I have special love towards mythology, its hidden wisdom and parallels with modern psycology and since currently Saturn is rectrograde and will remain there till November 15, 2024, we have plenty of time to reflect on the lessons it brings for us. However, in order to do so we need to first understand the nature of Saturn.
Let’s dive into the story of his birth and its relevance to our lives.
The Birth of Shani: A Mythological Parable
Legend has it that the god of Sun, Surya, symbolizing our consciousness and ego, shone so intensely that his wife couldn’t bear his heat. Despite her pleas for him to temper his heat, he harshly retorted that he was the great Sun and couldn’t dim his light for her whims. Defeated, she decided to flee or, according to another version, retreated to meditate for a thousand years to earn a blessing of enduring her husband’s radiance. To conceal her absence, she created her shadow clone, Chhaya.
When Surya realized that Chhaya could withstand his heat, he was overjoyed and coudn’t stand to performing and husbandly duties, leading to the birth of their child. However, this child wasn’t radiant like his father; instead, he was dark and, with a single glance, eclipsed the Sun for insulting his mother.
Thus was born Shani, Saturn.
Psychological Insights into the Myth
Psychologically, this tale is fascinating. Surya represents our consciousness and ego, while Chhaya, the Shadow, symbolizes the unconscious—those aspects within ourselves that our ego refuses to acknowledge. The Shadow is a product of the Ego’s rejection.
How do people usually get traumatised? I remember when studying phsychosomatics we identified 3 factors for any event to become a trauma and get physical reactions in our bodies leading to a so called “biological shock”:
- something sudden and unexpected happens, an event that brings up mix of several uncomfortable feelings for a person, that they don’t know how to handle;
- solitude or impossibility to share this event or feelings, keeping them in secret;
- level of personal drama, connected to that event. For some people one event might seem not even worth thinking about, but for others it might mean apocalypse and the whole world going into ruins and personal hell.
So Surya’s wife was going through all these steps—her husband’s harsh words were a shock, she couldn’t share it with anyone or seek for help and for her it was the end of the world.
The Role of Trauma and the Unconscious
When does the Shadow emerge, i.e. anything slip into the field of our unconsciousness? When an individual faces trauma alone, without support, and thus retreats inward.
In such moments, either unconscious patterns take the helm of the person or the trauma repeatedly triggers the person, causing reactive behaviors rooted in their problems and pains. A person in such a state of mind cannot make conscious decisions and may easily “mess things up,” damaging relationships with loved ones, falling into addictions, losing their job, and so on.
In creating negative karma through these actions, Shani appears to return the consequences and bring to the light of consiousness—what is that’s happening inside of a person that leads to such unpleasant external events and outcomes in their life?
Thus, Shani, the lord of Karma and “distributor of karmic fruits” rewards everyone according to their deeds. Saturn is often attributed with cruelty and fear, a strict teacher who comes with a whip and offers no mercy until you learn your lessons, but it’s onlt because lookinig inside of oneself and having that level of honesty to see one’s own mistakes and delusions is easier said than done.
Saturn’s Influence During the Pandemic
The entire period of the coronavirus pandemic was under Shani’s influence—restrictions, restrictions, restrictions. And what was the outcome? People stayed at home with themselves and their families. Some couldn’t handle it and got divorced, while others quietly rejoiced at the chance to spend more time with family. The need to commute to work, mindless shopping, and pointless meetings faded away. Only what truly mattered remained and that’s a vivid example of how Shani strips away the false layers of our personalities.
Embracing Saturn’s Lessons
However, Shani doesn’t just bring punishment but also solutions, ways to gracefully endure all trials—discipline, asceticism, respect for time, both yours and others’, moderation in everything, loyalty, virtue, and honesty, first and foremost with yourself and others.
If you adhere to these principles and maintain inner discipline, there will be no need in Shani’s external pressure for you to develop these inner qualities. In any case, presence of Shani as a phsycological and energetic force in our lives offers profound opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
I could write much more about Saturn, but I fear this has already become quite lengthy.
Please share in comments, how does Saturn manifest in your life?
Om Sham Shanicharaya Namaha 🙏