Hi, Jana. This is a great question but I don't think it has a good answer.  Someone else might have a good answer and it's interesting to think, if things might have been different in a different era???

The way I see it now, people retire at all different ages for all kinds of different reasons. There is forced retirement, retirement to have a family, people who retire to care for parents, people who retire... to start a business.

There is also retirement due to disability or injury... there are many transits which can see a person retire.

Example, I "retired" from Frito Lay with Pluto in my 10th house. It was a true "retirement". I get retirement benefits from this, today.

I have not see much of a pattern in real life (consulting) but the most common thing I do see is transiting Saturn, nearing the 4th house.

Hello Hello  --  Hi Jana

I have also read and heard about old age retirement being represented by the 11^th house.  This is a very old concept.  While it may have been applicable many years back, as we have all experienced over the last two years, life is not static.   Various cultures, standard of living and mind set have to be taken into account for major life changes such as retirement.  As Elsa stated, there are a number of reasons a person retires and in what fashion.   We cannot forget something else that has become a trend in the states  --  “baby boomers” retire from jobs they have held for years, maybe they take a year or so and play a lot of golf, next thing you know, they are back doing highly paid contract work, they have gone through retraining or refresher training for a whole new career.  They also start their own businesses, and a number of them sign up to mentor newbie entrepreneurs through SCORE.  It is seldom about the money.  They just have a passion for work.  And as long as they have the passion for what they do and the energy to continue, they will work.  And thousands of American workers have been forced into retirement by company downsizing.  These folks receive hefty buyout packages.  I have seen so many  (my other half being one)  within three months they are right back at their old desk, stupid insane money being thrown at them.  It is long term contract work.  When I retired, it was for one reason and one reason only.  I hated the company I worked for.  I liked my job, I just hated what the company had become.  As soon as I had my medical benefits covered, I was gone.

Most often what I see when people retire, are forced out, accept a buyout package, just finally tell a boss to take a job and shove it………………..there is a major KA-BOOM hit to the MC.  Neptune hits the MC, company is bought out, moved out of the country, merged into a larger company, files for bankruptcy…….whatever………….it is just gone.   Somebody is at retirement age, just how motivated do you think they are to go out and find another job.  Pluto hitting the MC, now that is a doozy.  Same with Uranus  --  only then, and I do mean seldom, do you have any warning or see the changes coming.  Neptune dissolves.  Pluto rips apart.  Uranus pulls a fast one.  And our good buddy Saturn  --  when he hits the MC, you either have a ton more responsibility or you just lose your job  (and normally that is through your own fault).  So many of us have worked for these big companies.  We draw pensions and have 401(k)’s.  And nine times out of ten, when I look at the chart I will see a major blow to the MC or other planets located in the 10^th house.

For Americans, retirement is one of those major milestones.  Many times, those milestones can be addressed by activity hitting one or more of the four major axis