The sanskrit word for planet is ‘graha’ – meaning to grasp, to hold, to seize.
It is known that the planets seize us; our minds, based on our karmas, and the desire is to be free of that.
Do we respond consciously or compulsively?
This is the question.
It is said that a weak person is ruled by their stars, but a wise person rules their stars …
There is a common assumption suggesting that astrology says our lives and destinies are fixed according to some random shapes and woo-woo in the sky made up by intellectually inferior human beings of the past, in an attempt to make sense of a mysterious and inhospitable world.
This vision of the past is of course, far from the truth. Astrology, in its simplest definition, is a way of predicting events which occur in space and time. The underlying basis of jyotish understands how the 5 elements comprise every aspect of the physical and non physical worlds, into a highly scientific and precise way of working with the entire human being, cosmos and life on earth.
Being a limb of the Veda, jyotish cites no author, no god and no judgement. Can you hear the witches burning for saying the same things?
Judgement is a key, central psychological theme around which our western society revolves.
Generation after generation have been traumatised over concepts of sin, heaven and hell. These ideologies have twisted truths, disempowering individuals through fear and guilt.
Conversely, responsible action is a central theme in most indigenous and eastern cultures.
There is no external force judging our behaviour. Humans create their own heavens and hells within the mind and in the world; we are not punished for our actions, we are punished by our actions.
Karma is not an idea nor a concept based on any moralistic grounds. Karma is a sanskrit word meaning action. Actions create reactions – (more karma) and we react/respond to the reaction, thereby creating more karma. Karma is simply the law of causation. There is no judgement. Karma is a fact of life.
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We use Jyotish/astrology to understand the karmas that have led to this particular lifetime, to illuminate and evolve beyond our basic natures, so we can take better actions, improve our lives, and alter our futures. You are free to put your hand in the fire, but you are not free to not be burned.
You cannot escape the consequences of your actions, so take responsible action; discover the laws of nature and find your harmonic balance, every soul has their unique soul story to unravel and grow through. The way of living in harmony with nature and with ourselves is rooted in direct experience and clear perception with ourselves, earth and the cosmic forces. ⠀
To understand this, we need to understand what is Mind, and what is Maya.
The mind is not a conscious entity or intelligence, but a programmable subconscious reaction to stimuli. “ – Dr David Frawley
Yogis and yoginis have been developing vedic sciences for thousands of years through self inquiry and atma vichara – the science of investigation. They understood that the nature of the mind was like a monkey, scattered, susceptible and vulnerable to outside forces – an untrained mind is one that is easily manipulated, affected and unstable. In order to develop higher mental faculties, consciousness and clear perception, it makes sense to start with the instrument with which we perceive reality – The Mind.
To study the mind in vedic astrology, we look to see where the moon is placed in the chart. The vedic and chinese calendars revolve around the lunar calendar. It is the moons’ motion, its waxing and waning cycles, and its nodes that we study in order to grasp how our mind functions in this particular lifetime. Stresses to the moon indicate karmic backlog that we need to sort out in this life. Some of us have to work harder to manage our moons/moods/minds. Does this mean we are cursed? No – it means we can now take karmic responsibility and cultivate right living, to generate harmony, balance and healing within the mind. This takes time, patience, infinite self compassion and help from self realised/uplifting people & communities.
It is as simple, and as difficult as that.
Our perception of the world through our senses is what is called ‘maya’ in Indian thinking. Often wrongly translated as illusion, implying that nothing is real. A burning house is a burning house and we need to act accordingly. What Maya is referring to, is the world of appearances; things are often not what they seem to be – so we need to investigate and explore deeply into what we perceive, and the nature of the mind & senses; how we perceive and filter reality based on personal/cultural/societal bias.
Breakthroughs happen when we develop our consciousness and awareness, choosing to respond rather than react compulsively. This is the essence of yoga. It is very difficult to do. Managing one’s emotions through the entire range of natural methods can balance the internal chemistry without having to use drugs. Any real, lasting & permanent change in our psyches can only occur when we are ready to make the full commitment to our evolution and healing, when we practice daily, and take responsibility for ourselves and our minds, by not reacting to every thought and emotion that grips us. This is the starting point.
The revolution of our world will be on an individual level, an inner shift of perception, a ‘spiritual awakening’ – if you like, when you realise you always have had the power and courage to choose to respond to the same stimuli, but in a radically different way.
Even when there is a limited choice, choice is still there. This has been seen, even in the most trying of circumstances.
“The boiling water that hardens an egg, softens a potato. Its not the conditions but what you are made of”
Stuff to think about … Comments/questions below !
With Love, Darinka X
I have studied Jyotish for a number of years . If you like what you read and would like to know more about your own chart and how the planetary energies are affecting you personally, I offer consultations in person or over skype.
Consultations
Darinka Maja 