Fasting as an Astrological Remedy

There are moments in life when things feel out of control. Delays stretch longer than expected. Emotions feel heavier than usual. Desires become louder, harder to manage. In astrology, we often say a planet is “troubling” you. But what if, instead of resisting it… you chose to meet it halfway?

Fasting is that meeting point.

It is not just about food. It is about restraint, awareness, and conscious choice. When a planet creates discomfort, it is often pushing you towards discipline in some form. Fasting allows you to step into that discipline willingly, on your own terms, in your own time.

And that changes everything.

Why Fasting Works

Most discomfort in life feels forced. Hunger, delay, restriction, lack, these are things we usually experience unwillingly. And that resistance creates more friction. Fasting shifts this dynamic.

Instead of waiting for life to impose restraint, you choose it yourself. You create a small, contained space where you practice control over your body, your impulses, your habits.

It is no longer something happening to you. It becomes something you are participating in consciously. This is why fasting is powerful. It builds inner strength, steadiness, and acceptance.

Fasting is not about punishment. It is not about deprivation. It is about awareness. When you fast, you begin to notice your patterns. How often you reach for food without hunger, how your mind reacts to restriction, how your emotions rise and fall. You start observing yourself more closely.

Each planet, in its own way, asks for a certain kind of discipline. Fasting becomes a direct way of embodying that lesson without waiting for life to force it upon you.

How to Practice Fasting as an Astrological Remedy

* Choose a day associated with the planet you are working on

* Decide the type of fast—complete (skipping all meals), partial (skipping one meal), or dietary restriction (skipping grains, dairy etc.)

* Stay hydrated and listen to your body

* Maintain consistency rather than intensity

And if your body does not allow strict fasting, modify it. Eat light, avoid certain foods, or simply practice mindful eating that day. The intention matters more than the form.

Fasting for Different Planets

Every day in the week is allotted to one of the planets in astrology. For nodes Ketu and Rahu, there are dedicated time periods instead of days.

Monday fast pleases Moon. Afternoon lunch of sabudana or fruits is allowed. Wear something white. Could be anything. Number of fasts - 11, 16 or 24

Tuesday fast pleases Mars. Salt is prohibited. Wheat and jaggery is allowed once between sunrise and sunset. Number - 21

Wednesday fast pleases Mercury. Wear something green. Meditation/worship is done twice, morning and evening. Salt is prohibited. Number - 21

Thursday fast pleases Jupiter. Wear something yellow. Yellow coloured sweets, jaggery, besan or dal ka halwa, bananas are allowed once in a day. Number - 16

Friday fast pleases Venus. Meditation/worship is done twice, morning and evening. Everything sweet is allowed. Number - 16

Saturday fast pleases Saturn. Liquids are allowed, but non salty. Number - 7

Sunday fast pleases Sun. Satvik food is allowed. Anything made of wheat is allowed. Salt is prohibited. Spices are strictly prohibited. Number - 12 or 30

For Rahu : no food while Rahu is active, out of respect. This means, have your dinner before sunset, and have breakfast after sunrise, and nothing to eat in between. Water is your friend between sunset and sunrise.

For Ketu: same. No food while Ketu is active. Early morning. Within 3 hours of sunrise. Now, you might already be following this unknowingly. The remedy is to do it mindfully. Be aware that you are giving up food within three hours of Sunrise. Intentions matter as heavily as the karma.

Levels of Fast

Levels of fast (to pick according to you, so that you can sustainably do this every week, because everyone has different lifestyle, medical fitness and needs, habits, working conditions)
1. Skip one meal.
2. Take one meal.
2. Take only water.
3. Take nothing. Nirjal.

Why can't everyone fast?

Besides medical conditions, one needs to look at their working hours, lifestyle and discipline of the mind before taking up fasting.

When everything is said and done, what can you eat during a fast?

Some fasts have very specific demands, but for most others, especially ones done to please planets, sacrificing something that gives you discomfort works. Because at the end of the day, you're trying to fill up the quota of discomfort. So give up whatever you like the most for a while and viola! Fast successful. Works like a charm.