Saturn Retrograde Was A Tough One — Here's How To Celebrate When It Ends

It might not feel like it, but we're slowly digging ourselves out of the avalanche of retrogrades from this summer, stargazers. The latest backspin to correct course will be Saturn's this Thursday. This retrograde kicked off all the way back in April, so you might have grown accustomed to living under its watchful gaze, but trust us — you'll feel it when it ends.

Often referred to as the disciplinarian of the solar system, Saturn touches our goals, accomplishments, and sense of responsibility. When it's retrograde, it demands extra caution in these areas of our lives, urging us to double-check our work, thoroughly think over any major decisions, and plan meticulously for the future. Naturally, these effects can make the more impulsive signs feel like they're walking on eggshells, while the signs that are more amenable to this influence probably end up feeling even more stressed and less confident for the retrograde's duration.

In other words, Saturn retrogrades arrive to teach us the value of reviewing (and, if needed, completely revising) our work before signing off on it. Hopefully in these final days of its retrograde you can see the potential benefits of moving slowly and steadily through your tasks. Of course, once Saturn is direct, you won't feel obligated to tackle your work that carefully, but, given its placement on the Wheel of the Zodiac, doing so might still be a good idea.

Since last December, the ringed planet has been in Capricorn, the sign that it rules and imbues with its need for control, discipline, and foresight. So, this is a pretty comfortable spot from which Saturn can broadcast its message, which goes a little something like this: Create a sense of order that you can live with for the long haul, even if that means tearing down and rebuilding the structures that currently govern your actions. Saturn will be in Capricorn until 2020 and we'll all feel that influence very clearly until then.

On the bright side, all the hard and careful work you put in since April will start to pay off after Thursday. You might not get offered a raise the following day, but the fruits of your labor will start to sprout up in the coming months. So, what projects kept you busy all spring and summer? Look back at your old to-do lists to recall what you accomplished — and watch for the rewards to start rolling in.