The Lotus Grows In Muddy Waters

Of the four purposes of a human life, which do you think is the most important? Is it Dharma, Artha, Kama or Moksha? Belief, wealth, desire or freedom?

Kautilya who wrote the Arthashastra, The Treatise on Economics, says, that Artha is the most important of all purposes. Poverty breeds vice and hate, while prosperity breeds virtues and love. Rings a bell with Maslow's Pyramid, doesn't it?

It sounds right as a rationale. There is a lot of grief and misery in poverty, that should lead to people turning to hate towards the rich, and to vices, to get out of their poverty.

Empirically, it just doesn't stand up to observation. Many poor people are very warm and loving. And many rich are cunning, greedy and use vice on a scale that you and I can't reach.

Each purpose has its own value. Astrology lays it out not in terms of hierarchy but rather as an order of precedence. It starts with Dharma, and then moves on to Artha, then Kama, followed by Moksha. And these cycles repeat, over and over again.

Artha: The Earth Trine

Artha is not only wealth, it is also, the study of wealth. Economics.

Not Finance. There is a crucial distinction, we need to make here.

Economics deals with your resources. Your skills and services. How you produce them. How you manage them. Distribute them.

Finance is simply money. Creation, management and flow of money. Optimizing your return on investment.

Savings is a 2nd house activity.

Playing the stock market is a finance game. It comes under the purview of the 5th, 8th and the 11th houses in Astrology.

Sab Hawa Hawai

The focus has shifted today.

We've moved from industry to finance.

From making things, to simply manipulating numbers.

From real value, to simply making money out of money.

From profit, to hyped valuations.

Money seems to drive the world. But coming to think of it, it's just a made up concept.

It's paper. Polymer. Numbers on a computer.

Made on a whim. Printed out of the blue.

It's All About The Dum-Dum....da-dee...Dum-Dum

Personally, if we don't watch out, we fall into traps.

We conflate skills, and competence to money alone. We don't try to understand what made the person rich in actuality.

We, unfortunately, disrespect people who don't have money. Ignoring everything else that they do have.

We get fooled.

We think wine in a more expensive bottle, tastes better.

We seem 'to know the price of everything, and the value of nothing.'

The Second House: Understanding Value

Taurus, rules wealth, resources and values. It is ruled by Venus.

Astrologers often say that a well placed Venus gives the person luxury.

The word has a lovey tongue feel to it. Luk-shur-ey.

And it brings up certain ideas in the minds of these astrologers, who will go on to talk of 5-star hotels, elegant restaurants, expensive perfumes, designer brands, spas and beauty treatments, massive bungalows and sparkling jewelry.

What if I popped that bubble for you?

What if we realized that we use words without understanding their meaning?

Luxury traces its root to the Latin word that means 'dislocation'. It is to swing to excess and extremes that throw you off balance.

How can Venus, who literally, also rules Libra- The House Of Balance, stand for luxury?

It is in fact a poorly placed Venus that can only express its aesthetic through kitsch. A Venus perhaps influenced by malefics, or hemmed in a crowded house, or perhaps combust.

Understanding Venus

In India, Venus is Shukracharya. A wise old teacher.

He lived the life of an ascetic. In a forest grove.

And yet he is said to rule the fine things of life.

He reminds me of Epicurus. The philosopher who says- pleasure is the most important thing in life.

And yet, he lived a life of simplicity. Eating bread and water. And rarely, he had some cheese and wine.

Shukra, is also called Kavya. Because he is a poet. He could probably tell you how beautiful, real pleasure is.

How Simple

How easy it is to be happy.

The second house, is about pleasure and sensuous enjoyments.

Good food, cozy room, breathable clothes, some nice music, some flowers in your garden pots....

This we all can afford. Or work towards.

It's not about indulgences, mansions, fashion, hearing your praises and wearing Chanel No 5.

From Luxury To Lakshmi

Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity, is also Venus.

But how carelessly we equate her with gold and currency notes.

Lakshmi, the word is derived from 'Laks', which means 'to know, to perceive, to understand.' It is related to the word 'Lakshya'. Which means to aim, to have a goal.

That's how true wealth is made.

Shukra, meditated for thousands of years, before he was blessed with wisdom.

Venus rules diamonds. Carbon doesn't turn into diamond in a flash. It takes several years. Extreme heat. Extreme pressure. To Transform.

There is no rush. No scramble.

It's a matter of making some goals. Working towards them. And having patience.

And finding the natural rhythm of things.

Like Kabir says,

“Dheere-dheere re mana, dheere sab kuch hoye

Mali seenche sau ghada, ritu aaye phal hoye”

Slowly, slowly, O mind, everything happens at its own pace. Even if the gardener waters with a hundred pots, fruit will only come in its season.

E-Arth

Our most beautiful symbol of the Artha, Wealth Trine.

She celebrates her day, this year, on Friday. The day of Lakshmi. Of Venus.

She is the embodiment of wealth.

May we realize that we are expressions of her. What is good for her, is good for us.

She seems to be going through some changes of her own. Our magnetic pole seems to be shifting. The inner core changed the direction it spins in. Her fault lines are getting activated. Our volcanoes are erupting.

And yet, she's somehow holding it all together.

Let's tread softly.

Less of mindless consumerism.

More of enjoying her natural gifts. More contentment with the simple.

The Week Ahead

The Cockroach Janata Party has its first protest on June 6th!

By far, it is the funniest, and most creative Genz protest, by any country.

I have been simply amazed by all the young people here.

There's a lot of pain however, behind these protests.

But then the stars are supportive of the people who will raise their voice and make a change.

The main highlights of the week are: We step into Kalasarpa again. Things are obviously heating up.

Guru and Shukra in the same nakshatra, remaining close. You can probably see them after sunset, on the western horizon. The two benefics of the chart. The two Teachers together.

What are you learning?

Mars is in his house. Mercury is in his house. Jupiter is exalted. These are wonderful placements.

How are you feeling?

Post June 18th, things will turn more frenetic. However, if you choose a steady pace for yourself, you can ride the waves.

After all this time, finally, people are acknowledging that our Economy is not doing well.

I'd like to give you a tip. That's related to the second house.

I see far too many people throw away their valuable savings, on fool hardy ventures. They seem to think that it is necessary to lose money, if you want to set up a business.

There are businesses and ways of doing business that don't require you to lose money. Please look them up. There are some wonderful teachers out there.

And there are many who are simply throwing away their savings, on things they say have 'emotional value'. Concert tickets, clothes, holidays etc. By the look of the skies, it is better to get 'emotional value' through contentment. And it's a time to get creative and find other ways.

That's a good strategy for this year, and most probably for the decade that follows.

Times of crisis, bring problems to the surface. The good thing is they can now be addressed.

Be wise with your resources.

The most valuable of resources is your attention.

What are you doing with it?

Thanks for your attention so far. See you next week. Let's look at other aspects of the second house then.

Have a wonderful week.