Shani & Surya Relationships between Saturn & the Sun Negotiation of Identity: Individual versus Society Rashi yoga Gochara yoga Drishti yoga Shani & Surya are bitter planetary enemies.  All possible relationships (yogas) between them are problematic. Rashi: If Surya occupies Shani's signs of Makara & Kumbha, ego development is constrained & growth of individuality is stunted by fear of ostracism.   Unable to locate an independent awareness of the divine, the native seeks confirmation of their worth from large, socially conservative organizations & conformist, dogmatic belief systems.   If Shani occupies Surya's rashi Simha, the native feels pressured to distinguish him/herself socially, but the only open path for self-promotion is social-ethical perfectionism.   The native bears a terrible karma of needing to endlessly prove that they are worthy because they are righteous. Gochara: The transit of Shani across the natal position of Shani's enemy Ravi is troublesome, but it may yield valuable long-term results.    The relationship of Surya to Shani :: the relationship of the individual to society.  The purpose of Shani's looong transit across Surya is to induce moral & spiritual maturity in social behavior. Success depends on: the domain impacted by the transit natal Surya's condition within that domain. Best results: Shani's transit to natal Surya, when Surya occupies domain-10 or domain-11 Shani's transit to natal Surya in a kendra Shani's transit to natal Surya after native's age 60 Reasonably good results: Shani's transit to natal Surya after native's age 31 Shani's transit to natal Surya, when Surya is strong and morally aware (any age) Shani transits are always significant. Most graha transits are not significant per se. A transit must be empowered in order to have a tangible effect.  The sky movement of most grahas has a typically trivial effect on real life *unless* the native is *simultaneously* experiencing a Vimshottari bhukti of the graha. During the bhukti, all attention is focused on the bhukti-pat (and the tertiary lords such as the pratyaantaradashapati). At this time even brief transit contacts to the period lord will be empowered to signify measurable events. Exception to this rule is Shani! Shani transits ALWAYS have some significance, regardless of the current bhukti. However if gochara Shani is impacting a the current period lord, expect very tangible results. Shani's effects are typically straightforward and characteristic of Shani: restraint, delay, perfectionism, lowest common denominator, rule-bound, heavy workload, and - usually - successful conclusion to the project after a long, careful process. Ultimately, Shani gives closure. Shani's transit to Ravi: 2.3 years in duration Surya denotes pride & confidence. If the native's confidence is based in conscious awareness of the divine life force,  Shani's transit will not harm the native's public reputation or cause a fall from power.  Rather, Shani will impose the discipline of higher social knowledge upon the native.  Shani's transit to Surya indicates that the time in the karmic script has arrived when the native is being told (not asked!) to accept responsibility for their public behavior. The time has arrived for the native to undertake a deeper awareness of their role in society and to understand how they are perceived by the common people. For a well-positioned Ravi, this transit is a call to leadership development and perhaps also to accept moral authority.  If the native has incomplete ego development (i.e., if Ravi occupies an unfavorable rashi or receives drishti signifying selfishness, insecurity, pride, or greed) this task of gaining mature wisdom can be painful.  Depending on the native's age & moral awareness at the time of the transit, the native may not be developmentally prepared to accept the premise that his/her "personal" choices do affect other people. The type of adult who has not matured past the teenage behaviors of irresponsibility & rebelliousness; who is socially unsteady or rationally unsophisticated; who hungers for adulation, attention or fame; or whose own adult role models were victims & blamers (all evidence of a poorly situated Ravi) will know much pain & suffering during gochara Shani's passage across the rashi of Surya. These ego-immature natives will experience social "battering", being "put down" or "put in their place".  Extremely damaged egos such as the "oppositional-defiant" diagnosis may experience physical punishment or other tangible restraint, because Shani transit to Surya increases the power of social authority and oppresses the people who resist it.  By contrast, the mature & rational person who has thought through the relationship of the individual to society, will accommodate the increased Shani pressure with dignity. Of course they will also feel quite tired!  Gochara Shani brings an increased workload, temporarily reduced credit or praise for the social value of the work accomplished, much heavier responsibility for making conscious moral choices, and a pressure to restrain one's social behavior within conventional limits.  This is not a time to try innovative new concepts or lifestyle options!  The native is being asked to publicly acknowledge and demonstrate the Shani values of modesty, humility, commonality, habitualness, inclusiveness, respect for social conventions, respect for age, simplicity, safety, predictability, reliability, tried-and-true, scarce resource management, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", etc. Shani enforces slow-down and review. The reflective person, especially as they age, will not find this 2.3 year course of study & behavior control too hard to accept.  In fact, older persons may sincerely welcome it as a time to take stock of their past achievements and accept authoritative evaluations of their performance. For older people the Shani transit to Surya may be a time of receiving accolades for long-time professional service, for stability and commitment in long marriages, and for other feats of stamina and endurance! For best results: The native with a grounded & authentically confident (con=with; fide=faith) understanding of their individual role in society will experience a step up in career and public standing during Shani transit to Ravi. The most important result of this transit is advanced awareness of social constraints on individual freedom. Shani rules Time. The native may not be permitted to use their time in the way they personally would prefer.  Rather, their time is temporarily controlled by a more public agenda.   Regarding Shani's transit to natal Surya, Das / Behari: says:  "... can bring good and difficult results. It is a time of tremendous responsibility & hard work leading to success of old projects & to get the best out of that.  If Saturn is significator and is well dignified, this denotes much evils. Causes great loss from fire. Native becomes proud, lofty & unfortunate & has his pride often mortified by his superiors. One is dull Knavish, mean, servile, unhappy & bewildered.  If Sun is ill dignified disposition & fortune will be much worse, disaster more frequent, unhappy life.  If Sun is significator, and Saturn is well dignified, one is proud, mean, treacherous, wasteful, careless, loves inheritance and injury.  If Saturn be ill dignified, one is infamous, miserable life & misfortune, proud, mean, covetous, rash and poor. He has often a mark or blemish in his face. Injury or broken limbs by fall or by accidents. Eye sores etc. The person will be clever, well versed in worldly affairs, intelligent, religious & good business man. One will have good friends & will spend on unwanted ventures but will be deprived from comforts of children. Not avaricious, strained relations with wife. Combination or aspect in or to 10th house makes one politician with heavy sufferings, struggle and one never enjoys the fruits of the labor or hard work put in. One will be devoid on conjugal happiness. It brings material success.  This conjunction will limit the working with freedom of movement in all your spheres like service, domestic life etc. You will feel restless, but be patient and concentrate on the issues. Do not take any new projects, too much responsibility can cause health problems of heart and circulatory system. A time of perseverance, hard work and heavy responsibility, there can be great potential for reward. The plans where you have not succeeded should not be regarded as complete failure, this time can be a time of personal and professional defeats.  Saturn will confine and restrict things of your life during this conjunction for 2 1 /2 years ... You may feel lonely & cut of from relations & others; may cause break. A time of concentrating energy, not scattering it.  Sun is a royal planet significator of power, authority & favor from Govt., whereas Saturn is a planet of limitations and restrictions. So when the two are connected in a birth chart in any way through any aspect, power, authority etc becomes restricted. One does not get reward for his hard work put in. Sun gives the same effects with Rahu & Ketu. All the three planets have separative effects." Drishti: When Surya occupies the rashi opposite to Shani's rashi, Surya casts 100% drishti upon Shani, This is generally a disruptive experience for Shani, who does not wish His law-enforcing domain to be disturbed by egoistic Surya.   The result of Surya's drishti upon Shani is generally unfavorable, with the exception of Surya/Kumbha & Shani/Simha. When Shani occupies the rashi which is either 4th-from-Surya or 11th-from-Surya, Shani casts 100% drishti upon Surya This is generally an oppressive experience for Surya, who does not wish His individualistic domain to be restrained by conformist Shani.   The result of Shani's drishti upon Surya is incomplete ego development.  The native feels a shortage of praise, a lessening of social worth, and a demand to work harder than normal to earn social recognition for the value of their work. SURYA sends 100% drishti to Shani Surya rashi Shani rashi Result Mesha Thula Disturbs the sexual response, promotes narcissism & blaming. Surya is uccha, very powerful, in Kuja's rashi of masculine sexuality.  Shani is uccha, very powerful, in Shukra's rashi of feminine sexuality.   Shukra & Shani are the bitter enemies of Surya.  Native feels a powerful internal tension between heroic self-reliance vs. stable social approval in an elite profession. Dissatisfied with their social standing & their job; feels under-recognized & slighted. Despite their authentic intelligence, hard to work with & frequently unemployed. Vrishabha Vrischika The other occurrence of Surya in Shukra's rashi vs. Shani in Kuja's rashi.  Less tension because Surya gets drishti from rashi of friendly Kuja, while Shani gets drishti of rashi of friendly Shukra. Traditionally, denies marriage for the female.  Hardworking & comfort-seeking person whose strong sense of personal entitlement is restricted by oppressive authorities. Tax troubles. Mithuna Dhanau Surya in a rashi of neutral Budha vs. Shani in a rashi of neutral Guru. This person is very careful with how they project their individuality in public settings, & seeks acceptance through rules & regulations. They succeed in the communicative professions which appeal to the masses such as public education & public relations. Karkata Makara Surya in a rashi of friendly Chandra vs. Shani in swakshetra. Shani is the stronger partner but Surya is not harmed.  Individuality may present as moody, indecisive or inconsistent. Integrity suffers: rigid when he should be flexible; bends when he should hold firm.  Wants to "have his cake and eat it too." Seeks fame amongst conservatives, wants personal praise for upholding an old tradition.  Simha Kumbha One of the worst situations for Surya-Shani.  Native wants to be independent & recognized for his ideas while also responsible to & protected by the group.  Mutual aspect creates severe inner tension, which is usually absorbed into the body as illness & accident. Criticism from the father, who is himself restricted & frustrated by limited professional opportunity & heavy responsibilities. Hard work combined with a willingness to accept a lower level of entitlement, seems to be the best strategy with this angle. Kanya Meena This situation is very similar to Surya/Mithuna in mutual aspect to Shani/Dhanau, above. The native is careful about their public presentation. However in their anxiety to be accepted they may overextend that carefulness into actually fabricating information about themselves, intended to mask or compensate for some perceived shortcoming. Lacks true confidence. Ego development is limited to mental plane; will not mature socially or emotionally. Health problems from nervousness, often appear in the skin (ruled by Shani). Thula Mesha Neechha Surya is handicapped in the rashi of His enemy, Shukra.  Neechha Shani is handicapped in the rashi of His enemy, Kuja.  Neechha Shani improves in the second half of life, but neechha Surya remains sensualistic & fawning.   Traditionally deprives a female of marriage, or makes the marriage painfully difficult. Native is hardworking & productive similar to Surya/Vrishabha vs. Shani/Vrischika, but the work is not recognized by the status quo. He will be an outsider. The interesting thing about this dilemma is that the native usually realizes that he will not be socially approved in any conventional setting. He sets about to do whatever he wants to do, often with remarkably independent & creative results. Much labor & little reward, until the 2nd half of life when avant garde behavior might pay off.  Neechha bhanga can improve social recognition, and so can a good disposition for either Kuja or Shukra.   Vrischika Vrishabha Surya in rashi of friend Kuja & Shani in rashi of friend Shukra, which makes the Surya-Shani relationship more hostile than ever. Native takes a leadership role energized by intense personal conviction, but finds himself at loggerheads with a resistant, comfort-seeking populace. A purist who may be demanding & annoying; a shamanic leader who sees something his followers cannot see.  Everything is fine until the day his judgment errs; then he is abandoned en mass by his supporters.  The guru type, but his congregation are looking for money & the easy path to heaven. Tough spot. Dhanau Mithuna Surya in rashi of friendly Guru while Shani enjoys friendly rashi of Budha. Similar to Surya/Meena-Shani/Kanya. Surya is auspiciously positioned. Native is religious & generous, charitable & always willing to teach. A natural coach & purveyor of positive humanistic information. Yet, cultural misunderstandings & sexual intrigue will bring him opprobrium. Language causes troubles for him, translations are incorrect or misleading.  Those who handle language & culture concerns for him, will place form over content, limiting his effectiveness. His teaching mission may demand inappropriate sexual privilege; social punishment for this. Even so, honored as a worthy teacher. Makara Karka Surya is doubly weakened by Shani's drishti into Shani's own sign. The native's identity falls victim to fluctuations in external authority structures. Their public identity is determined by stronger personalities in their environment; frequently a moody spouse or parent. Many strictures from outside authority, including military & political organizations & their rules. Early separation from home, then marries a spouse much like the offending parent. Very restricted ego development. Kumbha Simha Parivartana yoga. Here is the one exception to the prognosis for trouble in any relationship between Shani & Surya.  Although not a complete resolution of the individual vs. society tension that is built into human life, a parivartana of Shani & Surya gives the native good timing.  May achieve a fine understanding of the balance between personal truth & social traditions, between individual creativity & large, stable, rule-driven networks. Can maintain their individuality while working within large organizations, particularly in technical engineering, electronics, or modern scientific environments. Eccentric but earns reasonably well in his niche profession. Holds odd beliefs perhaps but remains free to believe them. Meena Kanya Surya is happy in Guru's rashi & Shani is adequately busy in the rashi of Budha. A very nice person but rather slow to progress.  Helpful. Feels obliged to work in fields where organization & analysis are required yet rarely gains competence in these skills. A cheerful bumbler who slowly acquires longevity if not respect within a bureaucracy. A "goldbricker" who fills the day with insignificant tasks. Friendly & childlike ego.  Sensitively mirrors the feelings of others & therefore tolerated even while they bungle the mental process. Dysfunctionally charitable, gives away their own necessities then becomes a burden on others. Made much worse with the common addition of neechha Budha, who gives delusion. SHANI sends 100% drishti to Surya Shani's drishti to Surya constrains and sometimes damages ego development. Indicates fear & restriction from the father. The native's access to Confidence, faith in the divine, is blocked by this patrimonial fear.  It will be angry fear, if Kuja's rashis are involved. If some of these constraints seem unfair, remember that Shani gives better results in the second half of life.   Time, the hallmark of Shani, generally convinces folks to accept their situation & work intelligently within its limits, rather than fight angrily against unfair restraints as in youth. Any negative readings below are guaranteed to improve as the native ages and learns patience with karmic restrictions in their life. Shani rashi Surya rashi Result Mesha Mithuna -or- Makara If Ravi occupies Mithuna, the 3rd ray from neechha Shani creates nervousness. Shani is handicapped in Kuja's warrior sign, where Shani's quest for stability & the rule of law is thwarted by animal anger coming from survival signals (get them before they get you) in the reptile brain. Surya the Soul is already mentalized in Mithuna; the native seeks social recognition primarily for their mentality.  However neechha Shani restricts the ability to trust that one is accepted into the group; stability is compromised; the native becomes verbally excessive, demanding recognition through excessive communications. If Ravi occupies Makara where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better because Shani's ray enters Shani's own sign.  Makara-Ravi naturally seeks recognition in Makara's domain, which is conformist social organizations. Drishti from neechha Shani, while exacerbating the native's tendency to identify himself with punitive, rule-oriented groups, assures that the native will take no creative risks that might endanger his status within the group. Somber & conservative, but stable. Vrishabha Karkata -or- Kumbha If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better because Shani's ray enters Shani's own sign.  Mithuna Simha -or- Meena If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better because Shani's ray enters Shani's own sign.    Karkata Kanya -or- Mesha If Ravi occupies Kanya, the 3rd ray from Karkata Shani creates .  If uccha Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti from Karkata, ego development is twisted by angry fear of "the system". Similar to Shani-10th-ray-to-Surya-Simha (below) but with Surya-Mesha the anger is not repressed. Confidence, i.e. faith in the divine, is constrained by fears originating in early childhood trauma. Some structural flaw in the home environment due to weakness in mother/parents (Karka), which hurt the child in the tender years, warns the native to super-strengthen his ego against future harm. Anger against human structural weakness & cannot tolerate it. (See Adolph Hitler where Surya is much enflamed by Mars)  Lifelong determination to strengthen his individual position & contempt for human frailty. High on leadership, very low on compassion.  Das says that when Surya occupies a rashi of Kuja, Shani's aspect upon Surya produces: "Sometimes because of your desire to lead or because of the actions of other powerful entities, you find yourself in various troubles in life which affect your health; but you have the ability to engage in hard work with steadfastness & concentration. You can be very brave & sometimes even callous toward the feelings of others. For you life is not a place where comfort is a top priority but rather getting the job done, even if that means being a little too intense for other peoples' feelings."   Simha Thula -or- Vrishabha If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better  Kanya Vrischikha -or- Mithuna If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better    Thula Dhanau -or- Karka If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better  Vrischika Makara -or- Simha If Ravi occupies Makara, the 3rd ray from Shani in Kuja's rashi Vrischika will create an inner mental disturbance. Ego constraints  If Ravi occupies swakshetra Simha, Shani's 10th drishti is very frustrating.  Ego development is constrained but not destroyed because the hostile drishti comes from the rashi of friend Kuja.  Manual labor for this royal personage is insulting & disconfirming. But Kuja's rashi also increases the muscular energy; native is willing to work.  Native's lifetime energy is drained by repressed anger at "the system" including all outside authorities who try to restrain or control the native: parents, teachers, law enforcement, government officials. As agents of Shani, these conservative authorities impose repetitive, survival-level tasks which serve as payment for having forced others to work in past lives. Although of royal lineage the native's leadership capabilities are never realized.  Such is the power of Shani. To escape the drudgery of Shani's repetitive & impersonal work, native seeks recognition for an unusual or eccentric profession. Establishes a separate kingdom where they have unchallenged authority & "the law can't touch them". Lifelong battle of personal creativity versus animal survival constraints.  Shani gives better results in 2nd half of life. Whenever Ravi occupies a rashi of Kuja & receives drishti of Shani, Das says, "Sometimes because of your desire to lead or because of the actions of other powerful entities, you find yourself in various troubles in life which affect your health; but you have the ability to engage in hard work with steadfastness and concentration. You can be very brave and sometimes even callous toward the feelings of others. For you life is not a place where comfort is a top priority but rather getting the job done, even if that means being a little too intense for other peoples' feelings." Dhanau Kumbha -or- Kanya If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better    Makara Meena -or- Thula If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better    Kumbha Mesha -or- Vrischikha If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Kumbha where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better    Meena Vrishabha -or- Dhanau If Ravi occupies Karkata, the 3rd ray from Vrishabha Shani creates .  If Ravi occupies Dhanau where Ravi receives Shani's 10th drishti, results are somewhat better because rashis of Guru are both sending & receiving the drishti. However, because so much depends on the condition of Vrihaspati, this is a very sensitive angle.  A murderous tyrant Josef Stalin was born with this precise aspect, within seconds of arc. For Stalin the key to outcome is neechha Guru hugely amplified by Rahu & Shani in Parivartana yoga with Guru.  Believing he could do no wrong, created a monstrosity of huge social programs.   Letter to a client who was struggling, during Shani bhukti, with the implications of her (prestigious, intellectual, but highly critical and unsupportive) father's death and looking for some way to grieve well and understand the role her father had played in her life.   The client is herself an accomplished professional with numerous intellectual credentials (although her father felt her credentials were inferior.)  Her father had left a major inheritance, but the native despite having devoted many hours to his demanding medical care in his final years, was not named in his will. Q:  What concepts can I study? What new knowledge can I gain. I need new ideas and new credentials. I feel terrible disappointment, abandonment, and grief for my father.  I am heartbroken and profoundly angry. I have heard mention of the Black Sun - can you tell me about it? A:  Black Sun is a compelling metaphor for your father, who is represented in your radix Jyotisha chart by a highly dignified Sun which is made inaccessible and largely obscured by too-close Saturn. Bepin Behari says of this Saturn position (applying to you) "Saturn may negatively affect the family status, create disaffection between siblings, and break the marriage tie. You will burn with an intense desire to achieve some supreme position or high ideal, but social conditions will seldom enable you to succeed. Dreams and visions will often be destroyed." This Saturn is troublesome. It is not inescapable (nothing is!) but the consciousness requirement to transcend this particular karmic arrangement of Saturn with Sun is demanding. Luckily you possess the superior analytical intelligence to accomplish the transcendence - presuming that you also have the Will to engage that intelligence upon this most difficult task. This is the terrible task of identifying your father's fear and pain (Saturn) which prevented his brilliance (Sun) from accessing divine healing energy.  It is a huge disappointment that the Father, our Guru in whom we should be confident "with faith", is so crippled by historic suffering that he becomes a negative influence. This is high tragedy, and worth looking into not only on the scale of the single man and father, but on the scale of an entire culture  professional intellectual culture) to see what the carrying of massive fear and pain does to men in the culture as a whole. Certainly being in Shani bhukti right now puts this matter of the father as a "Black Sun" in the front of consciousness. As you know I think all this personal reflection is leading to the target of you becoming a world-class trauma healer, so I believe your own therapeutic work will pay rich rewards for many in your downstream, in the not so distant future. --- The scientific astronomical literature is full of references to the galactic sun which is less a metaphor these days and more a reality. The concept of Black Sun is perhaps more compelling therapeutically because it is a Sun which should be a central life force of massive grandeur, but which in fact consumes more energy than it produces, becomes a sink-hole, and eventually sucks the whole system into destruction. As you will discover if you haven't already, the Black Sun as a symbol was appropriated by the Nazi movement along with the previously pure symbol of tantric enlightenment, the Swastika. There is so much evil now embedded in these symbols that these symbols may be psychically too toxic to handle. When I first journeyed to India many years ago I was shocked at the proliferation of swastikas. Swa- means self, and -tika means mark or symbol. So, swastika is originally a symbol of self-enlightenment (tantra). But in my childhood it had become the evil black spider of Nazism - a terrifying sign. For quite awhile I shuddered every time I encountered one - some of them several thousand years old and carved into mountainsides! So beware that Black Sun too has been appropriated by an evil force and as a result the symbol itself can feel charged with evil, although it is not, inherently, bad. There is much conspiratorial literature regarding Black Sun on the market today which probably does not serve your therapeutic purpose. Rather, it would be useful to gain an overview of some of the 20th-century thinking about super-ancient civilizations (in the lineage of Blavatsky, Besant, Cayce) to see whether the esoteric history is of natural interest to you. Then, develop the metaphor as an archetype which provides a deeply meaningful, explanatory symbol of your father and his roles as a man, a father, a husband, a teacher, and a senior, elite intellectual, perhaps as a social leader. I personally am very much interested in esoteric history but I think for you the current purpose is *not* to get sucked into one intellectual diversion after the next (in an infinite attempt to prove your validity to your father and succeed in negotiating your identity with him on his terms) but rather to acquire a potent symbol of his simultaneous greatness (Sun) and spiritual living-death (blackness) which gives you some superior leverage in that negotiation.  Sun or Surya is identity and Saturn of Shani is social control, "other people's terms". You will never prove yourself on his terms - no one can prove themselves on someone else's terms. You will prove yourself on your own terms. The Black Sun might be a powerful therapeutic concept that provides a terminology for you to explain what happened with your father and what is happening inside of you, to the extent that you have internalized your father's dialog with you, that you have internalized your father's grad, critical, negative voice and you have heard that voice as your own voice since childhood. The tragic suffering of the "final" loss of the father during a Saturn bhukti can provide a splendid opportunity to objectify that voice and learn to hear it as *his* - not your - definition of who you are. So, read Edgar Cayce, Blavatsky and the Theosophists, Annie Besant, Rudolph Steiner, Bepin Behari (my favorite) etc. if you seek the elaborate esoteric historical details. It is all very interesting. But it is also potentially very distracting if you get sucked into an infinite intellectual loop of trying to prove something (to your father/yourself) by owning that information. Your father based his identity on ownership of a knowledge base.  Be careful, you are not trying to justify yourself by acquiring new knowledge. You are trying to privately understand and interpret a psycho-emotional reality inside your own life. That means you can do all the essential spiritual healing work of using the Black Sun archetype without reading a single book or "studying" anything. Yes?  So, read and read and read if you want to, but do not allow the trauma of the impossible-to-please father distract you into the mental busyness of information-gathering at the expense of deep meditative healing. I believe that meditating on the symbol, painting it and dreaming it and poetry-writing it, will yield the fruit of healing if you specifically do not confuse "knowing about it" the Black Sun (savoir/savvy) for "knowing it" (connaissance/consciousness).  No doubt the paucity of expression in English, where we lack in English the vocabulary to make distinctions between knowing-outside and knowing-inside, is part of our problem!  Of course these distinctions are readily available in German kennen-wissen, in French savoir-connaitre, and in Spanish saber-conocer, etc.  Anyway practice the inner knowing first, the triumph of Surya over Shani is our goal.  We never disrespect Shani which is the structure of socially validated knowledge, which will certainly protect us and keep our bodies safe from danger as far as possible during the incarnation.  However the knowledge which we carry from lifetime to lifetime embodied in the soul, is knowledge of the Divine. Surya represents Divine wisdom and the light of Inner Truth reflected in Earth's magnificent Sun.  During a Shani bhukti there is a strong instinct to cultivate Shani-knowledge which in the impoverished English expression is knowledge-about external life. But do not forget or disregard the Surya component, the eternal variety of knowledge, which is pure wisdom of the "wissen" variety.  For lasting truth, go within. Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama
	updated: 23 October 2008   Copyright © 1994-2015 by Barbara Pijan Lama - Contact - Sitemap - How to Request a Jyotisha Reading - www.barbarapijan.com - Barbara Pijan Lama Jyotisha Jyotish Vedic Astrology Horoscope Readings Surya Sun Chandra Moon Mangala Mars Budha Mercury Guru Jupiter Shukra Venus Shani Saturn Rahu Ketu Graha Planets Dasha Timeline Nakshatra Navamsha Marriage Children Wealth Career Spiritual Wisdom Death