Category Archives: moon

Astrologer Predicting Respiratory Issues For Asia In 2020, Back In 2019 (COVID Update)

Hi and welcome back to the Eye of the Veda blog.  This is Kelley, an Astrology Apprentice and student of Corey’s.  Today, I’ll be highlighting some of his recent predictions surrounding the eclipse cycles of 2020.  They were all incredibly accurate and specific;  so much so, that I wanted to do a follow-up blog post to show the benefit and power behind using Vedic Astrology correctly.

For example, in December 2019, Corey spoke about the potential for severe economic turmoil as well as inflammatory-related health issues;  long before Coronavirus even hit the news in the U.S.

In fact, in a short and casual Facebook post that Corey shared with friends and family, he specifically predicted that these planetary influences will cause economic and health-related issues that will impact Asia the most (remember the Coronavirus ‘started’ in China).  He also touched on the fact that the Moon rules the respiratory system, and the North Node of the Moon (Rahu), rules viruses.

He wrote this on December 28th, 2019 at 10:06 AM:

Here is the link, below is a screenshot in case this is ever deleted from Facebook.

I also remember Corey telling me how bad these eclipses could be when he was reiterating what his teacher, Ernst Wilhelm, had explained to him back in November 2017.  When the virus first hit the U.S., I also remember Corey saying he had a month worth of rice and beans already stored because he had been so aware of the major changes that were on the way.

  “My teacher told me and others back in 2017 how bad this (Jan 2020) eclipse was going to be, and how it was going to cause major economic and survival issues for the planet.  So I knew what was coming and I already had a month worth of beans and rice on hand for this winter because I was quite certain major changes were going to take place as a result of these eclipses in the changeable signs of Cancer and Capricorn.”  —Corey Dowds

So let’s circle back for anyone who doesn’t already see the connections: The Moon rules the Respiratory, Urinary, and Circulatory systems.  The Moon also controls the flow of the tides on our planet in the same way it controls the flow of water within our own bodies.  The Coronavirus is considered to be a “wet” virus, and is believed to primarily impact the lungs and respiratory system.  As mentioned earlier, the Moon rules the lungs / respiratory system, and is coincidentally the wettest planet of all.  The transit of Rahu (Viruses) over Cancer, the sign of the Moon, along with all the other bad health and disease indications of this eclipse made it very likely that some sort of widespread inflammatory respiratory issue would occur.

In the post, Corey also mentioned swelling and issues related to water retention (the primary symptoms the Coronavirus is causing ie: inflammation of the lungs).  He also specifically stated that the respiratory system was targeted at this time and that “issues could occur around that system.”

The eclipses here will bring water and flooding issues. Also in a medical sense more people may have water retention issues, swelling, constipation, or issues with the blood flow and water in the body. The Moon rules the circulatory/urinary/respiratory system, issues could occur around that system.” – Corey Dowds

The Moon is said to rule over swelling and inflammation to some degree, as it moves the tides of the earth, and appears to “swell” and grow half of the month, and then receded and wane the other half. He explained that this was known in ancient times even:

“These characteristics of the Moon were known even in ancient times when Hippocrates clearly stated that no one should conduct surgery on a part of the body that is ruled by the sign of the zodiac that the Moon is transiting.  This is because wherever the Moon is transiting is likely to be more swollen because more blood flow will be circulating to that body part at that time.  Going through with surgeries under these transits is likely to increase the amount of blood loss and possible complications than at another time.” -Corey Dowds

So we already have a historical precedent for the Moon and its ability to cause swelling and inflammation, especially when afflicted, or during an eclipse time.  This is EXACTLY what COVID-19 causes according to WebMD:  “The new coronavirus can infect the upper or lower part of your respiratory tract.  It travels down your airways. The lining can become irritated and inflamed.”  SOURCE:  WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Neha Pathak, MD on March 25, 2020

As previously mentioned, it is well known how Rahu (North Node of the Moon) rules viruses…. a commonly known fact in Vedic and Medical Astrology.  Cancer, being ruled by the Moon, is the zodiac sign connected to the lungs and respiratory system.  So when Rahu crossed Cancer, planet earth was scheduled to have a lung / respiratory-related virus emerge. 

It’s also interesting how Corey highlighted Capricorn as being ruled by the planet Saturn, and how that connects to the muscular and lymphatic systems, both ruled by Saturn.  As a result of the Coronavirus, much of the world was forced into a total lockdown/quarantine.  So in relation to the Capricorn/Saturn reference, the entire planet did end up feeling rather cooped up and isolated as a result of these eclipses, just as expected.  The planet Saturn rules death, disease, loss, poverty, poor health, wandering, depression, delays, despondency, and feeling stuck in life. 

This was the advice that the CDC was giving to people: “Try to take a walk, try to maintain your routine and not forget to exercise while you are in the lockdown, etc.”  which is the exact advice Corey gave (using Vedic Astrology), an impressive 6 months earlier. 

In hindsight, another interesting point is how Saturn rules isolation, and this eclipse created a lot of isolation for people, among many other things that Saturn rules.  Corey pointed out that almost all of the planets were in signs ruled by Saturn when we had the eclipse in January 2020….. as a result, many of Saturn’s significations dominated the collective world this year.   

As for the economic crisis…. Corey had previously mentioned his teacher, Ernst Wilhelm, having already forecasted dire economic issues for the world in 2020.  Ernst said this way back in 2017, while Corey and a few other astrologers were hanging out in Ernst’s living room enjoying a giant salad.  With that in mind, look at what Corey wrote on the Eye of the Veda blog on November 25th, 2019, long before the economic crash of 2020: 

(That’s a link to the previous blog post, but here is a screenshot so you can see it more clearly in your browser window, or in case it ever gets deleted.)

Literally, the first thing he said is that these upcoming eclipses are going to cause world-changing events and major economic shifts…..  “There could be economic or survival threats…” 

(Note: Corey chose not to elaborate on this too much as it was already predicted by so many other astrologers. Even one of his colleagues, Ganesh Jayakumar, predicted the major economic crisis down to the exact months of February and March of 2020.  He forecasted this on a forum in 2017:  Click here to read more about that from Ganesha’s website.) 

In is blog post from November of 2019, Corey also pointed out how major long term changes are likely to occur during this time period as a result of the strong emphasis on the ‘cara’ or changeable signs.  He also mentions how many of these big worldly structures and systems that rule us, will be hit with a long-overdue reality check.  

Think about how much faith we have lost in our worldly structures and systems over the last several months.  Faith and trust in the mainstream media continues to decline tremendously, as well as in the modern medical world as more stories of corruption and for-profit caregiving surface.  Countless celebrities and elite figures have also taken a fall this year;  so many that it would require an entire additional post to cover them all.  A few worth mentioning though would be:  Ellen Degeneres, Madonna, Prince Andrew, Harvey Weinstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Let’s focus on Ellen for example, who has had this eclipse falling in her first and seventh house axis, as a Cancer lagna. The first house is the house of the self, and the seventh is the house of other-selves, and hence the public and one’s public image. It certainly seems her public image has been “eclipsed” over the last year.

SOURCE:  ‘Why 2020 Has Been the Year of Backlash Against Ellen DeGeneres’ by Libby Torres;  Published Aug 5, 2020, 9:42 AM

Apparently, Ellen has been called one of the “meanest people alive” and a Twitter thread about this received over 2,000 responses.  I wanted to highlight this because in his eclipse prediction video, Corey explains how the sign of Capricorn rules the elite…. but even more interestingly, it is Saturn who rules Capricorn, and Saturn is the planet who rules the masses and common folk.  It is always the people/common folk that actually empower and support the rulers.  As current events unfold, it seems many more people are beginning to realize that the elite cannot remain in power without the support and cooperation of the masses.  There is an underlying theme of using unity to overcome and take down corrupt Capricorn figures both on the entertainment and government platforms.  Ellen, who had her house burglarized over the 4th of July weekend, is just one quick example of Saturn responding.

SOURCE:  ‘Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s Montecito Mansion was BURGLARIZED Over the 4th of July Holiday’ by Brian Gallagher for Dailymail.com;  Published: 18:14 EDT, 23 July 2020; Updated: 08:11 EDT, 24 July 2020

Cancer is also the sign of one’s dwelling space and home, and is Ellen’s first house, where the eclipse occurred. We had a Lunar eclipse on July 5th, one day after the fourth of July, the day Ellen’s home was robbed. (It is also worth noting that Ghislaine Maxwell was also indicted within a few days of this eclipse, but that require another article to properly address.)

The first and seventh houses are the houses of the self, (1st) and the other self (7th) aka the public. One’s overall popularity can have a lot to do with the seventh house. With the eclipses in these parts of her chart, she has lost her power to influence the public during this eclipse.

“They say when Saturn is happy with you, he makes your name remembered for a very long time. They say if Saturn is unhappy with you and the karmas you have been performing, he destroys any trace of your existence from the world.  It appears that Saturn has been busy with what I refer to in this video as a changing of the guard(s).” —Corey Dowds

With this eclipse, Saturn has been busy ‘dethroning’ all of the elite figures who are not karmically meant to remain in their position for the next 30-year cycle of Saturn.  We have seen this with numerous CEO resignations, and we have seen this with high-level people finally being sentenced to prison in the case of Harvey Weinstein.   

To be continued….

Musical Genres and the Grahas

cc7a56f2aa64933964c129805f16886a     The old Jyotish texts of India clearly explain how the five elements (Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth) create all that is in existence in this world through the agency of the grahas, or the 9 planets of astrology as we call them in English.  As an example, Venus represents the water element of nourishment, and so Venus represents good food, or the touch of a loved one, or a vehicle. All of these are things that help support us, nourish us, and make things more comfortable for us as we go down the path of our life. So the old books would relate the wife to Venus. This is a very simple example. The fun part is that many modern things now exist that were not around when our foundational texts were written, and so it is the task of the modern jyotishi to find out what planets and what elements will correlate to all the various people, places, and things in this world.

I imagine that if the shastras were written in a more modern time, they may have included different types of music and what planets they relate to. There are so many new and modern forms of music to have come about and most certainly would relate to the various planets and their admixtures.

First we must know that the Moon rules music overall. So the Moon rules all types of music. (The Moon makes one a musician as well, and the Sun makes one a singer and rules singing according to Jaimini.) But within that very very broad spectrum of all the types of music that exist, we can further divide them up by what planets would rule each branch of music, or each musical genre as they are called.  And there will often be a lot of overlap, but some genres will stick out more as containing much more of a concentration of one planetary energy. Those are the main ones I included here. The more mixed musical genres I have mainly left out, but we can always remember that Mercury rules the mixed things. Here is what I have found so far:

SUN: 

The Sun seems to rule any traditional nationalistic music that has no exportable appeal but is a part of national pride. The Sun also seems to rule spiritual, gospels, hymns, and bhajans. The Sun is the singer and Jaimini directly correlates this to singing the Vedas, and being “filled with inspiration.” So we can imagine that the Sun rules chanting the Vedas as well, and any sort of inspired spiritual singing such as Kirtan. Likely also Gregorian chants. I would also correlate the Sun to occapella music, as it is a very singular form of music, and it is only singing which we know to be the Sun. I also suspect Folk music to be under the umbrella of Surya as folk music is often sung by a singular person, and does not require a band like the Moon does. Also folk music is very nationally connected usually, and has a spiritual quality to it sometimes.

Moon:

Moon of course rules all music as said above, but particularly the Moon rules instrumental music. In particular, the Moon rules the masses, moving them as it moves the tides of the planet, and therefore the Moon would relate strongly to Pop music. Disco music is the Moon, a genre that is not very heavy or fearful, but dancy and uplifting and associated with the nightlife of the Moon. Perhaps that is why the shiny glittering white Lunar “disco ball” came to fit so naturally with disco. It was a trendy thing as well, just like the pop culture pull of the Moon’s energy.

Soundtracks of movies would of course be the Moon, as Moon relates strongly to movies and these are usually very instrumental to begin with.

Jazz music is also one I would relate to the Moon, as Jazz is very rhythm based and requires a very intimate connection between the bandmembers. The Moon rules musicians but not singers because musicians must be able to keep in rhythm with the rest of the band as the main skill. That is the Moons great quality and so to be a great Jazz musician really speaks to having a very strong Lunar side. Jazz is also instrumental most of the time. And it has a soft quality to it, but also a mysterious dark or void side of it. As we know when you listen to jazz you are supposed to listen to the “notes they arent playing” as Lisa Simpson would say. This is a lunar quality as well, since the Moon has two sides and one is a dark side we do not see, or hear in this sense.

Mars:

Mars would of course rule Rock n roll music, and most of its offspring. Some of them may have more Saturn mixed in, but we can definitely see Rock, Alternative Rock, Grunge, and Punk Rock being mainly martian. Metal could start to bridge into Saturn more as we shall see that Saturn rules very dark music. The funny thing about Mars ruling Rock music is that Rock music is admittedly mainly a genre that was “stolen” from the black blues musicians of the southern United States. They simply took it and sped up the tempo and added more drums to it and other things and it became what we now know. Take the early Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones albums as key examples of this transformation. I note this because Mars rules theives, and stealing, whether for a good or bad reason. So it is interesting that even Mick Jagger and many other pioneers of it have admitted that it was highly influenced or possibly somewhat stolen from blues musicians.

Mercury:

Mercury, being the one most fond of and skilled at wordplay, would of course rule over Hip Hop. Other highly lyrical or verbal based music that doesnt come under the Sun’s influence may also fall under Mercury. Mercury would of course rule comedic music too, and parody music like Weird Al Yankovich. Mercury also seems to rule over electronic music. It is interesting how the most deep thinking planet Jupiter is starved by Mercury, and Hip Hop as a genre seems to have a harder time getting out of a superficial place and having more meaningful content. Having a message other than how great the rapper is doesnt seem to be as important for a song to be successful in this genre, and there may be an archetypal reason for this. Of course there is a lot of very meaninful hip hop out there as well, to be sure. But in general we can see how Jupiter gets a bit starved in this genre more than others. But Venus, as the great friend of Mercury, seems to do well (wink).

Jupiter: 

Jupiter is the planet that rules the Ether element. Or the “Akash”, which is a sanskrit word that means “sky”. The Akash chakra, as many of you will know, is the throat chakra, related to Sound. Vibration and sound is very close to Jupiter. As such, Jupiter seems to rule any kind of musical sound, not a particular type of style, but more about the power and meaning behind the music. So Jupiter relates to deep and soulful music that stirs the depths of our beings. This is not limited to just one genre. He can relate to any philosophical music or any music with a real message and purpose behind it. He therefore represents devotional chants and mantra music and will share some overlap with the Sun in this regard. Mantra and Naada Yoga music, sitars and ragas are very Jupiterian.

Soul is a genre that has the qualities of Jupiter embedded in it. One thing is that Jupiter is not as likely to sing as the Sun is. So music similar to the Sun’s category, but with less lyrics and more room for contemplation would be under Guru’s domain.

He also seems to have a say on culturally rich music, similar to the Sun. Though not with a national appeal but a cultural appeal. Music that is simple and yet powerful and uplifting is Jupiterian. So in this regard Folk can connect to Jupiter, as it is a simple music that any common folk person can make, but often has no value without an equal amount of soul and truth behind the lyrics.  Classical music of Bach, Beethoven, and that sort are also a category that is predominantly Jupiterian. Reggae may also be Jupiterian, as it is so initimately connected with the Rastafarian religion.

Venus:

Venus is the main planet of entertainment, and so music that is made primarily for entertainment purposes is Venusian music. And music designed for dance and sexual appeal. So Venus therefore rules almost all of the modern popular music being made nowadays. Venus can rule dance, R & B, Calypso, Flamenco, Funk, Ska, and Latin music to name a few. And of course any beautiful music with wonderful harmony would be of the Venusian vibration. Music that makes you want to get up and dance is Venus.

Saturn:

Saturn is the planet of sorrow. Therefore the main category that is most Saturnian to me is the blues. Saturn also is closely connected to the color blue, interestingly enough.  Blues is just Saturn through and through, I dont think anyone will debate that. It also was born out of the struggling black culture of the United States in the last 100 years. Saturn is the one who makes great things come out of great sufferring.

Of course all dark music genres will mainly have the influence of Shani, so Metal and “Doom metal” (whatever that is) and all those sorts of things are likely falling under Saturns umbrella, though I actually havent listened to most of these genres myself. I am just gonna assume they are as dark as they sound.  Saturn would also relate to very old music as well, and especially if it doesnt fit into any of the previously mentioned categories.

Rahu/Ketu: 

Rahu and Ketu dont rule any particular genre but Rahu will make any genre more technologically centered, and more innovative. It will be less acoustic and natural sounding and more electronic and overly produced. More avant-garde. Most of the garbage pop music you hear nowadays would be a mixture of Moon and Rahu, an unpleasant combination. (That is actually a placement that gets people involved or interested in hypnotism amongst other things. And it is interesting how there has been enormous amounts of money invested in researching what type of ways to make pop music get stuck in peoples heads more easily, therefore making them want to buy that song or that album more. It seems to have an unpleasantly hypnotic quality to it. When you are in the grocery store you can hear 30 seconds of one of those songs and it can be in your head for hours after.)

Ketu would do the opposite and make one’s music more introverted, more myopic, more acoustic and “raw” and underproduced. Often times when a musician first puts out an album, before he is famous, this album is often underproduced and more raw sounding, and this is usually the person’s best album because it is their most Ketu album. It is there most heartfelt and sincere album. Then of course they get famous and Rahu muddies up their inner vision and they cannot seem to get back to that previous sound no matter how nice of a guitar they have now…That is one way we can see the Rahu and Ketu influence on music and musicians.

Conclusion: 

The Grahas put their mark on all things in this world, we only need to be perceptive enough to see it. Music and its many genres are no exception. This is all from my own insights and observations and I may adjust these over time. This is only what I have found to be true so far.

Lunar Eclipse: Train Crash of January 31st 2018

In Vedic Astrology, eclipses are seen as inauspicious events. These are not times to do anything really important, that could be put off for another day. Many of the enlightened Yogis and Masters throughout India have spoken of the importance of prayer and meditation during these times as a way to make the best use of the heightened psychic energy that is present during the times of an eclipse. So while this writing is about an unfortunate event, do not forget that these times can give great breakthroughs in our development as people. As an astrologer, I have plenty of bad transits going over my chart to be aware of as it is, and I know my chart well already, eclipses can just add to that mental chatter. So I choose not to dwell on the negative and worry over that, instead focusing on my self-development during those times. Sometimes a bad thing must occur in order for our greater development as human beings. Eclipse periods usually are harder times, I cannot deny it. But the more effort I put into working out my Rahu and Ketu issues during an eclipse, the more magnified the results are. So in this way, we can look forward to the eclipse periods and not fear them.

With that said, we already have one major accident or tragedy that has occurred on this day of the total Lunar eclipse, January 31st, 2018.  My heart goes out to all that have been affected. One person has died and several have been injured, and it really is a tragedy to hear about this.

It seems that  while the sign of the Taurus was rising, a train that was taking GOP lawmakers to a retreat in West Virginia somehow hit a garbage truck, killing at least one person and injuring others. The lawmakers themselves seem to be safe, but the garbage truck was hit.

It is astrologically significant that this occurred right at the time that the eclipsed Moon was in the 4th house of vehicles, and in the sign of Government, Leo. This Moon was getting the rasi aspect of Saturn and the full eclipse effect of Rahu. When Saturn and Rahu both aspect a place, there is likely to be some trouble there. In this case it was in the 4th house of vehicles.

Here is the chart of the moment of the crash

virginia train crash pic

The lord of the Moon was the Sun, which was quite afflicted also by being in the sign of his enemy, Saturn, and by being with his other enemy Venus, as well as Ketu. With the Sun being afflicted on 3 accounts, we could imagine something inauspicious related to Government could occur on this eclipse. We also saw a lot of unfortunate government related things going on with the last eclipse in August, (Riots in US, N. Korea threats,etc.)  but that would be discussed in another article.

Over in the 7th house, the house of the other party in the case of a crash like this, we happen to see the planet Jupiter, which is the 8th lord, the lord of tragedies and death in a chart. That 7th house is rashi aspected by Saturn which happens to be the planet that indisputably rules over garbage men or a garbage truck. Jupiter is ruling Mars and Mars is ruling Jupiter. So what we have here is a dainya yoga, an interchange between the lords of the 8th and 7th houses. This is an unfortunate interchange, and indicates some sort of theme of misery in ones life if found in the birth chart. Here it seems to point to the theme of a death, an 8th house event, while traveling (7th). Another way to put it would be that the 8th lord in the 7th speaks to a dangerous event while traveling, and the 7th lord in 8th speaks to an equally unfortunate event to be experienced with another party, or while traveling or conducting business, so putting those together is not good for travel. Jupiter ruling the 12th cusp of losses and hospitalization and being in the 7th, that does not look good either. Jupiter in the 7th house is a “maraka” or killer for a Taurus lagna as well, but I am not sure if that idea should really be carried over here in this context.

Venus rules vehicles so we have to examine Venus, which is delighted by Saturn. That is good and may help the chances of survival of everyone involved. But Venus is afflicted by Ketu, who is strong at the time of an eclipse. Venus also is agitated by the Sun, and “combust” by the Sun as well.  Even further, Venus is “ashamed” by the Sun, as well as Mercury. Quite a lot of bad things going on in this 10th house, and all connecting to the planet of vehicles and lawmakers, Venus.  Note also that Venus rules the 6th house of accidents if Taurus is rising, giving even more of a vehicular type of 6th house karma to be experienced.   The 3rd house and its Lord are significant for journeys within one’s nation as this is, and notice that it is the eclipsed Moon that is the lord of journeys at this time. The Sun and Venus both deal with politicians, but lawmakers and these sorts are definitely under the Venus category of politicians. It just so happens to be that Venus rules over both the type of people involved (lawmakers) in the accident, and the nature of the accident itself (being in a vehicle.)

Also noteworthy is that the eclipsed Moon was in Asleesha nakshtra, a nakshatra of serpents. The Moon and serpents both have in common a quality of creeping along the ground. For example, The Moon is said to rule the types of plants that creep along, in the context of plants… like vines and English Ivy and such. Trains are definitely the most serpent like form of movement that a person can travel by and I wonder if this had something to do with Aslesha nakshatra.

To conclude, this was not a lucky moment astrologically, and even in this day and age of technology we should not neglect the proper role of Muhurta. Muhurta is called “electional astrology” in the west and is the art of finding the most harmonious and auspicious time to undertake an endeavor such as traveling. This also serves as an example of the use of Prashna techniques to determine details of a situation in the moment.

Also, here is another news clip about the crash, and towards the 5 minute mark they also start to talk about another news story related to the eclipse: Forest Fires. Several Astrologers predicted that the last August eclipse and this eclipse, both occurring in the fire sign of Leo, were likely to cause forest fire problems. Juliana Swanson is one astrologer who definitely mentioned this in writing, and I do think I mentioned this on my facebook page at some point. Forest fires have been a very serious problem over the last six months, and as they mention in this video, over the last several days they had many break out in their region of Texas.

Here is a wikipedia entry on the event:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Crozet,_Virginia_train_crash

Financial Astrology

J. P. Morgan had a Jupiter-Mars conjunction in his chart, one of the other classic yogas for wealth and prosperity.
J. P. Morgan had a Jupiter-Mars conjunction in his chart, one of the other classic yogas for wealth and prosperity. (I think the exclamation mark was embelished, most quotes dont have that. But I keep this because it shows his intimidating presence which can also be noticeable when a Jupiter-Mars conjunction occurs, especially in Leo, like he had it.)

Astrology can reveal an amazing amount of detail about our financial karma. It can tell us so much that it actually was very confusing to me for a long time, trying to sort it all out….That is an ongoing process, of course, but here are some basic principles that I have found to work very well in helping one to see money in the chart. There is so much more that could be said here but for brevity’s sake and without wanting to create further confusion, this should be a good lesson or review.

{{{NOTE:::: Do not expect to be able to predict wealth in a chart without years and years of serious and devoted research. This post is for the devoted student of astrology, not for someone who is trying to quickly find a secret way to get money from just a few hours of studying of their own chart. That is what we call “barking up the wrong tree”.  That approach usually creates more bad karma. It would save that person much time and money to just hire a professional to assist them with that, just like anything else we are not very experienced with…even more so with a thing that is very difficult to do, or not even believed to be possible, depending on who you ask.}}}

Planets: When it comes to planets, the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus are very important for wealth. I would say the Moon is most important. All planets can give wealth if they are ruling one of the houses mentioned below, however. The Moon represents our ability to have prosperity flow through our lives and that is why it is the most important. When it comes to land, which is also a source of wealth, Mars is the key planet. Mars rules property, and Ketu actually is a secondary factor that can indicate property as well. (Ketu means “flag” in Sanskrit, symbolizing conquered territory, so we can easily see the connection. Mars likewise rules forts and strongholds as well.)

Another useful point is that if cruel planets are occupying the angles, one is more likely to earn through property or working the earth in some way. If gentle planets occupy them, one tends to make money more through goods and services.

Yogas: You have to check for wealth yogas always. There are a lot of lunar yogas that grant prosperity to a person even if other parts of the chart are denying it. If overlooked, much of the chart will not make sense compared to the real life experience of the person. Some of these yogas are Chandra yoga, Gaja Kesari Yoga, Anapha, Sunapha, Durudhara, Adhi yoga, etc.

Vargas: The important vargas are the Rasi, the Hora, the Chaturthamsha, the Khavedamsa, and the Shastiamsa, in my experience.

HOUSES:

The 2nd house: This is the house of wealth, and deals with the immediate resources one has at their disposal. It deals with liquid wealth and cash that we use to provide for ourselves and those we are responsible for.

4th house: This is the house of deposits and fortune. So this is when you have wealth and do not immediately need to spend it on responsibilities and so can deposit it in the bank, or invest it into something more concrete and fixed. This is also the house of property, vehicles, orchards and other fixed assets.

5th house: The 5th is the house of speculation and all kinds of speculative investments. Its the house of predicting the future. As 2nd from the 4th, it shows the growth, and the wealth that comes out of what one just deposited at the 4th house. Hence this is the house of investment gains. This is a major house for playing the stock market or things like that.

6th house: This is the house of service, so it tends to make one have to do more tedious work, more servant like, manual labor type of work. This is the house of debts and obstacles, the opposite of a good win win trade for both parties.

7th house: This is the actual house of business and trade, which is not well known. The seventh house is the buyer if you are trying to sell, or the seller if you are trying to buy.

8th house: Not as important but is the 2nd from the 7th house (others) and so represents other people’s resources and cash. This house is still worthwhile to consider but has more to do with other people’s money than your own. It also can give inheritances, and lottery winnings or surprise windfalls of cash when activated in positive ways.

11th house: This is the house of your actual paycheck. Your income, your gains. So when you get paid your 11th house is activated. Notice that the 2nd house of wealth is the 4th from the 11th. As said above, the 4th rules “deposits”.  So the 2nd house is where you deposit or cash your paycheck at the bank and deposit it into your bank account. Then when you pay your bills and get your groceries, what is left over you may decide to invest or transfer to a savings account, or buy a new bike. That would be your 4th house getting activated, causing you to get a fixed asset or deposit the money for something of that sort later on.

12th house: This is the house of expenses of all kinds. Planets in the 12th cause us to spend more money or time on a thing.

With this we can hopefully see that it is not just one area of the chart that shows wealth potential. In my experience, it is again reading and analyzing the entire chart as a whole that must be done before we start to see a picture of what the financial situation will be like.

Saturn and Moon conjunctions, Part 2 of Interview with Ryan Kurczak

This is the second part of an interview I did with Ryan Kurczak of Asheville Vedic Astrology.  We talk about the conjunctions of Saturn and the Moon.  Take a look if you are curious about the implications of this conjunction.

Also, just for fun, here is a picture of the Alligator that was in my back yard on the day that we did this interview.  The Gator and Crocodile are perfect symbols of Saturn.  FullSizeRender 2

The word for the sign of Capricorn in Vedic Astrology has always been “Makara”, which translated, literally means “crocodile”.  The crocodile is possibly the only animal we know of that has not changed or evolved in any way over hundreds of thousands of years, when we look at it in the fossil records.  You can see a skeleton of a crocodile or alligator that lived during the time of the dinosaurs, and it will be the same as a modern skeleton of a crocodile.  This perfectly symbolizes the nature of the sign Capricorn, which is the sign of Karma, and action.  The best actions we can do are those that are done so right and so effectively to begin with, that they stand the test of time and do not need to be redone or improved upon.  This is the nature of Capricorn, and Saturn as well.  To do something right the first time, to be patient, to be methodical, and when the right time comes, to execute the appropriate action.  Saturn takes 30 years to go around the zodiac, not like the Moon who makes the same course in a Month.  We can think of it like this: We want to do work and karmas that are so well done, that Saturn doesn’t have to go back and revisit that work for 30 more years.  Observing Alligators and Crocodiles in nature gives us a window into this type of consciousness, and this type of activity.   This is also why Mars, the planet of all kinds of action, is exalted in Capricorn.  The highest action is that which can stand the test of time.

Synchronicity of the Number Seven

7Why do things so often get grouped up into seven in this world?  Have you ever noticed that?  Not to say that the number actually occurs more than other numbers, but in the sense of the way we tend to see, group, and categorize things.  When we think about our common use and grouping of things, seven seems to have a significance, dare I say, even something sacred about it.  It happens with really big things too, like the seven continents of the world, the seven seas, seven openings or cavities in the human face, seven colors in the rainbow or visible spectrum of light that we can see, and almost all mammals have seven cervical vertebrae.  These are things we cannot seem to change very much, but what is equally interesting is that there are also many things that we as human beings have intentionally perceived or classified as being seven in type or quality, when we could probably have divided them into other numbers if we wanted to.

Let me give some examples:

  • There are seven notes on the musical diatonic scale, but other ways of dividing the notes up have also been created.  But this is a very popular one, probably the most popular.
  • We have this idea in folklore of many different cultures (including American/European and Indian)  of seven years of bad luck coming to someone for various reasons.
  • There are said to be seven deadly sins.
  • There are seven wonders of the ancient world.
  • There are said to be seven heavens in Islam and many, many other philosophies as well as occult systems of knowledge.
  • Seven horizontal rows are in the periodic table.
  • According to the Baltimore classification, there are seven types of viruses.
  • Seven is the neutral ph value between acidity and alkalinity.
  • The Bible is overflowing with a sacramental implication of the number seven, the most commonly known being the beginning part wherein the Earth was created in seven days (it also clearly mentions the creation of the “heavenly bodies” for “Signs and seasons”, aka Astrology, by the way).
  • There are seven temples in the Book of Revelations (Which Edgar Cayce also revealed to each relate to a certain chakra and the sins most associated with that chakra/state of consciousness.)
  • Seven is the sum of any two opposite sides of dice.
  • In India there is the Sapta Rishis, or the Seven Sages.
  • There are also the Seven Sages of Greece.
  • There are seven main chakras in Yogic philosophy, also seven according to psychic Edgar Cayce.
  • Seven main endocrine glands (gonads, leydig, adrenal, thymus, thyroid, pineal/hypothalamus, and pituitary.)
  • We have seven days of the week, which is so ancient that we actually do not know where this originated. The Norse had a seven day week which is where our English names of Friday (Freya/Venus day) and Thursday (Thors/Jupiters day), and Wednesday (Odin/Mercury day).  The ancient Indians also had a seven day week, which makes one wonder if any other cultures of antiquity also had this tradition.

There are probably many more classifications of seven in number that I am not recalling, but I feel this has made a strong enough case as these are big parts of our human life.  Also you will notice that fiction writers love to use the number seven in their fiction works, simply google the number seven and you will see one after another fantasy book that has something to do with “Seven gemstones of power” or what have you.  A modern example of this can be seen in the hugely popular Game of Thrones HBO series, which is based on fiction books.  It takes place in a medieval Europe (Kali Yuga-style) fantasy realm and their is of course an emphasis put on the “Seven Kingdoms of Westeros”, which is where the majority of the story takes place.  There are also many different faiths throughout the kingdoms but the most popular faith is the “Faith of the Seven”, interestingly enough.  Obviously this is influenced from the actual medieval European times when the seven planets were worshipped as deities.  It is also made very clear that “The Seven” is one deity, that manifests itself into seven aspects.  This is identical with European and Indian style Astrology.  { NOTE: Many people still think that Hinduism is polytheistic (believing in many Gods) but if they actually researched it they would learn quickly that it is monotheistic.  Hindus acknowledge only one God, but with many different names, aspects, and forms. This is like how there is just one Sun that lights the world, but it can be seen to appear differently depending on where one is on the world, at sunrise, sunset, or midday.  We don’t say that there is a different Sun at sunset, even though it may look different than the mid day Sun, with its bright red and orange shades.  In the same way, Brahma is the same as Vishnu, and Vishnu is the same as Shiva. }   Also even the seven different deities are pretty much the same in this fictional series as they actually are in Astrology, which may have been intentional or not on the part of the writer, but because these archetypes are so prominent in our consciousness, I would not be surprised if the Author of these stories just thought them up himself.  (Read the descriptions of “The Seven” here and see for yourself)

Why is this the case? Why does the number seven keep coming up?  Could it be that there is something within the human psychology and the way that we are designed that makes us see things in terms of seven?  Well, the reason I am bringing all this up is because it is very peculiar in the light of the Jyotish philosophy of India.  In Jyotish/Vedic Astrology philosophy, all things that exist on Earth are “produced” by the seven planets that we can see with the naked eye, and can, in a sense, see us.  And so there are seven basic states of consciousness, that when mixed, produce all the varied forms and types of consciousness on Earth.  Each of the visible planets relate to one of these states of consciousness, and each state is an aspect of the divine.  Each planet is a “karaka”, which literally means a “producer” of various things in your life.  Based on one’s past life karma, one will incarnate with these various producers in the proper harmony to produce or not produce the life that this soul needs to have for its own development and growth beyond just this one life.

So now we can see that this number seven coming up so much is really a reflection of the seven planets and how they mix and create life on Earth as it appears to be.  It validates Astrology, that we have seven of most things, either uncontrollably, or by our own arbitrary intellectual divisions.

To see how this works, let us take the human body as an example:

  1. The Sun produces the bones and the immune system, which are one system in the context of astrological truth, but not current medical books. This is because the immune system relies on the mineral supply stored within the bones to regulate the health of the body. So in a birth chart, a weak Sun in the rasi chart and the D30 (trimsamsa) chart can indicate that one does not have a lot of strength in the bones and may have low mineral density, or low mineral absorption, and should eat a mineral rich diet to balance this.  A strong Sun person can eat a lot poorer quality food before there bones start to suffer, because they will tend to have better mineral reserves overall.  Strong Sun/Leo people tend to eat a lot of meat and even though meat always leaves a toxic residue on the body, these people can handle that more efficiently than others, and they also have a stronger Agni to burn off these toxins as well.
  2. The Moon produces the blood of the body, the ocean within the body.  A weak or afflicted Moon means that one will need to be more mindful of foods that dirty the blood, because this will happen more easily for them if they eat poor foods.  They may also have emotional issues as well as a result of having not the best blood quality. They may need to avoid table salt in favor of good quality sea salt, and add an extra amount of the healthy salty tastes like lettuce. A strong moon person will crave healthier foods for their blood naturally, and will have better blood flow and health overall as a result of having a strong “producer” of blood, a strong moon influence.
  3. Mars produces the nervous system, and the nerve tissue within the body. A weak or afflicted Mars indicates that one has nerve problems.  They may get nervous too easily, not what you want in a profession like surgery or war.  A strong Mars person can hold the knife steady, and that is why a surgeon usually has a strong Mars “producer” in his chart, producing the healthy nerves needed to do such a job. This is also why someone who isn’t willing to stand up and fight is said to “not have the nerve”.
  4. Mercury produces the cognitive/sense/integumentary system which is to say bluntly that Mercury produces our senses and cognitive ability.  A bad mercury means one does not perceive and cognize things accurately.  Now we can understand why Mercury is always involved in combinations for mental insanity in the old Indian Texts.  A good mercury will be the opposite, and will contribute to rational thinking.
  5. Jupiter produces the endocrine system, an incredibly important system for how one feels and for unfolding the spiritual capacities within us.  An afflicted Jupiter means that one does not produce an ideal endocrine system health, and as a result may have hormonal imbalances or other chemical imbalances that interfere with their happiness and emotional health.  A strong Jupiter indicates that one has produced a healthy endocrine system and feels good in their own body.  It is also noteworthy to mention that in deep meditative states, the endocrine system secretes powerful hormones and antioxidants, that make you very happy, and Jupiter is also the karaka or “producer” of one’s happiness and contentment.
  6. Venus produces the digestive system, and so a weak Venus means one does not absorb nutrients and digest well. This means the body loses its vitality more quickly because it requires more of its own vital energy (Virya, which Venus rules) to digest the food and assimilate it than it should.  A strong Venus does the opposite, it helps one absorb and digest well, and leads to a healthy and well built body.  This is also why Venus rules rejuvenation, as the health of the digestive system has a big say on whether one will rejuvenate easily or not.
  7. Saturn produces the muscular system of the body. The part of the body that does all the labor, basically.  Saturn also produces one’s laborers, servants, and lower level employees, which play the same role but in the context of a business.  A weak Saturn shows weak muscles, and so one tends to feel lazier.  A strong Saturn shows strong muscles and good lymph and so one will tend to not feel so lazy.  A strong Saturn is also associated with accomplishing many deeds in life, and here we can see how that relates on a physical level, to the dignity and strength of the “producer” of the muscles, Saturn.  Someone who feels lazy all the time is of course not going to accomplish as much as the opposite type of person.

 

In this way, the seven grahas mix and produce all things for us, and in accord with our karmas that we are meant to experience in this life.  This same idea is the logic behind how we see the good or bad karmas connected to each area of life for a person, and is a fundamental concept for practicing Astrology, both western and eastern.  Now we can reflect and see, that it is no surprise that in this world of seven colors, seven seas, and seven continents, that we also have seven visible lights in the sky, guiding us along the path of our Soul in this incarnation.

 

What is the sign of Cancer all about?

At the time of this writing, the Sun is making its yearly pass through the tropical sign of Cancer (June 21-July 22).  It seems an appropriate time to discuss the qualities of this sign, and its ruler, the Moon.  In Astrology, each planet rules both a positive and a negative sign (or Rasi, in sanskrit) except for the Sun and the Moon. The Sun only rules the masculine sign of Leo, and the Moon likewise only rules the feminine sign of Cancer.  This means that the Sun is the most masculine force in the solar system, and that the Moon is the most feminine force in the solar system.  The Moon is the only aspect of consciousness that is 100% receptive and feminine.  This is the key to understanding the nature of the Moon’s sign, Cancer.

At the point on June 21st that the Sun stops appearing to move north is when the sign of Tropical Cancer is said to have begun.  At this point the Sun appears to not move north but not necessarily move south either…it appears to stall in its point on the ecliptic.  Then it eventually starts to move back south for six months until December 21st on the winter solstice.  This movement is similar to how a crab will move sideways in one direction for a point, and then stop for a moment, only to move back the other way.  The nature of the Moon and its sign Cancer can behave in a very similar way.  People with the ascendant, Moon, or Sun in Cancer are often said to be emotional, moody, fickle, and to change about as quickly as the Moon changes.  One day the Moon is full, a few days later it appears almost empty.  So Cancer can be a sign that on the positive can be quite adaptable, but on the negative side can lack consistency.  We can see why this is because the rasi, or sign of Cancer is the exact point where the Sun, the most stable and consistent force we can see, begins to change motion and direction.  This is very unlike the Sun.  The Sun is the opposite of the Moon’s changeable nature.  The Sun rises and sets like clockwork and is thus what creates the zodiac and the seasons on Earth as we know it.  This point where the Sun changes direction and begins to move back south is very significant, and marks the beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere, where most humans live.

Cancer is therefore the most feminine, Yin, or receptive sign we could say.  Cancer time is thus a good time to stop and enjoy life, and be receptive to all that nature is providing for us at this time.  Its the sign of the Mother, and our family environment and emotional life. Its also the sign of our happiness and contentment overall.  It is more easy and natural to feel provided for and nurtured by life at this time, especially if one has their own garden which is plentiful for most at this time (gardens are another thing that is ruled by cancer).

The Moon is also the ego-mind, and its placement shows what we are comfortable with in life.  If one has the Moon with Mars, one will be more comfortable with aggression and confrontation.  If one has the Moon with Venus they may be the opposite, and be only comfortable with polity and beauty.  Assessing the Moon is how we can see what one will attract by the nature of their own thinking and emotional reactions.

People with a strong Moon, or Moon as the atmakaraka (planet with highest degrees in the chart), or well dignified benefics in Cancer (such as Jupiter) often have a great amount of grace in their life when it comes to this receptivity.  They are the types of people that can really benefit from techniques of creative imagination, and activities that deal with trying to attract things into one’s life.  The truth is that not everyone has the karmic good merit to just pick up a book like the Law of Attraction, apply its principles and actually see a great deal of change in their life…But many people do, and thats why they find that book.  Many others dont though, and many more never pick up that type of book.  This may be because their Moon is not as robust and so they dont have this ability or see this possibility of receptivity.  In that case, they could benefit from developing skills like mental affirmations, and creative imagination.  But each person’s karmic situation is different, and many are meant to make their wealth through hard earned work, or through various means.  This is what Astrology is used for, to shine light on the karmic strengths and weaknesses one has… So if you are skilled at attracting things into your life, now is a great month to exercise that ability!  If you are wanting to develop that skill, this month is a great month to work on that.  Creative imagination, mental affirmations, meditation, prayer and pranayama, and fasting from negative thoughts are some great Cancer/Moon-related ways to attract more good things into one’s life.  This is an overall great month for trying to develop that Lunar side in all of us.

 

Astrological Reflections on Nikola Tesla

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Nikola Tesla, at the height of his career.

“Within a few years a simple and inexpensive device, readily carried about, will enable one on land or sea, to hear the principle news, to hear a speech, a lecture, a song or play of a musical instrument, conveyed from any other region of the globe. ”     Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943

 

Nikola Tesla is one of the most profoundly interesting, influential, and eccentric figures of the last two centuries.  In the above quote he predicts the advent of smartphones. He did not just conceive the idea, he was the one to invent the technology.  I was unable to find the year that he said this quote*, but we know he died in 1943.  Take a moment to think about how significant that prediction is….  He invented pretty much everything that has made the modern world what it is today, including the alternating current, radio, X-ray technology, remote controls, electric motors, robotics, lasers *, wireless communication and even “limitless free energy”, according to this blog.  We still dont have this last bit of technology, because Tesla was being funded by JP Morgan.  When Morgan realized there was no money to be made off of giving free energy to everyone, he stopped funding Tesla along with making sure that he would never have enough money to succeed in his altruistic goal of providing free energy to all.  This is also part of why he was not as popular as other inventors, because he did not care to make money himself, and in a sense he was a threat to the fortunes of those who did care about money.

A man of such profound karmic impact as Nikola Tesla should logically be expected to have a unique birth chart to match, and its true, though this writing will only scratch the surface…There is so much noteworthy information to share about this man that it will take more than one blog post… In this article, for the sake of brevity, I will focus on just a few unique characteristics this man had, and how they related to the karmas indicated in his natal chart.  If you aren’t familiar with his contributions and eccentricities you may want to watch a documentary on him, or read up on him here, to get the full appreciation.

Nikola Tesla does not have an exact birth time, but it is said that he was born at the stroke of midnight on July 9/10 1856 in the Austrian Empire (modern day Croatia).  He was born in the middle of a lightning storm as well, and as the story goes, midway through the birth, the midwife wrung her hands and declared the lightning to be a bad omen, saying the baby would be a child of darkness.  Tesla’s mother responded saying “No. He will be a child of light”….The mothers instinct again proved correct, as it usually does, in that he did go on to be the foremost master of light and its manipulation and application.  He invented fluorescent lighbulbs and also made the more practical technology for electricity, the alternating current, which we still use today.

Tesla’s Natal Chart –  As it happened, right around midnight on the 9th/10th of July 1856 the sign of Aries was just about to end and the sign of Taurus was just about to rise.  At exact midnight, Taurus was rising at 1 or 2 degrees.  We know that the exact time of midnight may have been difficult to discern exactly back in an Austrian countryside in 1856, and so we cannot be 100% sure what his actual lagna (the sanskrit word for the rising sign) was, Taurus, or Aries…. But as said earlier, a man of such pronounced karmas should have a noticeable birth chart…. When I looked at the two charts, (one as Aries lagna, one as Taurus lagna) it was very clear that he must have been an Aries lagna.

To begin with, Aries is the sign of ideas, and the initial spark of existence. It is the sign of pioneers and heroic acts, as a Ram is born to climb anything in its path.  Aries is the sign of “active fire”, which is electricity.  (The other two fire signs are Leo, the fixed fire, and Sagittarius, the dual fire, which has both fixed and active qualities.  Aries is perhaps the most appropriate sign for pioneering fire or electricity at this fundamental symbolic level) Aries is a sign ruled by Mars, the fire element, and fire is the same as electricity and light in the context of elements.  Also, on the elemental level, fire has to do with intelligence, and cognition, and how well we think.  We know he had a lot of karma involving thinking, conceiving, light, electricity, and pioneering the applications of electricity, all of which are Mars related activities.  Also Rahu and Jupiter are in his first house as an Aries lagna, and Rahu makes one a pioneer in their field, as well as sometimes making one a bit of an outcast to society (sometimes because they are too ahead of their time).  So that is two marks for a pioneer as an Aries lagna.  These qualities strongly marked his path in life, along with a not so mature but still positive idealism (Jupiter with Rahu in okay dignity). Jupiter is also the lord of the fire sign of Sagittarius, another sign that can relate to electricity and lightning.  Jupiters placement here in Aries with Rahu also shows that his path was that of pioneering knowledge and wisdom more than a more classically physical Aries type of path.  Mars ruled people are not always soldiers or police officers.  Mars can also give one a career in surgery, or science, engineering, electricity, as well as mining and work dealing with the minerals of the Earth, to name a few examples.

If he were a Taurus lagna, his ruling planet would be Venus, which does have to do with making life more enjoyable for everyone, but does not have any strong fundamental association with fire, electricity, inventing, pioneering or being a scientist.  Also his Venus falls in the 3rd house (which does fit him in some ways) but is strongly starved by Saturn, Sun and Moon.  This means Venus is afflicted in every possible way in the context of Lajjitaadi Avasthas.  Such an afflicted benefic as the ruling planet in the 3rd would indicate very weak willpower and wanting to have things done for oneself too much and throughout life…. This is not the case, as he had an incredibly strong willpower.  It also does not fit his sharp and exacting personality as much as the Aries lagna.

Tesla’s celibacy- Nikola Tesla never married and was celibate.  As an Aries lagna, we can see that his ruling planet is Mars.  Mars is a planet that is said to be “Brahmachari”, meaning one who is celibate and does not marry, so as to fully pursue their goals and focus that they have in this lifetime.  (note: One could be brahmachari for many reasons, not just the traditional reason of expediting one’s spiritual progression.  A person could choose a celibate lifestyle just because they prefer the freedom it affords them to continue doing other things they are drawn to.)  This was the case with Nikola Tesla, as he was strongly sought after by women while he lived in the west, but never engaged in a single sexual relationship (according to him) and preferred to be celibate.  That is not very common.  We can see this shown in his chart by the placement of his ruling planet Mars.  Mars falls in Libra in the seventh house, and is in a temporary friend dignity because of Venus being four houses away.  Mars is with Ketu and the waxing Moon, a benefic and a friend to Mars.  Ketu can show where we have a strong karmic foundation in past lives, and here it shows that there is already a lot of karmic development in respect to relationships.  There is also  attachment (shown by the Moon here also) as well as frustrations (Mars) being shown.  So he is not going to find as much happiness in the area of relationships as a whole in this incarnation, due to having already exhausted those karmas in recent previous lives.  Rahu represents the area of life we are destined to develop in this incarnation.  In Tesla’s chart it is in the opposite sign, Aries, his first house, putting the spotlight on himself.  Rahu in Aries in the first house also speaks to a life of self development, and Tesla was an incredibly disciplined person.  Rahu is with Jupiter, showing that in this life he is wanting to develop faith in himself and all of his amazing ideas and noble endeavors, rather than focus on his enjoyment of life or relationships. But as is often times the case with those planets that are connected to Rahu, many of the Jupiterian goals he had were never realized, such as providing free energy to the entire world.  He did do many great deeds for the world as a whole, though.  Aries is also a sign that is fundamentally about being pure and virtuous, (Mars rules our Sattvam, our strength of character as well) which is why the most pure planet, the Sun, is exalted there.  Another interesting thing about his apparent celibacy is that he directly attributed it to his amazing intellectual abilities, which is a viewpoint also held by most Yogis.  As one example, he had the ability to visualize every invention in his mind down to the final stage.  Due to this uncanny skill, each of his inventions was said by his assistants to have been made correctly the first time, never needing to be revised, and never even leaving a blueprint behind!

Tesla_colorado_adjusted
“I do not think you can name many great inventions that have been made by married men.” -Nikola Tesla

Another unique thing about his ruling planet Mars being with Ketu and The Moon in the seventh is that this means Mars is “delighted” (mudita, in sanskrit) by the Moon.  The Moon is the ego mind, and when Mars is delighted by the Moon then one has a consciousness that can more easily act on the desires that are specific to it’s particular incarnation.  This also just empowers Mars overall, which is his ruling planet. The moon helping his lagna lord is showing that he has a lot of consciousness to work with.  We know this was the case with his extreme productivity, and his ability to only sleep 2 hours a night and an occasional nap.  Mars is also a planet that when strong, gives one the drive to stay awake all night working, to go hungry all day, or to do whatever it takes to get the job done.  Mars is described in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra as “Cruel with red eyes…”  As Ernst Wilhelm has explained, we get red eyes when we have been up all night working and not sleeping, and this is the nature of mars, to keep pushing all through the night if he has to.

Life in the public eye- His lagna lord being in the seventh house and seventh sign is significant to his path in life for many reasons. To begin with, he was known to the public, and in the eye of the public. The seventh house is the house of the public as well as a house of foreign lands, and relationships. Having the ascendant lord in the seventh house in good dignity often causes one to live in foreign lands or to be involved in the public in some way.  Libra represents the western direction, where his ascendant lord falls, representing him in action in life.  He did have to travel west to America to leave his legacy for us all to enjoy.  He was well liked by the public and had many worthwhile relationships with prominent figures such as Mark Twain, Swami Vivekananda, and Rudyard Kipling.  Also it is interesting that his sexuality was known to the public, especially back in those days…..perhaps his ascendant lord being in the 7th house and 7th sign also had to do with his sexuality being known to the public.  The 7th house also has to do with our dynasty that we leave for the world and public at large.  In this way the 7th house has to do with the Saptamsha, the 7th divisional chart, which relates to children, the main dynasty that most people will leave for the world.  Jupiter is the key karaka for the Saptamsha, as this planet also relates to children and the dynasty that we leave for the world.  There is a strong double reinforcement in his chart on dealing with leaving some kind of legacy to the world.  One being the lagna lord in the 7th as previously mentioned.  The other being Rahu conjunct Jupiter on the ascendant, showing the focus of his life to be on some kind of dynasty, child, or creation to leave for the world.  His dynasty was much greater than one child. (Perhaps he knew this and it was also a reason for his celibacy, as he was very clairvoyant.) His child is every single light bulb, every single smartphone, every single i-pad or ebook.  His dynasty is this entire modern world we are living in.

 

to be continued in part 2….

 

*There is actually evidence he was not the first human to have laser technology, see the book Ancient Secrets of the Lost Ark by Laurence Gardner, which gives evidence that ancient Egyptians may have used rubies to create lasers from the Sun’s light, which possibly may explain how they were able to cut certain stone materials, but does not explain all of Egypt’s mysteries by any means.

Some Thoughts About The Moon

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“The Moon reflects the Sun’s light and it does not emit its own light.”  -Rig Veda 1:84:15

“The Sun is the upholder of all light. The Moon and all other planets do not possess light of their own. All of them shine with the light of the Sun.”  -Atharva Veda 14:1:1

 

The Moon is the brightest object in the night sky. With its fascinating luminescence and mysterious waxing and waning behavior, it is no surprise that it has been the subject of great interest for practically every culture on the planet.  It has probably been an object of contemplation ever since humanity expressed such an ability, and for good reason,  as there are so many interesting qualities to appreciate about this luminary body.

To fully understand the Moon, we must first look to the Sun, the other great luminary, and the source of the moons reflected light.  In Jyotish (vedic astrology), each planet represents an aspect of our own self.  The Sun is the symbol of the real Self (note the capital S, referring to our eternal Self or Soul, not the impermanent and always changing personality self).  As the body that the rest of the planets revolve around, it signifies the real and eternal “Soul of All”.  The Sanskrit word used to describe the sun in this context is “Sarva Atma”. “Sarva” means “all”, “of all”, “everything” and “all things”.  “Atma” means “soul” or “self”.  So the Sun is the life of everything.  All is one with the Sun at the deepest level of existence.  The Sun relates to that pure consciousness that manifests everything in existence.  Mathematically, the Sun is like the number 1.

The Moon is the other main source of light and luminescence in our world.  As the above quotes from the ancient Rig Veda and Atharva Veda explain, the moon has no light of its own, and is merely reflecting the Suns light.  In the Indian tradition of astrology, the moon is the planet (astronomically it is considered a satellite, but for astrological purposes it is considered a planet, as it behaves like other planets from our perspective on Earth) that represents the ego-mind and the incarnated human being.  It is the reflection of the Sun, the Supreme Self.  Human beings can certainly be reflections of the Supreme Self, but not all the time, just like the moon, who can sometimes be full and reflect the Suns light perfectly, and other times be so dark it cant even be seen.  The sanskrit word given for the Moon is “Manas”, which means “mind”, but not in the western sense of the mind as the intellectual processor, but as the thing that is experiencing life. The mind is what experiences life through the five senses.  Interestingly, because the English language has roots in the Vedic Sanskrit language, this Sanskrit word “Manas” is the root origin of all three of the English words “man”, “mind” and “moon”.

When we think about the Sun, how hot and bright it is, how intense and draining it can feel to be exposed to it for long stretches of time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by it.  Just as Man cannot easily perceive the Sun for more than a moment without having severe eye damage, he likewise has difficulty perceiving God in daily life. It really is logical to correlate the Sun with the Supreme Self, or God, as it is the sustaining source of all that is living in our world. Its course is so regular and unchanging, and we live our lives by it….yet we cannot understand it or even look at it normally.  Life cannot exist on Earth without the support of such a powerful solar body.

In the same way, when considering the Moon, its constant waxing and waning, changing signs, moving to and fro, and occasionally being eclipsed… It is much more symbolic of a human beings awareness. We wax and wane, have good days and bad, seem to go through cycles we have little control of and in an overall sense are very changeable by nature.  Hopefully this symbolism is making itself clear now.  Our ego-mind is just like the changeable moon.  The ego-mind can be thought of as merely a composite of personality characteristics, that we do or do not like, that are taken from a VAST amount of experiences we have had.  So it is always changing as well, as we have new experiences and out grow old experiences that we previously identified with.  For example, someone may not like spicy food, but then one day they have a delicious spicy soup in just the right quantity, and fall in love with it, and how it makes them feel. Then their ego mind will say, “Now I LIKE spicy food”.  Their ego has changed and adapted just like the ever changing moon.

And that brings us to another interesting thing about the moon, or ego-mind; its adaptability.  Each planet is said to relate to the other planets as being a friend, neutral, or enemy to them in the Vedic system of astrology.  And these relationships are based on the natural energies, or “rays” of each planet.  Like how certain colors just go well naturally, and others “clash”.  And when it comes to the moon, it is the only planet that has no enemies, only friends or neutrals.  All the other planets have at least one, two, or three enemies.  What does this tell us about the ego-mind?  Contemplating this reveals many things, but particularly significant is that the moon, or ego-mind, will latch on to and feel comfortable with anything it can in order to survive as the individual ego.  Even if that thing is not good for it and harmful.  This is why the separate egoic sense of self is such a source of pain and suffering.  It will not refuse identifying with even the worst elements of life in order to keep growing and experiencing.  The Moon with Jupiter for example, is showing that a persons mind is comfortable identifying with Jupiterian things such as knowledge, wisdom, a sense of purpose in life, and optimism.  The Moon with Saturn, on the other hand, shows a person identified with suffering, pain, lack, hard work, and the difficult sides of life.  Oftentimes they will actually be somewhat comfortable with the painful sides of life. They will be used to struggling, and enduring. When things are going great in life, they may actually think, “something isnt right”, but it is because they just are not as used to life going so easily.  The Jupiterian-moon person may be the opposite, and when life is going right, they will stop and think “life IS going right”.  This shows us that some things are naturally more beneficial for us to identify with than others, but if we decide to, we can latch on to even the harshest aspects of life, in order to keep growing and experiencing life as it is happening…

The moon, or mind, can therefore work out well for a person, or not so well for a person, depending on what they are identifying with, as revealed by asessing the moon in a horoscope.  But either way, whether ones mind is more comfortable with wealth or poverty does not change the fact that they are identifying with a temporary and changeable sense of themselves, which waxes and wanes.  It is still not the real Self.  So from the Yogic viewpoint,  identifying with this passing sense of self that one is comfortable with can bring happiness or sadness, but will still invite suffering to the “moon-identified”, or ego-minded person, until they are able to become “Sun-identified”, or “Soul-minded”.  We know already that the Sun is the “Self of all”, hence the emphasis on “Self-realization” from the yogis and enlightened ones.