The Greatness of Saturn

[scarletharlot]

Unquestionably , when one studies the Planetary Powers as part of one's Qabalistic discipline, one discovers that Saturn is in fact the greatest of the Planetary Powers.

Not only does it straddle the Abyss in the form of Da'ath, it also represents the Great Mother, the Black Virgin in the form of the sephirah Binah.

Thus the means across the Abyss is by the grace of the Mother, who as the crown of the Pillar of Severity, is also represented in lesser form as Mercury and Mars.

Spiritual attainment comes through the lessons taught by necessity: strife and struggle, not through ease and comfort. Thus Saturn is the planet associated with spiritual attainment.

In Indian astrology (Jyotish) Saturn is the key to the whole horoscope. When it is found in certain positions in the horoscope, the troubles it causes for the "native' can be extreme. Thus ways and means have been found to relieve the pressure exerted upon one by these planetary positions, and bring one into 'right relationship" with this the greatest of the Planetary Powers.

One of these methods is the recitation of various hymns and invocations composed for the purpose, other by rituals referred to as 'upayas". Since all creatures must eat, ritual that involves the feeding of creatures ruled by the particular planet you are trying to propitiate, with food that is also sacred to that planet, is considered one of the most effective upayas one can perform.

In fact, Freemasonry is designed to bring men into right relationship with Saturn. in fact , one of the most famous of Masonic illustrations, "The Monument", features the depiction of Saturn as the Lord of Time, standing behind a young woman and holding her hair in a manner that suggests he is braiding (or unbraiding) it; the young woman holds a lamp and resting her hand on a broken pillar. (There are numerous variants on this theme; sometimes she is also writing in a book or reading it.)

I was sent this picture by a Freemason once I started corresponding with them on the Internet. I actually got on a dating website and my opening line was 'Are you on the Square?"Of course I had no problem whatever separating the 'sheep from the goats'! But I digress.

Seeing this picture affected me very strongly; I had been doing my regular meditation on Binah, and I knew from the spontaneous receipt of this picture in my e-mail box that I was on the right track. This was happening at the same time I was crossing paths with the Magister Templi of that Order of reincarnated Knights Templar.

[scarletharlot]

In fact, today is Saturn's 'birthday'; I am assured of this because I belong to a Hindu Shani devotional website and I am kept updated on such events, which are important to me.

It is a curious fact that I received reliable information that the people who follow the rites of Vaudou are concurrently propitiating the African Power "Baron Samedi", who is, of course Saturn; the "Seven African Powers", refers, of course, to the Seven Planetary Powers who move through the Zodiac; all can be and has been learned and taught and categorized under the Tree of Life, by Thelemitic practitioners of the rites of the "Obeah" and the "Wanga". Thus the two traditions both concur that this time has a certain Saturnian gravity behind it.

The actual planet, so admirably documented by Cassini-Huygens (does anyone else think it perfectly apposite that the name of the Archangel of Saturn is "Cassiel"?) is currently occupying the last decan of Libra, which means nothing to most people, but to astrologers it is most significant: Saturn is 'exalted" in the Sign of Libra, and it will be a long time (30 years before it is in such an auspicious position again) so it would seem a prudent time to 'get in good' with "the Monarch".

[scarletharlot]

Another means of placating the Planetary Power known as Saturn, is to read the book "Shani Mahatmyam" ("The Greatness of Saturn"). The only translation I know of is that of Dr. Robert E. Svoboda, and the book, in addition to the translation of this Hindu devotional tale, contains an excellent exposition on the need for and the reasons to, placate Saturn, plus an essay on the power of stories to transform one's life.

[scarletharlot]

Apr 21, 2012 20:25:54 GMT -8 scarletharlot said:

In fact, today is Saturn's 'birthday'; I am assured of this because I belong to a Hindu Shani devotional website and I am kept updated on such events, which are important to me.

It is a curious fact that I received reliable information that the people who follow the rites of Vaudou are concurrently propitiating the African Power "Baron Samedi", who is, of course Saturn; the "Seven African Powers", refers, of course, to the Seven Planetary Powers who move through the Zodiac; all can be and has been learned and taught and categorized under the Tree of Life, by Thelemitic practitioners of the rites of the "Obeah" and the "Wanga". Thus the two traditions both concur that this time has a certain Saturnian gravity behind it.

The actual planet, so admirably documented by Cassini-Huygens (does anyone else think it perfectly apposite that the name of the Archangel of Saturn is "Cassiel"?) is currently occupying the last decan of Libra, which means nothing to most people, but to astrologers it is most significant: Saturn is 'exalted" in the Sign of Libra, and it will be a long time (30 years before it is in such an auspicious position again) so it would seem a prudent time to 'get in good' with "the Monarch".

There are various ways to do this; being an Aghori Tantric, I make use of the Hindu methods, myself, chiefest among which is the use of storytelling as a method of healing and enlightenment. Dr. Robert E. Svoboda has written an extremely insightful essay on the topic in his masterly translation of the Shani Mahatmyam ("The Greatness of Saturn".)

By way of a bonus (for us astrologers, anyway) he also includes the mythology of the other 7 planets, cleverly engaging one's interest by the device of presenting it as an event: seven pundits have been invited to hold forth on their planets as part of a discussion between them and a philosopher-king.

Before there was the Internet to engage our attention, people in India would attend religious debates and watch them with the rapt attention nowadays bestowed on objects bearing small screens.

One thing I found interesting about the Hindu attributes of Saturn was that the metal ascribed to Saturn was not lead but iron.

Lead was ascribed to the Nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu; what in Western astrology, is known as the "Head and the Tail of the Dragon."

When you think about it, humble, utilitarian iron is surely the most useful of all metals, only superseded in this respect by aluminum, which is ruled by Uranus, which was, when it was discovered, was given the Sign of Aquarius.-before that, Aquarius was attributed to the planet Saturn.

Humanity has engendered HUGE amounts of karma in search of and the refinement and deployment of iron; it is quite staggering to think about, if one actually contemplates the facts of the matter.

It is am interesting fact that the Sufis say that consciousness first arose in the Earth at the metallic i.e. mineral level , progressed to the plant level, then through the animal level and then to the human level. But the thing is: the evolution of consciousness has not stopped; we are told we still have a long way to go yet.

This is what is meant by 'spiritual evolution': that which participates in 'evolution" goes forward into the future, adding to the store of humanity's knowledge; that which does not evolve fades out and is cast into the nether darkness of the Qliphoth.

Saturn rules "end processes" and thus has overlordship over the Qliphothic abyss, since it is the "cesspool" of the universe. it is because of this association that Saturn becomes the "Lord of the Material World"- that is to say, "the Devil"