Retrograde planets often have a terrible reputation in astrology, and I don’t understand why.

The retrogradation of a planet is not an anomaly, an error, or an exceptional situation. 

Actually, it is part of the predictable, measurable, and cyclical movement of the planet in question, Saturn in this case. 

Saturn is retrograde for about 135 days a year. That’s quite a bit. 

And that’s why I find it strange when I read sensationalist posts about its retrogradation.

I don’t believe the world stops when Saturn is retrograde. I also don’t think that people born with Saturn retrograde received a punishment that prevents them from achieving their goals.

That’s not the core meaning of being born with a planet in retrograde motion. 

So, prepare to learn the true meaning of Saturn retrograde in the birth chart. Here’s the table of contents:

1. What Does It Mean for a Planet to Be Retrograde?
2. Erin Sullivan’s Work About Retrograde Planets 
3. Retrograde Saturn and the Father Figure
4. Retrograde Saturn and The Surroundings 
5. Retrograde Saturn, Solitude, and Social Life 
6. Retrograde Saturn and Creative Work
7. Retrograde Saturn and Defense Mechanisms 
8. Retrograde Saturn, Authority, and Care
9. The House of Retrograde Saturn and the Sun in the Natal Chart
   1. Sun Opposite Retrograde Saturn in the Natal Chart
10. Retrograde Saturn and The Saturn Return
11. Questions to Understand Retrograde Saturn
12. Exercise to Integrate Retrograde Saturn

What Does It Mean for a Planet to Be Retrograde?

When we say that a planet is retrograde, we mean that it appears to be moving backward the Earth.

Retrogradation is not a physical phenomenon since planets orbit the Sun and never move backward. It’s connected to our perspective from Earth.

The time a planet is retrograde depends on its distance from Earth. The farther away a planet is from Earth, the more time it will spend in retrograde motion. 

Venus and Mars, the two planets closest to Earth, spend the least part of their cycle retrograde. Pluto, the farthest planet, is retrograde for the longest time.

Being born with retrograde Saturn is not bad. It’s just different. 

And in this text, I want to explore some of the meanings of this placement.

Erin Sullivan’s Work About Retrograde Planets 

To explore retrograde Saturn in the natal chart, I sought the help of astrologer Erin Sullivan. 

She wrote a magnificent book called Retrograde Planets: Traversing the Inner Landscape. 

This book is not an easy read. 

On the one hand, Sullivan has highly Jungian training, so she sometimes uses many terms from Carl Gustav Jung’s work. If we don’t have some understanding of those concepts, we can get lost in what she’s trying to explain.

On the other hand, it’s also quite a technical book. She explains the astronomical mechanisms by which a planet retrogrades and the frequency at which it does so. 

I won’t delve too deeply into these technical issues. I invite you to read the book if you want more details about retrograde planets.

Related: My Philosophy About Astrology

For now, I want to focus on Sullivan’s view of retrograde Saturn. I’ll blend her stance with some of my personal comments.

Sullivan argues retrograde planets do not seem “weaker” or “more repressed” than direct planets. She adds that a retrograde planet is neither connected with consciousness nor unconsciousness. 

However, she states that retrogradation indicates that a person born with a retrograde planet has internalized the principles the planet represents.

This may sound complicated, but bear with me. 

I’ll explain it using different words. 

For someone born with a retrograde planet, the functions associated with the planet are experienced more intimately. Those functions or verbs are directed toward their inner selves rather than in a social or outward-projected manner. 

Saturn is a planet associated with responsibilities, hardships, working to be an authority, and harvests. 

Related: Astrology Basics: Your Birth Chart States of Consciousness

If you were born with retrograde Saturn, you’re probably more responsible than the person who doesn’t have this planet retrograde. 

But they wouldn’t notice it directly. All this responsibility and heaviness is directed inward, towards your inner life, rather than outward.  

Let me give you another example. 

I was born with Mercury retrograde. Mercury is associated with thinking, writing, speaking, sharing information, teaching, and learning.  

Communicating my thoughts, synthesizing ideas, writing, public speaking, or teaching come easily to me. They don’t inhibit me or make me terrified. 

Instead, these tasks are SO relevant in my life that they occupy a prominent place. 

Related: The Phases of Mercury Retrograde

Although people may perceive me as proficient in Mercurial matters, I question my abilities and seek to refine them incessantly.

I don’t want to be average in Mercurial topics. I want to deliver excellence. 

The person born with a retrograde planet desires what the planet symbolizes SO MUCH that they seek to fulfill their desire in an exaggerated manner. 

But this is usually an internal and intimate process. Perhaps other people do not perceive this inner turmoil at all. 

Sullivan tells us that if we consider planets as individuals who are part of a social system, a retrograde planet is an introvert.

While a direct planet interacts with other planets, demands recognition, expects to be challenged and challenges others, relates and adjusts, adapts, and reaches agreements, the retrograde planet operates in its own sphere, behind closed doors, and is much more personal. 

As mentioned, if you have retrograde Saturn, you could be responsible, and grim, not towards others, but with yourself. 

If you were born with retrograde Saturn you could be your worst critic and even worst enemy. 

Fortunately, there are ways to change that demeanor. 

Retrograde Saturn and the Father Figure

On many occasions, I’ve heard that retrograde Saturn means that the native’s father is absent. 

This planet is retrograde for 5 months a year. Therefore, it seems statistically exaggerated to claim that ALL people born with this retrograde planet have an absent father.

However, Sullivan argues that what they expect from their father is very different from the father’s actual behavior. It doesn’t matter if the father is present or absent.

People born with retrograde Saturn may have a romanticized vision of what a father should be. That vision does not correspond to the father they actually have.

This astrologer argues that all people have, to some extent, an unconscious attachment to the figure of the Almighty Savior Father. 

Our inner child longs to be rescued from the world’s evil, and transported to a place where they feel supported and receive the recognition they deserve.

And it’s VERY unlikely that our real and concrete dad will do that and protect us from all the bad things the world may throw at us. 

But for people born with retrograde Saturn, this idealization of what a father should be is deeply ingrained in their psyches. 

They may also feel their father has certain privileges that the rest of the family does not possess. 

Related: Saturn’s Themes and Their Activation During The Saturn Return

For the individual with retrograde Saturn, the father comes and goes at will, and every plan revolves around him. 

This situation can generate resentment toward the father figure, who is central and controlling.

However, retrograde Saturn natives may also feel guilty for harboring resentment. 

Frequently, in later periods of life, the bond between the person born with retrograde Saturn and their father has a chance to be healed. 

If the father is deceased or out of the picture, healing can occur through therapy and not necessarily in person.

Another possible manifestation is that those born with retrograde Saturn find the loss of their father very painful. 

Perhaps they were very close to him during early childhood.

But as they mature, contact is broken, either due to circumstances such as divorce or death or psychological issues when, for some reason, the father distances himself from the daughter or son. 

This can result in the native of retrograde Saturn feeling inadequate in various spheres of life and highly vulnerable to criticism.

Retrograde Saturn and The Surroundings 

People born with retrograde Saturn are susceptible to their environment and its subtle influence.

Sullivan tells us that these individuals’ consciousnesses have “tiny holes” that allow filtrations in their perceived identity. This means there’s a clash between how these individuals perceive themselves and their socially defined identity.

The native with retrograde Saturn builds an identity that often conflicts with the identity assigned to them by society.

But since this personal identity can be maintained in their private sphere, perhaps society doesn’t even know this aspect of the native. 

Often, people born with retrograde Saturn feel extreme anxiety about being accepted and loved as they are.

Although their environment repeatedly expresses acceptance and appreciation, this is not enough to soothe such deep anxiety. 

It’s as if the expression of love from others is not sufficient. 

Those born with retrograde Saturn sometimes don’t believe they deserve that love. 

Retrograde Saturn, Solitude, and Social Life 

If people born with retrograde Saturn spend too much time in solitude, they may begin to doubt even their own existence. The social realm gives them structure and energy. 

But this doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy solitude. 

They may spend prolonged periods in isolation and introspection and alternate these moments with patterns of extreme socialization. 

So, they oscillate between completely cutting themselves off from the world and, on the other extreme, being TOO in touch with the world.

When they socialize nonstop, they become exhausted and decide to isolate themselves. 

But loneliness distresses them, so they return to an active social life. 

They exhaust themselves and retreat again to their cocoon. 

But feel bad about being alone and decide to socialize again. 

And the cycle starts all over in perpetuity if they don’t become aware of their patterns. 

Retrograde Saturn and Creative Work

Creative people with retrograde Saturn often complain about their inability to believe in their work.

Once again, validation from others is significant, as is the environment’s acceptance and praise of the fruits of their creativity. 

For natives with retrograde Saturn, gestating and giving birth to a project is often uncertain and stressful. 

This will always be the case until they develop specific and personal means for expressing their creativity. 

To unleash their true creative power, they must start freeing themselves from their repressed or sometimes overly egocentric attitude, which is limited and defined by their excessive value on social acceptance. 

Retrograde Saturn and Defense Mechanisms 

People with retrograde Saturn often shift from one modality to the opposite. 

On one extreme, they could feel powerful and centered, capable of overcoming obstacles. 

And on the other extreme, they could appear childish and powerless in the face of the slightest challenges. 

This is due to the conflicting defense mechanisms that they have established. 

Even though defense mechanisms are inherent to human nature, people with retrograde Saturn show an unconscious ambivalence about using protective shields. 

Sometimes, they use them too much, and other times, too little, allowing all kinds of “intruders” to poison their minds. 

Retrograde Saturn, Authority, and Care

From a very early age, people born with retrograde Saturn establish principles of organization that allow them to validate their perceptions. 

In childhood, they often observe their environment silently and meticulously to try to understand the behavior of others.

By observing their surroundings, natives also hope to understand their feelings of inferiority because they consider their inner authority to be precarious.

People with retrograde Saturn often excel in professions related to helping or caring for others.

Their sensitivity to the nature and character of life cycles is extremely creative, and they can act as midwives of others’ creativity. 

They understand that sometimes we feel better, other times worse, and nothing lasts forever. Everything is cyclical, and this placement gets this fact. 

Even though natives can show extreme empathy towards the problems of others, that empathy may not usually be available or activated for themselves. 

The House of Retrograde Saturn and the Sun in the Natal Chart

The house in which Saturn is natally retrograde highlights the area of life where the person feels most insecure and inhibited.

Themes associated with the house were retrograde Saturn lives will need extra stimuli and incentives for the person to realize their creative potential.

Related: Saturn Through the 12 Houses of the Zodiac: An Introduction

On the contrary, the position by sign and house of the Sun indicates where the native can seek and expand their creative spirit. 

The themes of the Sun’s house can be expressed creatively and thus break the blockage generated by having retrograde Saturn in the chart. 

The Sun becomes the focal point through which the retrograde planet can demonstrate its “direct” side. 

Sun Opposite Retrograde Saturn in the Natal Chart

Unconsciously, those born with the Sun in opposition to retrograde Saturn feel an intense fear of losing their balance, being unable to set limits, and dissolving their identity.

The result of these feelings is that they protect themselves with a shield too strong against invading forces. 

These invading forces can be new ideas, activities they have never done, distant horizons, and various forms of adventure.

Fear can paralyze those born with retrograde Saturn, and that’s why they stick to the known, the familiar. 

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” is a phrase that describes this placement very well.

The natives’ reaction to the fear of losing balance is often to create a system or a dogma that supports and validates their choices, no matter how harmful or unauthentic.  

Retrograde Saturn and The Saturn Return

The journey of self-love and acceptance from people born with retrograde Saturn usually gets more intense during their first Saturn return. 

They come to the realization that external validation will never be enough. 

Sure, it feels good, but they must give themselves the recognition and respect they have waited for others to offer. 

Sometimes, external events manifest during their Saturn return that put them in the driver’s seat. 

They are no longer the child of their family or the juniors at work. They are in charge now, and they have to make crucial decisions that will have an impact in the long term. 

If they realize it’s show time and have the right growth mindset, people born with retrograde Saturn will experience a profound transformation during the Saturn return. 

They’ll be able to take the shots and do things their way. 

Related: Saturn Return With Natal Saturn Retrograde

Instead, if they haven’t worked on their confidence or self-awareness, the Saturn return will be an excruciatingly hard period. All the insecurities from having a natal retrograde Saturn will be in the spotlight. 

I suggest you go easy on yourself while engaging in mindset shifts that will make you more resilient and capable of solving whatever life brings to your door. 

This may take time and will not always feel like second nature, but the rewards will be outstanding. 

Questions to Understand Retrograde Saturn

In your Saturn Return Diary, take a few minutes to answer these questions:

1. If you were born with retrograde Saturn, take 10 minutes to write about your relationship with your father without overanalyzing it. Just devote 10 minutes of free writing where you pour out everything that comes to mind about that bond: what it’s like, how you wish it had been, what you liked, what was disappointing, anything you want.
2. How do you deal with criticism? Does it bother you, sensitize you, or make you not care?
3. What is your social life like? Do you tend to spend a lot of time alone, prefer to be with others, or do you have ups and downs? Are you afraid of loneliness?
4. Do you have a creative job or would you like to have one? What kind?
5. What can you do TODAY to nourish your creativity and desire to shine?
6. What is your relationship with authority like? Do you rebel or tend towards submission?
7. Do you enjoy tasks caring for other people or nature? Even if you don’t, have you found yourself in these roles?

Exercise to Integrate Retrograde Saturn

Again, grab your Saturn Return Diary and write this down: 

1. Find the house of your natal Saturn. Write it down. 
2. Google information about the themes of that house. Write 3 themes that caught your attention. 
3. Answer these questions linked with the three themes you wrote down: Do I struggle with the themes of this house? Do I feel insecure when dealing with these issues? Am I afraid to deal with these topics?
4. Google information about the sign of your Sun. Write the 3 pieces of data you liked the most. 
5. Google information about the house where your Sun is located. Write 3 themes that caught your attention. 
6. Play with the keywords, information, or themes of the sign and the solar house. Create sentences that combine both elements.
7. Analyze those sentences related to the Sun and consider if you are interested/enjoy/like those activities mentioned there.
8. Try to nurture activities related to the Sun so that retrograde Saturn hurts less and can manifest constructively.

I hope this text helps you understand yourself better and have more compassion for your processes. 

Do you have a specific question about the Saturn return? Email me at valentina [at] firstsaturnreturn [dot] com, and I’ll get back to you with the answer!