is my ashtama sani messing up my career totally?

Vannakkam! Your situation during this Ashtama Shani phase, particularly with Sani in Kumbham from your Chandra Lagna Kanni, is indeed a textbook challenge. The 8th house transit of Shani can be incredibly transformative, often through difficult experiences. Given you are in Guru Mahadasha, Sani Antardasha, it's crucial to analyze Guru's placement and strength in your natal chart. Is your Guru well-placed, strong in a Kendra or Trikona, or perhaps afflicted? A weak Guru could be exacerbating the difficult energies of the Sani Antardasha, especially when Sani is transiting the 8th from your Moon.

Sani's natural significations include delays, hard work, discipline, and detachment. In the 8th house from Chandra, it brings about sudden changes, upheavals, and often a sense of helplessness, which perfectly aligns with your career struggles and unexpected job changes. The 8th house also relates to joint finances and sudden losses, explaining the financial hit. Furthermore, with your natal Sani in Dhanusu in the 4th house from Mesham Lagna, this transit might also be activating some latent energies related to peace of mind, home environment, and even mother's health, indirectly impacting your focus on career.

My advice would be to look closely at the dignity of your 10th lord from both Lagna and Chandra Lagna, and any aspects from Shani or other malefic planets. Ensure you are performing regular Guru and Shani related upayas. Chanting the Guru Gayatri mantra and offering prayers to Dakshinamurthy on Thursdays can strengthen your Jupiter, while consistent offerings of sesame oil lamps to Shani on Saturdays are a must. Patience is key, as Shani's lessons, though hard, are ultimately for growth.

I totally resonate with your experience! My Ashtama Shani from Chandra Rasi (Thulam) was when Shani was transiting Rishabham. I had my Moon in Meena, so Shani in Rishabham was 8th from my Moon. It was during my Rahu Mahadasha, Shani Antardasha. My career felt like a constant uphill battle, with colleagues undermining me and projects getting stalled without reason. I even faced a period of unemployment which was terrifying.

Finances were a nightmare too; it felt like money just evaporated. What helped me was focusing on selfless service. I volunteered a lot and tried to practice detachment from the results of my work. It didn't make the problems disappear immediately, but it changed my perspective and gave me inner strength. Also, visiting a Navagraha temple regularly, especially the Shani Sannidhi, and offering Neela Vastram (blue cloth) helped me feel a bit more grounded. Hang in there; this period, though intense, does pass.

Namaste! Your experience is a classic manifestation of Ashtama Shani, especially when combined with a Shani Antardasha. For immediate relief and to mitigate the harshness, visiting the Tirunallar Saneeswaran temple is highly recommended if feasible for you. The energies there are said to be very potent in pacifying Lord Shani.

If Tirunallar is too far, any prominent Shani temple or even your local Navagraha Sannidhi where you can light sesame oil lamps on Saturdays would be beneficial. Chanting the 'Om Pram Prim Prom Sah Shanaischaraya Namah' mantra 108 times daily, especially during Shani Hora, can also create a protective shield. Additionally, consider donating black urad dal, black sesame seeds, or iron articles to the needy on Saturdays. These upayas are traditional and believed to bring some respite during challenging Shani transits.

This is really interesting! I'm a bit new to Jyotisham. You mentioned your Moon is in Kanni and Sani is now in Kumbam, which is 8th from your Moon. So, your Chandra Lagna is Kanni. Does the strength of your Lagna Lord (Mangal, since your Lagna is Mesham) also play a role during this period? And how about your 10th Lord from Mesham Lagna? If it's debilitated or in a bad house, would that make the Ashtama Sani even worse for career? Just trying to understand the interplay better.

The combination of Ashtama Shani (Gochara Sani in 8th from Chandra Lagna) and Sani Antardasha within Guru Mahadasha is indeed a complex period. Your natal Shani in Dhanusu in the 4th from Mesham Lagna already indicates some challenges with peace of mind and perhaps parental or property matters. When transiting Shani activates the 8th house, it brings themes of transformation, sudden shifts, and sometimes even loss or profound changes in life. The 8th house also rules your father-in-law, longevity, and hidden matters.

With Guru Mahadasha, Jupiter typically provides wisdom, expansion, and protection. However, if your natal Guru is in a Dusthana (6th, 8th, 12th) or debilitated, or if Sani's aspects are particularly strong on Guru or the 9th/12th houses (Jupiter's natural significations), its protective qualities might be diminished. Shani's aspect from Kumbham (8th from Moon) will fall on your 10th house (career), 2nd house (finances/family), and 5th house (intelligence/children), creating pressure on these areas. This planetary alignment suggests a deep re-evaluation of your career path and financial strategies. Use this period for introspection and strengthening your foundation, rather than expecting immediate external gains.

While Ashtama Shani from Chandra Lagna is significant, I'd respectfully suggest also giving considerable weight to your Lagna and the strength of your Lagna Lord, Mangal for Mesham. Often, the impact of Gochara Sani is felt more intensely when the natal chart's foundational strength (Lagna and Lagna Lord) is compromised, or when the Dasha Lord itself is weak or afflicted. For instance, if your 10th Lord from Mesham Lagna is in a Dusthana or receiving malefic aspects, that inherent weakness will be amplified by Sani's transit and antardasha.

The 8th house transit from Chandra primarily affects mental peace, health, and unexpected events. While these can certainly spill over into career and finances, a deeper look into the strength of your 10th house, 10th Lord, and the 2nd/11th houses (for finances) from your Lagna would provide a more holistic picture. Sometimes, we attribute everything to a single transit, but it's always an interplay of Dasha, Antardasha, and multiple Gocharas affecting various houses from both Lagna and Chandra Lagna. Have you checked your Dasha Bhukti Nath's placement from your Lagna?

Oh, I totally understand what you're going through. I had a similar experience during my Ashtama Shani from Chandra and it felt like everything was crumbling. It eventually passes, and you learn so much from it. Stay strong!

My experience during Ashtama Shani was primarily financial hardship, much like yours. My Moon is in Simham, and when Shani transited Makaram (Capricorn), my 6th house from Lagna but 8th from Chandra, my savings just disappeared. Unexpected expenses for family health, car repairs, and even minor home repairs just kept piling up. It was incredibly frustrating and caused a lot of anxiety.

What genuinely helped me was being extremely disciplined with my spending and finding alternative ways to earn, even if it was small side gigs. I also started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa daily, particularly in the mornings. It seemed to give me strength and a sense of protection against the feeling of being overwhelmed. Don't give up hope; practical steps combined with spiritual practices can make a difference.

It's commendable that you're trying to do your karmas during this challenging period. Ashtama Shani demands patience, resilience, and often a spiritual approach. Beyond specific temple visits, incorporating daily spiritual practices can be profoundly helpful. Consider fasting on Saturdays or at least observing a sattvic diet. Offer water to a Peepal tree (Ashwatha Vriksham) on Saturdays. These simple upayas help to pacify Sani.

Additionally, focus on serving the elderly, the poor, or those in less fortunate positions, as Shani represents the downtrodden. Engaging in genuine charity without expecting anything in return is a powerful way to balance your karmic ledger and alleviate some of the pressure from Shani Maharaj. Reciting the Dasharatha Shani Stotram is also very effective. Remember, Shani always rewards sincere effort and good karma, even if belatedly.