In 2016, I started learning about the first Saturn return. 

In 2019, I launched a blog about it in Spanish and enrolled at the Faculty of Astrological Studies. 

So, before the beginning of my Saturn return, I took my own advice and made some calculations. 

I learned my Saturn return would start on March 22nd, 2020, right on time for the Equinox and the lockdown in Argentina due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Then, there would be a brief break from July 1st to December 17th when Saturn retrograded back into Capricorn, the previous sign of the zodiac. 

Finally, Saturn will return to Aquarius from December 17th, 2020, to March 7th, 2023. That would be the total extension of my Saturn return and the return of everyone born with Saturn in Aquarius. 

I also calculated the date of my exact Saturn return. 

My exact Saturn return was going to occur on January 14th, 2021, at 08:04 p.m., Argentina time. 

With that information, I knew I had to craft a ritual for that moment. The exact Saturn return was a pivotal time, and I had to do something to commemorate it. 

Keep reading to find out what I actually did on the exact day of my Saturn return and what I suggest you do as a ritual for your own return. 

This is the table of contents:

1. Expectations vs Reality About My Exact Saturn Return
2. Journal Entry of the Day of My Exact Saturn Return
3. What Did I Do the Day of My Exact Saturn Return?
4. How Can You Calculate Your Exact Saturn Return 
5. A Ritual For Your Exact Saturn Return

Let’s go!

Expectations vs Reality About My Exact Saturn Return

When studying the Saturn return and understanding its importance as a crucial point in my life, I knew I wanted to do something special on the day of my exact Saturn return. 

In my fantasy, I would make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, known in the English-speaking world as the Way of St. James. 

I have wanted to complete some version of the pilgrimage since I first learned about it years ago. 

Walking around 500 miles while reflecting on my existence, meeting with people from different paths of life, and communing with nature was the BEST POSSIBLE ritual for my exact Saturn return. 

But life, of course, had different plans. 

Related: Why I’m So Interested in the First Saturn Return (And You Should Too!)

In 2020, the lockdown prevented me from traveling overseas. In 2021, Argentina was still semi-shut down, and I didn’t want to have a subpar experience in Spain wearing a face mask and being socially distanced from other people. 

Saturn restricted me like it usually does in its transits, and it became evident that I couldn’t make the pilgrimage during my Saturn return. 

But you know what? That was OK. 

I made amends with that fact. I realized that my fantasy wasn’t going to be fulfilled and that I needed to lay low on the day of my exact Saturn return. 

(Fun fact: I did travel to Santiago de Compostela in 2022, right before Argentina won its third FIFA World Cup, and fell in love with the city. Then, I knew for sure that I’d complete some version of the pilgrimage one day.) 

In January 2021, while Saturn was on top of my natal Saturn, I opened a Google doc and started typing a journal about my experiences associated with my exact Saturn return. 

What follows is a translation of some fragments I wrote back then. I hope you like it.

Journal Entry of the Day of My Exact Saturn Return

Thursday 14th January 2021

New Moon in Aquarius. Follicular phase. 

Las Rosas, Santa Fe. 9.36 a.m. 

IT’S TODAY! IT’S TODAY! 

At 8:04 p.m., Argentina time, Saturn will reach degree 3 with 15 minutes of Aquarius, marking my exact Saturn return. 

How exciting!

I write these words, and I feel good. 

wish you were gay by Billie Eilish is playing in my headphones. 

Today, I would have liked to innovate regarding my musical tastes, but I could not. 

I woke up wanting to listen to the album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, and that’s what I’m doing. The Saturn return is about being more faithful to my desire.

I’m also enjoying drinking mate while a cool breeze enters through the window. 

I’m in my childhood room at my parents’ house. I’m spending the summer here because the city is too hot and I don’t want to be inside my apartment all day. 

My mom put a desk in my room where I can place my computer and work. 

Next to me are my yoga mat, my Moleskine diary, my lunar diary for 2021, the calendar with my personal transits for January, an astrology book, a notebook, and a pencil case. 

I was sleepy, but now the mate has kicked in, and my mind is more active.

Today, I want to write in a phenomenological style, as Marcel Proust did in his book In Search of Lost Time. I want to convey what I did today and what I experienced. 

I’m tired of Billie already. 

Now, I moved to a Spotify playlist recommended by my friend Churri. It’s EXCELLENT. 

You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse is playing. The shuffle started off well.

Then came Oasis, so I had to put on the album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. I skipped the very loud tracks. I need gentle music today.

I’m having a productive morning where I’ve completed many pending tasks. 

Thank you, exact Saturn return. Thank you, Sun and Pluto in conjunction in Capricorn.

Last night, I stayed at my boyfriend’s house. 

The alarm went off at 7 a.m. today. I woke up right away, but he didn’t. 

We lazed around a bit before getting up. Both of us wanted to stay in bed all morning. 

Uranus goes direct today. 

When planets come out of their retrograde phase, we get tired or feel more inclined to stay in a horizontal position. This is my theory. I have zero doubts that this is accurate. 

We had breakfast together, and then I walked to my mom and dad’s house. 

On the way, I listened to an episode of The Astrology Podcast about the most important transits of 2021. 

But it was hard for me to concentrate. 

I’m becoming less interested in general transits or horoscopes. What I like about astrology is seeing how it specifically impacts my natal chart. And I also want to learn more about the Saturn return now that I’m experiencing it. 

A white cat with one green and one blue eye emerged from a garden. He approached me, and I gave him some cuddles and took some photos. I interpret this encounter as a good omen for my exact Saturn return.  

Upon arriving home, I found my mom. She was painting recycled glass bottles. 

My dad sells extra virgin olive oil and packages it in recycled wine bottles. She paints her own designs, all different, on each of the bottles. It’s an immensely demanding artisanal job. In my opinion, of course. But she enjoys it. 

I’m so Scorpio Venus, always wanting to optimize all processes, while my mom is so Libra Venus, dedicated to bringing beauty and harmony to our daily lives.

Related: What Is the Natal Chart? Astrology 101

I chatted with her for a while and then came to my room to work and write. The workday is quiet, which is perfect for connecting with the activities I enjoy the most. 

I paid bills to fulfill my Saturnian responsibilities. Then, I started researching albums released in 1991, the year of my birth. 

It was a GREAT year for rock and roll music. 

Masterpieces by Nirvana, R.E.M., Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Massive Attack, Roxette, Blur, and Lenny Kravitz were released. 

In Argentina, albums by Luis Alberto Spinetta and Divididos were launched. Also, La mosca y la sopa, my favorite by Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, came out that year. 

Thank you, Neptune and Uranus in conjunction in the 90s, for giving us such great music.

I find it fascinating to have been born at the same time as some of my favorite albums. Most have Saturn in Aquarius because this planet entered that sign on February 6, 1991. 

I’ve already created the 1991 Baby playlist on Spotify. 

09.15 PM 

I just finished the video call with MJ, my friend who lives in Australia. 

Since October 2019, we’ve had weekly video calls about astrology (though that’s not the only topic of conversation.) 

Related: Can the Saturn Return Come Early?

Back then, I was heartbroken after my trip to Greece, and she was eager to learn more about astrology, so we supported each other.

In 2019, I found it very difficult to sleep, and by 5 a.m., I was already awake. 5 a.m. in Argentina is late afternoon in Australia, the perfect time for both of us to have our Skype sessions.

When scheduling this week’s meeting, I asked her if Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Argentina time suited her. 

I wanted to be chatting with her at 8:04 p.m., the exact time of my Saturn return. It seemed like the most symbolic way to crown this moment. 

Luckily, MJ was available.

A little before 6, I went out for a walk. I wanted to move because I had spent a lot of time sitting down, and my legs were hurting. 

It wasn’t too hot, and the breeze was fresh. I prepared a Spotify playlist of classic reggaeton songs, put on my headphones and sneakers, and went out. The walk was enjoyable.

When I returned, I went to the store next to my parents’ house. I bought a bottle of tonic water and some unhealthy snacks such as cheese puffs, breadsticks, and salted peanuts.

“Hey, Dad! Today is my exact Saturn return,” I told him while entering the kitchen. He was watching TV but looked at me. I continued:

“I’ve reached adulthood!” I said, making that gesture from SpongeBob SquarePants when a rainbow appears between his hands. 

My dad followed the movement of my hands ironically with his eyes. At another time in my life, his skepticism about astrology would have bothered me. Now, it makes me laugh.

“And is the Saturn return good or bad?” he asked me.

“Some say it’s bad. But for me, it’s good,” I replied.

“Better,” he said. 

“I’m going to make a gin and tonic now to celebrate. Do you want one?” I offered. 

“Don’t mind if I do,” he replied, interested. 

I grabbed two whiskey glasses. I put three ice cubes at the bottom. Then, I added an inch of La Salvaje gin, a high-quality brand from our region. I covered the rest of the glass with tonic water. 

Finally, I added lemon zest. The creator of La Salvaje told me that lemon juice ruins the gin and that it’s better to add citrus peels. Since then, I have always followed her advice.

“Well, may Saturn come more often,” my dad said when I handed him the drink.

When the video call started, MJ recommended a book to me. It’s called The Body: A Guide for Occupants and was written by Bill Bryson. We agree it’s an excellent read for people with Saturn in the 1st House.

MJ also has Aquarius Rising, like me. But, unlike my natal chart, in hers, Saturn is in the 1st House in both Placidus and equal house systems and also in the whole sign system. 

She has the Ascendant in Aquarius in the early degrees of the sign and Saturn in the last ones. In my chart, it’s the other way around.

Then we started talking about Saturnian rituals. She asked me if I had done anything specific for my exact return during the course of the day.

Related: Essential Tips to Prepare for Your Saturn Return

“I paid bills, meditated, walked, and made progress with the novel. I also applied for a job for which I’m not qualified, but with the fake it til you make it attitude,” I said. “All those are kind of Saturnian rituals,” I added.

She told me about a ritual she came up with, which would be very good to implement socially. 

This ritual consists of giving young people who turn 15 a ring with a small Saturn encrusted in it. Saturn is a planet with rings, so it would be a jewel loaded with symbolism. Taking care of it implies responsibility in itself.

I pointed out that the ring should be given at 14 and not at 15. When we are 14 years old, Saturn opposes our natal Saturn, and that’s when we want to start separating from our family of origin. MJ liked my suggestion.

The revelation I had today, on the very day of my Saturn return, is that I want to write about astrology and share it with the world. I don’t only want to offer personal readings. I’m first and foremost a writer and then an astrologer.  

This revelation gave me peace of mind and relieved me of the unnecessary pressure I put on myself.

Another revelation: I must move to be more me somewhere else. I don’t know where or when, but I have to leave Argentina.

As I write these words, my room smells of an incense stick that I just lit. It’s called “Nirvana,” and Spotify put the song Come As You Are. 

Thank you for this synchronicity, Saturn. Thank you for allowing me to experience my exact Saturn return with a lot of knowledge about you and big dreams and hopes for the future.  

What Did I Do the Day of My Exact Saturn Return?

• Had coffee and homemade pudding at my boyfriend’s house.
• Walked to my parents’ house early in the morning, listening to The Astrology Podcast.
• Played with a white kitten that had eyes of different colors.
• Chatted with my mom while she was painting.
• Paid bills.
• Bought an ebook from a digital creator.
• Listened to albums that came out the year I was born.
• Meditated.
• Answered many nice messages about the astrological information I share.
• Made progress with my novel/essay/journal about the Saturn return.
• Became a founding member of Comunidad Orsai.
• Applied for a job for which I am not qualified, but with the confidence as if I were the perfect candidate (And entered the selection process!)
• Walked for almost an hour listening to stimulating music (reggaeton, of course.)
• Celebrated the exact moment of the Saturn return in a video call with a friend while drinking a gin and tonic and eating unhealthy snacks.
• Watched the episode of Glee from the first season where they go to the sectionals. (And then I watched the Madonna tribute episode. It was excellent.)
• Went to bed at midnight, tired and happy.

How Can You Calculate Your Exact Saturn Return 

First, you need to know the whole extent of your Saturn return. Click here for detailed instructions. 

After you know the full extent of your Saturn return, you can calculate your exact Saturn return following these instructions. 

Now, get ready to craft a personalized ritual for yourself. 

A Ritual For Your Exact Saturn Return

Grab your Saturn Return Diary and put a timer for 10 minutes. 

Brainstorm a ritual you would do at the exact time of your Saturn return (or times, if your return becomes exact on three different opportunities.) 

If you have the chance to travel to a place you always wanted to visit or if you have the opportunity to make a life-changing purchase during your exact Saturn return, more power to you. 

But don’t feel bad for yourself if the circumstances of your exact Saturn return are mediocre and kind of meh. It was like that for me. 

One of the meanings of Saturn is restriction, so it’s quite possible that you would feel restricted during your exact return. 

And that’s OK. This situation won’t last forever. 

I still want you to have a ritual to signal to the universe that you are present and aware of this crucial moment of your life, no matter how small or low-key that ritual is. 

You’re an adult now. An actual adult. The first Saturn return is the final portal to adulthood. 

As Monica Geller tells Rachel Green in the first episode of Friends, 

Welcome to the real world! It sucks. You’re gonna love it.