Saturn turns Retrograde (4th June - 23rd October 2022): Long-term and Short-term Results

Feeling the Saturn retrograde very strongly myself, I have been inexplicably delayed with this long overdue update. 

Saturn turned stationary and retrograde (Rx) on 4th June, and then began traversing (seemingly) backwards. This backward motion is an optical illusion. It only looks like Saturn (or any other Rx planet) is going backwards because of its slower motion in comparison to the faster moving, forward motion of the earth. This is like a slower train that seems to go backwards when seen from the vantage point of a faster train passing in the same direction. It is completely normal, and quite a usual occurrence for all planets to go Rx. SaturnRx takes place for about half a year every year, similar to the Rx motion of Jupiter. But then again, this is Saturn we are talking about, and nothing about Saturn is really normal. 

SaturnRx will first traverse backwards in Aquarius till 13th July, after which he will reenter Capricorn in the same backward motion and continue in Rx motion till 22nd October. On 22nd October Saturn stations direct -- a time when the Earth's speed seems to slow down and reach an even point of balance with Saturn's speed. Thereafter, Saturn resumes direct motion on 23rd October in Capricorn, and reenters Aquarius on 17th January 2023 for the next two years. Till 17th January, the world will have changed and prepared itself for a revolution from below. Saturn will enter Capricorn after 30 years now, and perhaps most of us hitting our 60s, will never see a Saturn-Capricorn transit again!    

SaturnRx will be at 1 degree Aquarius till 13th July, and his entire Rx journey this year, even the time when he is in Capricorn will remain in the Dhanishta Nakshatra. Dhanishta is ruled by Mars and spans from 23 degrees of Capricorn to 7 degrees of Aquarius. It is signified by two prominent images: the first is that of a drum or any other percussion instrument, and the other is of a resting lioness. Though Dhanishta is associated with music (the Rx did begin with the death of prominent musicians in India), it also signifies the announcing of victory, that is accompanied by musical bands and pomp. Saturn is powerful in Aquarius, his Mooltrikona, a sign he co-lords with Rahu. Though Mars shares a volatile relationship with both Saturn and Rahu, the presence of Dhanishta in Aquarius, and Saturn's placement here, is capable of commanding a social revolution that is led at an ideological level, aimed at common good, initiated and made operational by the common masses for the common masses. Saturn is like a communist leader in Dhanishta-Aquarius, a powerful trade-unionist, doing what he likes best -- working for the laboring, downtrodden masses. Rahu's co-lording of Aquarius with Saturn's communist ferment adds intellect, cunning and strategy to Saturn's socialist passion. 

Saturn's modus operendi is that of Robin Hood -- uplifting the weak by bringing misfortune and calamity on the powerful and rich. Beware of Saturn's affliction period (saade-sati and dhaiya), especially if you are from among the elites. Either he will make you work hard for those lower in station to you, or he will reduce your station to theirs -- chipping away neatly at every edifice of affluence and power you have garnered. With Mars and Rahu's help, Saturn learns to be strategic and aggressive in Dhanishta, attending parties with higher-ups here and there -- crucial for bargaining and negotiating. Look out for Saturn! He is that dark, deep, and silent one in all construction negotiation deals, sitting among very rich construction magnates in their meetings. He is very much, and visibly out of place there, but he is so essential for their project's success, that he forces his own belonging to the group. His eyes are red and gleaming with cold, belligerent intelligence, his greasy hair is slicked-back and salt-pepper. He wears a nondescript safari suit, smells faintly of tobacco and cheap, sweet-smelling hair oil, and his fingers are covered in gaudy gold rings. His nails are dirty, and he holds a leather bag-cum-purse looped through his wrist, and leather shoes. His gaze is inscrutable, and his teeth are somewhat protruding, and stained -- the veneer is obvious and palpable. Though he does not belong to the group, he is powerful enough to not only be part of it, but call the shots. 

He controls the workers, and nothing in this construction project will work without his support and ratification. Mars is a superb agent in this mixture, activating the cocktail of Rahu and Saturn in Aquarius by lending an aggressive forward motion to this brilliant but dangerous trade-unionist. Saturn in Dhanishta-Aquarius will lay down the strongest and the most aggressive of demands, laced with threat. Mars transforms Saturn's power in Aquarius into that of an ambivalent war lord, who is accompanied by his own band of followers, waiting outside the meeting room, a creeping mass on the streets standing in the rain, waiting for the deal to be clinched in their favor by Saturn. They dance, play the drums, and blast off their vuvuzelas in advance, and those dealing with Saturn in the meeting room of Aquarius sweat under their collars. They cannot control the same masses they need for their project to go through, without Saturn. They cannot dream of doing away with him either, for he is too powerful an adversary, and he knows it, as he sits there smiling, all smug and ominous, full of veiled threats, his gaze, watchful, knowing, canny, cold, and relentless. The deal just has to go through on his terms. Its a foregone case. And Saturn is a ruthless enemy. 

Mars has an ambivalent relationship with Saturn. At one level, they are enemies as Mars is friend to Jupiter and the Luminaries. On the other hand, Mars is also exalted in Capricorn, Saturn's ordinary sign. This exaltation has much to do with Mar's mascot deity Hanuman, who had once, in childish folly, leaped up at the Sun in a bid to swallow the latter. Although this disfigured his face permanently, the Sun forgave him and even admired and blessed him for his courage. Hanuman's act won him laurels from Saturn too, who appreciated the courage necessary to attack the Sun, and enabled this same courage, represented in Mars's power, to flow freely, and be at its strongest and most constructive, whenever in Capricorn -- a standing invitation. The son of the Sun (raviputra), Saturn, lives in utter hatred of his father, and Hanuman's brief attack on his enemy endeared Mars to Saturn. A bad Saturn affliction in the saade-saati and dhaiyya period (when Saturn conjoins the moon in one's chart) is said to be eased, if the native worships Hanuman -- courage and fortitude in the face of adversity.         

SaturnRx in Dhanishta, and Aquarius till 13th July is very powerful at 1 degree, as his 3rd gaze rests on Rahu in Aries. From his location at 1 degree, his gaze also activates the Gandanta between Pisces and Aries. This Gandanta remains powerful, especially as Mars speeds towards it, restless to transit into Aries, his own Mooltrikona sign -- but not without due diligence to the Gandanta. Though in a water sign where Mars feels out of depth, Pisces is not too bad for Mars, especially as it is ruled by friend Jupiter, who also currently sits in Pisces. Jupiter steers Mars on, and perhaps this is helpful, but only till 27th June. After that, once Mars crosses Gandanta, and flies straight into Rahu's arms into Aries, Jupiter looses control over Mars. It is interesting that from 27th June, all planets are in their own signs or friendly signs. Jupiter is in Pisces, Mars is in Aries, Saturn is in Aquarius, Venus is in Taurus, and Mercury is in Taurus too with friend Venus. Mercury will transit to his own house Gemini on 2nd July completing the formation of every planet being in the houses they themselves lord. Returning to Saturn, apart from the 3rd gaze, Saturn's 10th gaze lies on Mars's Scorpio where the Moon will become full on 14th June at 30 degrees in Jyeshtha Nakshatra, right at the Gandanta between Scorpio and Sagittarius. 

Jyeshtha Nakshatra is named after its inauspicious, ferocious deity Jyeshtha, who is nevertheless ruled by Mercury. Though this redeems Jyeshtha somewhat as Mercury is hardly a malefic, this still makes Jyeshtha enemy territory for the Moon, who is additionally debilitated in Scorpio in any case. Jyeshtha is the inauspicious half-sister of Lakshmi (ALakshmi), and sometimes also identified with the pox goddess Shitala Devi, or Dhoomvati, a fearful Mahavidya, represented by a crow and a round winnowing fan -- not too different from Saturn, whose vehicle is also the crow, or a crow-ish, fierce creature. Saturn's 3rd gaze on Rahu, on the Gandanta between Pisces and Aries, combined with his 10th gaze on the debilitated moon in Gandanta between Scorpio and Sagittarius, will bring back some of the emotional volatility and vulnerability reminiscent of the Lunar eclipse in mid-May. This is a time, when old wounds re-rupture, and we fight with friends and family. Thankfully, Ketu is not involved, and there is thus, no break-up on the cards. 

Saturn's 7th gaze on Leo, pressures the Sun, Saturn's much-hated father, who is somewhat weak till 15th June too, sitting in Venus's Taurus and not feeling very strong there. The Sun is debilitated in Venus's Mooltrikona, Libra and this is a place where Saturn receives exaltation (predictably). Venus is Saturn's friend, and Mars is busy elsewhere, busy trying to swim through Pisces. The Sun is a bit alone in all this drama, as the full-moon debilitates in Mercury's Jyeshtha in Scorpio. The Sun will feel better only after the full-Moon is over, as he sweeps into Gemini on 15th June, accompanied by the Moon who sweeps out of debilitation, into Sagittarius right across from him around the same time. As Venus moves into Taurus on 18th June, a great hurdle will have been crossed, and we can all heave a collective sigh of relief, and look forward to the next 10 days of peace, at least till the time Mars crosses Gandanta into Aries, to meet provocateur Rahu by month-end. And yet, I am not completely sure that this is a bad thing, since this transit of Mars also energizes Saturn in his last Rx throes in Dhanishta-Aquarius till 13th July. 

Apart from all the planets being in their own/ friendly houses in July, there is another interesting astrological phenomena taking place that I have never seen before. The sign of Scorpio becomes particularly activated in July, with all planets focusing their gaze on Scorpio between 27th June and 2nd July: Saturn through his 10th gaze (from Aquarius), Jupiter through his 9th gaze (from Pisces), Mars through his 8th gaze (from Aries), and Venus and Mercury through their 7th gaze (from Taurus). This will change after Mercury moves to Gemini on 2nd July. This planetary focus transforms Scorpio into an important field of action in June-end, exactly at the time when Mars enters Aries and meets Rahu. An event of some significance may take place in this small window of time between 27th June and 2nd July. Be cautious, watchful, but yet, open to suggestions. Look out for how this event is connected to the heightened signification of Scorpio in your chart, and check for how Mars is doing in your own natal chart -- the current role he plays in your Mahadashas/ Antardashas/ Pratyantardashas. Also, don't forget to check how many points your chart gives to Mars and Scorpio in the Ashtakavarga and Bhinnashtakavarga calculations. 

It is debatable whether Rahu and Ketu have gazes at all, except for adopting the gazes of their depositors -- the lords of houses where they are placed, or the planets they are conjoined with in the natal chart. Despite Rahu and Ketu not being planets, some astrologers accept that Rahu especially has gazes. I don't see how this works for Ketu who is headless though! Other astrologers don't consider Rahu-Ketu as gazing and aspecting beings at all. Whether the Luminaries have gazes too, is equally debatable. Actually, the fact that our Luminaries gaze 'equally' upon us all, and do not have a special gaze when lighting up all that is in their paths, is exactly what makes them Luminaries. They don't discriminate among their children, being our cosmic parents, under God. They light us all up equally.      

Returning to Saturn, Shani or Shanaischara in Indian astrology and Hindu mythology, he inspires great fear -- a cold variety of existential terror. He is one of the most important and respected among all the 9 planets (navagraha), and is considered a very powerful and cruel malefic. According to his mythological attributes, he sits on a crow (or a crow-ish creature), is of a deep blackish/ blue color (a sapphire), clutches a stick, trident, or punitive instrument in his hand, and is associated with Saturday (Shaniwar). He is represented by a Peepal/ fig tree, and carries a flag at times that has a crow on it. Saturn is a equalizer, bringing death like experiences, and suffering. Though he is associated with the experience of death, he is not death itself. The crow, and his other companions like his black dog are significant here, as they represent the stage of suffering, of our ancestors stuck between this world (ihaloka) and the next world (paraloka). This stage of existence is considered painful, and Saturn enjoins us to feed crows and dogs -- our ancestors who continue to languish at the margins of our own worlds. 

When Saturn afflicts a native, the latter (unless the chart is ruled by Saturn and/ or his friends: Venus and Mercury) undergoes unparalleled suffering, considered akin to the difficulties of old age and dying (but not death itself -- and hence suffering without a release-date): poverty, disfigurement, accidents and handicaps, impotence, isolation and imprisonment, physical weakness, illness, and humiliation. Saturn is a champion of the laboring masses, especially iron-smiths, sanitation workers and garbage pickers, and industrial workers, especially those who handle machine and machine oils. He is the leader of leather workers, and oil pressers (especially mustard oil). It is only through friendship and service of people in such sectors of society that Saturn's afflictions ease. This understanding has resulted in the somewhat false compensatory ritual practice of feeding persons from such occupational backgrounds on Saturday (Shanichari). Instead of making it a ritual, it would have been more helpful if Saturn's afflictions were understood on true terms, entailing genuine support, and activism on behalf of the less privileged living amidst us. 

Saturn's harshness is specially extreme in the first and last saade-saati phase of a person's life, whereas the middle saade-sati brings unrelenting labor. He is a slow-moving planet, and the torture he unleashes is of a slow and chronic (shanay-shanay) nature, whittling-away and beating the native into submission, compassion for others, and finally, realization and acceptance about being a commoner after all -- true wisdom. Saturn becomes debilitated in Aries, and his affliction hits Aries and Leo the worst as these are places ruled by his father, the Sun, and Sun's friend Mars -- the signs of kings, corporations, and governments. The affliction intensity is also quite high for Sagittarius, Pisces ruled by Jupiter, Sun's friend, though some of this enmity is cancelled due to Jupiter's own enormous strength exerted over Saturn. Cancer as a fragile, emotional luminary, and Sun's companion, is hit pretty hard too.   

Saturn's story is sad. His father, the Sun was married to Sandhya. But she, unable to bear his scorching heat, created a shadow of herself called Chhaya, who was exactly like her in every respect. Handing over her own children and marital duties to Chhaya, Sandhya went off into the forest to do penance, for the sin of deceiving/ abandoning her husband. Saturn was born to Chhaya and among her other children, was brother to Yama, the deity of death in Hindu mythology. His proximity to the Sun in Chhaya's womb, scorched him and turned him pitch black at the time of his birth. The Sun hated Saturn, his own son for being black, especially, as the Sun went into eclipse at the very moment of Saturn's birth. Some mythologists think that this was Saturn's curse upon his father as revenge for the latter's denigration of him for being black -- effecting that same fate on the Sun -- turning him black in an eclipse too. Poor Saturn, also became lame, when Sandhya's other children attacked him, and struck him on his foot. Saturn represents the neglect and injustice of families, that look down on, and torture their own disfigured, and less-lucky siblings. 

This Saturnian figure has found exact representation in Tyrion Lannister in the 'Game of Thrones' series. Disfigured, and hated by his siblings and family, he was forced to kill his father, and rose tremendously through the ranks to unbelievable heights, though he was still physically a dwarf. Tyrion was wise, sad, funny, courageous, brave, strategic and cunning, morally relentless and lonely, dis-attached from the world, where he strove to achieve heights. Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader of 20th century Germany had a powerful Saturn placement in his 10th house (though this is not confirmed), and he rose in his career exactly through Saturnian means: from below. Voted in by the rabble, he was obsessed with leading a 'simple' and vegetarian lifestyle besotted with an imagined, and great Germanic heritage. Dis-attached from human relationships, he was a typical Venusian warmonger, finally ending his own life dramatically, as he lost the war and his own identity, and dignity with it. Returning to Saturn, the only saving grace was, that his mother Chhaya was a great devotee of Shiva. And it is also through devotion to Shiva (apart from Hanuman), and practicing dis-attachment from the worldly, that Saturn's difficulties and suffering may finally ease, only to give achievement in the exact same world from which the native has learned to be dis-attached. If you want to understand Saturn in his afflicting period, learn NOT to want. Cold strategy is born from emotional disinterest and apathy. Not wanting is essential for victory.        

Now, here comes the tricky part. What does it all mean? What will the current SaturnRx phase lasting roughly from 5th June to 13th July in Aquarius, and then till 23rd October in Capricorn, bring? Though some astrologers predict that SaturnRx strengthens his malefic effects, I have, in my humble experience, observed differently. SaturnRx is a time for reaping both long-term, as well as the short-term rewards/ benefits of the Saturn direct phase. The last direct phase began on 11th October 2021. Saturn first went direct in Capricorn and then entered Aquarius on 29th April 2022, continuing in the direct motion in Aquarius till 5th June 2022. While this roughly one-month direct period in Aquarius constitutes a teaser for what might be in store from 17th January 2023 onward, when Saturn re-enters Aquarius, what remains constant in this entire Rx transit is Mars's Dhanishta, as Saturn's playing field. 

All planets in their Rx phase come closer to the earth and are visible in the sky with a simple telescope. Since they seem to stop moving in the sky and come closer, we learn new things about them, compared to what is possible when they are in direct motion. SaturnRx also means that he comes closer to the earth, compared to the direct motion. Its glorious to see those awesome rings flicker and suddenly become visible in the night sky. While Rx intensifies Saturn's effect -- its true, but this intensity is different from the results of the direct phase. This is where Mars's position becomes important, when evaluating the transit. I would say the period till 13th July continues to bring tremendous work pressure. The period after mid-July is harder to fathom, as Mars exalted in Capricorn rushes into a close conjunction with Rahu in August-beginning. Can you remember some of the older groundwork you had once laid, in some or the other professional direction last autumn, when Saturn had turned direct in Capricorn? This is a time for working towards certain renewed opportunities based on that groundwork in the past, aimed towards resolving what was glimpsed back then in the present. This is still a bit dark, and harder to predict, as we all return to the Kaal-Sarpa formation this winter, with all planets hemmed in between Ketu and Rahu. 

What this SaturnRx phase brings, is also, of course, dependent on where Saturn, Mars, Aquarius and Capricorn is placed in your personal chart. Aquarius forces you to finish work at hand, enjoining you to meet deadlines in the present. Capricorn, on the other hand, facilitates the finishing-up of older, tedious and boring background work, and fulfilling older promises and commitments that are essential for the next two phases that take place after Saturn turns direct on 23rd October, first in Capricorn itself till 17th January, and then from 17th January onward, when Saturn prepares to take on the world after re-entering Aquarius. SaturnRx are slippery slopes. Some things can happen really fast and in a chaotic way in contrast to the direct period. Some old pressures and deadlines may be externally and all of a sudden lifted, at least for the time being, especially if you already have a SaturnRx in your natal chart. But this is just a brief reprieve, and hardly a time to slack off. Your deadlines have just been postponed, and not cancelled. They will return in Autumn with additional work entailed and full pressure. And not delivering on the deadline then, will bring humiliation. So, finish your work in good time NOW!

I would also advise self control and diligence! If its a house you are purchasing/ building, or a book you are writing, keep working towards their final execution NOW. Mars's transit into Aries on 27th June, that aspects Scorpio with his 8th gaze, will help you to work better, with more ease and less confusion -- helping you to finish the edifice of a building, for which you are required to build a super-structure next year. Mars is as yet, still floundering, and feeling unprepared in Pisces -- spending cozy time with Jupiter at home. But as is his nature, he is already restless and antsy, looking out ever increasingly from the window at the horizon, planning ahead, shining his car, and checking for fuel and other logistics that are important for the journey ahead into Gandanta. He has already begun to separate from the Pisces energy that focuses inwards, at matters of homely comfort. Soon, he will pick up speed and verve, and rejoice as he moves into Aries. The Sun too, will enter Mercury's Gemini on 15th June, while Mercury feeling energized in Venus's Taurus, accompanied by Venus himself, will end up supporting the Sun. Mars works like a steam engine on overdrive in Aries, and this energy simply gets exacerbated in Rahu's company. Rahu is an extreme kind of guy, who merges and explodes the energies of planets he conjoins with. Though the Mars Rahu conjunction is not considered good, defined as 'Angarak Yoga' by astrologers, and characterized by extreme, explosive speed, emotion, and rash decisions, Saturn's 3rd gaze from Aquarius in Dhanishta will help to structure and channelize the Mars-Rahu energy. Though Mars-Rahu will soon move out of Saturn's 3rd gaze ambit after 13th July, when Saturn moves backwards into Capricorn, Saturn will still remain in Mars's Dhanishta Nakshatra even in Capricorn. He will hence, continue to control Mars in an indirect way. However, we need to watch out for Rahu in this phase after 13th July, since Saturn's pressure on Rahu will completely cease, at least till 17th January 2023. Given Saturn's control and structure, the Mars-Rahu conjunction may not be entirely bad. In fact, if you can control your energy and emotions in this slightly uncontrolled, and chaotic phase, it may help you to get a lot of stuff done. 

While working relentlessly may lead to burnout, stress, and frustration, as you try to keep afloat and juggle commitments, something that may help at this time is sleep. Try to rest, by not watching TV (and triggering news that you cannot help to resolve in any case), but by actually sleeping it off. Whenever you feel tired, let go, and take power naps! Saturn helps with sleeping, though in his Rx phase, he also makes you lazy in a stress-related way, especially if Capricorn is your 12th house. Be aware of the distinction between resting after hard work, and procrastination that makes for restless and non-refreshing, stressed-out sleep. Once you are aware of that distinction, you will mostly be fine, and your sleep will help you resolve problems that you were battling in waking time. New ideas and solutions will come to you in your sleep. Slow down internally but don't take a holiday, as you try to fit in more and more work in smaller amounts of time. Another thing that might help (I have found it useful), is a small 15-minutes maun-vrat -- a self conscious vow of silence every day that assists in the task of introspection. This control gained is not the same thing as being automatically silent. An aware practice of silence increases control over life -- at least, the pell-mell way in which we are currently leading it.  

All the best! I will be back with an update on JupiterRx before July-end, unless something else strikes me as super-important before that, and brings me back to the writing desk. Unlikely, but with SaturnRx and Jupiter gradually slowing down in July preparing to go into his Rx phase, who can say!