Saturn in Aries: Self-Mastery and Self-Leadership
Named after the mythological God of Time, Saturn in Astrology has to do with the 3D, space-time reality, with the crystallization of form, and with the systems, norms, and rules that structure our reality. Governing over our maturation cycles, aging, and the law of cause and effect, Saturn has to do with the slow and consistent work it takes to build something that lasts. This is the last celestial body that we can see with the naked eye and marked the perceived limit of the Solar System for a long time: together with the famous rings that surround the planet, this reflects his astrological correlation with boundaries.
On May 24, Saturn made his first ingress into Aries since 1999. Aries energy is all about instinct, immediacy, and action: it initiates, it ignites, it moves without forethought. In the first sign of the Zodiac, Saturn’s energy can restrict or block our natural impulse to act and do and corresponds to a feeling of having one foot on the brake and the other one on the pedal. During his time in Aries, Saturn challenges us to gain mastery over our instincts and impulses, recognize when it is time to act and when it is time to wait, and develop a more mature relationship with anger and self-assertion.
Saturn in Aries transit is an opportunity to master our will and develop more self-leadership. The planet’s next ingress into Aries will be on February 13, 2026, and Saturn will remain there until April 12, 2028.
Saturn retrograde: Restructuring our Will
While retrograde, Saturn invites us to get clear about what we aspire to build, what we are committing to, and what responsibilities we are willing to take. Saturn’s shift of motion is an opportunity to redefine our relationship with our will, authority, responsibility, and commitment, reflect on the structures in place in our lives and restructure what no longer work.
During Saturn’s retrograde journey, we may face delays or encounter resistance if we try to keep pushing forward or keep building without a proper assessment of our intentions and motivations.The invitation for us is to wrap up unresolved business and make sure we are acting in alignment with our true values and with our inner authority rather than conforming to external values and expectations.
Saturn’s shift of motion is an invitation to slow down and reflect carefully on what we aspire to build before continuing to take action. This transit is a reminder to make sure we know what we want, where we are going, and what we are doing before moving forward.
On September 1, Saturn leaves Aries and returns to Pisces. Saturn will remain in retrograde motion until November 27, 2025, and station direct at 25º of Pisces. The final portion of Saturn’s journey through the sign of the Fish will offer us an opportunity to wrap up unfinished business and revisit unresolved karmic themes that emerged during the past months and haven’t yet been completed.
The Saturn-Neptune Balsamic Phase Conjunction
Saturn is stationing retrograde while conjunct Neptune: both planets will continue to be in a balsamic phase conjunction until February 2026 and will soon retrograde back into Pisces, where they will remain until, respectively, February and January 2026.
Balsamic phase conjunctions carry similar energy to the Dark or Balsamic phase of the Moon cycle, the three and a half days before a New Moon: this means that the two planets are completing their cycle, a journey that began in 1989, and the energy is all about closure, endings, and letting go.
This alignment is asking us to release fantasies and illusions that can’t be grounded in reality and tear down structures that are no longer purposeful or meaningful. Saturn and Neptune will begin their new cycle on February 20, 2026. Until then, we are experiencing the closure of a collective chapter: something big is ending and we must let it go, feeling every emotion that comes with it.
Both Saturn and Neptune are also squaring Jupiter in Cancer. This configuration is exacerbating the struggle between our desire to expand and grow and the necessity to contract and close cycles before we can move forward. We are being asked to accept the reality of our current limitations, honor Life’s timing, and keep cultivating our faith while doing what we can do with what is available now.
