In Sanskrit it means “slow” and is the graha of Karma. His second name is Yama (God of death). Its element is Vayu tattva (air) and is tamasic in nature. It has a duration of two and a half years per sign, it is the one that takes the longest to go around the zodiac. It belongs to the social class “Sudra” representing labor, lower class. Just doing what must be done to obtain food and sustenance. No inspiration or ambition to get anywhere. Working to eat. They need to do just enough to survive.

It is one of the two main planets that rule destiny. Being the slower one, it has the gravitational force to impact more but in a general way to our life.  It rules “Kala” (time) and Satya which means truth in Sanskrit. So, it represents the crude reality of our present and is in charge of showing us what is our work and the debt we have here on Earth as human beings. He is the ruler of Makara (Capricorn), so being the natural ruler of bhava 10 he has a very significant influence besides being the son of Surya. His position in D-1 shows us where there are more insecurities and our inner lack besides the karma and the debt you have to pay in this reincarnation.

How does Sani act?

It represents the area in which we struggle and strive to improve and grow; if it is strong we can learn from mistakes and see what we want or don’t want for this life. It helps us to have discipline, perseverance and create a stable routine to have a balance that gives us internal and external happiness (it is exalted in Thula-Libra). It is a graha that is integrated within us once we grow up and face all the worldly challenges. On a general level it is a graha feared by most people, but the truth is that the world would be in chaos if it were not for this great master. It is through pain and suffering that there is the ability to see our limits and really see how and in what way we want to use the time we have as beings. It governs death, toxicity and disease, so it is directly related to a spiritual and earthly consciousness. It makes it so that no one can be perfect and points out to us that the fruits of our actions end up being for the collective and not for an egoic or individual end. Sani rules the masses and the population and is the one who controls time, karma and absolute truth.

It also rules the shadow, darkness and ignorance; it is related to a feeling of bondage and “not knowing”, there is no vision and light so it generates fears, insecurities and weaknesses where it is found.

Sani is a very important graha to determine our mental strength as it rules Vayu tattva and is related to thoughts, ideas and gives us that ability to face any serious situation and toughen up as a person.

When is Sani strong in your Jataka (natal chart)?

We can know if Sani is strong when we are able to have an inner strength and wisdom that makes us work constantly with a lot of effort, dedication, work and understanding that life has cycles of suffering and others of more calm. If we want to escape from reality, Sani always comes back.

When someone has Sani in Kendra (1,4, 7 and 10) or in his Svakshetra or Moolatrikona in the D-1 or in the Navamsa (D-9) and is well aspected with planetary help the person can spend much time alone without contact with society and do spiritual austerities. They are also people who work with perseverance and can gain courage by giving time and energy to whatever they strive for. There is a very high and sincere sense of reality. They can seem dull, cold, and dry because they are responsible and know they have a “duty”, they want to do the things that are necessary and that others would not want to do. There is a great ability to survive anywhere in the world and they know how to do it.

As I have already mentioned with Mangal, each element has a “sattvic” attribute. In this case Sani acquires knowledge through tangibility. He also has a “rajasic” attribute which is manual dexterity. Finally, his “tamasic” or dark attribute is known as the object of the five senses; in this case it is “touching”. So, people with a prominent Sani in Kendra (1,4,7 and 10) or strong can have many skills with the hands and can live from those potentials.

They have qualities like focus, determination, ability to work hard. It is the true planet of faith even though it is related to Brihaspati.

Rest and recovery are important qualities to keep in mind with Sani. Knowing when it is time to stop, and rest is imperative. Not being productive and doing nothing all day makes one likely to connect with sadness, emptiness, abandonment, boredom, laziness and other unpleasant feelings that can lead one towards depression and mental or physical illness.

What happens if Sani is weak in your Jataka (natal chart)?

If Sani is weak there will be difficulty in dealing with complex life situations. One can have a lack of control with the air element. In this case it can generate that the person does not have continuity and permanence when starting new challenges. When someone has this graha with problems within the D-1 tends to go dirty, bad smelling, bad habits and among other things. If in contact with Surya, Mangal, Chandra or the nodes there is a strong wound of similar separation and abandonment. Closer to the grahas mentioned, the more pain and suffering guaranteed from birth. People with a Sani in bad condition have memory loss.

If there is too much excess of Vayu (Sani-Rahu) it can give tendencies to separation and abandonment traumas. With Mangal it generates accidents and accumulated frustration and with Ketu there is an overstimulation of perfection, judgment and obsession with problems that can manifest.

Keywords: Time, longevity, work, masses, death, obstacles, limitations, order, population, slavery, toxicity, perseverance, heaviness, results, barriers, discipline, patience, structure, judgment, responsibility, protection.