The classic midlife crisis, accompanied by global depression, typically occurs at a time of approximately 40 years of age. Women experience it less noticeably than men, so it does not affect their loved ones as much. But this does not mean that the midlife crisis does not affect us. Astrology has answers to these questions too.
But before we start dealing with midlife crisis through astrology, let's take a brief look at this question from the point of view of sociology, psychology and the latest research. And by the way, previously we discussed how astrological cycles test you in your 20s and 30s.
A midlife crisis is a period or phase of life transition when a person begins to question what they have accomplished or achieved, and whether those same things still provide a sense of fulfillment and meaning.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study "Midlife in the 2020s: Opportunities and Challenges" summed it up this way: the phase is a time of gains and losses, linking what came before with what might lie further on in life, and connecting generations. Midlife especially complicates the many intersecting roles and life chapters we navigate. They struggle with things such as financial insecurity, physical health issues, and even the empty-nest syndrome. But midlife also comes with advantages, such as career gains, peak earnings, and a spike in control beliefs.
Who Faces a Midlife Crisis?
A midlife crisis can hit anyone in middle adulthood, usually between 35 and 55, according to the American Psychological Association. It's not just about age though; it's a mix of lifestyle changes and deeper existential reflections. For example, when your kids finally fly the coop—hello, "empty nest syndrome"—in which individuals often reassess their priorities or the dynamics of their relationships.
Our life makes adjustments to everything, including psychological processes. The more women are engaged in male-origin business and politics, the more often they experience a midlife crisis according to the male scenario, which is characterized by the loss of life guidelines, reassessment of values and dramatic changes in life and career. Nevertheless, unlike men, women worry not only about their careers, but also about their personal lives - by the age of 40, a woman who devotes all her time and energy to work usually has neither a family nor children. And to acquire all this, due to the age peculiarities, becomes more and more difficult. But it is commonly believed that women, even the most courageous, more easily adapt to unfavorable circumstances than men. By the way, about 60% of Generation X women claim to be exhausted by stress.
While Gen Z and Millennial women are currently facing tough times, last polling of the Healthy Ireland Survey indicates that the percentage of women experiencing serious depression tends to decrease with age.
Signs and Symptoms of a Midlife Crisis
- Anxiety: Feeling on edge for no clear reason.
- Abrupt Career or Lifestyle Changes: Suddenly quitting your job or deciding to move house on a whim.
- Behavior Changes: Becoming antisocial, impulsive, or downright irrational.
- Major Future Plans: Making grand plans like traveling the world or hefty investments, ignoring previous family, work, or financial constraints.
- Depression or Major Mood Changes: Shifting from highs to lows in a blink.
- Dishonor to Romantic Relationships: Avoiding your partner, cheating, or any form of marital infidelity.
- Dramatic Changes in Appearance, Behavior, or Self-Care: Switching up your look or neglecting personal hygiene.
- Excessive Indecisiveness: Struggling to make even simple decisions.
- Feelings of Anger, Boredom, Emptiness, Irritability, Loss of Purpose, Nostalgia, Resentment, Sadness, or Being Unfulfilled: An emotional rollercoaster where nothing feels quite right.
- Religious and Spiritual Transitions: Diving deep into a new religion, converting, or starting a fresh spiritual practice.
- Chronic Reminiscence and Reflection About the Past: Dwelling on youthful memories, old flames, past adventures, or the carefree days of yesteryear.
- Financial Irrationality and Excessive Spending: Blowing money on things you don’t need.
- Hypochondria and Exaggerated Health Concerns: Obsessing over minor health issues.
- Ruminating Over Past Mistakes and Failures: Replaying your errors like a broken record.
- Withdrawal from Normal Routines: Pulling back from your usual activities.
- Sleep Pattern Disruption: Tossing and turning at night.
- Weight Gain or Loss: Significant changes in your weight.
The Astrology of Midlife Crisis in Your 30s & 40s: 4 Major Events
When it comes to Western astrology there are a series of midlife transits which take place in our early forties. These are meant to steer us toward some kind of individuation that we could not have attained before, as long as they don't make us go insane doing it. So we’re dealing with the Pluto square, Neptune square, Uranus opposition, and Saturn opposition. Oh, and well, with Saturn's return, you got this one down alllreaddddy! Or have you not yet analyzed your Natal Chart?
Kicking Things Off with the Pluto Square (ages 37-43)
Pluto - the planet of rebirth, transformation, power, death and regeneration orbits around the Sun approximately once every 248 years. And so, we grow old and die and do not live to see a return of Pluto. We get a midlife transit from Pluto at best. Pluto will make a square (tension of 90 degrees) to wherever it was when you were born between the ages of 37-43. In astrology, we call this a 'square.
The square is the most nerve-racking, while simultaneously activating angle in astrology. You might be pushed to re-examine stories and fears which are limiting you when Pluto is squaring your sun. It is time to release any psychological crutches that have kept you from moving forward—consider it a metaphorical “passing away” of certain habitual patterns.
For the complete picture, look at where transiting Pluto and natal Pluto fall in your chart: which houses they are in, as well as the signs that they are in. So, for example, if you have natal Pluto in Libra in the second house of money and you also experience freaky deaky Pluto from outta space trekking through your eighth house of shared resources as it transits Capricorn, via your birth Pluto will know that when 8th house and Capricorn combine: share money? With Libra's Venus symbolism of relationships and Capricorn's Saturnian energies, which control foundations, you may feel it comes down lots to power dynamics in money matters.
So, ready to go down the astrological rabbit hole? Your 30s and 40s are some of the deepest change and development as each transit presents unique challenges and opportunities at its own special phase. Star Formations, Take Us to New Places!
Next Up: The Neptune Square (ages 40-43)
Similar to Pluto, Neptune moves slowly through the zodiac, completing a full circle every 164 years. Meaning there will never be a Neptune return. However, between 40-43, you may be facing your Neptune square (transiting Neptune in a hard angle to your natal Neptune), and Neptune is the planet of spirituality and dreams. The planet of illusion and deception, Neptune is famous for aiding in the perpetuation of self-delusion and preventing clear thinking, which means the period we all get ready to enter is a time when the lines between what is true and what is not tend to blur.
But all this haze in your life is there for a reason: it's to help you see things clearer - which dreams are worth pursuing as you head into the next chapter of your life. Perhaps you always planned to be in elected office by 40, but now that it's dawning on you that the whole public eye venture doesn't appeal.
Disappointment is to knowing the hardships witnessed during this time. In receiving a perspective of what your true desires are – dreams that actually light up your insides you will become more detached from previous accomplishments related to goals that no longer sing to you. With the Neptune square, you might also be kind of feeling bad about yourself and have a tough time separating things out because, well, it all just feels so grody lately. However, one aspect of understanding your purpose is using your intuitiveness and your spiritual beliefs.
Now imagine that you are in your 40s, trying to find yourself a little bit and feel incredibly silly since you always wanted to be an astronaut, a doctor, a scientist, an actor - as a kid but now it just seems like a dream that children have rather than the adult ambition. What this Neptune square period is for, at least in part, is to re-examine those dreams, find what sticks this time around and let them be.
Ultimately, all of these hazy, blurry days are about going in to become more discernable. It is about locating the sunshine behind the clouds and knowing some times you need a bit of fog to truly observe the stars.
Uranus Opposition: The Midlife Crisis Peaking (ages 40-42)
Around the same time, or shortly after the Neptune square, is the famous Uranus opposition - "The Midlife Crisis Peaking".
When it is time for transiting Uranus to oppose your natal Uranus (around age 40-42, commonly), you wake up to the fact that you've just experienced half of this thing called life, so you only have half left to go. It's a wake-up, a massive fucking wake-up, and it ignites the most passionate sense of restlessness. Suddenly, you feel the imminent pressure to mold the direction of your life, into the one you really wanted to live, knowing that this is your very last chance.
This is the epitome moment where middle-aged married guys hit on some new hot young on shiny sports car (that he dreamed of). This is the one where the housewife finally puts her foot down and says she's going back to study, disrupting life for everyone else in the family. When the lifelong bachelor packs it in and gets married, or when the seemingly solid couple suddenly comes apart.
In 40s you're in an awkward middle spot - not old but definitely no longer young - and this realization can be the trigger of a massive life audit. It is now that we have to go back, modify or even reroute the aims set by you in your 20s. Individuation and self-sovereignty is what this cycle is all about. One thing that's guaranteed in all this process is, life never stays same after this cycle.
Saturn Opposition: a Midlife Wake-up Call (ages 43-44)
Saturn, the planet of bounds and barriers, limits and license plates not required, has an orbital period of maybe around 30 years in which it goes around your chart at 43-44 years old (then after 74). This is your midlife wake-up call — the moment you realize what life actually is, not what you thought it would be.
So maybe, it's a little bleak, but Saturn is the planet of blood, sweat, and tears being the reward for your hard work. If this has been your experience along the way and you have stayed with the program, as the earlier midlife transits were determined that you would, then instead of a turning away from I-have-paid-my-dues-thanks-guys and an unwelcome acknowledgment of pragmatic limitations, it could well be that this set-set-of-time period feels like your time is finally coming; in other words, a sort of affirmation has come—the trick was just to keep doing what you do.
Saturn also rules over foundations, so there is no better time to set the stage for long-term future plans. The same way you might purchase a house, adopt a healthier lifestyle, or get married. This is the equivalent of building the foundation of your future.
This could be the time at which the fruits of your saving and investing labor manifest, for example in buying your ideal house. Maybe you are living healthier and more fit, and for the first time in your life, it's working. That is all about building really solid ground you can grow on for the next years.
While it may be hard to grasp this reality check, instead, view it as an opportunity to shape your achievements and pave the foundation for a purposeful future. It's like Saturn saying, "Alright, let's get serious about this next chapter of life."
But we will talk about next chapter in the next article. And by the way, we are already working on a calculator of significant ages in astrology on PythiaGuru. Don't miss out! Add our site to your favorites for quick access.
Making the Most of Your Midlife: Give Some Advice to Yourself
Why yes, change can be very, very scary, but let's face it - of course, stagnation is a lot more frightening. And whether you are going through your Pluto square or finding yourself wrestling with the Uranus opposition, the biggie is surrender. Yes, there are times in life when it is good to push back, but not upon your midlife transits? They’re not those moments. So use these transits to do some actual legwork that will serve you for the rest of your life. So instead of fighting the changes, embrace the changes.
Here are a few ways to get the best from them:
- Reflect: These transitions are introspective, so allow yourself to dig inside of your consciousness. What are the fears or narratives keeping you where you are now? Find out those things and work them out of your life.
- Go to the Goals: Check and reevaluate those goals that you drafted then, for some years back. Get them into alignment with who you are today and where you want to go!
- Scrutinize the Bonds: At this time, you can see how the tenaciously relation works for you. Why are some nourishing and supportive? Which ones are draining? Exploit the first and a goodnight to the second.
- Prioritize your Health: Lay the groundwork for creating #newnormal healthy practices. Your health in some form of way, whether it be eating better, exercising more, or mindfulness, so do something for yourself today.
- Career Moves: If you feel like your career is not going anywhere, then maybe now is the period to reflect and consider a change. Maybe this is a new job, or you shift to a different department in the same company, or maybe it's really time to strike out some work on that business idea you have.
- Money Mayhem: It's time to buckle down financially. From saving for retirement, investing yourself, or just working towards being debt-free, create a financial plan.
- Find Your Zen: Pursue hobbies to feed the spirit that has nothing to do with your identity as a writer. This can be things like meditation or activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Just know, these transits - they are not here to destroy you. They are actually meant to make you grow, evolve, and ultimately a better version of yourself. Take the changes and use them to your advantage, something to springboard you into a life that is more in ways in line with who you are truly meant to be.
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