Human Values and Astrology
Value:Love; Sub-value: Joy
Planet (graha) Mercury – Lord Budha
The Planet Mercury – sometimes known in Vedic Astrology as Budha, is son of the Moon, and is regarded as the most intelligent planet of all the planets. The Sanskrit name for Mercury, Budha, has a marked similarity to the term Buddhi – the Sanskrit erm intellect. Mercury removes obstacles for those who worship him and creates prosperity for all. Lord of the North and Wednesdays, he rules the signs Gemini and Virgo and has a shared house lordship with Ketu in the 6th House. Of the five human values, Mercury has reference to Love and is karaka (disposer) of Joy.
Om gajadhwajaaya vidmahe
sukha hastaaya dheemahi
tanno budha prachodayat
Of the nine planets, Mercury is the second fastest (Moon is the fastest planet in astrology), and is friends with Sun, Venus and Rahu. Mercury is neutral to Saturn, Ketu, Mars and Jupiter and has a sole enmity with the Moon. The planetary number for Mercury is 4, the number of order, balance and reason. A well associated Mercury in the astrology chart is benefic. Mercury takes on the nature of any planet he associates with, and this is the origin of the claim to Mercury having all the doshas, vata, pitta and kapha. We shall see that Mercury is more of a Vata (air) nature, particularly on the positive side of Vata.
When we look to Mercury and Vata (air dosha or constitution), we find the positive side of Vata is expressed as Mercury’s force of movement, communication and expression. Mercury ruled souls are frequently socially oriented. Vata is somewhat continually active, with etheric qualities of lightness, pervasiveness and ungroundedness. As an emotional force, the Vata aspects of Mercury on the positive side are creativity, comprehension and adaptability. Mercury ruled vata persons are sometimes found to be poets, musicians and dancers.
Mercury connects to the mental sphere (budha – buddhi continuum) as the mind is space, and moves faster than the wind. Correspondence and writing skills are largely influenced by Mercury: this is due Mercury’s influence on the nervous system, the mind, and a well-remarked propensity to rapid motion and communication. The Mercury communication skill scopes to organising data, thinking and writing.
So we see that Mercury is youthful in nature, has healthy, positive effects of the vata (air dosha or constitution) and has a high activity level. Youthful vata is frequently seen in children and play, and Mercury is an important indicator of the health of children.
Human Values, Joy and Mercury
Joy is a sub-value of Love. Love (one of the five human values) has sub-values of kindness, friendship, forgiveness, generosity, compassion, tolerance and selflessness. A person who practices the human value of love is loving, kind, considerate of others, gentle and compassionate. They are generous, have an understanding nature and are dedicated persons. They know how to generate and multiply their inner wellspring of love, joy and harmony. They are capable of managing their personal and social lives.
What is the relation of Mercury to the five human values? The five Human Values are innate within everyone, and are the found in all cultures, all nations, and in all peoples. They are transcendent, and give expression to the highest emotions, aspirations, behaviours and feelings of persons, the fruit of which is a life lived in harmony with all that exists. Mercury is fleet, playful, fast in motion, quick on the uptake, compassionate and outwards-going, socially oriented personality.
As one of the faster moving planets, Mercury disposes light, gives quick motivation and fast moving energy to persons, and imparts physical movement and inclination to communication and interaction with the environment and culture through thought or action. Mercury provides the forces for experience, action, reflection, discrimination, insight and understanding. As such, Mercury is a very strong disposer of intelligence and learning and is the main planet responsible for education. Informal and non-formal education, wherein we learn the practice of human values and place insight and understanding into practice fall under the dristhi (sight) of Mercury.
What is Joy?
Joy is an expression of delight. It is the feeling that leads onto finding happiness. It is transient and may be felt in bursts related to incidence and can be present in the face of difficulties or negativity. Joy is a feeling obtained from someone, someone’s action or an object. Joy is the outcome of a relationship with another living being or your highest self. Joy is a sense of fulfilment, and is an experience felt as a result of our response to something or someone.
What does Joy look like?
Joy is immediately known; it is smiling faces, a warm loving tone of speech, it is laughter and happy chatter. Joy is people working together, taking turns, giving and taking. Joy is people helping each other. Joy is animated energised actions. Joy is people are listening to each other; it is the delight and happiness of an unexpected encounter with and presence of the object of one’s love and devotions.
Giving and Receiving Joy:
When we give and receive joy we feel accepted, loved, our labours are rewarded and we have a sense of connectedness. We feel proud, satisfied, relaxed and secure. When we give joy, we feel wanted and valued. Joy is unexpected love and a whole lot of surprising situations and many gifts from the beloved; Life is joy. Giving and receiving joy also has an element of humility. Thanks to humility your path becomes safe, simpler and smoother. With real joy we have the strength to welcome adversities, humiliations and disappointments sent down to you by the world.
What are the Fruits of Joy:
The fruits of joy are peacefulness, sound and happy relationships, self confidence and self worthiness. Joy gives motivation, improved health and lifestyle, and productivity. Joy empowers you to reach your goals with satisfaction. Joy allows you to come back to Love – with joy, with smiles, in happiness and misfortune, in health, but also when you are sad and ill, in difficulty and very difficult situations, when everything goes superbly and when everything around falls apart. Whether you walk or drive a car, while watching shop windows, when you are busy with work and when you sit in front of the television set, whether you eat breakfast or talk on the phone, you can always take a deeper breath and come back, at least for a while, into embrace of the joy and love.
What Joy is not:
Joy is not any kind of negative condition nor state, yet we know and understand that the ups and downs of life beset everyone and bother their minds. Joy is not distress, misery, regretfulness nor is it feeling sorry for yourself. The vicissitudes of life affect everyone. Self awareness and resilience, drawn from inner strength allows going through experiences of sorrow, sadness, grief and despair to the other side of that feeling: joy, love, care, cheerfulness and contentedness.
Any fear of rejection, sense of vulnerability, even ignorance will build up walls to joy and keep us in a dungeon of darkness. Joy is a never-ending well of hope, steadiness, and is ever ready to accept a reality check and move foward with inner and outer balance on the road called life. Joy is never having unrealistic expectations of others, and is always ready to affirm one’s identity as Love in the face of what the world sends down.
Shared Dimensions of Joy
Joy of its nature shares itself. It is selflessness and happiness at the happiness of others. It is kindness and giving of consideration to other people, of their needs, wants, and care for them. Joy is contentment with self, contentment with others, and contentment with all life. The satisfaction derived from joy is equanimity, evenness and steadiness of mind in all circumstances. That equanimity is felt and known in others that we share joy with.
The ABCEFG of Joy are:
Always Be Cheerful
Always Be Careful
Always Be Content
Don’t Ever Forget Goodness
The spiritual dimension of Joy is founded in the Love. Love, Joy and Happiness – these are the three Words that describe the Divine in a human way. What is hidden behind them – and there is plenty – is Divinity. If we fill our lives with Love and its sub-value Joy, then we can face all the quests, traps and falls life hands to us. When we turn to love and joy, life gets better, more positives appear, life will be calmer and filled with joy. Relationships with others improve, there is more smiling around you, and life gains a new, beautiful dimension. It has an unusual flavour, and love comes along with it.
Mercury, disposer of Joy
Mercury is a natural karaka, (disposer, energiser, vehicle) of Joy. Mercury is the musician, dancer and poet giving expression and emotion to many aspects of life. As a socially energised – outwards going planet of good humour, eloquence and generosity, Mercury always gives the positive side of the vata constitution or humour, and expresses joy, just like little children have a natural joy with the unexpected surprises in life. Mercury is also an important indicator of the energy levels, high activities and health of children.
