“Saturn is the most important planet as he is the one who matures the soul.” – Dr. Pillai
Saturn’s Birthday (Shani Jayanti) is celebrated each year on a New Moon day between mid-May to mid-June. In 2019, this special New Moon when we will honor Saturn’s Birthday is on June 3 in both North America and India.
The birthday of any archetype is a joyous occasion as the light and blessings of that archetype are more easily available on that day. Saturn’s birthday is a time to appreciate and treasure the positive attributes of Saturn.
Saturn is the planet that enables us to have structure in our lives. He helps us develop and grow in many important qualities such as:
- Patience
- Discipline
- Good Work Ethic
- Organization
- Perseverance
- Humility
- Compassion
A simple mantra for Saturn that Dr. Pillai has shared for everyone to use is:
Om Sanecharaya Namaha
Saturn’s Placement on His Birthday in 2019
In one small temple in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, Saturn is depicted in a rare intimate form with his two wives, Mandha Devi and Neela Devi, along with his two sons, Maandhi and Kuligan. Here Saturn is known as Mangala Shani, the Auspicious Saturn who is said to dissolve sorrow.
This particular year on his birthday, Saturn will be sitting in the Zodiac sign of Sagittarius in the star of Purva Ashada, a star of prosperity. He will be retrograde.
Saturn’s Birthday, 2019: Saturn in Zodiac Sign of Sagittarius:
Sagittarius is the most noble-minded and idealistic of all the Zodiac signs. We can ask Saturn’s blessings to help us renew our deepest commitments for living our purpose.
People who are involved in higher educational pursuits or engaged in teaching of any kind can ask Saturn to help them stay the course and have successful results.
Saturn’s Birthday, 2019: Saturn in Star of Purva Ashada:
Purva Ashada is a star of prosperity. Saturn’s placement in this star can help us create solid foundations for long-lasting prosperity. We can request Saturn to empower our lives, projects and businesses with the success consciousness of Purva Ashada.
Saturn’s Birthday, 2019: Saturn Retrograde:
As per ancient texts, Saturn becomes stronger when he is retrograde. During his retrograde period, he can be more generous with positive blessings. Saturn will continue retrograde until September 18, 2019, in both North America and India. During this time, Saturn may activate more of the concerns of everyday citizens as he is considered the “planet of democracy” and the “planet of the workers.”
We can ask Saturn to shower us with fresh inspiration to be of service to others, to be fair to everyone and to be sincerely respectful toward all those who do work that aids our daily lives. Saturn retrograde is a time that can help us go deeper with the prayer to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Saturn’s Birthday, 2019: Saturn Sitting in Same Sign as Ketu:
When two (or more) planets are sitting in the same sign at the same time, they are said to be “conjunct.” Saturn is currently conjunct with Ketu. Ketu is a planet that can give longing for liberation. Ketu is sometimes called “the saintly planet.”
We can ask for blessings to enjoy the positive fruit of being in a spiritual community and to grow into becoming part of the “communion of saints.” We can thank Saturn for giving us endurance to walk a pathway of Self-discovery.
Saturn’s Birthday Beneficial for People Currently Under His Influence
Saturn does have a job to activate some of our karmic lessons. He is just and fair. Any karma he is activating is something we created ourselves from ignorance or illusion. As we clean up our karma and begin to live a life more of service and compassion for others, he can release more of his blessings.
He also has a role to play in crushing our ego. Dr. Pillai has explained when he takes away our ego, he is taking away something that never really belonged to us in the first place. Without humility, all spiritual progress stops. We can be thankful to Saturn when humbling experiences come our way. Humility helps keep us on our spiritual path.
Some people experience times of influence from Saturn as challenging. Other people may experience some major transformations during times that Saturn has impact on them. Participation in Saturn’s birthday can give some relief for people who are experiencing extra tests from Saturn right now. In addition, observing Saturn’s birthday can bring added boons from Saturn into our lives.
During certain times, Saturn is more “activated” to work with specific people. Some of these Saturn activation conditions may apply either to us or to a family member or to a friend:
If Saturn is a current major (dasa) or minor (bhukti) planet of influence:
Throughout our lives, different planets take turns being our major and our minor planet of influence. This is mathematically calculated based on our birth chart. During their times of influence, the planets activate the sign and house they sit in within our birth chart as well as any signs or houses in our birth chart that they rule. If you do not know if Saturn is either your current major or minor planet of influence, you can run a free Dasa Bhukti report at AstroVed, Dr. Pillai’s astrology site.
If Saturn is triggering Sade Sati:
Saturn takes about 2 ½ years to move through a Zodiac sign.
Sade Sati is a time with 3 phases of Saturn’s influence. When Saturn is transiting in the current sky (1) through a Zodiac sign that is one sign before the placement of the Moon in our birth chart, (2) directly over our Moon sign and (3) one sign after our Moon sign, that entire 7 ½ year period is called Sade Sati. At any given point of time, approximately one quarter of the population is experiencing Sade Sati.
During Saturn’s Birthday in 2019, people with the Moon in Scorpio, Sagittarius or Capricorn in their Vedic birth chart are currently in Sade Sati.
If Saturn is currently sitting 8 houses or 4 houses away from someone’s Moon sign in their birth chart:
When Saturn transits into a Zodiac sign that is either 8 houses or 4 houses away from the Moon sign in someone’s birth chart, Saturn actively puts more focus on the mind and emotions of that person. Many people like to do some extra remedies for Saturn during such a period.
For 2019 Saturn’s Birthday, this means:
- People with Moon in Taurus in the birth chart currently have Saturn sitting 8 houses away from their Moon sign.
- People with Moon in Virgo in the birth chart currently have Saturn sitting 4 houses away from their Moon sign.
If Saturn is returning to the same spot in the Zodiac as he is in someone’s birth chart:
Saturn takes about 29 years to travel through the entire Zodiac and return to the same spot he was in when a person was born.
People who are aged 29, 58, 87, etc. are experiencing a year of “Saturn return.” During a “Saturn return” year, Saturn assists a person to recapitulate the previous 29 years and consolidate the power of those experiences. Consciously cooperating with Saturn’s efforts during this year can help a person to springboard into the next chapter of 29 years.
For many people who meditate and do spiritual practice, a “Saturn return” year can be a time of amazing evolution and change.
Saturn’s Birthday: Home Remedies
During any of the Saturn related time periods mentioned above, many people like to do some home remedies for Saturn. In addition, any of us can include these in our celebration for Saturday’s birthday:
- Wear something either black or dark blue (Saturn’s colors) on Saturdays (Saturn’s day)
- Light a sesame oil for Saturn (while other archetypes like a ghee lamp, Saturn is very fond of sesame oil lamp)
- Offer Saturn black sesame seeds (the grain associated with Saturn)
- Feed crows or black birds, if this is allowed in your local area (Saturn is said to ride a crow as his vehicle)
- Do extra chanting of Saturn mantra Om Sanecharaya Namaha
- Offer dark blue or purple flowers to Saturn’s picture, statue or yantra
- Listen to or recite a hymn called Hanuman Chalisa on Saturday (Hanuman is the archetype who is the overlord of Saturn). There are several beautiful recordings on YouTube.
- Do some act of compassion for someone in need
- Read The Greatness of Saturn by Robert Svoboda
- Read the 108 names of Saturn and the commentaries on them in the Saturn chapter of Yoga of the Planets: Their Mantras and Philosophy by Andrew Foss
Saturn in Science News
Saturn has been in science news. NASA scientists released data showing that the famous “rings of Saturn” will slowly disappear. At the moment, Saturn’s rings are wide enough to fit 6 Earths lined up in a row. The rings are disintegrating at a rate to fill an Olympic-size pool with ring rain every half hour. Scientists have estimated it may take 300 million years for the rings to completely dissolve. It is fascinating to consider that even the well-known physical form of Saturn undergoes transformational change.
Saturn’s Birthday, 2019: Express Gratitude for a Great Teacher & Friend
On Saturn’s Birthday, we can reflect with genuine gratitude on the assistance Lord Saturn gives us with our evolution. He is truly a great teacher and friend.
For 2019, Pillai Center is offering various remedies for participation in Saturn’s Birthday.
Saturn always likes it when we perform acts of compassion. On his birthday, we can do an act of kindness for others such as feed a hungry person or help an elderly or a disabled person or make a donation to Dr. Pillai’s charity Tripura Foundation or any other charity of our choice.
May Saturn’s blessings flow into us and empower positive changes in both our material and our spiritual lives.
Swamini Valli Wells is a Pillai Center Teacher and an AstroVed Astrologer who does Live Astrologer Consultations for the USD version of AstroVed, Dr. Pillai’s astrology site.
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