The Saturn transit effect: does retro. differ from direct?

[ethertwist]

I'm in the middle of a Saturn square natal Venus transit (wow, has this been tough!). So far, it's made its initial direct pass this past fall (and a relationship I was in promptly hit the skids ) and it will make another in April as it retrogrades back over my natal Venus degree before the final direct pass in August. I was wondering if there is a school of thought in regards to how Saturn transits manifest and how each pass of an extended transit differs from the other (i.e., direct vs. retro vs. final direct). Are any considered more critical or challenging than the others?

Any insight or personal experiences would be much appreciated...