Western astrology · Tools

Saturn return calculator

Saturn takes about 29.5 years to circle the zodiac; when it comes back to the degree it held at your birth, that is a Saturn return — around 29, 58 and 88. This page computes the exact dates from an ephemeris; when Saturn retrogrades over the degree, one return has three dates.

Birthplace (required)

The birthplace sets the time zone and the horizon; this page cannot compute without it.

How it is computed

From the birth instant and the birthplace's coordinates, an astronomical ephemeris gives the apparent ecliptic positions of the Sun, Moon and eight planets; sidereal time, latitude and the obliquity of the ecliptic give the Ascendant and Midheaven. Positions are accurate to arcminutes; the Ascendant moves about 1° every 4 minutes, so its accuracy is bounded by the birth time. Houses are whole-sign: the rising sign is the first house.

Birth time and time zone

Enter the clock time at the birthplace. It is converted to UTC with the birthplace's historical time-zone rules, including past daylight-saving periods (mainland China 1986–1991, Taiwan 1979, and so on). If the birth time is approximate, read the rising sign as a range; the page flags results near a boundary.

FAQ

Why one date for some returns and three for others?
Saturn is retrograde about four and a half months a year. If that stretch covers your natal degree, Saturn crosses it direct, back over it retrograde, then direct again — three dates, and the seven-to-nine-month span is the return period. If not, there is a single crossing.
Do I need a birth time?
Not really. Saturn moves only about 0.1° a day, so the birth time barely affects the natal position; return dates shift by a day or two at most. Without a time, noon is used.

Related tools

Beyond a single lookup, the full chart

Each tool answers one question. The four pillars and luck cycles read together are the chart.

Saturn return calculator: your three Saturn returns by date | DEEP ORACLE