Flux and Transformation
So… its been a pretty wild ride this month hey?
There are many big changes currently occurring, collectively and individually, as we are being pulsed and moved to face things that feel uncomfortable.
That is the nature of change and transformation though, and no one escapes it. Honestly, we can try, through many different routes that provide solace and comfort for a time, but I am reminded whenever I feel challenged, to stop resisting the discomfort, take a moment to connect to my breath, breathing deep into my belly and chest, and see times like these as invitations to step up and become more of who I am.
Difficulties and challenges are an inherent and necessary part of life, therefore having a constructive approach goes a long way to ease mental stress, even so far as to affect potential outcomes in more positive ways.
Our state of mind is the single one aspect of ourselves that we have control over, with free will and intention, and it is highly underestimated, the power in which we have to navigate and direct this powerful tool, and affect our external reality.
We do not have to feel lost and tossed around by the seemingly overwhelming forces of the mind and emotions. Without going into too much details and esoteric banter, what draws me to study and share vedic philosophy and astrology is how, the more that I learn and uncover about my basic nature and the strengths that are present (which I often ignore), I realise how the story from which I was born into has become the exact fodder needed to become who I am.
The myths and metaphors that make up the bedrock of vedic culture come to life in our own lives, and over the years of my study, the profundity continues to astonish me.
Through personally experiencing inner re-structuring and transformations while observing celestial events and working to understand the nature of the mind and emotions, as well as applying principles of meditation and mindfulness in daily life, I have learnt how to navigate choppy seas, detours and setbacks, by continually adjusting my sails and being brought back to a place within, where I have no choice but to fully accept self and circumstances, starting from where I am, here and now.
It is my intention that by sharing these insights, it may help you to access your own strengths and inner resources; to remind you that your ability to overcome and shine through adversity is more real than any problems in your lives.
August 2017 cosmic weather forecast:
This month of august is the most intense of this year.
We see a converging of multiple discordant planetary energies, preceding the change of signs of Saturn, Jupiter and The Nodes. Added to that, There are two eclipses, saturn and the nodes are in gandanta (spiritual knot), saturn and mercury are also currently retrograde.
Mercury is retrograde in Leo from 12/8 to 5/9
Saturn is Retrograde in Scorpio until 24/8 – Then continues direct motion and finally moves out of Scorpio on 28/10, though will remain in gandata.
Jupiter moves into Libra on 12/9
Rahu & Ketu are moving into cancer/capricorn on 18/8 and always travel in a retrograde motion.
This month’s theme could be said to be one of frustration and delay. With Saturn and Mercury retrograde, take stock of your plans, avoid travel if you can, or if you need to travel, allow plenty of time to get to where you need to go, to prepare for traffic jams, unexpected weather, or anything unplanned. Delays are more common during this time. Back up your work, double check your accounts and plans, and most importantly, practice patience, breathe deeply and accept when things don’t go to plan, or when misunderstandings occur.
With Saturn travelling the last degrees of scorpio, and having been retrograde since april, there have been many old, issues that have re-surfaced that we thought we had already dealt with. Although the challenges and difficulties may have been tough, this gandanta junction between scorpio and sagittarius is the most potent, as the centre of the galaxy is said to lie within this part of the zodiac. This part of scorpio is the tail of the scorpion, where to poisons collect. Metaphorically this relates to the alchemical transformation of poison that hurts to wisdom which heals.
This is an opportunity to delve into the deeper reasons of our karmic blocks, knots and limitations. Old structures within your psyche may feel like they are breaking down and dissolving, you may even feel like your entire personality is having a huge overhaul. It can bring insecurity and an unsettled mind.
However this time can be used to connect deeper into one’s core, beyond judgements and ideas of the self; the dissolution may even trigger a kind of spiritual awakening for some.
Focus on your practice, whatever that is, work hard, do yoga, meditate, find things to be grateful for, take stock of what is not working in your life, and make the decision to create change, even if the ‘how’ is unclear. Patience and persistence is rewarded in time!
Jupiter takes 12-13 months to travel through one zodiac sign.
The past year he has been in the sign of virgo, the sign of the maiden, and symbol of purity, health, cleanliness, healing, service and routine. It has been a time for many, to re-address their health and lifestyle and make necessary changes.
With Jupiters’ movement into libra next month, expect a more positive and expansive time in your relationships, friendships and business partnerships.
Libra is a sign of partnership, business, the marketplace and all types of relationships. It represents harmony, balance, grace, diplomacy, beauty, art, music and writing. The next year will involve an expanded sense of these aspects of life, many will enter into new relationships, or start business. Expect creative and artistic refinement.
Rahu & Ketu take 1.5 years to travel through a sign. Right now they are at the very early degrees of Leo (they always move in a retrograde motion) and will move backward into Cancer in two days. Rahu will be hovering in gandanta for some time. The last degrees of cancer can also stir unsettled emotions and overwhelm of feelings, so take it easy on yourself and your hearts. Following this, the sun will will be joining Rahu, which is what the full solar eclipse will be on the 21st of this month. On the 7th, there was a partial lunar eclipse, so the emotions were troubled that week; things were being shaken up within the subconscious. In the time leading up to the full solar eclipse on the 21st, things are being uncovered and revealed. It is a good time for deep inner work.
Think “dark side of the moon”. This obviously has its drawbacks with themes around delusion and deception, but positively we can harness this in tandem with saturn in scorpio and penetrate deeply into the heart of truth and garner much insight and wisdom. Meditate and watch your mind and thoughts. Leave important decisions and plans till a few days after the eclipse, when the energy settles and is not so turbulent. Otherwise you can feel confused and get caught up in too much thinking and fears, or rushing to make poor choices that do not reflect your deeper truths and needs.
Overall, this month’s potent energy is hugely transforming with so much growth potential, if one can embrace the turbulence and say yes to life, even though it is unsettling. Know you are ok deep down, change is the only constant & difficulties do not last forever.
Enjoy the process!
Darinka
Some definitions:
Retrograde planets appear to move backwards in the sky, from earth. This amplifies their energy,often causing delays, setbacks and frustrations, and in the case of mercury, this would apply to anything related to travels, emails, messages, post, and all forms of communications.
Gandanta is a sanskrit word meaning ‘spiritual knot’. It also translates as ‘drowning’. It lies at the junction of the fire& water signs; pisces/aries, cancer/leo and scorpio/saggitarius.
Fire and Water combine. These places in the zodiac are where steam is created, and planets, when placed in the very last or very early degrees of these signs carry residual past life karma and ‘poisons’ that can feel knotted, in regard to the significations of the planet. Sometimes situations arise in life in which the more one tries to unravel, the more complicated and knotty it can become. Gandanta planets can promise deep transformation, but often not without turmoil.
Mercury is the planet that governs communications in all it’s forms. It governs the rational and logical aspect of our mind, as well as logistical matters such as travelling and timetables. Mercury goes retrograde, several times throughout the year, for several weeks at a time.
Saturn is the taskmaster, he represents all that which we would rather avoid; hard work, discipline, duties, chronic illness, lethargy, laziness, setbacks and delays. Whatever he touches, he constricts in some way. However, with a proper attitude and respect to these aspects of life, karmic issues can transform positively with patience, persistence, tenacity, focus, humility, and temperance. Think, “Creative Limitation”
Jupiter is the great teacher, he represents wisdom, higher knowledge, religion, goodwill, fortune, prosperity and benevolence. Whatever he touches, he expands.
Jupiter, known as Guru in India, he gives us access to inner wisdom, through deep introspection, meditation and/or through actual teachers and gurus in life (in any field). Whenever we learn something new, it expands our understanding of life and our role in the big picture. Knowledge transforms into wisdom.
The north and south nodes, known as Rahu & Ketu, respectively, represent the Eclipse. They are symbols of a snake, or dragon (demon) who’s head was severed after drinking Amrita, the elixr of immortality, while disguising himself as a god, in between the sun and moon. (There is a detailed story attached to this which I will cover in a future article).
However, since he became immortal, this meant that he landed a place in the cosmic pantheon and therefore governs the eclipse energy which is generally known to be highly inauspicious, across many cultures of the world.
The darkening of the lights (sun & moon) are said to cause negative and malefic effects on the mind and psychology. It is a time to go within, meditate, fast and generally keep away from too much activity. Rahu and Ketu are highly significant to analyse and understand in a personal chart. They signify the karmic axis in which our soul travels on, indicating latent past life gifts and strengths, which paradoxically need to be released, yet integrated into our lives, becoming part of the new territory and ground that we are walking in this life.
Darinka Maja 