How To Make The Most Of Your Astrological 'Dark Night Of The Soul'
Saturn is returning. Are you ready?
Sun Ok / shutterstock.com Many of us have heard the term "Dark Night of the Soul" and wondered at its meaning. It might bring to mind a time that you or another struggled with making good choices over poor choices.
Maybe it reminds you of a time when your life hit rock bottom and everything really needed to change.
Some people refer to the Dark Night of the Soul as Saturn Return in your astrological chart.
Regardless of your personal meaning, this experience makes room for self-awareness, life reflection and big changes.
If you've ever experienced a Dark Night of the Soul, you may have walked away as a wiser version of yourself. If not, you can prepare to make the most of your Dark Night for maximum growth and potential.
How to make the most of your Dark Night of the Soul
I was recently talking with a friend who loves everything about astrology. She reminded me that I am quickly approaching my own Dark Night of the Soul. Of course, she was referring to my Saturn Return in May, 2024.
Approximately every 29.5 years, we each will experience a Saturn Return. This is when Saturn returns to the same place in your chart, as the day you were born.
It is the perfect time to check in and see how much you have grown emotionally and spiritually. The effects can be felt for two years on either side of your birthday.
Saturn Returns can be viewed as the keys that unlock new aspects of your life. These are often big changes, marriage, divorce, retirement, first baby, or new career.
Activate your spiritual growth
Saturn Return is an opportunity to activate our wisdom and spiritual growth, couched on a life lesson or some type of big change. Hopefully, we are living our life in a way that makes our maturing a natural and uncomplicated part of our life.
I love the idea of an opportunity to expand in our world but struggle with some of Saturn Return’s reputation.
I don’t think a soul is ever dark.
I believe each of us has a soul filled with love and fueled by the holy light of the Universe. Our soul is vibrational grace in motion, ever-changing, emerging and evolving with rhythm and flow.
Many of us have hard life lessons that don’t match the Saturn Return on our chart. Looking back at my younger years, it felt like I lived at least 20 years in continuous Saturn Return. Maybe I wasn’t a quick learner.
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Using Saturn-type energy
I actually love the energy of Saturn. I love lists, accountability, boundaries, making a plan and working towards it. Interestingly the placement of Saturn in some charts indicates an easier second half of life. This is true in my chart and life.
I use a lot of Saturn-type energy in my coaching. I love helping people create a life story that contains their greatest hopes and dreams. With age, I have come to realize plans are just a plan. It opens the door for new ideas, the final outcome may be completely different, but committing to yourself by way of a plan is powerful!
Can we have growth without a crisis?
Saturn Return offers a connection to a portal of energy that allows us to manifest with even greater ability. The lesson is having faith you will receive what is for your highest good. It provides clarity and a bright checkpoint to assess your life.
The question remains. Will you take advantage of this powerful energy?
A new pathway might be forming, but not completely visible. Once you commit to yourself, your life will bloom in unexpected and beautiful ways. It is faith and commitment that allows the light of the sun to brighten your path through shadowy or dark times.
Explore your commitment to self-love in all areas of your life, self-care, relationships, wellness, and even career and family.
The second half of life has helped me recognize that focusing on one goal and not having balance in life, increases stress. The more rigid a target or life goal is, the more you hang on to a particular outcome. Having only one object of desire or main focus is limiting and shuts down miracles.
I will also add, experiencing great appreciation for all possibilities versus yearning for one thing keeps the flow of high vibrational living.
Having many life dreams while working towards high vibrational outcomes is fun! Keeping everything fluid, allows life to offer lessons that are easier to navigate. Most of us are going to occasionally run into a challenge, this is when you lean into your faith and reach out for support.
Polly Wirum is an intuitive life coach and writer. She helps people connect to the energy of peace via intuitive reading, life coaching, or live channeling sessions.