IRON AGE JYOTISH AND THE DHARMA WARRIOR LIVE FOR THE DWTV PODCAST HALLOWEEN 2020 SPECIAL!! “Mysteries of Jyotish: The Nakshatras Part 1” begins a 3 part series of guest blogs and podcasts on the Nakshatras, the Mansions of the Moon, in Jyotish or Vedic astrology.
DWTV Episode #4: 2020 Halloween Special “Mysteries of the Nakshatras Part 1/3” with Iron Age Jyotish
“Bharani is the second portion of Aries, which extends from 13 20′ degrees to 26 40′ degrees of Aries. Bharani is the Birth of Venus, the very advent of sexuality and procreation in the zodiac. Bharani means “Bearing” or rather, more specifically “She Who Bears”. The implication is that of pregnancy but this also refers to Bharani’s general nature as the bearer of energy, the very essence of feminine receptivity and fertility. This asterism entails the very process of conception, gestation and birth; the division of the One into The Two which become Sexual Poles, Great Mother and Great Father, the Matrimonial Binary which begets all of manifestation’s various forms.”
Bharani: The Star of Sexual Dimorphism
The Nakshatras: Bharani
Bharani is the second portion of Aries, which extends from 13 20′ degrees to 26 40′ degrees of Aries. Bharani is the Birth of Venus, the very advent of sexuality and procreation in the zodiac. Bharani means “Bearing” or rather, more specifically “She Who Bears”. The implication is that of pregnancy but this also refers to Bharani’s general nature as the bearer of energy, the very essence of feminine receptivity and fertility. This asterism entails the very process of conception, gestation and birth; the division of the One into The Two which become Sexual Poles, Great Mother and Great Father, the Matrimonial Binary which begets all of manifestation’s various forms. It is of great salience that Mars rules Aries and that Bharani rules Venus within it, for it is here that these Ur-Sexual planetary energies first engage in Sexual Union and Creative Expression. This nakshatra also rules over the subtle forces which are expressed as the sexual fluids and gametes of both sexes, as well as the resultant zygote that follows their union. The first phase of The Creation, Ashwini, is the raw unleashing of primal energies and potential, the Explosion of the First Dawn, but it is uniform, plasmic and indistinct – undifferentiated. Here, in Bharani, this potential is harnessed and projected Earthward from the Heavens. Aries becomes a shaper of forms, an exertion upon the World of Flesh. This exertion must be understood in respect to the Vedic theonym for Venus, Shukracharya or simply Shukra. Shukra means “Bright” or “Clear” (a meaning shared with the Western theonym Venus) but it can also be translated as “The Seed of God” or simply “Semen”. Shukra has several mythological origin stories, some of them involve His (yes, his) birth via the ejaculation of a Greater deific, often Shiva, Shukra being the very fluid which is produced. In Ayurveda (Vedic Medicine), the word Shukra is used to refer to both semen and eggs and is said to be a sublte property which is expressed physically as the gamete in both sexes. In the Mahabharata Shukra divides himself in two (the number 2 is of great symbolic importance to all three Venus nakshatras), one half becomes a source of knowledge for the Devas (the Gods) and the other becomes the guru of the Asuras (the Demons), hence the alternate name for Shukra, Asuracharya (Priest of the Demons). Shukra encapsulates the Chinese metaphysical notion of “Heaven to Earth” energy, the Projection of Design into Matter. We see this sort of symbolism recapitulated via various myths about Venus around the world, however, the most famous is that which has been preserved in the Christian canon as the story of Lucifer. Like Venus, Lucifer also means “Bright” and both are associated with the Morning Star (which is not actually a star, but the planet Venus itself). Also, like Shukra, Lucifer is a Priest of the Demons. Lucifer also descends to the earth, and is likewise cast from Heaven. However, in the Book of Enoch, Lucifer seeks out this descent and in fact lusts for the material world and its flesh. In this text he is called Samjaza, which means “The One Who Has Seen” or “I Have Seen”, referring to his having witnessed the Daughters of Man and lusted for them. Since Samjaza is an angel, he is forbidden to copulate or engage in the pleasures of the flesh and having convinced many others of the Heavenly Host that this taboo should be indulged, he gathers in secret with the other Watchers and they clandestinely follow him in his descent upon the women of the Earth, aspiring to recapitulate the Fall of Azazel (Satan), whom they worship secretly (Azazel is, after a fashion, another facet of this same Venusian energy). While Samjaza and the Watchers then beget horrible children, giants called the Nephilim, by way of their unnatural procreation with womankind, they also instruct mankind in various Arts and blasphemies: metalurgy, magick, cosmetics, prostitution, weapon forging, the fabrication of jewelry, painting and all manner of carnal knowledge and the secrets of necromancy – all Venusian arts. The Watchers are subsequently discovered and punished for their aberrant behaviour by Punishing Angels. In one text, Semjaza is punished with “Eternal Falling”, wherein he is suspended betwixt Heaven and Earth, forever tumbling downward, with one eye closed and the other forever open. {This One-Eyed quality is also present in Vedic literature – there is a myth in which Shukracharya is blinded in one eye by Vishnu with a blade of grass when he attempts to prevent Vishnu from reclaiming the Universe from the Demon King Bali.} This Eternal Descent very much describes the ceaseless ‘burrowing’ and exploration of Matter and Flesh which Bharani engages in. Although the connotations of these tales are largely sinister and perverse, all aspects of Venus which are indeed endemic to its nature, they only represent the negative outcomes of this energy (those pertaining to the Half of Shukra which instructs the Asuras) which also has healthier and more benefic manifestations (Shukra’s half which instructs the Devas) which are less prevalent in Abrahamic myth. For although we see all of the Venusian pitfalls: Lust, Materialism, Peversion, Forbidden Knowledge and Transgression, there is also Creativity, Fertility, Science, Technology, and Artistry. Venus is also often associated with meteors, which calls to mind more recent, secular myths, wherein the origin of all organic life was carried here by a meteor. With the above in mind, let us return to Bharani. Because Bharani deals explicitly with The Fall, and the Origin of Sexuality, it is at once the most primal and untamed of the Venus nakshatras and the most ambitiously creative and fertile. The explosive and driven nature of Mars via Aries is carried into the Venusian world of creativity and art, procreation and feminimity. The very symbol of Bharani is the Yoni or Vulva, the Flesh-Gate through which all of mankind has entered the world. Since Bharani pertains to the preceding proceses which culminate in Birth, it is also associated with the process whereby the Soul is affixed to the Flesh of its next incarnation. This is where the role of Bharani’s resident deity becomes apparent – the role of Yama. Yama is the God of Death, and he is the upholder of Dharma in the Afterlife. When a Soul comes to Yama, it is he that guides it to its next Body, that the process whereby Karma is metabolized is continued. Yama also has the Power to return the Soul to a Body it has left and this is where Bharani’s associations with necromancy arise. Shukra is also in possession of this Great Secret, called Sanjeevni Vidhya, a knowledge which he employs in various myths to extend lives well beyond their natural limits, resurrect the dead, and heal mortal wounds. This Knowledge was imparted to Shukra after he devoted himself via Bhakti towards Shiva, as a reward from his Lord for his faith. Shukra employs his gifts to exhaust material fixation and hedonism by giving people their fill of it, revealing its meaninglessness by flooding their Souls with attachment until the Soul can bear it no more and the desire to address their karmas arises. In this way, Shukra and Yama work together to Overcome Flesh with Flesh, to weave Life and Death together that the Soul can advance beyond its most infantile phases. Again, Bharani persists as the Bearer of the World, nurturing young souls with experiences to overcome and karmas that Powers represented in later phases of the Zodiac can aid in cleansing. It should also be noted that there is a great deal of symbolism in art and literature, especially in poetry, which connects Death and Sex, the orgasm often being referred to as the Little Death. This relationship between Death and Sex is quite nakedly on display in Bharani, where Yama and Shukra work in tandem: One fertilizing the Flesh with Souls and the other shaping the Flesh in novel ways that the Soul’s experiences will themselves be novel, propelling it on its Journey through Samsara.In the nativities of human beings, Bharani expresses the most primal of Venusian qualities: creativity, fertility, productivity, innovativeness, perversion, sexual fetishism and an obsession with indulgence and luxury. Bharani natives are, by nature, elitist and extremely judgemental in the aesthetic realm, holding appearances and fashion in high regard. Venusians are, as a result, the most likely to take to ethnocentric views, cliquey behaviour, join exclusive groups, or look down on those unlike themselves. Venus tends to favour its own progeny and is highly nepotistic, thus, those who are expressions of Venusian energy tend to surround themselves with their own creations and like-minded people who will appreciate them. The women are high cheeked, with elven, delicate features, plump lips and alluring eyes. The men, on the other hand, are often conventionally unattractive, even ugly – bulging eyes which are often a tad too far apart; jutting, spade-like chins; strange jowl lines; uncommon facial contours; and small eyes. Venusian men are also often noticeably successful at obtaining highly sought-after members of the fairer sex, despite their homeliness, an ability which often perplexes onlookers.
Ashwini is the First of the 27 Nakshatras and the first of the Ketu ruled signs. Ashwini means “Born of a Female Horse” or “the Horse-Woman”. Another more archaic name for this asterism is Aswayuja, which can be translated as “She Who Yokes Horses”. This equestrian theme extends into this asterism’s primary symbol: the Horse’s Head. The Horse here is the representative of a Journey in potentiae, a great Power which, if tamed, will transport its Master. Thus this sign’s primary domain is that of Beginnings, but in the most primal and originating sense. Ashwini constitutes the initial 13’20 degrees of Aries, and as such it can be described as the Beginning of the Beginning. Here, genesis itself finds birth in the explosive and nuclear world of Mars, where the Headless Ketu first harnesses the Power of Creation.
Ashwini : The Star of Cosmogenesis
The Nakshatras: Ashwini
Ashwini is the First of the 27 Nakshatras and the first of the Ketu ruled signs. Ashwini means “Born of a Female Horse” or “the Horse-Woman”. Another more archaic name for this asterism is Aswayuja, which can be translated as “She Who Yokes Horses”. This equestrian theme extends into this asterism’s primary symbol: the Horse’s Head. The Horse here is the representative of a Journey in potentiae, a great Power which, if tamed, will transport its Master. Thus this sign’s primary domain is that of Beginnings, but in the most primal and originating sense. Ashwini constitutes the initial 13’20 degrees of Aries, and as such it can be described as the Beginning of the Beginning. Here, genesis itself finds birth in the explosive and nuclear world of Mars, where the Headless Ketu first harnesses the Power of Creation.
Unlike the conquering Magha or the annihilating Mula, Ashwini is not defined by apocalyptic nostalgia or tribal memory, rather, it is the establishment of what shall be thereafter Remembered. Ashwini is the grand emergence from Nothingness, the first Immanence of the Self into Manifestation. Here is the Prime Materia of the Alchemists which carries within it the Ur-Memory which Ketu yearns for and from which it derives its intense desire for Moksha. Here, all original states and possible forms are secreted away and made accessible to future generations and epochs.
The Ashwini Kumars or the Ashwins, the Twin Horsemen, are the presiding deities of this asterism. These Divine Twins are strongly associated with the Vedic Goddess Ushas who is the Mother of the Dawn that awakes the Twins to drive away the Night and the Oppression of Darkness. As the First Nakshatra, Ashwini banishes the prior “darkness” of Non-manifestation and heralds the dawn of a new Age of Incarnation. We can also interpret this as a banishing of the Darkness of the Watery depths represented in the Last of the Rashis, Pisces. The Twins features in many myths where they retrieve the souls of various slain and wronged figures to their bodies, restoring them to life. This amazing power to heal and reconstitute not only the sick and the lame, but to even return life to the dead, is a theme which is carried in some fashion throughout all three Ketu nakshatras, albeit in forms sometimes less savoury than what is seen here. The symbolism of the Horse is again salient here, in that it is this sacred beast which carries the Twins, via chariot, into the realms of the dead and back again, that they might perform their miracles. Thus the Horse is a symbol of the Power to transit the realms and communicate with the Dead and most importantly the Ancestors.
With these attributes in mind we can see how Ashwini holds dominion over the Healing Arts, Resurrection, Initiations and Beginnings, Birth, Immortality, Youth and Travel. There is an abundance of peo ple born under this nakshatra in the Health industry, amoungst the ranks of doctors and nurses, but even more commonly they appear in more traditionalist healing disciplines involving the use of herbalism and more holistic methodologies.
Ashwini, like the other Ketu nakshatras also creates a sensitivity to the paranormal or supernatural. A disproportionate number of Ashwini natives take interest in ghosts, report having encounters with spirits and the subtle-bodied dead and having precognitive dreams. Even less gifted Ashwini natives still possess a sort of “spaced out” or vacuous quality, belying an ego with a tenuous grasp on its “host”.
Having Moon in Ashwini tends to make the eyes sleepy and large, the skin pale, the hair dark and produces a prominent chin and forehead. Another feature we sometimes see with Ashwini is a gap between the two frontmost teeth of the upper jaw.
In Jyotish the most fundamental concept which the practitioner, the client and the hobbyist alike should understand, is the nature of the NavaGrahas, the Nine Planets. Too often, in Western astrology, these Celestial Lords of the Firmament are reduced to mere objects, simple lodes whose effects are attributed to pseudo-scientific material forces, waves, energy, or other New Age hokum. This perception not only leaves the sacred science of astrology open to (deserved) criticism from the astronomy/science community, but also disarms those who adhere to it of any genuinely useful spiritual merit or context.
In Jyotish the most fundamental concept which the practitioner, the client and the hobbyist alike should understand, is the nature of the NavaGrahas, the Nine Planets. Too often, in Western astrology, these Celestial Lords of the Firmament are reduced to mere objects, simple lodes whose effects are attributed to pseudo-scientific material forces, waves, energy, or other New Age hokum. This perception not only leaves the sacred science of astrology open to (deserved) criticism from the astronomy/science community, but also disarms those who adhere to it of any genuinely useful spiritual merit or context.
The Nine Planets as they physically appear to the astronomer, are mere metaphors, simple material expressions of deific consciousnesses. It is not the material planets themselves that exert themselves upon the narrative of our lives, but rather the deifics they represent. These celestial bodies are moved and thus we are moved, to know one is to know the other.
NavaGraha roughly translates as “The Nine that Lay Hold”, “The Nine that Seize”, or “The Nine Holders”, Nava meaning ‘nine’ and Graha meaning ‘Grab, Hold, Seize’. The significance of the meaning of Graha cannot be understated – the Grahas pull upon, capture, grip and drag, rather than outright determine or ordain.
The rule of the Navagrahas can be likened to the very gravity of the physical planets that represent them, that is to say, with sufficient force their will can be resisted or even outright defied. So, although they are extremely powerful the Grahas are not All Powerful. However, this “gravity” is not overcome by mere desire, but rather by those processes peculiar to the shedding of Karmas, the deconditioning of the Soul.
The nativity is thus, not a Doom, but a map of the net our Karmas have cast for us, the tracts of fate which every prior incarnation has produced. If Jyotish could only describe the inescapeable, the condemnations and caprice of the heavens, then there would be little use in its study, for it would be in vain. We study Jyotish, rather, because the best way to navigate our Karmas and our Fates is by understanding them, that we might better face the challenges ahead and fair better in the enduring of them than we would have if we had never availed ourselves of our natal chart and its secrets.
Of the Nine Planets used in Jyotish, seven will likely be familiar to the Westerner: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. The other two are known as Rahu and Ketu, or as they are sometimes referred to (obscurely) in Western astrology as the Northern and Southern Nodes of the Moon. These planets are known as Chhayagraha, or “Shadow Planets” in that they have no physical body to represent them in the material universe, rather they are mathematically determined points in the elliptic of the Moon, always 180 degrees apart, which are used to track eclipses of the Sun and Moon.
Some may have also noticed that the Outer Planets (Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, etc) are not included in this system. This is because these planets represent domains of consciousness and agency which transcend human apprehension and understanding. Whatever influence the relevant deifics of these planetary bodies exert is simply on too large a scale (both in terms of time and scale) to be useful in determining anything of specificity in the chart of the relatively short-lived human being.
The Nine Planets:
Sun / Surya: The Sun is the Soul, the Eternal and unchanging core of Human consciousness. Surya is the King of the Navagrahas, Alpha and Omega of Creation, the Grand Conflagration at the Beginning and End of Time. The Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are all facets of and focused expressions (in specificity) of the Sun’s faculties, powers, domains and aspects. In this way, the Sun is the totality of all the Planetary Powers – the Plurality as a Regal and Refined Unity.
The Sun is associated with and in its highest expression manifests Authority, Mastery, Bravery, Moral Clarity, Truthfulness, Dignity, Regality, Bodily Health, Ressurection and Immortality. The Sun is also the source of all Divine Authority and Moral Substantiation. Jupiter’s Writing of the Laws of Nature only serves Dharma insofar as this Law is in accordance with the Truth and Moral Righteousness of the Sun, the same can be said of Saturn’s Punishments, Mercury’s Investigations, Venus’ Artistry, Mars’ Wars and Moon’s Explorations. The Sun, when at its worst, produces Despotism, Tyranny, Abuse of Power, Egotism, and Narcissism.
It is the Light of Lord Surya that illuminates and is refracted through the other six Grahas (the Nodes do not reflect, but rather consume Surya’s Light). Thus, for the conditioned and incarnate soul the experience of Self-hood is mediated through that which Surya shines upon, rather than through direct apprehension of Its Light – this is akin to the mundane experience of trying to look directly at the Sun, more often than not, its brilliance is overwhelming and even harmful and it is easier to appreciate its light through the appreciation of what it reveals, rather than the source of the light itself. Thus, Surya is the Riddle of the Self which lies at the heart of all Religious Endeavour.
In the Natal chart, the Sun represents one’s Soul (the unchanging core of the Personality), the Father, how the native relates to the State and Authority figures, the Body and one’s Health.
The Moon / Chandra: Chandra is the Mind, Phenomenal Consciousness, Experience itself. The Moon is the Vehicle through which the entirety of Life is experienced, the very Stage upon which the Cosmic Drama unfolds. As the recipient of Light, which produces no Light of its own, Chandra represents the Devotee, the Initiate who seeks Illumination from his Guru. It is this eternally moving, exploring and seeking quality of the Moon which defines its relationship with the stoic and unmoving Sun – Self-Image (Moon) and Self (Sun) in the process of Reunification and Reconcilitation.
Chandra’s domain is that of Flux, Change, Cyclicity, Experience, Contemplation, Devotion, Curiousity, Inspiration, Receptivity, Transformation, Now-ness, the Senses, Initiation, Guile, Fertility and the Plant World. Chandra is also sometimes referred to as Soma, thus making the Moon the ruling deity of the Nectar of Heaven, the Mead of Inspiration, and all Entheogenic Substances, Medicinal Herbs and Subtle Fluids. The negative qualites of the Moon are Fickleness, Infidelity, Unreliability, Deception, Materialism, Hedonism, and Lunacy.
In the nativity the Moon represents the Mind, the primary domain of focus in the native’s life, the native’s frame of reference, the Mother, the subtle fluids of the astral body, the native’s dream-life and areas of life subject to frequent change and flux.
Mercury / Budh: Mercury is the Cosmic Intellect, the Analyzing and Synthesizing Spirit through which the Experiences gathered by the Moon are processed, organized, named and continually revised. Mercury is language, communication, designation and categorization – the very stuff of Information itself, the Logos. Mercury is also the only planet which is not considered to be weakened or “burnt” when it is conjunct the Sun, this symbolizes the imperviousness of genuine inquiry (Mercury) to the revelations of Truth (Sun). Mercury is also the Psychopomp, the Guide of the Dead and the Wanderer of the Realms who is welcome in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell, travelling freely between them all.
Mercury is the Lord of Investigation, Knowledge, Language, Logic, Mathematics, Discernment, Communication, the Voice, the Written Word, Metempsychosis, Money and Trade, Study and Travel. Mercury is also, however, also responsible for Deceit, Misinformation, Manipulation, Cold-Bloodedness, Discrimination, Theft, Usury, Mercantilism, Materialism, and Hyper-rationalism. Mythologically speaking Budh (Mercury) is the child of Brihaspati’s (Jupiter) wife Tara and Soma (Moon), this represents that Mercury is the product of Jupiter’s Wisdom and Lawfulness with that of Moon’s Sensuality and Experientiality.
In the chart Mercury tells us about a native’s mode of cognition, capacity for Learning and Speech, writing ability, Rationality, relationship with travel, Business Savvy and the native’s innate Talent.
Mars / Mangal: Mangal is the Lord of Energy. All that comes to be must harness Mars to effect its manifestation and realization, it is the very stuff of Effort and Action. As the Lord of War, Mars is that Force which contests with Present conditions, it is Ambition. Mars is Lust for Result and the State of Disatisfaction, hence its long association with marital difficulties, the male libido and war (which is often waged out of disdain for poor present conditions). Mars is generally responsible for all emotions, but it is especially tied to Anger, Jealousy, Pride, Excitement, Euphoria and Hatred. Mars is the Great Avenger of Injustices, the Enforcer of Jupiter’s Law and the Maintainer of Dharma in the Material World, a role defined by Struggle, Conflict and Sacrifice. However, since Destruction and Construciton are the natural results of Ambition, as the Lord of Ambition, Mars is also the Lord of Architects, Carpenters, Gardeners and Agriculturists, and Engineers. Mars is also the ruler of all fuels and the vehicles which consume them, thus Mars and Moon co-rule the Blood which flows through the body, and Mars and Sun co-rule the Body itself, with Mars ruling moreso over athletic ability and energy levels, whereas the Sun pertains more to general constitution, receptivity to medicine and overall health.
Mars is War, Conflict, Vengeance, Violence, Anger, Emotion, Dissatisfaction, Action, Energy, Aggression, Lust, Power, Design, Pride, Construction, Destruction, Conflagration, and Struggle. As one might surmise, Mars has a great capacity for many things which are widely considered to be negative, hence its categorization in both Western and Vedic Astrology as a Malefic. Mars is however, still the primary source of Motivation, Energy, and Determination for mankind amoungst the Planets.
In the Chart, Mars rules over the Libido of Male natives, Athletic Ability, Vehicles, Emotion, Ambition, Brothers and close Male Friends, boyfriends and sexual partners (in the charts of Women), Cardiovascular Health, Accidents, Injuries and Violence. Mars placements also often directly impact marital happiness and success.
Venus / Shukra: Shukra means “Semen” or “Semen of God”, “The Brilliant One” and “The White One”, thus Shukra represents the Fertilizing, Fructifying and Materializing process whereby the Ideal becomes the Actual. Shukra is the Lord of Procreation, Birth and Art. It is Venus who brings Life into the world of Matter, and propells the forces of evolution, invention and artistic expression. Venus is the very essence of Sexuality and Copulation, Love and Romance. Whereas Mars is Lust, Venus is the object of Lust, it does not desire, but rather it gives – Shukra is bountiful and replete, ready to dispense with seed and potentiating essence. The interplay of Mars’ ambition with Venus’ limitless fertility is the Secret to all Begetting.
Venus is from whence proceeds all Fertility, Artistic Mastery, Beauty, Love, Sexuality, and is one of the primary forces involved in technological, cultural and artistic innovation. Venus is however also responsible for Perversion, Sexual Abuse, Rape, Materialism, Hedonism, Racism, Elitism, Black Magick, Sadistic Behaviour, and Egotism.
In the nativity, Venus represents one’s Creativity, Fertility, Libido (both male and female), Sexual Preferences, Women in the native’s life, the Wife or Sexual Partners of Male Natives, and Venus can also indicate material Wealth and Luxuries.
Jupiter / Brihaspati: Jupiter is the Great Arbiter, the Judge of the Cosmos and the Great Guru. Jupiter is the regulator and codifier of Solar Authority, Morality and Truth. Thus Jupiter is that which imparts the Law unto Mankind and guides him in his adherence to it. It is important to note that Jupiter itself is not the Source of Moral Authority, but rather merely its Interpretor, and that when Jupiter is deprived of or separated from the Solar Influence, it becomes arbitrary, amoral and chaotic. Jupiter is Expansion and Prosperity, the nurturing force which rewards religious adherence and the implementation of the exoteric elements of religion. Jupiter does not impart gnosis or genuine spiritual insight, but rather provides those favourable conditions in which these things might be achieved. Jupiter is also Chance and Luck itself, the Rewards of Karma and the Bounty which Comes Unbidden.
Jupiter is the Priest of the Gods, the Lord of Ceremonies and thus is also associated with all rituals, customs, formalities and dogmas. Jupiter is Law, Order, Custom, Religion, Philosophy, Civilization, Reward, Chance, Luck, Wealth, and Prosperity, but also Arbitrariness, Oligarchy, Tyranny, Demagoguery, Bureaucracy, Legalism, Literalism and Blind Faith.
In the nativity, Jupiter represents the Guru, Luck, Wealth, the Husband (in a woman’s chart), and one’s disposition towards the Law, Religion and Philosophy.
Saturn / Shani: Saturn is often called The Great Malefic, the Most Feared of the Planets, the Lord of Death and Loss. Saturn is the Suffering we endure throughout our lives, the Loss of things we hold dear, the aging of our bodies, the endless march of Time and material destitution. Saturn aims to teach Mankind to turn towards the Internal and Spiritual Realms by frustrating our material conditions. Saturn is the Task-master, who doles out our Karmic challenges (in conjunction with Rahu and Ketu) and he is the End of All Things. Saturn is also the Lord of Slaves, Labourers, the Working Class, the Poor, the Homeless and the Elderly. Saturn dwells at the very edge of the visible Solar System, thus He represents Limits, the very Horizon of what is Possible. Saturn is that which regulates Jupiter’s excesses and prevents Jupiter’s rewards from spoiling incarnate souls, introducing poverty and desolation wherever greed, satiety and luxury blind human beings from the deeper reality of the Spirit.
Saturn is Death, Deprivation, Work Ethic, Suffering, Rebellion, Class Strugglee, Servitude, Loss, Submission, Labour, Time, Limitation, and the Hardships of the Material World.
In the birth chart, Saturn indicates Suffering, Karma, Work Ethic, Elders, Injuries, Death, Loss, Servitude, Restriction and Limitation.
The Northern Node / Rahu: Rahu is the Head of the Dragon, the Devourer of the Sun and Moon, the Spirit of Delusions, Progress, Confusion, Chaos, Distortion and Karma. Rahu is that which obscures the Light of Truth and thus produces nihilism, obsession, falsehood and madness. Rahu seeks to test and tempt mankind, to hasten the process whereby Karma is resolved and confronted, by dragging mankind through the most infernal states of consciousness, bringing the soul into confrontation with the Demonic that it might be overcome. Rahu is the Lord of the present age, the Kali Yuga, and thus also the ideologies of Progress, Liberalism, Nihilism, Modernism, Aburdism and all of modernities political modalities. Rahu opposes authority, norms and stability of any kind, favouring instead chaos, upheaval and ambiguity. Rahu is also the Lord of Technology, Innovation, Novelty and (alongside Ketu) is a gateway through which strange and otherwordly forces may enter our reality in defiance of the laws of Surya and Brihaspati.
Rahu is Delusion, Illusion, Addiction, Toxicity, Distortion, Egotism, Obsession, Mania, Horror, Death, Anarchy, Maya and Insurrection. Rahu also begets Novelty, Evolution, Change, Innovation, and relates to the secret processes of Manifestation and Magick.
The Southern Node / Ketu: Ketu is the Tail of the Dragon, Sun-Eater and Moon-Swallower, Lord of Ego-Death, Spiritual Liberation, Moksha, Karma and Disillusionment. Ketu is that which yearns for release from the bonds of Karma and the Manifest Universe, Ketu is that which desires the Peace and Serenity of the Void. Ketu disregards all Cosmic Laws in pursuit of Liberation and Spiritual Transcendance, this is because Ketu is the manifest aspect of the Void in our Reality, it is that which remembers what was Before All Things. Ketu is also the consciousness of Ancestors, the Realms of the Dead, the Shells of all prior incarnations and the identities of Tribe, Nation, Family and Lineage. Ketu is the Sum of Karma, the Totality of All that has Been. Whereas Rahu is concerned with the Future, Ketu is instead a backwards flowing current consumed by the Past.
Ketu is Moksha, Transcendance, Liberation, Ego-Death, Absence, Death, Lack, Disillusionment, Karma, Memory, Ancestry, Group-consciousness, the Past, Detachment and Intuition.
In the nativity Ketu represents our Past Incarnations, our Ancestors, things which we are detached from or that we lack, Memories of Past Lives, Karmas, and our relationship with the past and that which no longer exists.
Harry Neal John Macrae
Harry Neal John MacRae lives in the beautiful Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he operates as a professional Vedic Astrologer under the name Iron Age Jyotish.
