Mohini Ekadashi

Mohini with pot of amrith

This day of May 11, 2014 is Mohini Ekadashi. Mohini, as astrologers recall, plays a central role in the story of the two nodes, Rahu and Ketu. The demon Swabhanu engaged in deception as Mohini was doling out the amrith to the gods and at the same time, bestowing her bounteous beauty and enchantment upon the asuras - demons - who had fought the gods for the right to partake of amrit, the nectar of immortality. Mohini is the only ever female incarnation of Vishnu, the god of sustenance and preservation of kalapurusha, time and space.

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The Cardinal Grand Cross

Cardinal Grand Cross

The great palaeontologist Teilhard de Chardin commenced his Mass on the World with "Since once again, Lord—though this time not in the forests of the Aisne". So once again, it behooves jyothishas' to pay some attention to the Cousins – those who practice and follow western (tropical) astrology. Some western astrological websites are expecting major world events with the Cardinal Grand Cross occurring April 20-24th with Mars squaring Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter and then the oppositions between Jupiter and Pluto and Mars and Uranus. With respect to our astrological cousins, we look to this matter as it is a period straddled by two eclipses: the lunar eclipse of 14 April and the solar eclipse of April 29.

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Ketu Questions



Ketu idol wreath by smoke

We have noticed further questions about Ketu raised by search engines which bring visitors to this site, so we will engage in more discussion about Ketu and address some of the questions raised: Ketu in various nakshatras, Ketu and the Moon, Ketu and Mars conjunction. And if there is time, we may address Ketu and Spirituality. We keep in mind that Ketu is a shadow planet, a karmic repository and an important agent on the journey toward the goal of life. Ketu (which means flag) actually flags important staging posts on the human journey of return to the Source.

Ketu, the opposite node to Rahu, came into being during the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The last gift of that churning was the emergence of the God of Healing, Dhanvantari, with the pot of amrit, the nectar of immortality. Ketu and Rahu were whole at that time, in the form of a demon known as Swabharnu, who engaged in subterfuge to obtain the nectar whilst it was being served out by the enchantress Mohini. The deception was discovered by the Sun and Moon, who ran tale-telling to the great God Maha Vishnu, who promptly sent his discus and separated the head from the body; the body is today known as Lord Ketu, South Node of the Moon.

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Saturn and Self Love


Sani, Saturn

Planet Saturn is sometimes known as Kala Raja, for he rules the passing of time and how we fill time. Time passing slowly, duroshya, is one of Saturn’s principal duties, for how we fill time is critical. Do we repeat karmic patterns, do we endlessly go around in circles doing the same thing again and again, or do we yoke ourselves to what Saturn offers and learn the lessons, love ourselves and build a sustainable life-long discipline? Here, we look to the role of Saturn as duroshya-karaka (giver of slowness), and examine how human values might be yoked to the discipline Saturn enjoins.

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Surya Jayanti

Suryanarayana

Saptami Tithi is dedicated to Lord Surya. Shukla Paksha Saptami in Magha month is known as Ratha Saptami or Magha Saptami. It is believed that Lord Surya – The Sun – started enlightening the whole world on Ratha Saptami day which was considered as birthday of Surya, the Sun God. Hence this day is also known as Surya Jayanti, the Birth Day of The Sun.

In the Vedic view, there is an intimate connection between the Moon and the mind and between the Sun and the eye.

Gratitude is the most fundamental virtue of man. People while performing Suryanamaskaras, extol the Sun god in various ways. One of them is Kritaghnaghnaya Namah (salutations to the one who punishes the ungrateful). The effulgence of the Sun god is present in our eyes in a subtle form. Chandrama Manaso Jataha Chaksho Suryo Ajayata (the moon was born out of the mind and the sun out of the eyes of the Supreme Being). It is said that the Sun god withdraws his effulgence from the eyes of the ungrateful.

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Saturn and Shiva

Sani at Kailash

Saturn is both son of The Sun by his shadow wife Chaaya, and the most powerful of all the planets in that all seek to avoid his gaze, drishti. There is another whom all seek to avoid the gaze of, Lord Shiva, for the dristhi of the third eye of Shiva causes whatever is seen to burnt. Both deities have all properties of creation-preservation-destruction, in addition to unavoidable energy that has power, shakti, over all that exists. None can avoid the sade-sati of Lord Saturn; None can avoid Lord Shiva, the receiver of all things.

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The Protection of Mars

Mars

Mars is a planet and a planetary deity. Remedies for Mars may include mantras, asktakam, gayatri mantra, and other prayers, such as Ashtottara Shatanamavali - 108 names. One of the 108 Names of Mars is Om sharanagata poshanaya namaha. We surrender to and seek the protection, the fostering of Mars. What protection does Mars offer, and why would one seek that protection and surrender?



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Aspects of Saturn


Saturn

One of the names of the Creative Source of All is kalatheethaya; Lord of Time. The Creative source of All dispenses energy to our solar system, and via our sun, dispenses magnetic solar energy to all the planets. The planet that rules the progress of time in the action (and seemingly, inaction) of human life is Planet Saturn. Saturn rules time; Saturn freezes, stalls, stiffens, desiccates, delays, and retards.

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The Three Bodies

The Three Bodies

bodi

Every living being comprises three aspects – Sthula, Sukshma and Karana (gross, subtle and causal). Humans have a physical body, made up of the five elements. Surrounding the physical body is the subtle body – sometimes called the astral body. Deep within the physical and subtle bodies exists the causal body, the consciousness within, the source of the “I” that everyone utters; it is in association with the Knower and the Knowing Principle. These three bodies may be examined from the birth chart.

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Navaratri – Mars

mars

Today is the third day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:

As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the third night of Navaratri, we will take the planet Mars. The third day of Navratri is Sindoor Tritya. The colour for the third day of Navaratri is RED, so we scribe in RED for this third day observance of Navaratri.

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Navaratri – The Moon

moon art

Today is the second day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine days. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:

As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. The second planet is The Moon. The second day of Navratri is Chandra darshan, darshan of the Moon. The colour for the second day of Navaratri is WHITE, so we will write in white for this second day observance of Navaratri (albeit with a temporary background so that white is actually visible!) .

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Navaratri – The Sun

Sol

Today is the first day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine days (Nava Rathrulu). All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:

As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be having a planetary celebration of Navaratri with an account of one of the planets for each of the nine nights. The first planet is The Sun. The colour for the first day of Navaratri is ORANGE, so we will write in Orange for this first day’s observance of Navaratri.

The Sun is called ‘Sol’ in many languages; its rays and energy are of a solar nature. It is not without coincidence the Sun, Sol, has the same name for Soul; the name is the same, the spelling is slightly different. The Sun in Vedic Astrology signifies the incarnating soul. It is said to represent the personality, the ego, the Self.

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The Challenges of Rahu




The Challenges of Rahu

Om nakadwajaaya vidmahe padma hastaaya dheemahi tanno rahu prachodayat

Narrative of Rahu

The myth behind the shadow planet Rahu speaks of the demon Swarbhanu, who was beheaded after the churning of the Ocean of Milk, where-from the last gift that emerged was amrita, the nectar of immortality. The demons and the gods had agreed to cooperate and churn the ocean of milk in order to receive the precious gifts it possessed. They would take the gifts – but the demons engaged in subterfuge and obtained the last gift – the pot containing the nectar of immortality. The gods, outraged, called to Lord Vishnu for aid. The aid was given in the form of an enchantress who deceived the demons, all but Rahu, who took his place among the gods, was found out and subsequently beheaded. The head was known as Rahu, and later, the body was resuscitated and known as Ketu. In this way we have the story behind how eclipses come about with the action of the two non-luminary planets, Rahu and Ketu.

There is one signifcant aspect of Rahu as planet casting influence: Rahu’s influence on the mind frequently surfaces as illusion, hallucination and over-use of imagination to form reality, where balance and common-sense would test what is imaged within against a wholesome, well-serving self-discipline. As the ego is outward-seizing in nature and seeks to grasp all that it sees (note the meaning of graha is to grasp) there are uncommon challenges for who are driven by the influence of Rahu. Rahu seeks to have, to possess or to dominate in social situations, depending on what house Rahu is in. Rahu’s location the 12 bhavas (houses) determine the nature of the inner creations of the mind.

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Vata dosha, Air signs, Vata Planets and Compassion …

Vata, Vata, Vata

Vata is one of the three doshas, or constitutions of Ayurveda. Vata means airy or wind, and this applies to to planets. The Vata planets are Sun, Mercury, Rahu, the Air signs are Mithuna (Gemini) Tula (Libra) and Kumbh (Aquarius). Right now, we have a situation where an air sign is full of planets and is being aspected by Vata planets.

Gemini planets

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Mercury and Joy

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.

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Solar New Year and the 4th Dimension

(This is a letter to my friend, Gandhi. Gandhi is his nickname due his remarkable resemblance to the late Mahatama Gandhi. Gandhi lives in Puttparthi, and asked me about the forthcoming Solar New Year. So I have cast a vedic chart (called kundali) and write to explain to him what the chart means – especially in the light of the new dimensions, the 4th dimension, of which Gandhi knows little.)

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Truth, Self Awareness and Rahu



Human Values and Astrology
Value:Truth; Sub-value: Self-Awareness
Planet (graha) Rahu – North Node

Rahu - Dragon's Head and North Node of Moon

Om nakadwajaaya vidmahe
padma hastaaya dheemahi
tanno rahu prachodayat

Understanding Rahu as a Planet

The North Node is known in Vedic Astrology as Rahu, and is considered a shadow planet, symbolised by a head. In the myth of the churning of the ocean of milk, the demon Swarbhanu stole a taste of the nectar of immortality and was decapitated by Lord Vishnu. Rahu is not actually a planet, rather a shadow planet, chhaya graha, the cause of eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Where Rahu eclipses the Sun and Moon, there is a similar eclipse of the light within the mind.

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