Saturn and Diseases by R. Santhanam

In 1874 A.D. Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian physician, had described it as arising out of Mycro-bacterium Leprae.  Leprosy is mainly of two categories.  Sometimes, skin lesions appear as light red or purple spots.  The second type of leprosy is identified by its causing yellow or brown infiltrated nodules (protuberances) affecting the Mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat.  This disease causing skin lesions appear as light red or purple dots (first mentioned) is somewhat better (than the second type) though its side effect is nervous breakdown or such involvement, leading to numbness, contractions, etc.  Normally, here the bacterium is isolated from skin lesions or Mucus Membranes of the nose.  The other type of leprosy, causing nodular lesions, is difficult to be treated and many times it leads to physical mutilation and deformity.  Astrologically, any affliction thrown by Saturn to the Moon or even Jupiter, causes skin lesions (first type of leprosy) and chief involvement of Saturn gives rise to the second type resulting in physical mutility and deformity.  (Consult texts like Saravali for knowing right and left sides of the body and the limbs.)

There are several combinations in astrology and these are effective only when Saturn is directly involved and afflicting Jupiter and the Moon so that leprosy is caused.  Saturn rules Mucus Membrane while the Moon rules skin and blood.  (Mars is in charge of producing blood while the Moon takes care of circulation, purification, etc.).  We have some of the combinations indicating leprosy, as given below.  (These are not all.)

• According to Veerasimhavalokana (a work in Sanskrit exclusively dedicated to diseases from the point of view of planetary system in the present birth. Poorva karma or acts committed in the previous birth so that a certain sufferance occurs, medical remedies, Japas, Danas, etc.) says that if the Sun is posited in Cancer and aspected by Saturn, the combination causes leprosy.  Always take in consideration the sign of the zodiac also ruled by a certain planet.  For example, if Saturn is mentioned for a disease, consider Capricorn and Aquarius too.  Combinations from other texts like Jataka Tatwa are:
• Saturn, the Moon, and Mars lining up either in Aries or Taurus.
• The Moon in Pisces Navamsa and aspected by Saturn.
• Lord of the 6^th in the ascendant in the company of Saturn.
• Mars in the ascendant and Saturn in the 4^th, while Lagna lord is in the 8^th.
• Saturn joining Rahu.
• Rahu, Saturn and Mars joining in the ascendant.
• Saturn aspecting or occupying the 6^th

Given below is the horoscope of a lady born with a golden spoon in her mouth.  Born on July 9, 1925 at 7-50 a.m. (IST) at 17° N 2’, 81° E 46’ (Rajahmundry in the Andhra Pradesh).  The Sun 83° 28’, Rahu 102° 46’, Mercury 102° 48’, Venus 103° 36’, Mars 105° 10’, Lagna 108° 28’, Saturn (stationary) 194° 49’, Jupiter(R) 264° 04’, Ketu 282° 46’ and the Moon 304° 32’.  Mars Dasa balance at birth 1y 1m 13d.  Note that five elements have grouped in Cancer.  These are in the ascending degree; Rahu, Mercury, Venus and Mars.   Rule No.5 supra is 100% present in this natus.  And, most of the above rules with some modifications exist here to that the native suffers leprosy.  Except the Sun, all other elements including the ascendant, the 6^th and its lord are very well connected with Saturn.  In effective mutual orbs are the ascendant, Rahu and Saturn.  In around 1960-61 in Saturn’s major and sub-periods, some yellow protuberances were noticed but the diagnosis did not find conclusive evidence of leprosy.  She was treated with some drugs as a measure of precaution.  Saturn was transiting the region of Sagittarius in the company of Jupiter (over the natal 6^th).  However in the sub-period of the Moon in the same Dasa, fag end of 1971, the disease obtained its serious turn, with conspicuous nodules and also led to ovarian tumor.   I think the said affliction to genital glands is because of Rahu and Venus being together in watery sign (Cancer) and powerfully aspected by Saturn.  Medicines have not been of much help later on and the patient seemed continuously to be suffering from leprosy, because of the malign involvement of Saturn, who is also stationary at birth.

Veera Simhavalokana suggests donation of cow to ward off these afflictions.

We now switch over to Epilepsy or Apasmara.  This is a chronic disorder of cerebral function characterized by seizures.  The mildest is Petit Mal, the unconsciousness not lasting over 30 seconds, but no falling.  Grand Mal marks is continence, loss of consciousness far a few minutes and involuntary contraction of all the muscles of the body causing a thrash about. Another form is Psychomotor causing confusion, staggering and purposeless movements but not falling.  The serious kind of the disease is epileptic equivalents in which the seizure takes the form of para oxysmal abdominal pain and mental cloudiness lasting several hours.  The 8^th house rules the consciousness and awareness of a native.  Cerebellum is ruled by Saturn while Medulla Oblongata and the nerve system is ruled by Mercury.  The affliction caused by or to chiefly Saturn and secondarily to Mercury gives rise to Epilepsy.  Mercury controls the consciousness of a person.  Consider with due importance if the aspect and afflictions emanate from within or towards Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius, apart from the ascendant and the 6^th and its lord, in the chart.  Sometimes Mercury is replaced by Mars for the latter rules falls, seizures, biting, staggering, etc., which mark Epilepsy.  The role of other heavenly bodies depends on connetions they establish with the above planets and the signs.

Some astrological guidance for evaluating Epilepsy are:

• Saturn, Mars and the Sun in the 8^th
• Saturn, Mercury and Mars in Lagna
• Saturn in the 6^th with a lunar node, i.e., Rahu/Ketu.
• Saturn in Scorpio and Mars in Gemini simultaneously.
• Saturn in the 6^th or the 8^th aspected by Jupiter from a fiery sign.
• Saturn close to Mercury in important areas of the chart.

The last two combinations may not cause serious type of Epilepsy and the disease caused by these two can only be in the form Petit Mal.  The first four combinations may end even in epileptic equivalents depending on the strength of the planetary chart at birth.  Pains in the abdominal region will be marked when the interference is from Mars from a fiery sign.  If major affliction is saturnine mental cloudiness will be noticed when the disease is at its height.

In this context, see the case of a boy who breathed first on March 30, 1966 at 6-05 a.m. (I.S.T.) at Madras.  The zodiacal elements are disposed thus;  Rahu 32° 42’, Jupiter 60° 43’, Ketu 212° 42’, Venus 299° 18’, Saturn 328° 49’, Lagna 345°, the Sun 345° 30’, Mercury 330° 37’ and Mars 352° 23’.  Balance of Rahu Dasa at birth: 3 years, 5 months and 9 days.  It is my experience that when watery signs rise, powerful fiery planets avail of the first opportunity of affliction and the vice versa is also true.  Now coming tot the chart of the boy concerned, note that Sun in the closest aspect to the rising degree (a fiery planet afflicting the watery sign) while Lagna lord has just entered Gemini, the nervous sign.  Saturn’s first and closest aspect to Mercury made the child a simpleton of the first grade.  He stammers occasionally as Saturn throws his 3^rd aspect on the 2^nd house.  In Jupiter Dasa, Mercury Bhukti, the boy first experienced mild attack of unconsciousness, without seizure, biting of teeth, etc., in November 1974.  At that time, when the horoscope was brought to me for consultation, I had to unwillingly reveal the possible intensity of Epilepsy any time in Mercury Bhukti itself (operating from May 1974 to August 1976).  Later on, I received a communication in mid – 1975 that the boy frequently fell unconscious, sometimes for more than an hour, but did not complain of any abdominal pain, may be because Jupiter, ruling abdomen, aspects Saturn.  The affliction being heavy from Saturn to Mercury, intervened by none of the planets, the disease is in the form epileptic equivalents.

The astral remedies suggested to ward off the planetary evils against Epilepsy are giving dakshinas to four Brahmins, erecting the idol of Ganapati in a temple.

Next where Saturn has a role is Dyspepsia or indigestion.  This is marked by nausea, heart burn, abdominal pain, gas distress and a feeling of abdominal distension while or after eating.  Dyspepsia is normally caused by rapid eating, excessive smoking, eating when emotionally upset, eating foods with a high fat content or gas-forming vegetables like beans, cabbage (both ruled by Saturn) and onion and drinking carbonated beverages and alcohol.

Saturn and Jupiter are the primary cause of indigestion.  The horoscopic houses that stand to be considered are: the 2^nd, and the 5^th, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces irrespective of the ascendant.  If a sign of Jupiter or Saturn holds the cusp of the 2^nd or the 5^th, the intensity is more.  If the planet ruling the 2^nd is exalted, the person eats quickly.  I do not have an example horoscope to depict this disease.

Persons who have Saturn in the 6^th or afflicting its lord should not eat in group or partake in functions where eatables are served, for they are easily susceptible to magnetic reaction and suffer indigestion.  It is better that they restrict such activities.

Hodgkin’s disease, a kind of splenary disorder, also comes under the indication of Saturn.  We can simply and broadly call it Gulma Vyadhi for our purpose.  This is a chronic systematic disorder, considered by some as a malignant neoplastic disease, and yet by some as an infectious granuloma.  In advanced stage, there is fever, loss of weight and anaemia.  Constriction of spleen is caused by Saturn and enlargement by Jupiter.  If this disease should offshoot anaemia, then Saturn and Mars should be considered, for haemoglobin is held by the latter.  When the 5^th house falls in a watery sign, with other conditions fulfilled, the spleen disorder will ensue.

According to classical texts, the following planetary combinations promote the disorders of the spleen in various forms:-

• The Moon or Jupiter hemmed between malefics while Saturn is in the 7^th from the ascendant.
• Water sign as the 5^th (naturally ascending degree also will be in a watery sign) having Saturn or Jupiter therein while the other is afflicted by malefics or unfavourable planets.
• Saturn and Jupiter in conjunction in the 6^th.
• Saturn aspected by Mercury when Lagna is in the concluding part of Cancer. (Sometimes this may cause the need even to remove the spleen while its function can be taken care of by other parts and this if achieved by advanced medical science today.)
• Mars falling in a Navamsa of Saturn while Saturn is in Aries in Navamsa.
• The Sun and the Moon placed in Capricorn and Aquarius respectively, or vice – versa while Saturn is in Cancer or Leo.

I do not remember the exact horoscope of the gentleman that contacted me at Ludhiana, who has had slight defect (enlargement in the spleen).  Quite surely he was a Cancerian with Jupiter posited in Scorpio.  May be his Saturn was in Lagna or in the 2^nd.  In fact I had the complete horoscope but not available at this point of time.