On this day, in these times of Coronavirus, an important transit has occurred: Jupiter has moved from Sagittarius to Capricorn, which will have significant impact on how this virus is progressing worldwide. Jupiter is a multiplier, an expander; we will see a conjunction which will build resilience, and Jupiter will EXPAND THAT RESILIENCE.
Kaal Sarp Yoga
These are times of kala sarpa yoga, the Serpent of Time, wherein all planets are between the Moon’s nodes. This yoga has a pronounced mundane action. It affects national issues rather than individuals, although there is an effect on the mind as the Moon is also affected by this condition. The Kaal Sarp Yoga is formed by Rahu (poisons) in Gemini (air sign) (affects lungs) and Ketu (epidemics) in Sagittarius (fire sign) conjunct Jupiter for these last two months where Jupiter + Ketu (then joined by Mars) (illness, operations) have been busy expanding both illness and epidemic. When the Moon transits Rahu and moves into the space between Rahu and Ketu, it is kemadruma, and we feel weak, we feel exposed, we may also feel internally down and out. This is a temporary condition until Moon passes Ketu and joins the other planets.
Jupiter will not be debilitated
Jupiter is normally debilitated in Capricorn; here, today, will not be debilitated. The neechabanga rules, the one that says Neecha is canceled if the debilitated planet is aspected by a planet in exaltation or own sign. So we have Saturn in its own sign (Saturn is Lord of Capricorn) which is the first cancellation or neechabanga. Then we have Mars: Mars is exalted, fulfilling the second neechabanga condition for Jupiter, thus making Jupiter strong in this sign. We also note that Jupiter is vargottama; it is in the same sign in the Navamsha chart.
Pluto in Capricorn:
Last month we wrote about the transit of Pluto (outer planet) to Capricorn, like so:
Pluto in Capricorn
While Pluto is considered agency for control and manipulation, corruption, perversion, purging and cleansing, Capricorn is democratic and egalitarian; it does not have time for ego and autocracy – you will see many egos crushed during this period. Pluto is the active agent for catharsis and release; there is transformation and healing. Pluto can empower, intensify, regenerate and renew our purpose in life. On the other hand, Pluto can probe, pierce, purge and cleanse, expel and exterminate that which is not serving our life’ purpose, our soul contract.
This seems somewhat prophetic given the lockdown conditions most nations are in, the forced enclosure of citizens in their home and the strict controls on going out of the home. As we told, Pluto can probe, pierce, purge and cleanse, expel and exterminate that which is not serving our life’ purpose, our soul contract. It has also been said that many souls who do not wish to enter the Golden Age (Satya yuga) will leave their bodies at this time. What then, is the impact of Jupiter entering Capricorn and conjunct Pluto for some time?
Jupiter will conjoin Pluto through much of 2020 either in late Sagittarius or early Capricorn. Today they are with an orb of 1° with both Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn, sandhi. When this alignment moves upto a 3° orb of influence it can sometimes point to expansion and success – that is, expansion of inner strength (after purging), and endowment of resilience in the face of pestilence brought on earlier. The energy is available to take up, keep in mind that the planets may raise us up, they may drag us down. They serve Purushottama (the formless Absolute) in distributing light and magnetism to the human form in the light of the prarabdha karma select for this life, and the samskaras carried over with the Atma.
If you stand around asking “What to do?”, you will lose the plot. Propitiate your atmakaraka, the Soul significator in your birth chart, the planet with the highest degrees. Chant, play or listen to the relevant navagraha kavacham, stotram, ashtakam. Vedic astrology is not simply about horoscopy, prediction, life path, career, marriage, children, luck and money. Yes these matters may be discerned, but you must know that the Planets are devas, they are embodied forms of Divinity and are real. We have been told by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that when we want something (healing, health, strength, determination, improvement) then we must pray to the relevant departmental gods or planets to bring about improvement for both the self and for all the world.
Saturn
In this time of Coronavirus, we find Saturn in Makara-Capricorn, with deep respect for the rule of law, the law of lockdown, containment, slow process, slow recovery, adhering to the mainstream values. Saturn causes us to chide others to be decent and respect the the social distancing that is in place, and to take the conventional approach. Your containment, your respect for leadership authority, your realisation that the health of others is dependent on your own health is the strength, the good work, the positive endowment of your friend, Saturn, the only planet that has divinity in its name, Saneswara. Grace is anugraha, that which seizes you, anu is the smallest of the small, that which may be elicited by prayer and devotion, tapas and austerity, the road to success followind manda-Sani, the slow one.
Saturn has third drishti and aspects Pisces, Meena. It has us worrying about hospitals, supplies to hospitals, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the capacity in our hospitals. Saturn then gives 7th drishti, to the natural home, Cancer. Things go slowly there. Saturn then has the 10th dristhi to Libra, which is the seventh sign of the natural zodiac and where we have all our relationships in the outer world – that is, everyone we work with, have fun and recreation with, everyone in our family and extended family. Saturn’s drishti – aspect here brings matters under that conventional, respectful, highly socially responsible behaviour.
Mars into Capricorn
The problem with this transit is that the early part of it is a bit strained. Mars is conjunct Saturn into March 31st creating stress and tension in a fairly big way with Mars’s drive and appetite for results in following lawful public order. Mars goes into overdrive here – and where there is normally a rather painful planetary war between Mars and Saturn, what happens is the extroversion, the externalisation of pure frustration with lockdown orders, containment, and a drive to get outside and do something and get away from containment. This is the fruit of the Saturn-Mars conjunction with Jupiter in the house at the same time. Jupiter will be lending its energy as Heirophant to both Mars and Saturn, in fact, sacrificing its energy to keep matters calm and bring about good outcome. Thank you, Jupiter – Brihaspati deva – for a mild, mild, planetary war while the inhabitants of planet Earth are in durance vile with coronavirus.
Venus into Taurus: March 28-July 31, 2020
Venus is home, grounded in swarthy, earthy, loamy Taurus. Visible in the morning sky, Venus, the Earth mother, will help many emotional, physical and spiritual problems to melt away when we engage in activities which draw the drishti, the light, the magnetism of Venus. (All during a time of coronavirus and lockdown, here is the raising up of planet Venus available, the seizing of harmony and gracefulness of Venus …)
What to do?
Mother Divine mantras or prayers, Worshipful singing, even Dance in honour of the Divine mother. We may listen to music (which calms our minds, which raises our consciousness), we may make films using our phones, we may engage in painting, poetry, gardening and walking – communing with nature. All these activities draw the drishti, the light, the magnetism of Venus. We may take pleasure in cooking, food and gracefully ordering our kitchens and our homes. (the one you enjoy the most will give the best results), many emotional, physical and spiritual problems will melt away.
Venus will be very strong in the sky in Taurus for 4 months and afflicted by the Sun May 29-June 8th and turning retrograde May 11th. So Venus’s strong qualities come out most of the time. If you are Taurus or Libra rising or have a strong Venus in your chart, it is a good time for feeling expansive, refined, pleasant, comfortable, kind, generous, artistic, strong in relationship skills.
Five Coronavirus-friendly Things to Do
During Venus’ Transit of Taurus
1. Make a nice soup. The sign of Taurus symbolizes food. It also rules the water element. Venus is the planet of the arts. You can use this time to practice the culinary arts, or you can just work on improving your diet.
2. Go for a walk outside in nature. Venus is the planet of beauty. There is nothing more beautiful than nature. Nothing is better for lifting the mood and rebalancing your body than getting outside in the elements.
3. Do something creative. Venus is the planet of the arts and the creative process. There are all kinds of ways you can do this: art, music, cooking, or just making your house look nice. And you can also do it passively. Put on some music and just listen. Or you could always dance around like an idiot. Welcome to my world.
4. Connect with friends. Venus is the planet of love and friendship. I have never understood when people get depressed when a friend moves away. Have you ever heard of the telephone, Facetime, Skype? In some ways, the distancing that has been mandated by the Coronavirus might even be a blessing. Having friends visit is really something that is best done sparingly. You know what Benjamin Franklin used to say. “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days!”
5. Drink Mantra Water – Venus is the planet that rules the water element. Water can hold vibration. Taurus is the sign of speech. A mantra is a sanskrit word that has a specific vibration that can produce a certain effect within yourself and in your environment. There is one mantra that is the most powerful mantra for healing and for anything that is life threatening. It’s called the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra. It is also called the Mrita Sanjivani Mantra, and was given to Shukra (Venus’ name in Vedic mythology) by Siva, in order to give him the power to raise people from the dead. Anyway, you can play a recording of this mantra next to a container of water, and then drink a mouthful of the water each day, for a little dose of protective energy.
Here’s a website that has a free download (MP3 file) of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. I am not connected with the organization that owns the website. But it’s a nice version of the mantra and it’s free.
The centre of our Milky Way galaxy is hidden from the prying eyes of optical telescopes by clouds of obscuring dust and gas. But in this stunning vista, the Spitzer Space Telescope’s infra-red cameras penetrate much of the dust, revealing the stars of the crowded galactic centre region. The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will offer a much-improved infra-red view, teasing out fainter stars and sharper details.
The center of our galaxy is a crowded place: A black hole weighing 4 million times as much as our Sun is surrounded by millions of stars whipping around it at breakneck speeds. This extreme environment is bathed in intense ultraviolet light and X-ray radiation. Yet much of this activity is hidden from our view, obscured by vast swaths of interstellar dust.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is designed to view the universe in infra-red light, which is invisible to the human eye, but is very important for looking at astronomical objects hidden by dust. After its launch, Webb will gather infra-red light that has penetrated the dusty veil, revealing the galactic center in unprecedented detail.
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Susan Stolovy (SSC/Caltech) et al.
