Saturn remedies

• discipline, patience and hard work
• service, servants and workers
• old age, endurance and long projects
• the bones, joints and teeth, traditionally

Often one or more of these, especially in Saturn’s own period or when it is weak in the birth chart:

• delays, heaviness or a feeling of being held back
• work that feels thankless
• loneliness or pessimism
• Sade Sati or a Saturn period that feels hard

Free, and the strongest remedies of all, because they change the habit the planet shows up through.

• Be punctual and finish what you start; Saturn rewards steady effort.
• Serve the elderly, the poor and people who work with their hands; treat staff and workers fairly.
• Be honest in work and money matters.
• Recite the Hanuman Chalisa on Saturdays, or light a sesame-oil lamp in the evening.

Say it 108 times (one round of a mala), in the morning, facing east if you can. Start on a Saturday and keep the same time each day; a steady small practice counts for more than a long one done once.

Deity: Shani, Hanuman and Shiva; visiting a Shani or Hanuman temple on Saturdays is traditional.

Fasting: A Saturday fast (Shanivar vrat).

Charity: black sesame, mustard oil, black urad dal, blankets or shoes for those in need, on a Saturday. Why: serving those who struggle is the remedy Saturn understands. Give to someone who needs it, and only what you can easily afford.

Blue Sapphire acts fast and strongly: only when Saturn is a good planet for your ascendant, and on trial first.

Metal:

silver or panchadhatu

Finger:

middle finger

First worn:

a Saturday evening, after saying the mantra 108 times

Substitute:

amethyst is a gentler substitute

The stone should touch the skin. Buy a natural, untreated stone from a reputable gemologist, wear it on trial first, and take it off if anything feels wrong. More in Gemstones: rules before you wear one.