An astrologer to get you through your Saturn return

"We can all agree that the moon changes animal behavior and the ocean tides, so why wouldn't other planets affect us?"

Boy, did my Saturn return!

I've been casually interested in astrology for most of my life, but I never really studied it or actively sought to deepen my understanding until pretty recently. It all changed when I went through an intense and unrelenting rough patch in my personal life, of which I’ll spare you the gory details (for now).  But it seemed overnight, I’d transformed from someone ultra ambitious and grounded, to a person fighting tooth and nail to just make it through the day. This tumultuous period lasted for what felt like an eternity but was actually about two years, and even though each day was an uphill battle, I learned more about myself during this time than I had in the decade prior. You might already know where I’m going with this, but yeah, it turns out, that was my Saturn return.

If you’re new to the whole astrology thing, your Saturn return is a period of significant personal growth and transition that happens every twenty-nine and a half years, when Saturn returns to the same position it was in at the time of your birth. Saturn returns are notorious for being turbulent, messy, and profound, often forcing you to reevaluate your self-perceptions in order to grow into the best and most evolved version of yourself. If you feel like you’ve been hearing about this astrological phenomenon everywhere lately, it’s probably because you have: Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, and SZA are just a few artists who have recently made art calling out the intense impact of their Saturn return.

Put simply, my Saturn return was so quintessentially Saturn return-y, it actually brought me tremendous comfort. Like, maybe I need to stop thinking about this as my life falling apart and instead see it as a part of something larger—at the risk of sounding overly mystical—a cosmic destiny of sorts. But ever since this experience, I’ve totally immersed myself in the great big world of astrology and never once looked back.

My birth chart reading

Last week, I got a reading with the supremely talented, intuitive, and just all-around gem Izzy Kross. Interestingly, I went to Bard College with Izzy—we weren’t especially close during those years as she was a tiny bit older than me, but I always liked her a lot (one of those girls that was always just funny and cool, but also invitational and warm, you know?) So when I put out a question on my Instagram asking if anyone knew a good astrologer, I was genuinely thrilled when so many people replied, gushing about her expertise.

Izzy is based in Mexico City and conducts her astrology meetings virtually on Zoom or FaceTime. Her practice is rooted in the belief that the greatest gift you can give yourself is to know yourself, advocating for the use of astrology as a means to nurture one's strengths, confront maybe less favorable traits, and learn to manage or leverage them for personal growth. If the mystical and potentially ominous aspects of astrology kind of spook you out, odds are, Izzy’s approach won’t: “I really don’t believe in fear-based astrology. You’re not stuck to a certain outcome or doomed to a certain fate. Astrology is more about themes—almost like an outline—that should help you navigate the world. There’s always a way to work with a difficult placement in your chart.”

Chart readings are obviously pretty personal, so I’m not going to get into the specifics of what she said about mine, but I will say my jaw all but hit the floor at least three times during the session. Things about my family, mental health, relationships, job, and so much more could be seen and explored through my chart, the depth and extent of which I didn’t fully realize until this session. Delving into such sensitive subjects can be a delicate dance, but Izzy managed to do it effortlessly, offering comfort and incredible insight without an ounce of judgement. I’m Scorpio Moon, a placement that I’d felt weirdly ashamed of for a really long time, but I actually now feel super empowered and even sort of proud of it!

We combed through my chart, no stone left unturned, exploring each of my houses and delving into the synchronicities and contradictions that make me who I am. Again, her readings were so on the nose (don’t even get me started on my Cancer chart ruler and Scorpio in the 5th house), I got the chills multiple times throughout the session. On a cosmic level, I was floored, but on a service level, I was pretty blown away by how much of being a good astrologer is really about being a great teacher—I left feeling like she had basically taught me another language.

Since this is a beauty newsletter and not everyone may be interested in astrology, I wanted to address any skepticism for the folks who are on the fence. Izzy was quick to express gratitude for the increased interest sparked by social media, but thinks reservations about astrology are often a symptom of the pop-astrology accounts we see on TikTok and Instagram that confine people to narrow stereotypes based on their zodiac signs. “Most people don’t like to be told they are only one way. I mean, who does?” she explained. “But the truth is, astrology at its core actually speaks to how complex and unique we all are. And I think people can really see that when they get a one-on-one chart reading done.” And as far as people who think astrology is wu-wu bullshit go, Izzy shrugged and countered, "We can all agree that the moon changes animal behavior and the ocean tides, so why wouldn't other planets affect us?"

Make an appointment Izzy

Izzy recommends doing a foundational session to understand your chart, and booking yearly sessions moving forward. “Doing a reading on your birthday is a great idea because you can address the goings on of the year before, which can be sort of cathartic, and then also look into themes popping up for the year ahead, which can be really exciting and inspiring, and help people feel a bit less afraid of the future,” she says.

A thirty minute introductory mini reading is $77, while a super comprehensive birth chart reading with an extensive written report for you to to have and revisit is $222.

Izzy suggests scheduling appointments a week ahead so she has enough time to research your chart and, if your service calls for it, write up your report.

Click here to make an appointment.