Sun will be in Taurus from May 15th until the 15th June and the Aditya for the sign is Aryaman. Aryaman means a noble man and he stands for the honour and dignity that protects one’s integrity and family. He is one of the deities who is invoked frequently along with Mitra, Varuna, Indra in the Rig Veda and protects our ability to do the right thing. Indra is the king of the heavens, Mitra persuades us to honour our contractual agreements, Varuna can punish when we transgress, whereas the noble, gentle Aryaman is said to keep a watchful eye and leads the way to safe paths removing all inequity. The Milky Way which is the hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars is referred to in the Rig Veda as the “aryama pantha” – the path of Aryama.
He is a good friend and companion both essential components of any good marriage. He blesses us with marriage and progeny. He is considered the father of the unfortunate Karna in the epic of Mahabharata who was forsaken by his mother Kunti who had invoked Surya when she was unwed by chanting a mantra that the mighty Sage Durvasa had given her to beget a child. Aryama is also the deity of the 12th nakṣatra Uttara phālguni that is considered most auspicious for a marriage, commitment and for the upholding of the sacred marriage vows. Taurus, the natural 2nd house of the horoscope represents kula, the family and the lineage one belongs to and Aryama maintains our kula – family by giving us nourishment, spouse and children. Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10.29 says he is Aryama who, the chief of Pitris, our ancestors (पितृणामर्यमा). Aryama’s blessings are sought equally during marriage and in ancestral rites.
Sun joins a retrograde Mercury in Taurus. It will be the second planet to move break away from the hold of the nodes after Mercury. The movement of Sun into Taurus will allow it to escape the gaze of Saturn from Aquarius. Although Mercury will be retrograde until the 3rd of June, we can still hope that after the humiliating defeat in the council elections, PM Johnson and his team will focus on the economy instead of enacting a plethora of scenes from the “Theatre of Absurd”.
Mars leaves Saturn in Aquarius and joins Jupiter and Venus in Pisces on the 18th May. Venus leaves its exaltation sign Pisces and joins Rahu in Aries on the 23rd May until the 17th June. When a planet is with a node, it can behave like a retrograde planet. Venus will be moving towards Rahu the entire period and the exact conjunction of Venus with Rahu is on the 15th of June, just days before it leaves the sign. The move of Venus into Taurus will also signal the end of the long conjunction of Venus and Mars in the sky this year that brought a war in the world and I do earnestly hope for a respite even though resolution of events seem remote right now.
Saturn becomes retrograde in Dhaniṣṭhā nakṣatra in Aquarius on the 5th of June merely 6 weeks after it tentative entry into the sign and it will re-enter Capricorn on the 12th of July. It will stay in Capricorn till January 16th 2023. Saturn will only now assume a forward motion on the 24th October.
Retrograde planets are called Vakri and are three times stronger to give their effects. That is why retrogradation is assigned the highest points while calculating ceṣṭa bala, which shows the desire of a planet to achieve a goal. Retrograde planets indicate strong emotions and desires from the past life. It is said that for success a retrograde planet may have to try 3 times at least. Success is possible especially if a retrograde planet is in a Kendra.
When Saturn goes retrograde, it is an opportunity to take things slowly, thinking it through before making decisions and actions. This however does not mean inaction. However, if we run headlong into action, then when Saturn goes direct, sometimes the results of what we have done while it was retrograde are thwarted or will not be realised.
Saturn’s transit into Capricorn is to deal with its unfinished business. At this time, you may hear from someone that you were in touch with last year or an interview process that had gone silent could be rekindled. Ponder on what Saturn means to you and what houses it rules in your horoscope to see what needs to resolved or completed. I am also hoping that this retrograde transit of Saturn will resolve the issues of Covid disease once and for all, especially as China (Capricorn ascendant) is currently being ravaged by it. Dhaniṣṭhā is ruled by the deity Aśtavasus. Vasu means riches in gross material sense and in the subtle the nourishment for sustenance and bodily protection that is available in the world. That is why the earth is known as Vasundhara, the possessor of all wealth. The stock market has been in turmoil since Saturn entered Dhaniṣṭhā on the 18th February. Liquidity has vanished from this earth and belts have to be tightened.
A retrograde Saturn in Capricorn will give the results of Cancer which is a sign of healing. Between the period July 12th and October 24th when Saturn is transiting Capricorn in retrograde motion it is a time to mull things over and one may be able to see results of the transit of Saturn in Capricorn when it reaches its forward motion. Similarly, the results of Saturn’s retrograde motion in Aquarius during the period between June 5th and July 12th will come to light next year when Saturn re-enters Aquarius. A retrograde Saturn in Aquarius will give the results of the sign Leo bringing some political instability.
It is good to be mindful when a planet becomes stationary just before it turns direction. This stationary motion of a planet is called ‘Vikala’ meaning irregular or devoid of motion. This can also be termed as Kutila – crafty after the great political strategist Cāṇakya or Kauṭilya, the Machiavelli of ancient India. Saturn will be vikala in the evening of the 4th June and reaches a point of complete stillness at 18.33.23hrs until the morning of June 5th at 2.37.21hrs. All times are in BST which is currently one hour ahead of GMT. This is like an extended pause. A pause is powerful. A pause is a time for prayer. It allows us to reduce the outer noise as well as the inner noise and hone ourselves towards our goal. I find this quote of Bruce Feiler befitting. “Take a walk with a turtle. And behold the world in pause”.
Let us pray to Aryama aditya that he may protect and nourish the souls of the living and their families and the souls and families of those who have lost their lives in the recent war.
ॐ घृणिः आर्यमादित्य
om ghṛṇiḥ āryamāditya