In a way, the Saturn return can come early. And it can also arrive late. 

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’ll walk you through this process step by step. 

First, the table of contents: 

1. Disclaimer: Not Every Difficult Moment in Your Twenties Is Because of the Saturn Return
2. When Does the Saturn Return Come Early?
3. Why Can the Saturn Return Come Early?
4. How to Calculate if Your Saturn Return Will Come Early
5. Personal Example: I Had an Early Saturn Return
6. Manifestations of My Early Saturn Return

Disclaimer: Not Every Difficult Moment in Your Twenties Is Because of the Saturn Return

People aware of the Saturn return and experiencing challenges ask me if this transit can come early. 

I used to say no. 

Signs and degrees measure returns in astrology.

So if Saturn hasn’t arrived at the sign of Saturn in your birth chart, your Saturn return hasn’t started. 

Related: The Sign of Your Natal Saturn and Your Saturn Return

Your feelings are valid, and your discomfort is real. But the reason behind this is not always your first Saturn return. 

You may be experiencing another complex astrological transit. I regret to inform you that the Saturn return isn’t the only painful transit you’ll navigate in your life. 

HOWEVER, now I have new information. 

The Saturn return can, in fact, come early. 

But when? How? What does this mean? Keep reading to find the answers. 

When Does the Saturn Return Come Early?

Not everyone will experience their Saturn return early. 

This situation varies from birth chart to birth chart. 

Besides, saying that it can “come early” is not exactly accurate.

As I already mentioned, signs and degrees measure returns in astrology. 

So, if you have Saturn in Aries, your Saturn return will begin when Saturn ingresses Aries. 

Not before when Saturn is in Pisces. Not later when Saturn is in Taurus. 

Related: Saturn in Aries in the Birth Chart

But depending on your birth chart, you can start receiving clues about your Saturn return before the actual Saturn return. 

Your Saturn return can “come early” if you have Saturn in the first decan of a sign. The first decan goes from degree 0 to degree 9. 

Sounds confusing? Let’s review the astrological theory behind it. 

Why Can the Saturn Return Come Early?

The Saturn return can come early for those with Saturn in the early degrees of a sign. The reason behind this is an astrological aspect. The name of this aspect is conjunction. 

Aspects in astrology are the conversations that planets and other birth chart points have with one another. 

Some of these conversations are harmonious, while others are challenging. 

Interpreting aspects in specific houses and signs is one of the most complex tasks for an astrologer. But it’s worthwhile doing it. Aspects provide information about the energetic disposition of a whole natal chart.   

This energy transforms a birth chart from a graphic into a body containing the multiple facets of the human experience. 

Related: Aspects to Saturn: A Beginner’s Guide

In Hellenistic astrology, two planets or angles are in conjunction if they are in the same sign. Degrees are not considered. 

You could have Saturn at 20 degrees of Aquarius and the Sun at 01 degrees of Aquarius. They are in conjunction for Hellenistic astrologers.  

Psychological astrology, on the other hand, uses a different measurement for conjunctions. The planets or points of the birth chart involved in the aspect must be at a maximum distance of 10 degrees. 

Some astrologers even consider that conjunctions only occur if the planets and points are at 8 degrees maximum distance.   

That person born with Saturn at 20 degrees of Aquarius and the Sun at 01 degrees of Aquarius won’t have a conjunction in psychological astrology. 

Conjunctions in the birth chart are not the only manifestation of this aspect. You can also experience conjunctions by transit. 

When a transiting planet conjuncts a planet in your birth chart, this is called a “return” in astrology. 

The transiting Sun conjuncts your natal Sun once a year. This is your solar return, popularly known as your birthday. 

The transiting Saturn exactly conjuncts your natal Saturn every 29 years. This is your Saturn return.  

Your Saturn return will last for about 2.5 years. This is the amount of time Saturn will spend on the sign of your natal Saturn. 

Related: How to Calculate Your Saturn Return

But the information I’m sharing today means that Saturn can provide clues BEFORE it enters the sign of your natal Saturn.

Your Saturn return can come early if you have Saturn in the first 10 degrees of a sign. The first 10 degrees of a sign go from 0 to 9. 

Every zodiac sign occupies 30 degrees. The 0 is counted, but not the degree 30. The 30 degrees go from 0 to 29 and then a new sign starts.   

As I already mentioned, the Saturn return doesn’t actually come “early.” But you can start perceiving manifestations earlier. 

Hints. Clues. Whispers. Subtle manifestations. 

Related: Essential Tips to Prepare for Your Saturn Return

These subtle manifestations emerge once Saturn arrives at the 10 degrees before the degree of your natal Saturn. Remember that this only applies if you have Saturn in the first 10 degrees of a zodiac sign. 

If you have Saturn beyond degree 9, you will feel your Saturn return when this planet arrives at the sign where it is in your birth chart. Here, I refer to those who will receive clues of their Saturn return when Saturn is in the previous sign.

Those 10 prior degrees are an excellent time to prepare for the actual Saturn return. 

Is this too confusing?

No worries. With the instructions, it will become more evident. 

How to Calculate if Your Saturn Return Will Come Early

1. Grab your birth chart. Do you have Saturn in degrees 0 to 9? If yes, go to step 2. If not, don’t worry. These instructions don’t apply to you. 
2. Count back to find out the 10 degrees that occur before the degree of your natal Saturn. Remember that in astrology, every zodiac sign occupies 30 degrees. The 0 is counted, but not the degree 30. The 30 degrees go from 0 to 29 and then a new sign starts. For example, let’s say you have Saturn in the degree 4 of Aries. Counting backward, you’ll arrive at degree 24 of Pisces. First, you go from 3, 2, 1, and 0 in Aries. Then, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, and finally, 24 of Pisces. If you were born with Saturn in the degree 4 of Aries, your “early” Saturn return will start when Saturn arrives at 24 degrees of Pisces.  
3. Go to Astro Seek’s calculator. In Planet, choose Saturn. In degree, just complete the first box with the number you obtained by counting backward with your fingers. In Year, put the year you were born. Here’s the visual aid for the example I’m using: 

4. When you click Calculate, you’ll obtain the dates. You can also choose your time zone. This is what I obtained using the same example: 

The first date doesn’t apply because it was the same year the person in the example was born.

Don’t worry. Saturn retrogrades every year.

The date that is important here is March 27th, 2025. That’s when this person will start receiving clues about their first Saturn return. Saturn will be at 24 degrees of Pisces on that date. And 24 degrees of Pisces is the 10 degrees before the natal Saturn of this person. 

Is this clear? Let me know in the comments if you could follow the instructions. 

Personal Example: I Had an Early Saturn Return

In my birth chart, Saturn is at 3 degrees of Aquarius. 

Saturn ingressed into Aquarius on the 22nd of March 2020. That’s when my first Saturn return officially started. 

The whole process lasted until the 7th of March 2023. That day, Saturn moved to Pisces. The Saturn return of people born with Saturn in Pisces began then.  

So, my Saturn return took almost three years. It started on March 22nd, 2020, and ended on March 7th, 2023.  

Those were the official dates. But since I was born with Saturn in the first degrees of a sign, I had an “early” Saturn return. 

Related: 9 Things I Did To Regulate My Nervous System During My First Saturn Return

The 10 degrees before the 3rd degree of Aquarius occurred at 23 degrees of Capricorn. 

Saturn arrived at 23 degrees of Capricorn on January 14th, 2020. And that’s when I became more serious and sober than I usually was. 

Back then, I was living in Argentina. It was summertime, and in mid-January, I returned home after spending a week or so in the mountains.  

My holidays took place in the same house where I heard about the Saturn return for the first time. 

The trip was enlightening, as every trip I took there since 2016. 

I learned about myself and the activities I wanted to focus on in 2020 and beyond. I also felt motivated to pursue those activities. 

On January 14th, 2020 I actually started the second module at the Faculty of Astrological Studies. 

Since then, I organized myself better financially and in the workspace. 

On January 15th, I had my first date with my current boyfriend, the most committed relationship I ever had. 

Until March, when the COVID lockdowns were in full force, I was focused on creating a new life. I did it responsibly and patiently, but I also felt excited about the opportunity to build something that would endure the test of time. 

I took a tarot course and another on the basics of Carl Jung’s work. I spoke about my fears in psychoanalytic therapy, cared for my health, and had a minimalist mindset towards my habits. 

Saturn was really walking by my side during this sort of early Saturn return. 

Manifestations of My Early Saturn Return

These are some of the manifestations I experienced during the 10 degrees before the actual beginning of my Saturn return: 

1. Desire to spend more time by myself
2. Willingness to work more hours
3. Drive to fix unresolved issues
4. Focus on organizing long-term projects
5. Resistance to waste time
6. Prioritization of quality over quantity
7. Disposition to learning from my mistakes
8. Lack of patience for half-baked approaches
9. Inclination to being more disciplined 
10. Eagerness to self-motivate myself 

I hope this post was helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments or the contact form. And thank you for being here! Bye for now!