Shani doesn't harm..

When Devas went to rishi Dadhichi to ask for his bones to make Vajra to kill Vritrasur, he understood purpose of their visit. He sent his wife Suvarcha out of the aashram. When she returned seeing her husband no mre, wanted to end her life. At that time there was an aakashvani, about her being pregnanat, so shouldn't burn herself. She started thinking. She cut her stomach with a stone, a bright object came out. She realised due to Lord Shiva's blessings this is his Rudra avatar "Bharga". She prayed to him, to stay under a People tree & give her permission to leave her body in Samadhi.

All the Devas with Brhmaji came there named that child "Pipplad".

Pipplad did tough penanace under a People tree. He married Padma king Aranya's daughter.

Rudravatar, Pipplad saw people suffering from Shani, he gave them a boon, "till one reaches 16 years of age & all the Shv bhaktas can not be harmed by shani. If he does so will turn into ashes. That's why till a person is 16 years old & to all Shiv bhaktas, Shani doesn't harm.

Another point to be noted, (for those interested in astrology) the Budha (Mercury) Dasa comes after the Shani Dasa. And under Budha Dasa, a person can make great progress in music, fine arts, education, mathematics. So the lessons which Saturn teaches us - hard work, perseverence all come in handy during the Budha Dasa.

As I mentioned elsewhere, Shani is not a trickster. Whatever you deserve,he gives slowly, but steadily. And if you have earned something that you don't deserve, Shani will surely take it from you.

And it is not always that Shani's effect is malevolent.There may be other combinations, transits which cause Shani's effect to be negligible.

Arrey no... We feel so because we are not used to a hard taskmaster. All of us like it when we get easy success... which is possible in Sukra (Venus) or Budha (Mercury) Dasa... but impossible during Shani Dasa.

I have tried to highlight on the more positive aspects of Shani here.

Shruti- Is your birth star (Janma Nakshatra) Pushya, Anuradha or Uttara Bhadra. I am guessing it's the first one. Am I correct?

These bad times teaches us to be positive, have patience & above all to be a good human being.

Ha ha...But experience has taught me that it is better to trust God than astrology...😊