Soul shaped with Monika

With its iconic, mysteries rings made of frozen stardust, Saturn announces itself in the sky as the keeper of hidden secrets. The slowest moving planet in our solar system has 63 moons and takes nearly 30 years to complete one cycle around the sun. Here, on planet Earth, we're spinning around the Sun thirty times faster. In Jyotish - Vedic astrology - he is revered and even feared, as a powerful Spiritual teacher with profound life lessons for our Soul's evolution. A major Saturn transit in your natal chart will make its presence felt.

Saturn often gets a bad rap as the initiator of Life situations that we’d much rather not have at all. Losses, illnesses, surgeries, litigation, breakdowns, deaths and endings are all possible. They are the hard and even distressing sort, with consequences that are painful to bear, but he leaves us with no choice which only adds insult to injury. Course correction while kicking and screaming is usually not a pretty sight. First, we must find our way into the attitude of surrendering to the 'isness of isness' within the circumstances that we're being asked to face. From the place of acceptance, we arrive into transcendence slowly but surely. The very same situation that was an unbearable, weeping wound, now becomes a portal for tears of gratitude and a river of unconditional love. Love, which is the very fabric of existence and our birthright comes alive in our very own experience, perhaps for the first time. As Leanard Cohen famously sang, 'there's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in'. 

Saturn is known as 'Shanishcharaya' or 'Shani' in Jyotish. He cares little for our accumulations on the material plane, and instead asks questions about our fundamental relationships - with our shadows, fears and the unknown, with the One Source of All, and with our deepest Self. He asks us to contemplate the nature of our Existence, what we’re doing here on this Earth and what we really want our one precious Life to stand for? If you thought those questions are not yours to contemplate, He will make you reconsider. 

saturn’s transits

It helps tremendously to be aware of important Saturn transits as potent times for learning profound life lessons, and receiving life initiations with challenging circumstances. When we acknowledge the resistance that arises, we can consciously shift and align with the flow of evolution, and find a path into transcendence. The experience can transform from one of suffering and victimhood into a more sublime expression. 

Saturn return - when transit Saturn goes over our natal Saturn on the chart, usually at age 28-30 years. 

Saturn over Natal Moon - this is called Sade-Sati (meaning 7 and a half years), when transit Saturn goes over the Moon in our natal chart. Takes place approximately every 30 years after the first one, which can happen at any time in one’s life. Although the total transit is 7.5 years, the most crucial time is the 3 year period when Saturn is within 30 degrees of the natal Moon. When there is appropriate up levelling of self-care and maturity, this can be a fertile time for heart activation and spiritual deepening. 

In addition, Saturn as a depositor for the shadow planets of Rahu and Ketu (north and south Lunar nodes) plays a significant role in the chart. 

Dieties and houses

The Dieities associated with Saturn are naturally intense and fierce forms of Kali (wild, bloodthirsty and shameless), and Shiva (dancing the 'Tandava' dance of destruction in drunken esctasy). ‘Om Namaha Shivaya' is a simple and potent mantra that can be chanted by anyone during periods of high Saturn energy.

Energy patterns creating suffering that we naturally want to avoid are held in seed and facilitated into teaching experiences by Saturn's command. The renowned teacher Aghori Vimalananda said that there is only one planet, and that is Saturn. This speaks to Saturn as the holder of karmic knots that we must disentangle through evolutionary action. All the dust that has been routinely swept under the carpet, sometimes for decades, is revealed in this light.

The houses ruled by Saturn in our chart, as well as where the planet is located, and it’s state - exalted, debilitated, naturally friendly or unfriendly sign - is a great pointer to the growth that we must intentionally facilitate to evolve in this lifetime. For e.g, this could be in the area of intimate relationships, community, the work we put out in the world or how we experience being supported by Life. Every other relationship is a reflection of the fundamental relationship to our own Self. Shani represents the binding action of unconscious, karmic patterns. Naturally, it’s where we can shine the light of presence and awareness to liberate ourselves from entanglement.

the invitation of saturn

Saturn itself is a dry planet of inner detachment and not usually associated with sensuality, juicy pleasures or intimacy. Ironically it is Saturn’s very lessons that we need the most to succeed with romantic liaisons. Without the primary connection to our own Self coming first, most people experience being trapped very soon inside the same relationships that started out with great hope and promise. Once the sugar coating has worn off, co-dependency has the unmistakably familiar and bitter taste of resentment, feeling wronged, betrayed and victimised. This situation is very common in our times, and has been a primary area of focus for me and the people I work with. It holds a potent and beautiful invitation for Saturn related growth, to move from disconnection into the greater field of unconditional Love. 

Saturn is a teacher of Self as love, asking us to transcend the persistent illusion of the lack of love that we commonly experience. This love that is the fabric of our existence, inherent and ever-present. It is who we already are. We release the pattern of placing demands and expectations on others and fill up from our own connection to Source first. With this radical move we become free to share from our fullness with others and serve those in need when it is aligned. 

While it’s natural to have expectations of others in relationships, it’s also important to realise that as sovereign, independent beings we are ultimately responsible for our own needs, feelings and desires. No one else has to fulfil them unless they want to. We hold this natural law and freedom high within ourselves and for those whom we enter into relationship with. Our feelings, needs and desires are ours and they don’t even need to be fulfilled all the time in order for us to be whole. Simply acknowledging them and granting them space to be is enough. 

The ultimate call of Shani Deva is the realisation of existential bliss and freedom - from fear, suffering and the isolated, unworthy, victim ego-identity. We can connect with this essence in the radical surrender to the Isness of Isness. Here in this state of non-resistance to the whole, we find ourselves open to the aliveness of Existence and guided by the impulse of Life to evolve through us. It’s uncomfortable and threatening to the fearful part of us that finds safety in the familiar at first, but it’s energising and enlivening for the wild, natural and alive Self connected to the Whole. 

aligning with the flow of Saturn

It is highly recommended to prepare the mind and body for Saturn transits, as it is supportive to meet the demands of Saturn with greater ease and grace. Getting centred is a huge advantage when meeting Saturn’s challenging nature, instead of crashing into him scattered and clueless which can become a rude awakening. Once in alignment with the Great Master, we are all set to discover and integrate the bliss, grace and spiritual power of this mystical Being within our own experience. 

Practices to align with Saturn:

Cultivating stillness, morning and/or evening meditation, journalling, quiet and undistracted time, being with nature, contemplation in solitude, retreating, self-care practices, abhyanga oil massage, growth and evolution related learning, chanting Mantra, yoga, breath work, deeper self-connection practices, decluttering, completing unfinished projects and commitments. 

Grounding practices for the physical vehicle - eating good quality fats like Ghee, walking barefoot on Earth, daily lifestyle discipline with regular eating and sleeping times - dinacharya, eating simple, home cooked, warm food. 

Fasting - take on a practice of giving up something that we're overly attached to for 19 Saturdays in a row, such as devices, talking or sugar. Create an intention for greater awareness fluidity with Saturn's energy while offering up the attachment into the inner sacrificial fire. 

saturn in your natal chart

For more information on Saturn's unique placement and impact on your own chart, and being well prepared for your Saturn transits, please go to monikavijh.com/jyotish.