If
you were to consult any of the works of the medieval or traditional
astrologers on the planet Saturn, you would likely find expressions
like “(the greater) malefic”, “melancholy”, “decay”,
“malevolence”, “restriction”, “death”, the “author of
solitariness”, and, my personal favourite, “offensively acid, stinking".
As
the planet most remote from the earth and closest to the fixed stars,
Saturn is far removed from our normal human concerns and daily
routine. In fact, we try to avoid him as much as possible and the
things he rules. We want the riches and honours promised by Jupiter
but without the disciplined study and hard, often thankless, work
that is often required; we want the effortless and exhilarating
romantic relationships that Hollywood tells us we deserve (regardless
of how awful a person we might be), but Hollywood neglects to mention
the personal sacrifice and commitment that a long-term relationship
with another requires. Unfortunately, like ageing, gravity, death
and taxes (which, not coincidentally, are ruled by the Greater
Malefic), we cannot escape the influence of Saturn.
In
medieval astrology, due to its extreme cold and slowness of motion,
Saturn is thought to bring delays and obstacles, and its influence on
a person will often colour the personality with a tinge of
melancholy. Saturn afflicting the moon brings melancholy, Saturn
afflicting Venus or the Lord of the 7th house can bring
delays in marriage, Lord 5 a delay in having children. When Saturn
is a significator of the native, and he is ill dignified, it makes
that person – according to William Lilly, at least - “envious,
covetous, jealous and mistrustful, timorous, sordid, outwardly
dissembling, sluggish, suspicious, stubborn, a contemner of women, a
close liar, malicious, murmuring, never contented, ever repining”.
Not exactly the kind of person you would invite to a dinner party.
The
gifts of Saturn
As feared
and as hated as he was, Saturn is not all bad. William Lilly tells
us that a person with a well-dignified Saturn as his significator
“... is profound in imagination, in his acts severe, in words
reserved, in speaking and giving very spare, in labour patient, in
arguing or disputing grave, in obtaining the goods of this life
studious and solicitous, in all manner of actions austere.” He may
not be the most fun person at your dinner party, but he will likely
be the most interesting.
The
author of the Ghayat al-Hakim, one of the oldest source books of
medieval astrology, tells us that Saturn “is the planet whose
source holds great strength and has the knowledge of mysterious orbit
and the power to obtain the reason behind things and the ability to
find their intentions, the spell of wonders and knowledge of secret
and mysterious issues.” The great renaissance philosopher,
Marsilio Ficino, considered melancholy - a condition he attributed to
the influence of Saturn – to be the seed of genius, a philosophical
position which had a great influence on the writings of the Romantics
in the 18th century.
Remedies
for an afflicted Saturn- medieval avoidance and Vedic appeasement
Not
everyone wants to suffer the fate of a Chatterton or Shelley, and
even Ficino occasionally found Saturnine melancholy a little hard to
live with sometimes. The influence of Saturn, whether in one's
nativity or by transit, can be undeniably difficult to bear.
The
strategy of medieval astrology for dealing with an afflicting Saturn
was based on the notion of the four humors (and their
corresponding temperaments), a theory with roots in the
philosophy and medical practice of ancient Greece. As Saturn was
Cold and Dry in nature (corresponding to the melancholic
temperament), its cure was sought in Jupiter, whose nature is Hot and
Moist. The author of Ghayat al-Hakim tells us “...Jupiter fixes
everything Saturn damages” (Book III, Chapter 7) and Marsilio
Ficino in his De Vita says “when you fear Mars, set Venus opposite;
when you fear Saturn, use Jupiter.”
The
most common practices in medieval astrological magic involved the
creation of talismans and images corresponding to the planet in
question. In this case, we would make a Jupiter talisman at a time
elected when Jupiter is strong and unafflicted. However, this was
often part of a holistic approach which involved immersion in things
of a Jovial nature over an extended period of time; "...take
physical exercise in Jupiter's day and hour when he is reigning; and
in the meantime use Jovial things such as silver, jacinth, topaz,
coral, crystal, beryl, spodium, sapphire, green and aery colours,
wine, sugar, white honey; and entertain thoughts and feelings which
are especially Jovial, that is, steadfast, composed, religious, and
law-abiding; and you will keep company with men of the same kind -
men who are sanguine, handsome, and venerable." (Marsilio
Ficino. De Vita, Book 3, Chapter 2.) Ficino also found music
to be a useful palliative measure against the melancholy induced by
the influence of Saturn.
The
Vedic astrologers considered Saturn (Shani) a malefic
planetary deity, but a deity nonetheless. Indeed, according to the
Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, the foundational text of Vedic
astrology, the Navgraha, the 9 planetary gods, are
manifestations of Vishnu, the universal god.
In
Vedic astrology, specific Shani transits are considered to bring
delays and difficulties, but he is considered an important teacher
with regards one's spirituality as he rules asceticism, meditation
and detachment from the world. In one story, the other gods cannot
abide the presence of Shani in a King's shrine and depart. Lakshmi,
the goddess of wealth, is the first to go - Saturn aflictions in the
nativity often bring poverty, and letting go of one's hardearned
wealth is the first step on the path to becoming a sanyasin, a
renunciate. One by one the other gods depart, until only Satya
(Truth) remains, and they return only because of the Kings dedication
to Truth.
Although
it is considered best to work with Shani's influence through
spiritual practice such as yoga, fasting or meditation, Vedic
astrology does give various remedial measures to lessen some of the
more unpleasant manifestations of Saturnine energy. These include;
asceticism (fasting for 9 Saturdays in a row), charity (offering
black clothes or iron/steel objects to beggars), and propitiation (a
shani nivarna sadhana involving the recitation of Shani's mantra).
Since all planetary deities are aspects of the universal deity, the
supreme method is considered to be yoga,
union with the universal deity.
