The July Full Moon brings with it the festival of Guru Purnima, an occasion without any blemish, and the most auspicious Full Moon of the year. While there is much upset and disturbance abounding on our Earth, it is a time when the planets remind us to move forward with steadiness and gracefulness, and to give witness to true humanness.
There is significant energy swirling around the Guru Purnima Moon: in the 6th house, the house of service, illness, operations and enemies, the Moon is rendering significations of communications, emotions surrounding the home and nation, undisclosed information, and matters of philosophy and spirit. Your common sense may determine this is a time of flames and conflict (6th is a fire sign on this day) – for the 10th house certainly has the evidence of conflict in the world with Mars, Uranus and Raha all setting matters aflame in the fire sign of Aries.
Saturn is in the 7th house, sandhi, having just retrograded from Aquarius to Capricorn, where it will remain until January 2023. It is a time of setting healthy boundaries with work, prayer, exercise and relaxation. As Saturn is square the two nodes, this may signify that some will have to move out of their comfort zone and engage new activities, new fields of encounter and interaction. For some people, Saturn retrograding into Capricorn may signify unfinished business and the need to go back and properly finish what was started during Saturn’s transit of Capricorn. Think back to two years ago, what you started during that time and since, and what has not been completed.
Jupiter is in the 9th house – a wonderful location for Jupiter as he is the hierophant of philosophy, higher learning, spiritual advance and wisdom. It may be for some – that emotion (water sign Pisces) may be the driver of understanding. Keep in mind that we reverse the word understanding: we stand under an experience, allow it to shed light and meaning upon us, and move forward with gains from this experience. You may have one year’s experience 20 times, or 20 years cumulative experience with understanding and acumen gained thereby. Look to the house signification in your own chart to get a fuller understanding of what Jupiter is multiplying for you at this time. Should intense feelings arise, look to what you learn. Emotion is energy set in motion, e→motion.
Now the 10th house: Mars, Uranus and Rahu: making a mess of things. Revolution, war, disturbance, disarray, and where Rahu is concerned, affliction to nations: Sri Lanka and Ukraine. Rahu has arrived at the full return from the independence of Sri Lanka, so uprooting matters and setting the scene for a new beginning. Ditto Ukraine (same ascendant with Rahu): however, the situation in the Ukraine may take longer to resolve. Some of you who are light-workers may have experienced a darkness, a settling of negative energy, progress turning to ooze. Uranus is the doer of shock, shatter, rebel, agitate, perturb, destabilsing, disruption, upset, rupture of attachments, and breaking things up. Having Mars and Rahu in the same sign – matters look like they are totally out of control, driven.
What the Lord looks for in his devotees is steadiness.
The mind is the altar. Place the animal which is to be offered as oblation (the evil aspects of your character, behaviour, attitude etc.) and sacrifice it to the deity invoked. Though born as a human, man is burdened by animal instincts and impulses that have attached themselves to him during his previous lives as an animal. He has passed through many an animal existence and each has left its mark on his mental make-up, like a scar on the skin when a wound has healed. For example, man is afflicted with the disease of aggressive conceit, what is called mada in Sanskrit. This is not a natural trait of man, but a relic of a former elephantine life. He is sometimes pitiably foolish, a moorkha, which is a relic of his past existence as a sheep. Some have an inborn tendency to steal, which may be reminiscent of their past of creatures such as a cat, which is also a sly poacher. Some are endowed with profuse unsteadiness and waywardness, an inheritance of their monkey existence. Man is known in Sanskrit as Nara and the monkey as vanara. When va (valam, tail) is subtracted, vanara is reduced to nara. Man has lost the tail but he has still all the waywardness and unsteadiness of that animal. All such animal traces must be sacrificed on the altar of the mind as part of the inner yajna.
In the 11th house, Venus is home in his own sign, sandhi, on the border between signs, and will move to Gemini shortly. Planets lose strength when they are in that close degree between signs (anaretic), and become infant-like in their strength. Here, Venus is has the strength of being the witness and allowing matters to pass by without reaching out and grabbing, becoming entangled in maya, illusion.
In the 12th sign we have Mercury – in his own sign, and Sun, in a friendly sign. Both are in Punarvarsu nakshatra, the nakshatra of Jupiter: both planets are square Jupiter, so receiving strong energies associated with Punarvarsu: renewal, restoration, repetition, return. The 12th house is the end of matters, incarceration, seclusion, monasteries and retreats, the sanatorium, hospitalisation and the nursing home. It is here that we can reflect on matters we have engaged in the past, release attachments and emerge with renewals and restoration: the Sun is naisargika atmakaraka, so this can be the occasion for release from dreary matters in the world, that which pulls us down, and take up the vigour offered by Jupiter.
The planets have the task of delivering karma – and as most people are sleep-walking through their lives, the karma comes along right on schedule, as per the dasha system. The planets can drag us down, they can raise us up. As Guru Purnima is an occasion without any karmic or astrological blemish, it is a good day for decisions and taking up motivation to pursue an effective, uplifting path through life. As the Moon is in the 6th house on this day, it is also a good time to determine the community service you will take up at this time. 6th is the house of service.
Navamsa
For those in their senior years, we look to the 9th harmonic, the Navamsa. Here, Jupiter is in the second house of wealth conjunct Rahu, suggesting hidden matters with regard to wealth, and a slight – weak – tendency to mislead others about personal wealth. Sathyam moolam jagat, tell the truth or keep quiet. Telling of lies brings them back to bite, and hard. Jupiter is a multiplier of energy of all kinds – of friends, of assets, of skills, of understanding, of gracefulness, of strength, of goodness, beauty and truth. Stay on the side of truth and disregard that tendency Rahu represents.
Next we have Mercury in Bharani nakshatra, doing things rather rough and ready and distracted by desires – from time to time. Where Mercury is concerned, desires come and go very quickly; the distraction nature can divert us from full concentration on our tasks. Take up your feminine strength, take up your masculine strength and be in balance with these energies within. They lead to spirit, to androgyny, to being the witness in all things. As the vedas tell us, vasudeva sarvam idam – all this is divinity.
Next we have Sun and Ketu in the 8th house, the stubborn Earth sign of Taurus with all that goes with fixity, being grounded, that which is held in secret and not revealed. Secret occult information, matters that are known, and for some of you, a knowing of the outcome of disaster and response. That is your wisdom, your secret, your firm stand on being – awareness – bliss. Use it for the welfare of others.
The strongest kendra is the 10th; here we have Mars in the home of the Moon – and since the Moon has no enemies, Mars is making a comfortable transit. Here, in the 10th house, Mars gives leadership energy, governance, strength, direction for the future and although demanding at times, confidence of a secure outcome, despite the watery emotions lapping around his or her boots. In the nakshatra of Pushyami, Mars will protect, replenish, and multiply motivation and attainment of outcomes. Think of wisdom in action balanced by identity.
In the 11th, for those in their senior years, we have the Moon: the significator of the Mind. The presiding deity of the Mind: Yes, Moon is one of the gods, Chandra. Here, the moon (the mind) is community minded: large groups, community needs, community linkages, social networking. This is in Leo, the sign of the Sun, who likes to take centre-stage, no matter the time or place. While this can be a time and place of community leadership and giving of directions, take balance and ensure that the need for networking and social interaction do not consume thee.
At this time of Guru Purnima, where the Guru is the one who removes the darkness within, and shines with inner light, we find Venus and Saturn – who are good friends – in the 12th house. Venus – although debilitated (and so, emanating strong energy) – conjunct Saturn tells us to take things slowly, and to do them with peace and gracefulness, all those beautiful things Venus stands for. Venus is Venus is actually an artisan, signifying gracefulness in art, music, gardening, decorating, theatre, acting, poetry, walking and communing with nature. Saturn is manda, the slow one. There is no need to hurry with Saturn, and with matters of the 12th house – Earth bound Virgo – it is good to be grounded and move forward with the gracefulness offered by Venus.
