AstroBookReview: Surviving Saturn's Return

There's not a whole lot written on just this subject (yeah, I've heard of the Liz Greene  book, but somehow I cannot concentrate when I try to read her writing, so I'm not getting it). This is kind of a "fun and easy" book in some respects, more of a primer for what issues you're likely to deal with when your turn comes around.

I think I like their introduction to the concept best- kind of a cross between cosmic taskmaster and trying to not make it sound so bad! Here's an example of what I mean:

"Saturn's work is done in solitude, which is why he is often depicted as a hermit. To get our attention, he may in some way separate us from our greatest protection agaisnt the cold: our loved ones. This is all to bring us to that which sustains us at our very core when all external forms of support are not there. He is an ally in that his vision for us is nothing less than that of a great father. Put simply, he wants us to manifest our potential, accomplish our dreams, be indebted to no one, and be true to ourselves. He can't bear to see our dreams or our potential unrealized, going nowhere.

Why are we telling you to bow down to such a meanie? Because the truth is, Saturn is the only planet in the solar system that teaches you who you really are by telling you who you aren't. He won't let you get away with lying to yourself. If you are not being brutally honest with yourself in every way, Saturn is apt to set up circumstances to make you face your dishonesty. If you are hiding out in a dead relationship, or a job that doesn't feed you in the way that you need to be fed, or if you're finding some other way to suppress your karmic reality, Saturn will wait patiently, at first, for you to rise to the occasion. If you refuse, he'll light the fuse attached to the firecracker of your life and wait, again, for you to smell the flame. If you inhale deeply and proceed to don your favorite pair of denial-style nose plugs, he will likely ignite an explosion under your ass."

Then the book goes into each Saturn placement and tells you what your issues are and how to deal with them. For example, the Saturn in Leo section is actually quite cheerful, about wanting creativity and the limelight and playing with the inner child, and dealing with love issues.

Quoting the book again: "Look on the bright side: how bad could it be that your karma is to learn to have fun and express yourself in the most magnanimous and heartfelt way? (Just think, if you were born a little later you would be learning to wash dishes and cut coupons with the Saturn in Virgo ladies.)" That alone is the cheeriest thing I've read about Saturn Return (compared to everything else) like, ever.

So, bookwise, it's pretty fun and reassuring despite the scary.

Speaking of something related, I have visited the authors' website, and they really need to do more with it, like update more. And well... I tried buying a Saturn Return report from them and never received it. I sent a letter of complaint and got a response of "Sorry, we'll send it right out." I never got it. I sent another letter of complaint and never even got a response to that one.

The frustrating thing is that I'd still like to GET a Saturn Return report, and as far as I've been able to find, nobody else online offers such a thing. But I already spent $25 trying to get one and never got it, and they won't respond...so I'm screwed on that idea.

I post that as a warning to anyone else who wants to get a report from them. Their book isn't bad, but online they seem to be either quite flaky or they lose a lot of e-mails and reports.

Edited October 12, 2007: This problem has, very happily, been solved! (It boiled down to the net equivalent of "lost in the mail" and "can't find the return address.") I have finally received my chart, plus a bonus, so all is well! Thank you, Stefanie! :) Feel free to get charts here after all!