Saturn, Your Relationship & The 7 Year Itch

Think peace, love and happiness and Saturn probably isn’t the first planet that springs to mind. However, maybe it should. Saturn is the principle of time, reality, limits, boundaries and structure, and he plays a huge role in how we fare in our partnerships. Saturn times are testing times (ever heard of the 7 Year Itch?) but if we have some awareness around the cycles of Saturn in our life, we can respond to the tests Saturn asks of us.

Saturn’s Seven Year Cycle

Every Seven years Saturn makes an aspect to our natal Saturn. This means that we all experience a Saturn square at age 7 -seven years after the day we are born.  When that happens, we reach a maturation point. Erin Sullivan, author of the book Saturn in Transit, says at age 7 “...there is an instinctive breakthrough in understanding, and socially there is a natural progression toward others’ expectations of greater responsibility.” Likewise, at seven-year increments (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and so on) the ego experiences a new developmental thrust - toward maturity.

Now, imagine your relationship as a being with an ego, a purpose to fulfill. Think back to the day or month your relationship was ‘born’. If you look at your relationship in 7 year increments from that date you will notice at those times the relationship itself encountered new maturational tests and reality checks. These are time periods that behaviors, patterns of relating and living together that used to work just don’t any longer. You may need to restructure your interactions, or the relationship itself, in major new ways. You may decide to take a dramatic step toward commitment, or step back and re-evaluate. As you reach a fork in the road, know this is a logical, natural next step for your relationship. Your relationship wants to mature.

At my relationships first Saturn square, in what felt like a harsh reality check, I realized the living arrangement we shared no longer worked. So I hired a space consultant and Feng Shui expert who “re-structured” all the rooms in the house to create more harmony and flow. Even though we hit the wall of reality under Saturn, we eventually created a new foundation and are now enjoying our newfound sense of freedom together.