing Saturn square will have you once again reflecting on your commitments and what areas of life you need to make adjustments to. You’re finding yourself in another transitional phase of your life, as you go from mid life to older age (I definitely don’t consider 50 to be old though). This might be an emotionally heavy period, or you could again need to take stock of your work load and responsibilities if you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you feel like there have been missed opportunities in your life, this would be a time where you’re figuring out how you can still do those things. Use any feelings of dissatisfaction to propel you into new interests and directions. You won’t want to just wallow in your feelings. 

55/56

The later part of your 50s is eerily similar to the end of your 20s. It’s a time of deep reflection and figuring out what’s next in the long term for you. Once again, at this age you have another nodal return. Refer back to ages 27 and 36 for more information on this transit. 

Additionally, you will experience a progressed lunar return for the second time. When you approached your late 20s, the theme of home and family life may have come up a lot, and you could have been learning how to reparent and better nurture yourself. Similar feelings will arise almost 30 years later. It might be that you’re having to take care of your aging parents, or you’re coming to terms with their deaths (death is not always the case though so don’t freak out). It may also be a time when you are moving or doing something significant with your living space. You may become a grandparent for the first time too, or the relationship you have with your kids (if you have them) is going through a transitional period. If you’re an empty nester, you may find yourself wanting to find activities that you enjoy doing just for you, and you will be uncovering little ways to feel more emotionally fulfilled in your everyday life. The moon also signifies the physical body too, so there may health concerns that you’re addressing at this time. 

58-60

Finally, right at the tail end of your 50s, you enter into your 2nd Saturn return. I feel like I’m getting repetitive with the Saturn themes at this point, because they’re such a constant, coming up every 7 years of your life. This Saturn return will share similar themes to the first one that took place at age 29, such as reflecting on your life up until this point and taking stock of what is worth your time and effort. However, rather than gearing up for all of these adult responsibilities that you were preparing for closer to 30, you may now be looking forward to slowing down in the years that follow. You’ve spent the last three decades becoming your own person out in the world, and now this might be the start of a third act for you, where you’re pursuing new passions and interests. Another big Saturnian theme is becoming aware of the passage of time, so you may be more conscious of how your body is aging, even if your spirit isn’t. 

Closer to age 60, you will experience a 5th Jupiter return. Refer back to 24, 36, and 48 for a deeper explanation on this, but coupled with the Saturn return at this time, you may be searching for greater freedom in your life to be able to go off and do your own thing. You could also be reaping rewards professionally, and this may be a time where you’re achieving career recognition and praise if you are still working.

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Okay, I’m stopping here for now. I will have to do a similar newsletter in the future about early childhood and teenage years, since what happens at those ages leaves an imprint on you for the rest of your life.