Mars and Saturn conjunct in Sagittarius –  March 7th – May 3rd, 2018 

Saturn represents limitations, restrictions, discipline, practicality, dispassion, obstacles, rules, law, restraint, stability and oppression.

Mars represents passion, aggressiveness, energy, innovation, instigation, action, activity, freedom, rebellious and courage.

So when these two opposite energies combine, we may experience progress and setbacks, pull and push, start and stop and other opposing factors that can cause frustration and angst. 

However, on a positive note, Mars represents energy and Saturn is all about long term sustenance. So this combination can also relate to sustained energy. Mars’ energy when combined with Saturn’s discipline can produce something remarkable as well. So, this is not as bad as it may projected. If we are willing to make an effort to understand this energy, we are able to use it in a positive way. 

One thing that is common between Mars and Saturn is “fear”. Both these planets can create some element of fear within us and hence they are coined as malefics. 

“Our fear response is an ancient alarm system that evolved in an environment where mortal danger was the norm. In such an environment, a false alarm (I thought it was deadly but it turned out to be harmless) was a better evolutionary bet than a miss (I thought it was harmless but it turned out to be deadly). Yet, in our new, relatively safe environment, this ancient system tends to overreact needlessly, urgently alerting us to nonexistent danger. What used to be meaningful signal is now mostly trivial noise.” – says Noam Shpancer Ph.D.

Mars is known to inspire rather that force us to face our fears with courage. Mars after all is the warrior of the planet kingdom and conquering fear is one of his top agendas. Whereas, Saturn wants you to be careful, so he creates unwanted fear within us which makes us imagine the worst case scenario. 

How do we balance these opposing energies? As it is very clear that fear prevents us from moving forwards. Mars is screaming out loud – ‘Hey you! Get out of this trap, there is nothing to fear, come on’! Whereas Saturn on the other hand is calmly pointing out all the reasons why we may fail and how we may fail if we attempt to get out of it. Saturn wants you to be trapped! Mars can make mistakes, because Mars does not like to think. Whereas Saturn does not and will not allow you to make mistakes. If we choose to take the positives of both of these energies, we can be successful during this transit. It is wise to follow Mars’ lead and get out of the trap, but only after some careful thinking with the help of Saturn’s wisdom. 

The best remedies for this conjunction are:

 

  1. Chant Saturn and Mars mantras every day of this transit. You can choose any mantra you like. The simplest ones are “Aum Sham Shanayscharaya Namaha” for Saturn and “Aum Kujaya Namaha” for Mars.
  2. Take a commitment to write mantras like “Aum Namah Shivaya” or “Aum Namo Narayana” or any of your favorite mantras every day for a minimum of 40 days. Mars represents ink and Saturn represents commitment and things that we do for a longer period of time without a break. So this can help you beyond what you can imagine. In Mantras: Words of Power, Swami Radha describes Likhita Japa as “the written version of repeating mantra…the mantra is written down in lines like sentences, or in shapes and forms…in any design that will help to reinforce your devotions…this repetitive writing brings peace, poise and strength within.”
  3. Listen to “Ganapathi Athatva Sirsha” every day – if you look at the meaning of these verses, you will be surprised to know that this is the ultimate remedy to cruise through any obstacles created by planetary movements. 
  4. Think about the long term consequences (Saturn) before you do any action (Mars).
  5. Set yourself an exercise or Yoga challenge. Set a goal or challenge for yourself that you will exercise or do yoga (or both) everyday for the next 21 days come what way! Use the will power of Mars combined with the discipline of Saturn to follow through and accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. Small things such as this will strengthen your Mars and Saturn. 
  6. Break out of old patterns and let go of things that do not support you anymore. If you are the kind that simply wants to venture into the unknown and take risks, try to change that attitude by mixing it up with a little bit of maturity and structure. If you are someone who keeps thinking and then some more thinking and then some more thinking and never ends up taking any action, then you may have to push yourself hard to act. You can easily self analyse and determine which energy is stronger in you. Mars or Saturn? Once you do that, it becomes easy to balance them. 
  7. Meditation – This is the most effective remedy. Meditation when done continuously over a period of time can be extremely effective. Did you know as per Shiv Sutras whatever is happening in our life is almost like a replay. It has already happened in the subtle plane and we feel the effect of it only when it happens on the physical plane. When you begin to meditate, you can  tap into what is happening on the subtle planes and when you do that, it is mind boggling. You may also end up somehow doing the right thing at the right time as your intuition becomes extremely powerful. 
  8. Sudarshan Kriya – This is a rhythmic breathing technique. If you dig deep into this from an astrological perspective it is the easiest and best remedy for any planetary influence. Sudarshan Kriya is a Sanskrit term meaning “proper vision by purifying action”  – This is exactly what we need right now not just for action (Mars) but purified action (Saturn and Mars). Saturn is connected with Vayu (breath) and a set rhythm as well. When you do Sudarshan Kriya you are engaged in a rhythmic breathing pattern which helps you to erase all the impressions not just from this lifetime but everything that we have accumulated from all our lifetimes combined. These impressions are called ‘Vasana’, behavioural tendencies or karmic imprints that influence your present behaviour. Most of our problems have a strong connection with our accumulated Vasanas. Our birth chart is the indicator of all these impressions and planets affect us based on our birth chart. So by clearing these impressions, you are rectifying things that can effectively be rectified on the root level.  
  9. Listen to spiritual knowledge and wisdom, as signified by the sign Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter (Guru). 
  10. Service (seva) – Anything that you can do to uplift people around you.
  11. MOST IMPORTANT – Manage your anger. Avoid impulsive behavior based on anger.