Let Constant Strife Go

I had a conversation with an astrologer friend some days ago. We were discussing the purpose of astrology. I pointed out the Vedanga system. The Vedangas are different disciplines of study that aid in the understanding of the Vedas. There are six Vedaangas and each one of them is represented as a limb or organ according to their nature. Jyotishya, the study of astrology, is depicted as 'The Eyes'. I said, astrology is to see what is.

He said- "Yeah all that is okay. But what is the purpose? Why do you need to see?

I said- "You tell me"

He said " So you can see the past for what it is, see where you are in the present, and plan where you can be in the future."

I said- "It sounds terribly transactional. Not to say limiting by seeing ourselves as a mere product of linear time. For me the main purpose of astrology is to gain acceptance. To see who you are, in all your facets; and to learn to let go of baggage . And to build your resolve."

For it's true isn't it? A change in perspective makes all the difference. If we saw Time not as a linear phenomenon, but rather as a built-in grid like feature, that holds all events of the past, present and future, as one. Then the causality we are inferring from events is pure imaginative story telling.

Physics may emphasize the law of cause and effect. But if cause and effect were that obvious, then how did everything come out of nothing?

There is a place for Physics, and a place to allow the mystery of life to unfold.

I don't think it is that simple to think that we can truly influence events in Time. We may plant seeds, and say that we influenced the future existence of the tree. But we don't have complete control over which seed decides to sprout, how it is supported in its future growth and what effect it can have for the environment.

We can of course worry ourselves about how the past shaped us, and drive ourselves towards goals.

And we can also take another approach. An approach that tills the land for the mere purpose of tilling and plants the seed for the purpose of planting alone. To acknowledge the mystery of life, doesn't make it complicated, but rather creates simplicity. A chance to overcome the ideas of the past and future, and even the present. To not see yourself as a mere product of time, but rather someone who is here to unlock the mystery.

A Break From The Archaic

We are now in the last three months of Dakshinayana. The Sun now travels through Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius, the western part of the chart. When the Sun transits Libra, it is considered the 'fall' position of the Sun. The place of his debilitation, as opposed to Aries which is the place of his exaltation.

Conventional astrologers are pretty scary. When they see a planet in its debilitation position, they will be very quick to point out that the planet is weak, has no strength to bring out its beneficence and that you will have to perform remedies for your safety, your growth and development of the astrologer's bank balance.

The truth is even a person with exalted planets will face struggles.

An exalted Sun can take you to positions of leadership, admiration, to places where people will look up to you. Hitler had an exalted Sun in his horoscope.

When the Sun enters Libra, however, he 'falls'. Because he enters the house which places 'the other' person, the other idea, the other perspective in importance. Libra is signified by the scales, the weighing scales, the Sun here has to make some judgement calls. He has to look beyond himself, take into consideration the other person. In the early interpretations of astrology, this was considered a wishy-washy position for a king or leader.

But now we see the world differently. People with Sun in Libra can be fantastic readers of personalities. They are able to understand the other side in a partnership, and have empathy in considering the needs of people, even people from very divergent backgrounds than their own. Dostoyevsky whose books reflect deep understanding of human psychology, has his Sun in Libra.

Gimme Sum Luv

Love,one of the greatest things that drives the world is something that we after all 'fall' into. Our gaze shifts to the other person, and we are quite willing to give up our identity.

But there is a catch when it comes to this kind of love. Other kinds of love for instance the parent-child love, doesn't expect much in return. Those are fires that are lit purely out of the need to give, or to give it to someone you see as an extension of yourself. In Romance, you are keen to show yourself off, and to enjoy basking in the warmth of potentiality.

But this love,of the partnership kind, gets messy. There are constant expectations, and disappointments. The other person is considered, but then the weighing scales are quickly whipped out. Questions creep up....Does this person balance my idea of an ideal person? He is my reflection, so how do I polish the mirror? I gave so much....but she gave only so little in return....

It is but natural for this process to take place, and when it doesn't happen in an outright way, it can lead to repression and resentments.

But people with Suns in Libra, can take this a bit too far. They can apply it to most people they engage with, and be caught in an endless account balancing session.

The Sun rises everyday. He doesn't weigh options of how much sunlight to shine on a certain person. And just because he sees injustice, he doesn't say he won't come back tomorrow. He shines, because he shines.

In Libra, he is forced to hold back or to give according to a constant judgement process.

Which is not a bad thing, if you look at it. Because even if the Sun chooses to shine without bias, we as humans have decided who can build a room that gets sunlight, and who has to hide in the hovels.

Because when we reach the Western side of the chart, we reach beyond the self and its needs, and we begin to reach out to layers within ourselves, and then to probe our tentacles into understanding the world at large. We are growing up.

You're A Star

They say we are all made of star dust.

What does this mighty Sun shining so bright, giving life, warmth and touching us all with his light, mean in our horoscope?

We saw last week that as humans we often curate a personality. It is our front to face the world. This is the Lagna/Ascendant. The Lagna is formed in a specific shade after careful considerations of what works in the world and what doesn't. We also dress it up in a specific way, that we think is suitable to the times, the fashions and to convey a certain image of ourselves. We learn the lingo. We memorize jokes to use in social settings. We worry about how we look, how we are accepted and so on...

The Moon we saw briefly, deals with the mind,how it works...and how it colors our emotions.

The Sun on the other hand is our default personality. It is who we are when no one is looking. It is also what we inherently like to do. How do we like to dress, to express ourselves? What kind of conversations light us up? Where do we shine, and where do we like to hide? How can our presence be warmth for another to bask in? Regardless of who is listening, how do we like to sing? Even if it were a rose to bloom and wither in a desert unnoticed , what would we paint? What are the things only we know about ourselves? And what are we not afraid to show in an uncaring world?

Ai-Fi

A lady from Bangalore is pretty gungho about cracking the new AI trends in business. Her earlier websites all made it to the top search positions in Google. She had worked hard and understood SEO requirements.

Now she says that SEO will not work any longer. Instead in the world of AI a website will not merely be referenced by its keywords, but rather by its context.

It's too bad she didn't elaborate what that context really means.

She said that she designed a website for her new business using AI. She showed it off to her friends and family, asking for feedback. Her son told her - "Amma it looks as if AI has designed it."

She asked him what makes him think that, and he said "It has no soul."

And then do you know what this sharp entrepreneur did? She sat down immediately and made a prompt to AI saying "Please re-design this website , so that it looks like it is made by a human!"

Con-Text

For us a basic understanding of context would be something that answered the Who?What?When?Why? and What For? questions. If AI has to be context specific, that would mean having much more information about the user, wouldn't it?

And then if it forms an idea of us, that is completely off the mark, what kind of information will it be feeding us?

Soul To Soul

The time until mid January is excellent for reflection. For planning.

It's not a time for spring cleaning. But rather a time to mull over aspects of our lives. What would we like to keep, what would we like to give away.

The darkness is a great time to want less. To talk less. The winter a great time to rest. To let a good night's sleep wash you afresh.

To break the black magic knots of attention ghosts. Things that are constantly stealing your attention. It is better to sit quietly, and if you nod off, you would actually be better off than consuming another video.

It's a good time for warm hugs for people you love. Hot drinks. Things that make you feel cozy.

If you are on your own, wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a squeeze.

It is a great time to read. Cook your own warm meals.

Gentle exercise even if it is only taking a few minutes to give yourself a stretch when you wake up.

It's fantastic for day dreaming, just letting your mind wander, and then, to let it rest.

Asterisms in Libra help us design our lives, not in the framework of achievement alone. But rather as a gardener tends to his garden. It also allows us a tremendous feeling of freedom and independence. We can experience moments where we feel like we are alone, and that it is perfectly alright. And we will have the ability to think, in the matter of things that need thinking.

Third Eye

3I Atlas is now artistically called Third Eye Atlas. It continues its mysterious path through our Solar System. It was first coral red, then turned emerald green and now is a striking, bright blue. Its dance is so well timed, that every time it makes an approach to a planet or the Sun, it is always near the dates of either Amavasya, No Moon, or Purnima, the Full Moon.

3I approaches close to Venus on Wednesday which will be a beautiful Full Moon Day. I wish you a happy kind of lunacy. Enjoy your week. And see you soon...