Constance’s works in Upon Waking are loosely bound thematically around the astrological event of the Saturn Return.

 

The phenomenon is described as influencing a person's life development at roughly 29.5 year intervals. These intervals or "returns" coincide with the approximate time it takes the planet Saturn to make one orbit around the Sun, roughly 29.5 years. Western astrologers believe that, as Saturn "returns" to the degree in its orbit occupied at the time of birth, a person crosses over a major threshold and enters the next stage of life.

 

In this series, she reflects on themes of aging, grief, and transformation over time as well as maintaining joy, levity, and whimsy in the face of persistent obligation, painful growth, and the uncertainty of the future.