Saturn Returns with Caggie - The Courage to Be Seen: Authenticity in Dating

Episode Date: December 2, 2024

In this special episode of Saturn Returns, Caggie dives deep into the world of modern dating with two members of the Saturn Returns community, Megan and Rachel. This conversation, in partnership with Hinge, explores the transformative power of self-discovery, vulnerability, and authenticity in forming meaningful relationships. Together, they discuss: ✨ Intentional dating, including curating a Hinge profile that truly reflects you, showcasing your authenticity and inviting deeper connections ✨ The importance of open communication, bravery, and vulnerability, which can create space for trust and intimacy in dating ✨ Trusting your intuition, and the importance of listening to your inner voice - those subtle whispers of dissatisfaction or alignment that guide you toward relationships that truly honour your needs and desires Caggie also invites listeners to take a moment of self-reflection as the year draws to a close. Ask yourself: How have I grown in love and self-awareness over the past year? Is my dating profile aligned with the person I’ve become? As we move into 2025, it’s time to refresh your dating intentions and embrace authenticity in your romantic relationships so you can align your goals with your truest self and build connections that matter on Hinge.  A heartfelt thank you to Hinge for partnering on this episode and helping us champion the values of vulnerability and authenticity in modern dating. #hingepartner

Hello everyone and welcome to Saturn Returns with me, Kagi Dunlop. This is a podcast that aims to bring clarity during transitional times where there can be confusion and doubt. In today's special episode, I'm thrilled to be partnering with Hinge, the dating app designed to be deleted, to help inspire you to reflect on your dating journey over the past year. The new year is fast approaching and this is such a powerful time to pause and reflect. What have you learned about yourself and love this past year? How have these moments, whether joyful or challenging, shaped who you've become?

And how can you carry those lessons into 2025 with intention? To guide this reflection I asked our community on Instagram to consider the following hinge prompt, this year I really want to. I received so many responses and I encourage you to take a moment to think about this for yourself especially as it comes to dating and relationships in the new year. I'll be speaking with two members of our Saturn Returns community, Megan and Rachel, who've both been on a transformative journey

of growth, resilience and self-discovery. We'll also explore how Hinge can help you align your dating profile with the version of yourself you've grown into so you can attract the connections you truly deserve. Firstly I am joined by Megan who is a member of the Saturn Returns community. She recently came on the Saturn Returns retreat and she shares her thoughts on what she's learned over the last year and really what she wants to kind of take in going into 2025 in terms of communication, clarity, and how to show up authentically.

What I want to end 2024 on is clarity. Clarity for myself in what I am wanting and needing in my life and being really, really clear about setting that intention and that kind of picture of the values, the behaviours, the kind of type of person I want to attract and then also clarity on just the situationships I might be in.

And that clarity comes from communication. So one big thing is just learning how to express my needs better and making sure that it's not sitting in my head because I think I do a lot of processing and overthinking, but it doesn't always translate into communication to the other person. So I want to end the year with clarity, and that means being brave and maybe being vulnerable with communication and how I'm feeling. And then what I want to call in for 2025 is, oh, I want big love. I've always been told I have really high standards, maybe they're too high, I'm too fussy, and I say that's bullshit. I want to attract someone who

isn't afraid to, you know, securely show up for me. I think someone secure in themselves is quite attractive and something that I want in an equal and a kind of partner. Dating apps are now the number one place where people are meeting. And so there are so many opportunities because you don't have to rely on organically bumping into someone at a bar or being introduced through friends. There are so many options, but that can also make it overwhelming.

So being really clear on how you are showing up, what version of yourself you are curating online is so, so important. And the way that Hinge uses prompts so that you get your personality across is so, so important, not only for how you want to show up, but also for who you want to go on a date with. As a busy person, I'm not hanging out at a bar in the week. I'm just not doing that. And so the chances of obviously meeting someone just don't exist as they did before. And when you're hanging with your friends, the likelihood is you're not necessarily meeting

new people organically. It just, it's just different. I also think in a post-COVID world, like, socializing has somehow changed. I think as someone who wants to be a bit more intentional about who they're attracting, it's also important to think about what you're putting out there on your profile and you want to be real and, yeah, yourself. But then you also have to kind of like decide what version of you you're creating or at least giving like multiple aspects of yourself, which is always interesting.

Hinge is great because it gives you so many more prompts to react to and to kind of get more of a flavor for someone's personality. We also heard from Rachel who shares that her most important thing going into next year is about finding someone who aligns with her values. This is so important when it comes to romantic relationships. And sometimes I feel like we don't get that clear on what we value before we go into the dating world. So I find this so, so important. And also it's like the kind of person

that we want to meet. Do we embody those principles? Are we showing up in that way? Are we being authentic? Are we being true to ourselves? And so it's always about recognizing like the way that you are showing up first, which I think is so, so important. are showing up first, which I think is so, so important. This past dating year is the first time that I've really set what myself and gotten clear on what my values are and what my needs would be in a romantic relationship. And I think things that I previously would have

entertained for too long or in possible situations and connections where I may have given someone the benefit of the doubt or hoped for things to improve. I have been a lot more confident in cutting things off when I start to get those gut instincts that things aren't right. And I think that's my intention for 2025. It's that if you're getting those whispers of dissatisfaction early on, when you're dating someone or if things just aren't feeling right that I'm

really learning to listen to my gut and to trust that my body and my soul knows what's right and what isn't and as someone who was always an optimist I like to see them the best in people but I think there have been times in the past where that hasn't served me. And I have really felt that in choosing myself in these situations and in walking away when I just know that the person isn't giving the energy that I would like, it always leaves me feeling better afterwards and closer to finding the person that will

physically and energetically fill that space in my life. Also I loved what she shared about trusting your instincts and your gut and if something doesn't feel right following that. And it's okay to not pursue things if you don't feel like there's a connection because essentially, you know, like a lot of my audience members, if you really want to meet someone, you don't want to waste your time and you don't want to waste theirs. But I also think there's an importance in when you don't feel the connection to close it. I always use the term leaving well. No one likes being ghosted, no one likes not knowing what went wrong and I think that communicating that can go such a long way. And I am a true believer in

we know what's right for us, We know when something feels like an energetic match and there is no greater feeling. But it's important to not try and convince yourself that something is good when your body is telling you otherwise. As we move into 2025, take this opportunity to refresh your hinge profile and make it a true reflection of who you are now. Ask yourself, what have I learned from this past year? What kind of love do I want to call in?

Use those answers to create a profile that not only attracts meaningful connections, but also represents the person you've become. You deserve a relationship that feels aligned, authentic, and fulfilling. So it's time to put yourself back out there, refresh your Hinge profile, embrace your vulnerability, and lead with clarity about what you truly want. Thank you so much to Megan and Rachel for sharing their stories, and thank you to Hinge for making this episode possible. As always remember, you are not alone. Goodbye!