We all have our first Saturn return at about age twenty-nine and a half. The Saturn return is usually dreaded because it is associated with hardship and loss and often feels like a mid-life crisis.

But some people hardly notice theirs and wonder what all the fuss is about. Why is this so? It comes down to how well or otherwise your natal Saturn is placed. As an example, Emma Watson had a particularly tough time with hers, as she explained on her 33rd birthday after a three-year break from Instagram:

This is 33. Holy moly. Before 29 I hadn’t even heard of a Saturn Return as a concept. Let’s just say that now I am well acquainted. I stepped away from my life… I felt really sad and really pissed off about a lot of things… It took me three years but I have finally figured out a daily practice and can actually keep it for more than a few days in a row. [Emma Watson on Instagram]

Sun Square Saturn

Emma’s Saturn return hit her harder than most because her natal Saturn is harshly aspected. And to a very personal point, the Sun. She has Sun square Saturn with a tight orb of just 0°23′.

Sun square Saturn already brings tests and challenges that Emma has to overcome to get ahead in life. And it means having to cope with two of the most challenging transits simultaneously:

• February to October 2020: Saturn return and Saturn square Sun transit.

Then, before she had time to recover from that double whammy, an even more life-changing one came along.

• February to December 2021: Pluto conjunct Saturn transit and Pluto square Sun transit.

Having those Saturn transits followed by Pluto would have been extremely difficult to endure. But Sun square Saturn does get better with age. Especially after such an intense mid-life crisis, it helped Emma strive with determination and perseverance to overcome setbacks and become a master of self-discipline, achievement, and responsibility.

Many people worldwide were born on the same day as Emma, and I am sure they also had an extremely challenging few years. But they don’t have over 70 million Instagram followers. So a big thank you to Emma Watson for sharing her Saturn return story and giving hope to all.