Dakshinayana

The Surya Siddhanta is an ancient Indian treatise on astronomy.  Recently some people attribute the authorship to Aryabhatta or his student. While historically the author was recorded Mayasura, the father-in-law of the 'asura' (translated often in English as the 'demon king' ) Ravana.

The Surya Siddhanta covers a wide range of topics including the motions of planets, calculations of eclipses, timekeeping, and the measurement of celestial distances. It also delves into trigonometry, geometry, and the nature of cosmic cycles.

I don't know when the stream of astrology was born, however, or how it developed. There are great seers who have written books and commentaries on how to read people, world events and horoscopes. And by today there is an extensive system of knowledge based on this study. But how did they start, what gave birth to the idea, what made them decide certain codes...are all part of a mystery.

Astrology , it is said, grew out of the concept of 'bandhu'. 'Bandhu' meaning 'a friend' or 'something that binds'. It grew out of the belief  that we have a relationship with what is outside of us, a connection with planets and fields. The Indian name for planets is 'graha' which means 'to grasp'. There is a hold, a bond, an embrace between you and the planet.

Aster= star Logy= story. Astrology is telling you a story. It says if you are under a certain planet's influence you maybe affected in a certain way, it shows you facets of yourself as reflection of the cosmos. It says that you the microcosm are a hologram of the macrocosm. You are a drop of the universe, and when things change there, it changes within you. And it boldly proclaims that when you change then you are capable of changing things, even on the celestial level.

Ludicrous! Some may say. Spinning yarn and tall stories. They will also say...We are looking at space as a resource, To mine other planets for metals or fuel, to use their land as our alternative housing societies or to study the threats from the asteroids etc. They say You are a psuedoscientist. We are dealing with 'matter' of great importance. We have sent people to the moon, and we have found nothing there. What do you mean you think it's a hoax?! It happened, it is not an illusion. This mission is very doable, just needs lot of funding. Go away, don't waste my time with your stories. I am busy making money....oops I mean saving the world.

Maya, Illusions

Maya comes from the root word 'ma' which means 'to create' or 'to measure'. In physics it is 'matter'. Maya is everything that can be measured. Everything you see, hear, touch, smell and feel is your measure. Maya means illusion.

Ok let's look at money.Money is but a mere story. Money is an illusion. Money is Maya. But how it has grasped us all! Would you scoff at it? It would be really stupid to dismiss something based on the idea that it is simply made up.

Illusions, made up things, matter. Stories run deep. Deeper than we acknowledge. And it is important that we pay attention to the story- telling in our culture and in our own heads. Whether you like it or not, people are hardwired for stories.

Pseudo.....Ouch

If science means organizing a body of knowledge, and if it is accumulating that knowledge by interacting, observing the recurring patterns of positions in the sky and their influence on human beings, then astrology is as good a science as any.

Let's at least call astrology a social science. Psuedoscience is a bit harsh. I don't see you calling the study of money ,Economics, a pseudoscience.

People get uncomfortable with astrology because it is not merely a science. It goes further ,into a fuzzy space. It is art as well. And it is a dark art, similar to magic.

For the rest of us

On the other hand ,you maybe someone who is at ease with these kind of ideas of illusions, simulations and alternative ways of looking at life .  You are tired of the superficial mainstream and want to scratch the surface, dig a little deeper. ..... and you are willing to take a ride on the wild side. It can be fascinating . But sometimes you can also get lost. The layers of illusion are slippery slopes, and the conjurer's magic show is a tricky game.

If you choose to play, then ground yourself. Walk with your feet planted on the earth. Understand the reality you are sharing with others. Orient yourself to the basic laws of nature. The sun, moon, stars follow patterns. The seasons follow patterns. Overcome the modern disconnect with these patterns. Nourish yourself. And don't be scared of the magic show.

Yearly Pattern

There was a significant event that occurred yesterday, July 16th, Wednesday at around 5.43 p.m IST. It was the start of Dakshinayana. Dakshina =south Ayana= movement. This is the yearly event when the sun starts its movement towards the south.

What does this mean? How can we observe it? Let's do an experiment. Tomorrow early morning at sunrise, wake up, go outside and see the spot where you see the sun rising. It maybe over a certain building, maybe over a tree, between two electric poles or over your neighbor's water tank. In case you can't see it from your house, take a walk to somewhere ,where you can.

Mark this spot. This spot is where the sun is in the vicinity of it's northern most point of travel, just after the Summer Solstice. You may remember the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn from your school geography. This spot you marked is the point of the sun near the Tropic of Cancer.

After a couple of months, if you manage to wake up early,go to the same spot, at sunrise again and see what happens.

Spoiler alert

The sun will rise at a point which will be a little towards the right of the spot you had marked earlier.

For if you stand facing the east looking at the sun, north is on your left. The south is  on your right. So he is moving towards the south.

As the days go on, observing each sunrise, the sun will seem to move away from the point you first marked in July. It will move more to the right. This movement of the sun will continue until he reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, the southernmost point for him. After which he will start moving left towards the north. That period is called Uttarayana. Uttara= north Ayana= movement.

And the year is thus divided into two distinct , important phases for life on earth.

Darkness Increasing

For the Northern Hemisphere this marks the time when the days will become shorter and the nights longer. The sun will slowly start making smaller arcs in the sky, his zenith decreasing, and the days start becoming cooler moving towards winter.

There has been a belief that this period, marking the increasing darkness, is inauspicious. People don't start new ventures like businesses or marriages in this time.In fact it will be very difficult to get a good muhurtam or a good time slot for auspicious events in this month. If we follow the Tamil solar calendar, the month is Aadi. The month here is marked by the entry of the Sun into the zodiac sign/Rashi of Cancer/Karka/Kataka.

It is also the time of the monsoons in India. The dark clouds overhanging, bursting with rain giving us an opportunity to spend more time inside.

Some people hold the belief that Lord Vishnu goes to sleep now, and the next four months of his sleep are called 'Chaturmasa'. They say these months are for us to quieten down and engage in activities of reflection and meditation. The Mahabharata speaks of Lord Vishnu going to sleep at the end of a yuga. A yuga is large cycle of time. It says he goes into yoga nidra, a plumbless meditation.

Perhaps the adoption of Chaturmasa  every year is a reminder of the cycles of time. Of the twilight zone. Of how light leads to darkness, growth to decay and creation to destruction.

Festivals

Did you notice something funny though? Though deemed inauspicious by some, Dakshinayana, is also flush with the best of the festivals and celebrations. Ganesha Chaturti, Krishna Janmashtami, Varamahalakshmi Habba, Dusshera, Deepavali and Kartigai Deepam.

How does that make sense?

The mainstream has suppressed an important idea. Dakshinayana is believed to be the awakening of feminine energy. The feminine is dark, receptive, yielding and nurturing.Cancer is the most feminine sign of the zodiac. And when the Sun marks his entrance here, the masculine sleeps and slowly the dark feminine arises. It is the time of the Goddess. A time for celebration.

People have feared the dark. But the fear of the dark is not innate in a human. We are born with only two fears- the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Everything else we learn through conditioning. We are not meant to fear the dark.

And yet we do, because people have chosen to. In choosing only the masculine in themselves they have fought for domination.  The masculine has used strength to repress the feminine. Their propaganda writes stories that are grossly imbalanced. They make people think the feminine is of lesser importance. That she should be shunned. They have even attached notions of impurity, in-auspiciousness, and fear with her.

But still ,she rises.

The distinction here is not between man and woman. It is about the polarity that lies in each one of us. The masculine and feminine. The yin and yang.

When Vishnu is asleep how is it possible for his avatara Krishna to be born? In the middle of the night, like a dream, dark as the night sky was born a God who is as complex as he is charming. He dances, plays the flute and yet is a cunning politician.

Ganesha is cute. Loves to eat. Is wise beyond compare. He always waits, takes a moment of stillness before he addresses a problem and always finds a way over any obstacle.

These Gods symbolize qualities of the feminine. They embrace the feminine and are born and celebrated in this period.

Darkness

The Goddess will play out her story in the upcoming months. Whether you like it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not, she will awaken the feminine in you. It could be a time of true power.

Astrology is a great way to study the light and darkness in your life. The earlier word for Jyotishya was Jyotir-Nisha. Jyothi signifying light and Nisha meaning darkness. Even before the world got familiarized with the idea of doing 'shadow work' through the pioneering psychologist Carl Jung, Jyotishya has seen reality as it is. It has spread the idea of life over the great laws of the universe.

Duality is a law: Light/Darkness, God/Goddess, Masculine/Feminine, Malefic/Benefic It is easy to only see one side. And ignore the other. It needs work to see both sides and create balance. The realm of the occult is not woo-woo and wishy-washy. In fact, it is not for the fainthearted. It is a study of difficult tasks : the study of yourself and the study to face reality.

For when everything is an illusion, then what is the illusion?

Thanks for your time so far

I'll sign off from this post. For now as the nights become longer, the light begins to fade, the shadows lengthen, and the chill is waiting to creep up , notice your feminine energy. Be receptive.

Things may seem crazy, and in all probability will get even crazier as the story unfolds. But your feminine will help you here. She will help you "wait and watch" and she will show you how "The soft will overcome the hard".

Dakshinayana echoes the message of Dakshinamurti (translates as the one who is facing South). The Supreme Teacher who teaches through silence. As always, please invite silence in your life. Even if it is just for one moment.