SATURN ENTERS ARIES!
Introduction
2025 is a year full of era-defining astrological events, as the outer planets all ingress into new signs. With Pluto in Aquarius and Neptune in Aries, much of the stage has already been set, as we await Jupiter entering Cancer and Uranus moving into Gemini this summer. And tonight, we’ll get our first taste of another new era, as the planet Saturn enters the zodiac sign of Aries.
When slow outer planets move into new signs, their ingresses tend to be complicated by retrogrades. Here’s the timeline for Saturn in Aries:
Today, Saturday May 24th 2025: Saturn enters Aries at 8:36pm Pacific Time.
July 12th: Saturn stations retrograde at almost 2 degrees of Aries (about a week after Neptune retrograde starts near the same degree).
September 1st: Saturn re-enters Pisces via retrograde.
November 27th: Saturn stations direct at 25 degrees of Pisces.
February 14th 2026: Saturn re-enters Aries.
February 20th 2026: Saturn is exactly conjunct Neptune at 0 degrees of Aries.
April 12th 2028: Saturn leaves Aries and enters Taurus, just under 3 years from now.
So we haven’t yet seen the last of Saturn in Pisces - but today marks the first time that the ringed planet is leaving the sign of the fishes since March 2023, and the first taste of Saturn in Aries since the spring of 1999!
Saturn, Lord of Time
Saturn is the timekeeper of the zodiac. Named for the god Saturn, the Lord of Time, this planet represents aging, maturation and consequences. Its 29.5-year cycle around the zodiac divides our human lives into clear phases, helping us to transition between youth, midlife and elderhood as we pass through Saturn returns at the approximate ages of 30, 60 and 90. For all of us collectively, Saturn ingresses into a new sign roughly every 2.5 years. It’s not a generational planet like Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, which can spend anywhere from 7 to 20 years in a single sign. But a Saturn ingress is still a notable event, especially in this case, as it completes a zodiac cycle and moves from the last sign of Pisces into the first sign of Aries.
But Saturn is about more than just time and aging. It’s the planet of boundaries, limits and restrictions. It’s the planet of reality, asking us to prioritize our time and focus on our goals. It’s the planet of structure, patiently built one painstaking brick at a time. It’s the planet that allows us to do hard things, with what Steven Forrest calls “the fascination of what’s difficult.” Saturn is the feeling of accomplishment after a long day’s work, allowing us to feel a sense of pride, self-respect and dignity in our actions. Saturn thinks long-term and big-picture, wanting to leave behind a legacy in the world. It helps us understand our respective roles in our communities and what we can contribute to the collective.
As the planet of aging, consequences, restrictions and challenges, Saturn often gets a bad rap. But we unequivocally need this planet in our lives. It’s the skeleton that prevents us from being a puddle of flesh pooling on the floor. (To dive deeper into the beautiful aspects of Saturn, I highly recommend checking out this podcast I had the privilege of recording with the amazing Logan Grendel, a.k.a. Focused on Infinity, who is one of the most excellent examples of a Saturnian person I have ever met!)
From Pisces to Aries
For the last couple years, Saturn has been moving through the soulful sign of Pisces, coexisting with its ruler Neptune. Piscean and Neptunian energy is about eroding boundaries, about dreams and creative visions, about empathy and compassion, about sensitivity on physical/mental/emotional/psychic levels, about spiritual connection and transcendent oneness with everything. As Neptune and Pisces have been washing away old boundaries and dreaming of a new and expanded reality, Saturn has been making a plan to build that new future into being. It’s lended a sense of grounded focus and devotion to our collective spiritual awakening (represented by Neptune’s time in Pisces from 2011 until late March of this year). In some ways, this has been a time of solitude and silence, as the Saturnian archetype of the hermit journeys deep within, resting and integrating the wisdom of its long journey around the zodiac. Many of us have experienced huge personal growth since the pandemic started over 5 years ago - and now we’re ready to jump into action. All the inner work we’ve done will help us take true accountability for our own motivations and actions as we move forward with the outer work.
Crossing the boundary from Pisces into Aries represents a rebirth for any planet. From the boundless, fertile waters of the deep Piscean ocean, new life blossoms into being with a fiery spark of vivacity. Aries the ram springs onto the scene, ready to fight for its right to survive and thrive in this world. As the cardinal fire sign, it knows how to take initiative and get things started. Strong, energetic Aries doesn’t shy away from conflict or competition. This assertive sign loves taking risks and thrives in crisis situations. The zodiac’s warrior archetype lends us the courage to fight for what we believe in. Aries has the boldness and audacity to go after what it desires, to shape the world through the tool of will, to live with freedom and empowerment, refusing to be held down by anyone or anything.
Saturn in Aries
Like any other astrological archetype, Aries has its shadow sides. It’s the sign of the self, an energy which is overexaggerated in our hyperindividualistic culture. It’s ruled by Mars, the planet of aggression and conflict and self-righteousness, which seem all too ubiquitous in today’s world. As a fire sign, Aries can energize, heat and transform, but also burn, consume and destroy. We can internalize the anger of Aries, turning its destructive nature on ourselves. Or we can misdirect its rage, mistaking who the real enemy is, getting distracted with fighting unnecessary battles.
As the planet of constriction and discipline, Saturn could underscore these Arian pitfalls. It could bring a rigid, restrictive and ultimately fragile energy. It could have us unnecessarily competing in a fearful zero-sum mindset, punishing others and ourselves with strict judgments. But thanks to the divine logic of the zodiac, Saturn has just spent a couple years soaking up the compassionate, forgiving energy of Pisces, which will be crucial for us to bring along into this new era. Piscean ruler Neptune will cohabitate with Saturn in Aries, reminding us of our empathy and spiritual connection, and hopefully bringing out the wisest side of the ringed planet. With its long-term stamina and devotion to the collective, Saturn can help to temper the individualism of Aries and to focus its fiery energy productively, so that we burn harmful structures to the ground instead of burning ourselves out.
Saturn and Aries are both associated with fear. As the sign of bravery, Aries is inherently related to fear, since courage only has meaning in the context of facing and overcoming fear. Aries is related to the scary topics of risk, crisis, conflict and self-defense. Meanwhile, Stephen Arroyo (in his book Astrology, Karma & Transformation) describes Saturn partly as “that deeply ingrained group of behavior patterns and attitudes which can tie a person in knots of fear.” Arroyo lays out the two paths before us when he explains Saturn as “the principle of self-preservation and contraction, which can manifest purely as defensive, fearful attitudes or as a conscious striving toward the achievement of one’s ambitions in the world and a fulfilling of one’s duties and responsibilities.” Aries loves a test of courage, and Saturn loves a test of reality - so we can expect to be tested in the coming years. But along with these challenges come the clarity, focus and embodiment of moving from Pisces into Aries.
These Unprecedented Times
Saturn is entering Aries at a time when we’re collectively dealing with the enormous challenges of fighting global fascism, late-stage capitalism, climate change and environmental destruction, harmful technologies, worldwide human rights abuses and genocides - all for the sake of a few greedy and grossly misguided individuals. The shifting outer planets point to an era of conflict: Pluto was last in Aquarius during the Revolutionary War; Neptune was last in Aries during the Civil War; and Uranus was last in Gemini during World War II. To be clear, I’m not a predictive astrologer, and I’m not predicting that any wars are about to happen. But even to those who know nothing about astrology, current world events make it obvious that this is a highly conflictual and consequential moment in human history.
The role of Saturn in Aries is to help us get organized and prepared for this new era. Our current course is unsustainable for the human species and for our precious planet - but no one yet knows what direction we will end up taking. Our free will matters; our thoughts, actions and decisions shape each moment as we co-create reality with the cosmos. Saturn is the planet of taking on challenges and climbing steep mountains, and as it’s infused with the energy of Aries, we can harness the courage to work hard and create the future we want to live in through our own blood, sweat and tears.
Amidst overwhelming obstacles, Saturn in Aries can help us to fight against discouragement and the urge to give up. With the planet of integrity in the sign of leadership, it’s time to make a stand for what we know is right. It’s time for the hermit to spring into aligned action. It’s time for us to try our best, knowing that we will face challenges and make mistakes. Aries reminds us of our fierce loyalty - to the human family, to our communities, to each other and to ourselves - which fuels us to keep up the good fight. I’m reminded of the Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” This commitment to benefit the planet and future generations encapsulates the longevity of Saturn and the immediate action of Aries.
Saturn in Aries Through the Signs
If you were born with Saturn in Aries in your birth chart, you are about to embark on your Saturn return, a maturational period where you move into the next phase of your earthly life. This transformation entails some growing pains, but it also brings wisdom, greater alignment with your true self and soul purpose, and an enhanced ability to contribute to the collective.
If you have Saturn in Pisces, you are now in the process of wrapping up your Saturn return. It will be fruitful to reflect on how you and your life have changed over the last couple years, though this may not become clear until after Saturn fully exits Pisces next February. Meanwhile, if you have Saturn in Aquarius (like me!), the themes of your Saturn return from a few years ago should probably have clarified and crystallized by this point, as Saturn sextiles its natal position. If you have Saturn in Gemini, you’ll also experience a stimulating sextile to your natal Saturn, enlivening the last several years of your current Saturn cycle. If you have Saturn in Taurus, know that your Saturn return is on the horizon, officially beginning in April of 2028.
If you have Saturn in Libra in your birth chart, the transit of Saturn in Aries will be opposite your natal Saturn, which can bring some tension or need for recalibration (a specialty of Libra, the sign of the scales). If you have Saturn in Capricorn or Cancer, this Saturn transit will square your natal Saturn, similarly producing a sense of friction, which - though uncomfortable - can greatly aid your growth during this time.
On the other hand, if you have Saturn in Leo or Sagittarius, these fire signs form trines to Aries, bringing a greater flow of potential energy and action to the Saturnian part of you. If you have Saturn in Virgo or Scorpio (which form a minor aspect to Aries called a quincunx), this Saturn transit may be less impactful for you, but may encourage you to creatively stretch your boundaries to get things done and connect with collective energies.
Saturn in Aries Through the Houses
The zodiac signs are in the same place for everyone. But in each of our birth charts, we also have unique divisions known as the twelve astrological houses. These parts of the chart correspond to various areas of your life. For example, in my chart, Aries falls mostly into the 11th house of community, but that’s likely not the case for you. Depending on what house(s) of your chart contain the sign of Aries, Saturn will be activating different realms of your life:
1st house: self, personality, identity, appearance
2nd house: income, resources, values, confidence
3rd house: perception, thought, communication, local environment
4th house: home, family, roots, inner world
5th house: play, pleasure, creative expression, dating
6th house: health, service, routine, mentorship
7th house: one-on-one relationships & partnerships
8th house: sex, death, magick, surrender
9th house: beliefs, philosophy/religion, higher education, long journeys
10th house: career, reputation, calling, mission
11th house: goals, allies, organizations, society
12th house: subconscious, spirituality, solitude, mental health
Conclusion
The old structures of our world are dissolving as Saturn swims through the salty sea toward its cosmic rebirth. As this cycle ends, our materialistic understanding of the world is breaking down. This comes with a sense of fatigue and overwhelm - but Aries energy provides an enlivening fresh start. Saturn in Aries is bringing us the structure and discipline to organize ourselves and fight the long battle to come. It’s urging us to embrace new responsibilities and systems as we forge a new future together. With the planet of challenges in the sign of energetic action, we’re ready to face the road ahead.
