Those who continue to “cling” to the guidelines and values of the first half of their lives will miss opportunities for further personal development. What should you do when you are approaching 40? Pythia Pappas writes about this in her new blog “Does Midlife Crisis Astrology Exist?“, with advice from psychologists and astrologers.
The article has been shortened and edited for clarity.
At the age of 29-35, the so-called “crisis of questions” begins. A person doubts the correctness of the path he or she has chosen, profession, and life values in general. The search for new meanings for the second half of life begins, a second powerful round of searching for oneself. At the age of 35-43 the “crisis of urgency” begins – a clear understanding of one’s own mortality comes. This period is commonly referred to as the “midlife crisis”. Although all these age limits are quite conditional, most people live similar situations. They begin to worry about whether life is going right, because it is not endless? Does what they are doing bring happiness? Have their dreams been fulfilled? What will they leave behind?
At 40, there is already something to look at with pride, and on the other hand – to analyze what failed and why. At this time, a career goal is either achieved or not, a family is established or not. There are children or not. Whether or not there is a cat or a dog. These are all important because, you are old enough to have a pet or child on your own, not ask your parents about it.
Main Signs, Causes, & How to Cope of Midlife Crisis in Women
- Changes in appearance. If up to 30 years of appearance did not require special care, then after 30 in this appears the need. Some women begin to downplay their age or simply hide it. Especially vulnerable to this age crisis women who are very eager to get married, give birth to a child, but have not yet found a life partner. From them you can often hear the phrase “the clock is ticking”. Natural age changes are felt as a great threat to personal life.
- Hormonal background and health. The body requires special care, more often there is a need to see a doctor. Energy is not as abundant as it used to be.
- Status, relationships, priorities. Like men, women are reconsidering their path: are they going there, are they doing what they are doing, have they chosen the right pace, are their priorities right? Sometimes maternity leave or post-decree period is imposed, when it is necessary to start working again, to recover in the profession. It is tormented by self-doubt, fear of not coping, of not keeping up with younger colleagues. One day a woman may wake up and realize that she has given all of herself to her family, children, but has not realized her creative or professional potential, and it depresses her. It seems that the best years are lost, and there is no time to do it. Or vice versa, having given herself to work, she sharply feels loneliness. Married people, on the other hand, may be disappointed in their husband, who is also not getting any younger and may be going through his own crisis. Relationships become more mechanical, cold, detached.
10 Tips for Women to Survive the Midlife Crisis in the Most Environmentally Friendly Way
- Learn to think about your life, your dreams, goals, and the realization of your own potential. Realize that you have to live, not live your life. Understand what you want and what is not working out.
- Pay attention to regular physical activity, rest, tasty and healthy food. It is very simple, easy and effective. Everyone knows about it, but few people do it.
- Consider incorporating meditation or its analogues (what works best for whom) into your schedule to improve your mental and emotional health. Seek professional help if you find it difficult to do this on your own.
- Continue to learn and grow, regardless of age. Learning can help keep your brain active and stimulate creativity. Developing new skills is the best investment in yourself.
- Maintain old friendships and build new ones. Social support can be extremely important during this period. Spend time with family and friends, share your impressions and experiences. Do not withdraw into yourself during this period.
- Consider retraining or changing your work area if you feel it will help you find new meaning in your work. Look for jobs or projects that align with your goals and values. If the goal is to increase your earnings, look for opportunities to monetize your skills.
- Evaluate your relationships with family, friends, and strangers and determine how they contribute to your life – whether they help you grow or pull you back. Be prepared to have conversations with your partner, children, or other family members about the changes you are considering and what you want to achieve. Learn to finally set boundaries and cut out toxic people.
- Volunteering or participating in collaborative projects can help you feel useful and find new ways to help others. Collaborating with others can enrich your experience and help you find new perspectives. A person always wants to be involved in something bigger and more global, to feel like they belong.
- Spend time on hobbies or activities that stimulate your creativity and imagination. Draw, write, play musical instruments – be open to new creative challenges. No matter how it may seem at first glance, it is in creativity that a person grows, becomes better, and through creativity a springboard for change is prepared.
- Work on developing positive thinking and the ability to find positive aspects in any context. Focus on your achievements, opportunities, and new beginnings. Positive thinking is 40% of the formula for success. Another 50% is the environment, and only 10% is your knowledge and skills. Do not forget about it.
Causes of Midlife Crisis in Men
At the age of 37-41, many people experience unstable times. It is not to say that there have been no problems before: there have been ups and downs before, too. But this time something global is superimposed – the realization that half of the path has already been passed. The midlife crisis in men is fueled by several reasons.
Health. The well-being limps, there is a decline in vitality. Chronic diseases worsen, the first signs of erectile dysfunction may appear. Even if a man is completely healthy, natural physical changes manifest themselves – messengers of approaching old age. This is not easy to accept, especially when body image – the way I look – is of great value.
Role Change. At this age, there is a shift in roles. Children are growing up, some already have grandchildren. At work, everyone goes for advice, you have to take on more responsibility. Some people are not ready for this. The change of role also indicates that formally youth has passed, and it is impossible to deny it.
Immersion into the depths of oneself. There are questions to ask oneself: how did I live the first half of my life? Did I do the truly important and right things? Where did they lead me? Have I become happier? And these questions are not limited to analyzing one’s success. Often wealthy people who have invested all of themselves in their careers, in the middle of life feel lonely and tired, despite their successes.
Three Scenarios of a 40s Crisis in Men
A part of men feel a strong decline. This is often due to the fact that the work turned out to be not as promising as dreamed, or the chosen way of life led to a dead end. In this case, it is not uncommon to feel depressed, distressed state, from which they have a hard time getting out or in some cases even remain in it.
Another scenario is a complete reevaluation of one’s path. Such people start life with a clean slate. Such a decision is followed by 8-10 years of rebuilding their own lives.
Many men go through this period, if not calmly, then with a clear upswing. There is a motivation to make the last leap, something to fundamentally change, to live life as always dreamed. Men begin to actively develop in their profession, take on the role of mentors and experts, again sit up late at work. It is as if they have a second wind.
Midlife Crisis & Astrology
Midlife transitions are much more than simply getting older or new careers; they are powerful opportunities for a new level of soul growth and the realignment with the true self. These periods are known as critical transformational moments for astrologers, and it’s also a natural time to revisit your natal chart and analyze it with AI (like pythiaguru service).
Uranus Opposition – Age 40–42 (Awakening to Liberty)
This transit is like a cosmic alarm clock, asking us to shake loose the areas where life has grown tame and bored. There are plenty of other people in this world that want nothing more to escape the repetitive and inescapable nature of their routine lives. That creates a time at which the yearning for freedom becomes fundamentally necessary causing us to reassess where we fit in both our personal life and careers. Whether the sparks fly around a career change, relocating to another town or even changing our relationships, this phase asks us to be daring. With the Uranus Opposition we are invited to reconsider our way with an adventurous heart and can inspire us to take brave decisions that bring us back into touch with our core self, kindling our enthusiasm for life. This is a vital moment of shedding old roles and ways of being, preparing for a renewed perspective on identity and mission.
Neptune Square – Age 41-43: Seeking deeper meaning
This transit can be experienced as a crisis of faith. This brings a deep call for many to the quest for depth and our place as we are now in society. However, Neptune, the ruler of escapism, can also lead people to turn to substances for solace and try to soothe the inner loneliness with drugs. So is it going to feel like some unwelcome darkness? And also, because this is Neptune square the nodes – an aspect that was exact around November 30 – it can also create confusion (feelings of disillusionment) that we need to work through (truth versus illusion). The coming weeks are a truly pivotal time, a point where the veil of illusion will either cloud our vision or help clarify our deepest intuitions, depending on the way in which we answer its mystic call.
Jupiter Opposition Age 42: Attitude Check
The Jupiter opposition requires us to review and adjust our worldview and the bigger truths in our life. This transit, an all-important checkmark on everything that we know as real and true. This is the season to review old decisions and abandoned options to make sure that our future choices align more closely with the considered and developed perspectives we have of our philosophies of life and directions.
Saturn Opposition — 42–44 years — Questioning of what we have Done with our Life
This transit marks a time for introspection and examination of the structure we have built throughout our life thus far (since our first Saturn return 14 years ago). It is a deep analysis of the bodies and duties we have created; as part. Crossroads at this time identify the areas of life we wish to keep and those commitments we feel no longer support our well-developed self, paving the way for us until our next stage of life at the second Saturn Return around age 58.
Node Reversal — Age 45
Whenever the nodes become activated, we embark on a destined new journey and our life path undergoes a profound transformation. But here, this is karmic; a call that generally pushes us forward onto a new course that peaks destiny and change. This is where trust comes in, it becomes a time of letting go of the structure and allowing the process to unfold. That shift can put us back on course with our soul mission, gathering up the fortitude to pursue our purpose-driven journey without attempting to manipulate reality into what makes sense and what we believe should be happening.
The most important astrological changes of your life happening all at once can be a lot and leave you confused. Being that these transits are unavoidable, the best course of action is to meet your test with fervor and consider this a time of purification on high – as an opportunity from the cosmos to set about returning your life to greater alignment with your core truths and desires.
My personal transformation, which started after my initial Saturn Return, was no less difficult. It was a colorful stew of Neptune, Uranus Saturn, Chiron, Pluto transits. It was by no means an easy time, the path of introspection and spiritual development is often a minefield to navigate, but I am so thankful to my younger self for ripping off that band-aid even though I was terrified. It enabled me to rebirth myself as a butterfly on the other side.
The good news is, our midlife transit can be navigated with an evolutionary astrological understanding that offers clarity and guidance to a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. You can always practice realignment to the soul and chase some new perceptions into reality.
Lastly, don’t forget: All these transits won’t last a lifetime. It is the hardest lesson 4 life, & when you’ve learned it, you’re much tougher back.
OTS News on Social Media