If you think back to seven years ago, your life probably looks quite different now than it did then. And astrologically speaking, this timeframe holds significance. In astrology, what’s known as a seven-year cycle can dramatically shift our reality and human existence. Every—you guessed it—seven years, there are shifts and changes in the cosmos that influence the energies in our lives in major ways. “[The number] seven marks as a catalyst for people’s lives, whether that’s on a collective scale or personal scale,” says London-based astrologer Sade, who goes by Sade the Astrology Vixen.

Two planets, in particular, are associated with the concept of the seven-year cycle: Uranus and Saturn. Below, get a breakdown from astrologers about what the timeframe means for each planet’s transit and then how you can best navigate the sometimes-difficult energy of each.

What Uranus’s 7-year cycle means

Uranus changes the sign it’s traveling in every seven years,” says Sade. “The planet represents liberation and change,” which explains why as one cycle ends and another begins, our lives may feel shaken up. Uranus cycles happen on a collective scale, Sade says, meaning everyone can feel the effects.

“Whenever Uranus shifts signs, it really takes things to a huge octave of change.” —Lumi Pelinku, astrologer

Furthermore, says Lumi Pelinku, an astrologer and spiritual advisor, Uranus influences rebellion and innovation. “It’s about really getting to the bottom of changing things around when things are too stagnant,” she says of the planet. “Whenever Uranus shifts signs, it really takes things to a huge octave of change.”

Uranus moved into Taurus on May 16, 2018, and will stay there until it moves into Gemini on July 8, 2025, Pelinku says. That means that things associated with Taurus and Uranus are currently being shaken up. Taurus represents material goods and concepts, money, and abundance, and Uranus is the planet of technology, Sade says. So, these two energies are bringing about a lot of change to our financial system and can, in part, explain why cryptocurrency is becoming such a big thing, for example. Given that we’re only a few years into the current Uranus cycle, expect the changes to continue.

What Saturn’s 7-year cycle means

Saturn can be a pushy planet, as anyone familiar with the concept of a Saturn return likely already knows. It wants us to grow and evolve into our most authentic selves and nudges us to step into that with a big dose of tough love. With this in mind, Pelinku describes it as our “teacher planet.”

Unlike Uranus’s seven-year cycle though, which happens on a collective level, Saturn’s seven-year cycles occur on an individual level. The first cycle shift happens at age seven, when Pelinku says we start to understand how authority works, and we learn about logic and linear thinking. Next up is the fun age of 14, which Pelinku describes as a time when we question our own identity and are challenged by external influences. By age 21, when many people are gearing up to graduate college and step into the working world, Saturn’s cycle align us with our passions.

Then comes the aforementioned Saturn return around age 28, when Saturn returns to the original degree it was located when you were born and you officially enter adulthood, astrologically speaking. “When Saturn return occurs, that’s when you’re actually stepping into your own authority,” Pelinku says. “You’re redefining how you want to live your life from there on.” This phase is a rebirthing process of sorts when many go through tough times and tons of growth, which can look like painful breakups, changing careers, or getting serious about paying off debt.

“Saturn cycles are about honoring your soul’s journey.” —Sade, astrologer

Every seven-year cycle after that, you’ll continue to feel Saturn’s effects in different ways. “Saturn cycles are about honoring your soul’s journey,” Sade says. “Each seven-year cycle is another step into finding your purpose. It’s kind of like an evolution of the next phases of our lives.” Every time Saturn shifts into a different cycle, she adds, who you thought you were changes, along with your goals and vision for your life.

3 tips for navigating 7-year cycle transitions

1. Check in with your core values

Whether Uranus is shifting into a new sign or you’re entering a new seven-year Saturn cycle, to make navigating the changing energies easier, Sade recommends checking in with your core values and ensuring you’re living by them. “We can only live life on autopilot for so long,” she says.

2. Release what’s out of alignment

Seven-year cycles can also serve as a catalyst for letting go of what isn’t in alignment anymore. When the planets enter a new cycle, Sade advises identifying what things in your life aren’t aligned with your authentic self through tools, like journaling and meditation, and then making the necessary adjustments.

3. Work on understanding other perspectives

Uranus is about humanitarianism and unity because it traditionally works with Aquarius energy, Pelinku says. So as we navigate this current Uranus cycle, she recommends working on embracing each other’s different viewpoints rather than bringing our ego to the party. “It’s all very much about uplifting each other on the collective level,” she says of this Uranus cycle. “That’s what’s going to move humanity forward.”