Astrological and Human Cycles
The Seven-Year Cycle
Birth to 29
37 to 59

The Seven-Year Cycle
The so-called seven-year itch is a popular expression for a cycle that is shown astrologically by the transits of the planet Saturn. Saturn takes (on the average) 29.4 years to pass through all 12 signs of the zodiac. Dividing this period into quarters yields segments of 7.3 years each, when Saturn reaches the quarter, half, three-quarter, and completion points of its cycle.

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Birth to 29
Beginning at birth, there are successive periods of about seven years in a person's life, each one a stage of important adjustments to reality. At about 7 years of age, the first quarter of the transiting Saturn cycle, the first crisis of maturity occurs and self-awareness takes form. At about ages 14 or 15, the change from child to adult occurs. About 22 years of age brings another adjustment to the demands of society. When Saturn completes its first cycle at about 29 years, people must come to terms with themselves and the society in which they live. This point in the cycle is called the Saturn return. It is almost always a time of important commitments, decisions, and the acceptance of responsibilities.

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37 to 59
The next stages of the Saturn cycle occur at around the ages of 37, 44 (the peak of the mid-life crisis), and 52. Saturn again returns to its original position at about age 59. This second Saturn return is usually experienced more positively than the first, since most people are more settled and realistic at this point in life. The Saturn cycle marks the rhythms of maturity, reality, security, and responsibility in any number of human activities. Crisis points can be observed in relationships or marriages at 7.3 years after the first meeting or the wedding. A store owner may need to make crucial business decisions 14.6 years after opening, and so forth.

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