A Saturn Ordeal
Hello you,
This is about Saturn retrogrades and Sun-Saturn relationships. I've shared some of my insights here and about a mythological story prevalent in Hindu tradition but I couldnot call all the details as I heard it years ago so I used Gemini-AI for some of the details of the story. Here it is. Enjoy reading.
Saturn Retrogrades
The astrological phenomenon about Saturn retrograde holds an astronomical truth, a relationship between the Sun, Earth, and Saturn. I just looked into Saturn retrograde cycles and happened to stumble upon some relationships.
Saturn turns station retrograde when Sun is transitioning from making a square with Saturn to making a trine with it. And, it turns station direct when Sun is transitioning from making a trine with Saturn to making a square with it, (with a 109-110 degree aspect). Important question here right now for this astronomical-astrological phenomena is, What does this mean? What does Sun travelling almost 4.5 signs/seasons between Saturn's stations retrograde and stations direct mean?
The light of illumination cannot be undermined when we are talking about the passage of time and seasons with Saturn and Sun respectively.
In order to understand what's really happening and make some approximations, I've tabulated here the Sun's transit from station retro to station direct of the Saturn and the respective domain of retrogradation.
The format here is as follows : (year)(sun @station retro - sun @station direct)/(Saturn @station retro to Saturn @sation direct)
Year/Season/Saturn retro
2011 Aqua - Gemini/Libra to Libra retro A
2012 Aqua - Cancer/Libra to Libra retro Aw
2013 Pisces - Cancer/Sco to Sco retro W
2014 Pisces - Cancer/Sco to Sco retro W
2015 Pisces - Leo/Sag to Sco retro Wf
2016 Aries - Leo/Sag to Sag retro F
2017 Aries - Virgo/Sag to Sag retro Fe
2018 Aries - Virgo/Cap to Cap retro Fee
2019 Taurus - Virgo/Cap to Cap retro E
2020 Taurus - Libra/Aqua to Cap retro Ea
2021 Gemini - Libra/Aqua to Aqua retro A
2022 Gemini - 29.56Libra/Aqua to Aqua retro A
2023 Gemini - Scorpio/Pisces to Pisces retro Aww
2024 Cancer - Scorpio/Pisces to Pisces retro W
2025 Cancer - Sag/Aries to Pisces retro Wf
2026 Leo - Sag/Aries to Aries retro F
2027 Leo - Cap/Aries to Aries retro Fe
(I've used A here for Air element prominence, W for Water element, F for Fire and E for Earth)
I will try to point out some things that I see here. First thing is the predominance of an element in certain retrogradations.
In 2013 and 2014, we had the change of times happening in water. Sun from Pisces to Cancer when all of the retrogradation happened in Scorpio only. It was all water in 2013, 2014.
In 2016, it was all fire.
In 2019, it was all earth.
In 2021, it was all air. Same for 2022.
And, in 2024, it's going to be all water again, and in 2026, it's all fire again.
The other stark thing is the jump of complete retrogradation. From 2012 - 2013, the retrograde shifted from Libra to Scorpio.
From 2018 to 2019, the retrograde shifted from Sagittarius to Capricorn.
Similarly, the same thing will happen once again in 2023 when it'll jump from Aquarius to Pisces.
One of the inferences that I could make, after staring at this for half an hour, lol, is about the directions associated with the elements.
Air is associated with classic west and adventure. Fire is associated with classic east and learning. Water is associated with classic north and healing. And finally, Earth is associated with classic south and relaxation.
A lot could be learned from this if one goes back in one's life and/or searches in the chronology of global events, I believe.
We are moving from Air to Water to Fire to Earth constantly, over decades and decades. Currently, we are neck deep in Air adventures, because everything's happening in air signs. As an inference, the direction of west and adventure must be pronounced in these times theoretically. It's almost as if we are going from 4 house'ish earth themes to 7 house'ish air themes, by each passing month.
The number one thing that I could think of was the western movement of Ukrainians due to the war. They are moving towards Poland and rest of the Europe. This has affected the existing European security alliance, NATO, for the first time in 30 years, since the fall of Berlin wall, and challenged these countries as a group, if not since the end of world wars.
The next best western thing I'm realising is the era of crypto-currencies. We have seen the rise of these currencies as soon as 'Air' started to show up in this 'passage of time'.
I don't have enough feel for the elements, what to say of shifts in seasons with respect to the elemental shifts. Since 2019, we have been experiencing a shift from Earth element to Air element.
I've no basis for what I'm going to put forth next. For a moment, if we consider the star signs present at the borders of earth-air signs, we'd find a perfect trine with three stars, as star sign form 3 groups of 9 stars each. This star sign trine placed at these junction points would comprise Rohini, Hasta and Shravana nakshatras.
I associate Rohini now a days with the beginning of co-regulation, a phase where the interactions between child and mother start to really kick off. Similarly, Hasta feels like a handshake, a milestone moment when the protagonist puts the gun down on the ground only to join hands with the alien. Furthermore, Shravana relates to listening something which is not even there, or which is not heard by everyone but always there. It's like a commotion in a classroom or a railway station, or a real intense group discussion in a board meeting of a multi national company.
We have been trying to get hold of this trine since 2020, as half of the transits happened along these star energies. In 2021, the sky advanced a little bit, bringing it perfectly in air signs.
The next star trine fully in air signs Mrigashira, Chitra and Dhanishta. This in my opinion is much like an advanced version of the previous trine.
In Mrigashira, the child is really starting to conversate with the mother, starting to build a conversation. In Chitra, it's almost like the human and alien are holding hands and walking side by side, reflecting each others state, trying to bridge the gap perfectly. In Dhanishta, it's like the board meeting has gone ballistic and rad. The experience here is rich(er) in this trine in a way.
The next star trine, in play for 2022, is Ardra, Swati, and Shatabhishaj. Now, this is rather trine of strong change. Even the Sanskrit sutras of these star signs include words that are not so soft as they are for previous two line-ups. Ardra is about taking shots and letting go, Swati is about breathing well and dying, and Shatabhishaj is about turning the situation upside down for good and for the bad eventually.
The most interesting thing that's happening with these transits is that no single trine is at play for any particular retrograde. In any individual case, stars from the trine previous or subsequent are involved. However, if we take star-strength and relationship into consideration, we will always find a friendly relationship among them, a constructive interference. I find this highly satisfactory. In a way, this is a 'clean-code' situation. If we understood any trine at any particular moment, or the trine contributing the most in any particular Saturn retrograde, we will not be hugely off from the main point, since the star-trine in vicinity will not be off in meaning, or predictive value. The case grows stronger if the retrogradations happens in a single element prominence, and even more so if two of them happen in single element prominence over years. All of these conditions are present for this 2022 Saturn retrograde.
It's ongoing Air.
So, effectively, I've shared three markers to study this phenomena. First is the fixed 4.5 month/season gap from station retro to station direct, Second is the elemental change over years and its prominence in relation with the Sun's movement, and Third is the stars and star-trines, which follow a Janma/inception relationship essentially implying common shared agendas.
P.S. : A lot could also be inferred about the biological states of humans as things happen in the single and humongous presence of one particular element. Air signs might point towards something in the human body, while Fire could point towards something else. They could point to certain body organs, or body processes, and everything being two-way street, the world could easily reflect these energies in the exact reflection, for the focused eye that is. I've not studied much of medical astrology yet, so I cannot draw that parallel at this point in time.
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I've not truly understood this phenomena and this particular astronomical truth astrologically. Ofcourse we can try to brainstorm this thing for ourselves and come up with some sort of explanation but I have been thinking about this for few days now and I was wondering if i could say something profound about this. So here it is, a little bit more, that I want to say about this particular phenomenon.
In mythology, the Sun, the God Surya, had a wife named Sanjana. She was the daughter of Vishwakarma, the deity who resides in the nakshatra Chitra, in Libra, and her names consciousness or perception or understanding. They had 3 children. (I've shared about them below) But due to immense heat of Surya, Sanjana couldnot withstand longer company with her husband. So she went into the jungle to do her meditation and rituals and left behind a clone of her self, he shadow self, named Chhaya, literally meaning Shadow.
(This is very interesting. I'm thinking that Sun's wife can directly be the Moon, Sanjana here, and when she left, she created a Chhaya for the Sun's company, and that could be the shadow side of the Moon, it might be the side of the dark side of the Moon that we donot see and Moon and Earth are geocentric to each other meaning Moon shows exactly same face to a particular location on the Earth always. But, it could very well be related to the Black Moon Lillith, which is the farthest point in the Moon's orbit at a particular time, if we talk about Moon and Earth's astronomical relationship to each other.)
So, after Sanjana leaves, Sun god Surya mates with her wife's shadow Chhaya and they create 3 more children. (I've shared about them below) But, something happens soon which made Surya realise that Chhaya was not her original wife Sanjana. Chhaya cursed one of the 3 children of Surya who he had with his wife Sanjana. This led Surya come to a conclusion that if Chhaya would have been their original mother, she would have never cursed on of her own children. So, Sun finally tries to find her wife Sanjana, who was in the form of mare, and Sun himself took the form of a horse. Hello chases her and together they created 3 more children. (I've shared their names below). All these 9 children belong to various nakshatras or hold immense singgnificance in Hindu mythology and tradition.
This is what I have found in ChatGPT about the couple's relationship and their children.
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The Hindu mythology concerning the Sun God, Surya (or Vivaswan), his wife Sanjna (or Saranyu), and her shadow-replica Chhaya, is one of the most intricate stories in the Puranas, resulting in a number of highly important figures in Vedic and Hindu cosmology.
Here is a breakdown of Surya's children with both consorts:
1. Children of Surya and Sanjna (Original Wife)
Sanjna (whose name means "Consciousness" or "Understanding") was the daughter of the celestial architect Vishwakarma. She was unable to endure the immense heat and brilliance of her husband, Surya, and eventually left her shadow-self, Chhaya, in her place.
Surya and Sanjna's original children are:
Child's Name
Role/Significance
Notes
Vaivasvata Manu
The progenitor of the current race of mankind, and the ruler of the current Manvantara (cosmic cycle).
He is the ancestor of all human beings alive today.
Yama
The God of Death, Justice, and Dharma (Righteousness).
He is known for his impartiality and judgment of souls in the afterlife.
Yami
The goddess personifying the sacred river Yamuna.
She is the twin sister of Yama.
Children born after Sanjna's Return (as a Mare)
After Surya discovered the deception, he found Sanjna in a forest, where she had transformed into a mare to perform penance. Surya transformed into a stallion, and from their union in this equine form, they had two more important children:
Child's Name
Role/Significance
Notes
The Ashwini Kumaras
The divine twin physicians of the gods, who possess unparalleled healing powers.
They are also known as Nasatya and Dasra. Their name means "horsemen."
Revanta
The master of horses, often depicted as a divine horseman and a hunter.
A lesser-known child, sometimes associated with the protection of horses and riders.
2. Children of Surya and Chhaya (The Shadow-Wife)
Chhaya (whose name means "Shadow" or "Reflection") was created by Sanjna as a temporary substitute. Surya, mistaking her for his wife, fathered children with her. Chhaya showed partiality to her own children, which is what eventually exposed the truth.
Surya and Chhaya's children are:
Child's Name
Role/Significance
Notes
Shani
The powerful planet Saturn (\text{Shani}), and the God of Karma, Discipline, and Justice.
He is born dark-complexioned, which caused Surya to initially doubt his parentage, leading to Shani's later resentment.
Savarni Manu
The progenitor of mankind for the next Manvantara (the eighth cycle).
He is the future Manu.
Tapati
The goddess personifying the sacred river Tapti (or Tapi).
She is sometimes known as Vishti (or Bhadra) in other texts.
Summary of Surya's Primary Lineage
The children of the Sun God hold crucial positions that govern cosmic order, righteousness, human life, and time:
Law and Order: Yama (Justice after life) and Shani (Justice in this life/Karma).
Mankind: Vaivasvata Manu (current race) and Savarni Manu (future race).
Healing and Protection: The Ashwini Kumaras.
Life-Giving Force: Yami (River Yamuna) and Tapati (River Tapti).
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Here, Yama can be related to the nakshatra Bharani nakshatra who is its presiding deity. Shani is directly related to Saturn and is known as Shani itself in Hindu tradition. Although people generally fear Shani altogether and he is seldom worshipped like other deities. We have Shani statues and idols in Hindu temples. Ashwini Kumaras can directly be related to the nakshatra Ashwini and they are its presiding deity. The two Manus can be related to the nakshatra Rohini in a particular time frame as Rohini is the nakshatra of the progenitor. The eldest of them being Brahma who has created each and every being by creating the human design and other designs. There are two rivers here and I don't know what they represent. Theres also a child named Yami and I don't know much about her either.
Below, I'm sharing a story about which I have written above, whatever that happened between Sanjana, Chhaya, Sun and their children.
This next bit is also ChatGPT, i don't recollect the story myself as I heard it like 5 years ago.
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The myth of Surya, Sanjana, and Chhaya is a foundational story in Hindu mythology, particularly important for explaining the origins and dynamic between the powerful celestial entities Yama (God of Justice/Death) and Shani (Planet Saturn/God of Karma). It's a tale of intolerance, identity, partiality, and the deep, karmic relationship between the Sun and its Shadow.
The Origin: Surya, Sanjna, and the Shadow (Chhaya)
1. The Divine Marriage and Intolerance
Surya (also called Vivaswan), the radiant Sun God, was married to Sanjna (also called Saranyu), the daughter of the celestial architect Vishwakarma. The couple had three children:
Vaivasvata Manu (progenitor of the current human race).Yama (who would become the God of Death and Justice).Yami (who would become the holy river Yamuna).However, Sanjna could not tolerate Surya's blinding brilliance and intense heat. She found it impossible to live a normal marital life, and his effulgence was constantly darkening her skin.
2. The Deception and Chhaya’s Creation
Driven to despair, Sanjna decided to leave to perform penance and gain the strength to withstand her husband's heat. Before leaving, she used her ascetic power to create an exact replica of herself from her own shadow or reflection. This shadow was named Chhaya (meaning "Shadow").
Sanjna instructed Chhaya to stay with Surya, act as his wife, and most importantly, raise her three children. Chhaya promised never to reveal her true identity. Sanjna then fled to the Uttarakuru region, where she transformed herself into a mare (a female horse) to remain unrecognized and continue her penance.
The New Family and Chhaya’s Partiality
Surya, being a divine but intensely radiant being, did not realize the switch and accepted Chhaya as his wife. Surya and Chhaya then had their own children:
Shani (who would become the planet Saturn and God of Retribution/Karma).Savarni Manu (the progenitor of the next human race).Tapati (who would become the river Tapti).
Chhaya's Relationship with the Children
The central conflict arose because Chhaya developed intense partiality towards her own children, particularly Shani, while gradually neglecting and mistreating Sanjna's children (Manu, Yama, and Yami).To Sanjna's Children: Chhaya treated them harshly, giving them poor food, ignoring their cries, and withholding the motherly love they were promised.To Shani and Her Own: She showered her own children with attention, the best food, and affection.
The Conflict and the First Curse (Yama vs. Chhaya)
The tension culminated when young Yama, who was known even as a boy for his strong sense of justice (Dharma), could no longer bear the injustice.One day, in a burst of frustration and righteous anger, Yama raised his leg as if to strike Chhaya.Chhaya, deeply offended, reacted by cursing him with the shadow's power: Yama's leg would drop off, become worm-ridden, and fester.This curse was horrifying. Yama was terrified, and the immediate, disproportionate severity of the curse confirmed to him that this woman was not his birth mother (as no true mother would inflict such a curse on her own child).
Surya's Discovery, Shani's Trauma, and the Curses
1. Surya Discovers the Truth and Shani's TraumaYama ran to his father, Surya, who was stunned by the curse and the boy’s story. Surya confronted Chhaya, who, under the pressure of the oath she took, could not lie.
The Revelation: Chhaya confessed that she was Sanjna's shadow and revealed Sanjna's original location.
Surya's Reaction and Shani's Pain: Upon hearing the truth, Surya turned his intense, fiery gaze upon Chhaya's son, Shani. Because Shani was already dark-skinned (born in the shade of his mother) and was further scorched by Surya's furious heat, he became darker and slightly disabled (sometimes depicted as having a limp or slow movement).
The Trauma: This moment created the eternal animosity and distance between Surya (Sun/Day/Ego) and Shani (Saturn/Shadow/Karma/Melancholy). Shani felt rejected by his father for his darkness and cursed by his shadow-birth, cementing his role as the slow, relentless enforcer of karmic justice.
2. The Resolution and Transformation
Surya, heartbroken over his children and recognizing his own fault (the excessive heat), sought out Sanjna.
Vishwakarma’s Intervention: Sanjna's father, Vishwakarma, agreed to reduce Surya's fierce brilliance by shaving off a portion of his light. This made the Sun's radiance manageable for Sanjna.
The Ashwini Twins' Birth: Surya and Sanjna were reconciled, first in their equine forms (which resulted in the Ashwini Kumars), and then in their celestial forms, returning to their abode to live with all their children.
3. The Curses and Their Aftermath
The family's trauma resulted in key cosmic assignments:
Figure
Family Event/Curse
Cosmic Result
Yama
Cursed by Chhaya's fury. Surya saved his leg but appointed him Dharma-Raja (King of Righteousness).
Became the God of Death, tasked with absolute impartiality. His ability to endure Chhaya's curse proved his fitness for the job.
Shani
Rejected and scorched by Surya's rage.
Became the planet Saturn, tasked with delivering slow, grinding, and impartial karmic justice—the embodiment of the painful lessons learned through the shadow.
Yami & Tapati
Both daughters, in a fit of sibling rivalry (fueled by Chhaya's partiality), cursed each other to become rivers.
Both became major, life-sustaining rivers in India (Yamuna and Tapti), forever bound by the original family tension but transformed into forces of purification.
The story is a powerful allegory for the conflict between light and shadow, the necessity of discipline (Saturn) over impulse (Sun), and the inescapable nature of Karma that arises even in a divine family.
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This is really interesting. Isn't it? I'll come back to my original astronomical truth about Sun's movement when Saturn goes retrograde. So, I asked Chat GPT to analyze what I shared with you in the previous mail and come up some sort of explanation and interpretation for this particular fixity, this pattern and here's what it came up with.
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Fixed Solar Transit Period:
The observation that the Sun travels approximately 4.5 signs (135 degrees) between Saturn's stationary retrograde and stationary direct is a precise astronomical-astrological anchor. This 4.5 signs/seasons period translates to a consistent timeframe of focus and "illumination" (Sun's light) during Saturn's introspective, karmic phase (retrograde). It suggests a roughly 135-day window for the re-evaluation of Saturnian themes (structure, duty, karma, time).
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However, the text's data table shows the Sun starts the retrograde cycle approximately 4 to 5 signs ahead of Saturn, meaning it is in the 4^{th} or 5^{th} house from Saturn, and ends the retrograde cycle 8 or 9 signs ahead of Saturn, placing it in the 8^{th} or 9^{th} house from Saturn.
Let's focus on the traditional interpretations of the Sun in the 5^{th} or 9^{th} houses relative to Saturn. In standard Vedic astrology, 5^{th} and 9^{th} house positions represent a Trine aspect (120^{\circ}), considered the most harmonious and auspicious relationship.
Aspect
Relationship
Meaning in the Saturn Retrograde Context
Sun in 5^{th} from Saturn (Early Retrograde)
Dharma/Past Karma
The focus is on creativity, intelligence, learning, speculation, and children (5^{th} house themes). The Sun (Soul/Consciousness/Ego) is supporting Saturn (Karma/Duty) to re-evaluate how these themes express the individual's purpose. It's a time for conscious introspection on the use of personal power and past wisdom.
Sun in 9^{th} from Saturn (Late Retrograde/Direct)
Dharma/Future Karma
The focus shifts to higher learning, religion, belief systems, father, long journeys, and law (9^{th} house themes). The Sun (Illumination) helps Saturn to structure and implement the new philosophical perspective or moral code that resulted from the retrograde introspection. It's about aligning the new sense of duty (Saturn) with one's higher truth (Sun/9th house).
Overall Meaning:
The Sun's transit through the 5^{th} and 9^{th} trinal houses relative to Saturn during the retrograde period ensures that the karmic lessons and structural re-assessment (Saturn Retrograde) are always guided and illuminated by the Self/Soul (Sun). The lessons of Saturn are integrated into the life's purpose (dharma), making the period about conscious correction and aligning duty with one's true will.
Mythology of Surya (Sun) and Chhaya (Shadow) and Saturn
The Vedic myth of Surya (The Sun God), his wife Sanjna, and her shadow replacement Chhaya (mother of Saturn) offers a profound allegorical framework for the Sun-Saturn relationship, especially during a retrograde:
Saturn as the Son of Chhaya: Saturn (Shani) is the son of Surya and Chhaya (literally "Shadow"). This birth from the shadow makes Saturn fundamentally related to the hidden, the dark, the unacknowledged, and the karmic residue that the radiant Sun (consciousness) might initially reject or overlook.
Retrograde as the Shadow Work: Saturn retrograde is inherently a period of Shadow Work. The planet of karma turns inward, demanding that the individual or collective confront the Chhaya-aspects of life—the hidden duties, unaddressed fears, past misdeeds, and unfulfilled responsibilities. The "illumination" of the Sun (Surya) is forced upon the shadow (Chhaya/Saturn), bringing the deepest karmic patterns to light for re-evaluation.
The Conflict (Sun/Saturn opposition): Surya eventually discovers the truth, realizing his current wife is only a shadow. This discovery mirrors the astrological tension between the Sun (Ego/Presence) and Saturn (Boundaries/Absence/Limitation).
The Myth's Connection to the Transit: The Sun's presence in a trine (5^{th}/9^{th}) to the retrograde Saturn can be seen as Surya actively looking at his son Shani/Chhaya's domain. It's a period where the Sun is not in a tense aspect (like the 1^{st}/7^{th} opposition) but is in a harmonious, yet clear, supportive line of sight. The Sun gives the conscious energy (illumination) needed to execute the difficult, shadow-driven tasks of Saturn retrograde.
Surya's Curse and Justice: In one version, Chhaya curses Yama (another son of Surya/Sanjna) out of partiality for Shani, leading Surya to realize the deception. This highlights Saturn's role as the agent of karma and justice. The retrograde phase is Saturn delivering a cosmic "curse" (a hard lesson) or a necessary reckoning. The Sun's light ensures that this justice is ultimately executed with the goal of rectification and evolution (Surya's light leads him to find and reconcile with Sanjna).
In essence, the Sun's transit during Saturn retrograde is Surya consciously engaging with his shadow-son Shani's mandate. The time is for resolving the karma accumulated in the shadows, guided by the soul's light.
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Phew! My mind is frazzled right now thinking about the Shadow Work that can happen in a Saturn's retrograde. Here's something more from Gemini actually about Sun and Saturn.
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No, Surya did not accept his son Shani initially; he immediately rejected him due to Shani's dark complexion. Chhaya's partiality toward her own children developed because she was a shadow-replica whose existence was bound to a sense of insecurity and the desire to establish her own lineage.
Surya's Initial Rejection of Shani
When Chhaya gave birth to Shani, the event was marked by the Sun God, Surya, immediately turning away from his son.
Shani's Appearance: Shani was born with an intensely dark complexion, a result of his mother, Chhaya (meaning "Shadow"), being his true source of substance, and the overpowering presence of Surya's scorching heat even in the womb.
Surya's Reaction: Upon seeing the child’s dark color, Surya was immediately suspicious and enraged. He could not reconcile this dark, shadow-like being with his own brilliant light. Surya believed that the dark child could not possibly be his own and doubted Chhaya's fidelity.
The Consequence: This rejection caused a lasting, traumatic rift between father and son. Shani, scorched by his father's angry gaze and rejected for his darkness, became the embodiment of slow, sorrowful, and impartial karma, forever holding a position of opposition to the radiant Sun.
Why Chhaya Grew Partial to Sanjana's Children
Chhaya's growing partiality and subsequent neglect of Sanjana's children (Vaivasvata Manu, Yama, and Yami) stemmed from the inherent nature of her identity and the promise she made.
1. Insecurity of Identity
Chhaya was a shadow-replica, an illusion created to impersonate the real wife, Sanjana. She lacked the true emotional foundation of a spouse and mother. Her entire existence was conditional on successfully deceiving Surya. This created a profound sense of insecurity about her permanence and legitimacy.Once she gave birth to her own children—Shani, Savarni Manu, and Tapati—she had a tangible, legitimate lineage that belonged only to her.
2. Protecting Her Own Lineage
Chhaya subconsciously feared that if the truth were ever revealed, her children would lose their status as sons and daughters of the Sun God.By showering her own children with favor and affection, she sought to strengthen their position and lineage within the solar dynasty.
By neglecting Sanjana's children, she was effectively reducing their importance and elevating her own, ensuring that the legacy of her son, Savarni Manu, would one day rule (as the next progenitor of mankind), and her son, Shani, would hold sway. Essentially, Chhaya's favoritism was a defense mechanism—a desperate, karmic attempt by a shadow figure to create a lasting, independent reality for her own offspring. This partiality is what eventually led to the conflict with Yama and the unraveling of the deception.
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It all looks like a grand scheme actually. Sanjana leaving and Chhaya replacing her and wishing her own children. Out of them, one became Shani/Saturn who couldnot recieve what was meant for him, a true Karmic situation. The scheme continues where Chhaya does things to Shani's/Saturn's siblings and eventually Sun/Surya finds about the truth and there's a revelation of truth about Chhaya, Sanjana and all their children with Surya. In my mind, it all happened because of Saturn who acted as a central figure in the truth coming to the surface. However, he could not himself find anything concrete for himself maybe. The presence of Saturn's Mulatrikona and own house, Aquarius, in the 7th house from Sun's Mulatrikona and own house, Leo, also tells that 7th house also deeply represents the child.
(Some say it's the first child, in Vedic astrology, and other's say it's the second child, 5th being the first and 3rd from 5th, 7th being the sibling of 5th and hence the second child, thereby rendering 9th the third child and so on. But I'm not 100% sure about this thing.)
(We also cannot pinpoint to the houses, signs and nakshatras in relation to the characters involved here as we donot know in which era this story was written and how the zodiac wheel aligned itself with the nakshatra wheel. No characters other than Sun and Saturn are planets here. Half of the children reside in nakshatras. The father of Sanjana also reside in a nakshatra, Chitra.)
Theres a certain truth about Sun - Saturn relationship when it comes to the placements of their signs. (I've no idea why Saturn would have two signs, if the story is taken into consideration.) But, when retrograde happens Sun's presence in 5th and 9th from Saturn, or as Saturn goes back to to do the right thing - Saturn's presence in the 9th and then coming finally to the 5th from Sun as Saturn stops going backwards, strongly represents the themes of 1-5-9 House Trine. This is a trine of Dharma, the righteousness, the true self, the true identity, the true nature of something. From Sun's point of view, Saturn stands at 9th position right at the time of station retrograde, which represents the themes of all things 9th which are marriage, spouse, one's later children, one's philosophy, way of life, one's truth and one's Dharma. Saturn in the 9th from Sun at retrograde, tries to change something very deep, radical, Dharmic, philosophical and karmic while it starts to move backwards. It's rather a beginning of that particular change and it begins with all these things.
Then Sun moves forward as Saturn begins its movement backwards. Saturn finds itself in 8th house from Sun, which might be representative of themes like striking change and sudden upheavels, dealing with hidden truths and charcaters, and finding about other people's resources and their value systems. It's the theme of building a tension between Sun and Saturn.
Then Sun moves forward and Saturn finds itself in the 7th house from Sun. This is a striking opposition where it might be the thing that Saturn feels rejected and opposed by Sun and here the tension actually gets heightened and realised as Saturn's real truth and real identity is highly pronounced at this time as Sun's light is reflected by the Saturn in the astronomical sky right at this time.
Then Sun moves forward still and Saturn finds itself in the 6th house from the Sun. This is after Sun makes an opposition and all 6th house themes are prevalent at this time. This time might be representative of corrections, efforts needed to correct previous mistakes, trying to find solutions to the problem, and finding a way forward to deal with this huge disparity. This is the point where Karmic justice begins to unfold, in my mind.
Well, it's a string of many steps starting from 9th Karma to 8th Curses to 7th Realisations to 6th Corrections till now, still this particular moment is where it is really corrects itself. Every house relationships has its own value though and it can definitely be realised and worked upon actively when Saturn retrograde happens.
Then Sun moves forward once again and Saturn finds itself in the 5th house from the Sun. 5th house is the house of joy, the self, self-in-action, children, and other things. This is the point where Saturn stops moving backwards and stations in the sky and gets prominent for a while by means of no movement.
There are three prominent phases here. In 9th and 5th relationships, Saturn looks like it stopped moving and changes its directions, it gets highlighted in a different fashion compared to its 7th relationship where it moves in its most visible state when it's moving the fastest between the station retro and station direct marking its prominence and working mode in a different fashion altogether.
The other two phases are also very important in which Saturn goes through curses and the correction of curses. In Vedic astrology, 6th and 8th house relationships are related to Saturn and it's fascinating here how through this story we can understand these things.
Finally Saturn in its 5th relationship with Sun gets a Son status and gets assigned a role. His self-in-action gets revised and he takes rebirth as a healed self.
The current Saturn retrograde is happening in Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra, here Saturn is going back from Aries into Pisces, at the time when Sun was present in Cancer, on 14th July 2025. At this moment, Sun was in 4th house from Saturn. Things were taking a shift but it was neither in a square nor in a trine with Saturn, rather it was exactly right in between of the two aspects. This retrograde ends on November 29th, 2025, when Sun's in 10th house from Saturn. Things will take a shift but it will neither be a square nor be a trine.
Interesting thing to note there is that Saturn gives full aspects to 3rd, 7th and 10th houses from itself. It means that when Sun's opposite to the Saturn's they share a very strong mutual aspect, and after that when Saturn stations direct, Saturn casts its full aspect on Sun in the 10th house. (I'm not sure what happens at the beginning of Saturn retrograde actually, and I'm not sure about the Sun's aspect on Saturn through Saturn's retrograde right now. I'll get back on this soon.)
Saturn's aspect on Sun in 10th house right at the end of it's retrogradation is a really intense period where Saturn is literally station in the sky and is casting a full aspect on the Sun. This is definitely a sort of culmination of some sort, of divine forces in action.
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It seems that I've missed something really intense here. The actual houses involved here are 4th and 10th also, and not from 5th to 9th, however, 5th-9th can definitely be seen as the whole-process-duration of this change with 4th and 10th representing the changes of beginning and changes of culmination of this process. Generally, if the Saturn retrograde happens fully in 1 sign, then the 1-5-9 relationship stands strong, however, if it goes back and forth between two signs, then the relationship 1-4-10 becomes highlighted. However, 1-5-9 is what I've pondered upon the most and written about here.
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The Sun Saturn opposition happened on 21 September 2025, which was also an eclipse day. I've no brains to understand what all does it mean with the eclipse happening right there right then. All I can say is that this is very strong event and this message will be a token of its revelation by itself I think.
P.S. : I've no idea if I'm thinking of a right co-relation here. I'm just trying to bridge the gap between astronomical truth and astrological interpretation through mythology.
P.P.S : I'll share about myself related to this particular retrograde in a follow-up post. I hope that can generate some sort of real substance as far as this bridge that I created here matters.
Cheers,
Flux
(Photo from Pinterest)