Venus is the planet that brings a sense of happiness and respect. How much we have, how much we give, the types of things we respect and appreciate all come from Venus.

This respect gets activated in relationships, as we are tested mightily in them – to yield our wishes to another and respect their views as equal to our own – not just in romantic relationships, but in all friendships as well.

Venus teaches us the fast track to happiness is often through compromise. As a rajasic planet, Venus is connected to the energy of the moment, responsive and responding. Often, the easiest thing we can do right now to be happy is give in to the wishes of another. It is the fast track to happiness in all ways -  including sensual. That is why food and other sensual pleasures are so compelling. They are immediately gratifying to the body (Tamasic).

But at what cost? Are we sliding on our principles when we give in and conditioning others to think we don’t mind certain things, when in fact we do. Often in relationships this problem occurs. We compromise too much in the beginning because we  want to feel the beauty of connection and we try to accommodate and be stretched.

Then later, as the newness and “charge” wears off, we stop accommodating and the other person finds out how we really feel about things. Or, we are on the other end of that process. Relationships are ofter a mutually delusional experience on some level. Both people share the desire to connect, but beyond that not much else is certain.

Understanding the “no-compromize zone” is a challenge. And it takes effort, because Venus is the part of you that wants to enjoy the moment, so it is easy to put it off and say  “well, we can work on this thing later and just enjoy what we share together now”. But those things that bother us in the beginning are always the things that come back later to be the deal-breakers.

We are usually more driven to connect when there is attraction, overlooking the problems. A powerful Venus does not go too far one way or the other. It sees the way to honor another’s wishes, without necessarily having to live them or take them on. It is not disproportionately driven by the desire for connection – at the expense of the desire for truth and respect.

That word respect again.

Venus in the Sky Now

Venus is severely combust now in the sky, very close to the Sun. It is further from the earth than at any other time. It is also joined Rahu and retrograde Mercury, in Sagittarius – ruled by Jupiter – a sign that exaggerates and makes things larger (not a good trait for the balancing act Venus is trying to walk).

There may be a tendency to feel disrespected now, have a deep sensitivity to it – then make it a very big deal out of it (escalating the situation) and become very moral and preachy about it (Sagittarius influence). Especially when considering the influence of Rahu (confusion) and retrograde Mercury (messing up details and communication problems), you want to be alert to this potential.

The internal feeling of disrespect from combust Venus often brings a disrespectful response from us, which then perpetuates the cycle. This is the growth process of combustion.

So, if you feel yourself feeling disrespected and angry at someone because of something like this, just wait and slow down. Especially if you start to feel that sense of “should and shouldn’t” come into your mind.

Those ruled by Venus (Libra and Taurus) or with Moon there,. etc.. may especially see these issues now – as Venus  takes on more importance in their life.

Venus will be combust well into February 2010

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Six Steps for Surviving Mercury Retrograde

1. Slow down before you speak, especially if you are excited. This is one reason Mercury gains power when retrograde. We are usually babbling at the mouth without thinking. Now we can choose our words more carefully and all will benefit.

2. Journal. Write your thoughts down and be more introspective. This is another reason why the retrograde cycle is powerful. Internalizing ideas, and allowing them to gain strength can happen now.

3. Defragment your hard drive. Over consumption of information and clutter on you r computer can lead to problems.

4. Reflect on recent communication decisions. If you revisit them / the people involved – listen more than talk. There is valuable information that you can get at this time. This is a good time to learn better communication skills. Better to do it in the least painful way by also strngthing your listening skills. Lord Vishnu is the pervader and a good listener – He is the Deity of Mercury.is
is
5. Pay attention to your intuition. Mercury Retrograde has us kind of “thinking backwards” – we may get all the details before we even know what is happening.

6. Try to avoid entering into any NEW contractual agreements until after May 31. Ok, it is not so unique – but there is good reason for it. We (or someone else) may confuse the details and get us in all kinds of trouble later.

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Deity of the Day

Vedic astrology is unique in that the moon enters a new star every day. These stars are each ruled by a Deity thus, each day is guided by a specific divine force. It is better to be on the right end of that force – fer sure.

Monday the Moon is in Jyeshta Nakshatra – (16:40 – 25.59 Scorpio) Lord Indra is the Deity.

Indra was the supreme ruler of the gods. He was the leader of the Devas, the god of war, the god of thunder and storms, the greatest of all warriors, the strongest of all beings. He was the defender of gods and mankind against the forces of evil. He had early aspects of a Sun god, riding in a golden chariot across the heavens, but he is more often known as the god of thunder, wielding the celestial weapon Vajra, the lightning bolt. More hymns in the Rig Veda (about 250) are dedicated to him than any other God. He was known as a great drinker of Soma; sometimes he did this to draw strength, and when he did he grew to gigantic proportions to battle his enemies, but more often he merely wanted to get drunk – There is much ego surrounding Indra and the myths about his delusions of grandeur. There is quite a fall from grace with Indra from the early Vedic days. Much of his power was replaced by that of Siva and Vishnu in later Vedic texts and Ganesha in Puranic myth.

Jyestha is where the hubris and power of Scorpio can run amuck as shown by the
ambiguous nature of Indra. Mercury shows worldly manifestation at its highest through
Jyestha. This “King of the World” attitude presents a choice, to either become intoxicated
with power or be the good king that uplifts and protects others. So is the power of this
Nakshatra.

There is no transitional Nakshatra in this part of the Zodiac.

C. The final group of Nakshatras has to do with the dissolution of energy and its
regeneration and our rebirth.

As shown by the powerful “Ashada” (victory) Nakshatras and the Moon Nakshatra
being ruled by Lord Vishnu and symbolized by an ear. Sravana means “hearing” and is
related to Mantra. It is through mantra that man reclaims his Spiritual truth. The Bhadra
(blessed) Nakshatras finally give way to Revati and his lord, Pushan, who is the protector of the herds.

Tuesday the Moon is in Mula – (0 – 13:29 Sagittarius) Nirriti is the Deity.

Nirriti is the goddess of dissolution and chaos who later became the fierce Kali. As this verse from the Atharva Veda shows, Nirriti was often referred to as the bringer of death itself.

“When, O Brihaspati, thou didst liberate (us) from existence in yonder world of Yama, (and) from hostile schemes, then did the Asvins, the physicians of the gods, with might sweep death from us, O Agni! – O in-breathing and out-breathing, go along with the body, do not leave it: may they be thy allies here! Live and thrive a hundred autumns; Agni shall be thy most excellent shepherd and overseer! – Thy vital force that has been dissipated afar, thy in-breathing and thy out-breathing, shall come back again! Agni has snatched them from the lap of Nirriti (the goddess of destruction), and I again introduce them into thy person.- Let not his in-breathing desert him, nor his out-breathing quit him and depart! I commit him to the Seven Rishis: may they convey him in health to old age!”

This first Nakshatra of the final Cosmic Zodiacal cycle shows clearly the need to transform
the materiality and Tamas of the previous cycle into something beyond.

Mula shows the quality of Sagittarius that is courageous fierce and independent.

Wednesday the Moon is in Purva Ashada – (13:20 -26:39 Sagittarius) The Deity is Apas.

Apas is the Goodess of the Oceans and an early reference to water as a balancing and nourishing principle. From the Shatapatha Brahmana (II.1.1.13), it clearly states that
“The waters (of Apas) are female, Agni is male.” This message is repeated in II.1.1.14. “In this context the waters (Apas) serve as the shakti of agni, or at a minimum the flow and movement of Agni.” Within the ritualistic teachings of the Yajur Veda this relationship between Apas and Agni is very important. Apas as water shows the feminine principle of receptivity and nourishment and Agni as fire shows the male principle of clarity and perception. They must be in balance or there is too much emotion or intellect. The connection to Venus is clear. (The Planetary ruler)

Purva Ashada shows the devotional nature of Sagittarius.

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So Here we are again. Mercury has turned retrograde and suddenly our favorite astrological sacrificial lamb is offered up before us.

But not so fast.

The nature of Mercury retrograde, and in fact every retrograde planet is a bit more complex than is often discussed. In Vedic astrology for instance a retrograde planet is considered to be “strong”. The word strong is ambiguous to say the least but let’s consider astronomically what is happening and we will soon also understand what type of strength a retrograde planet has.

When a planet is retrograde it is closer to the Earth than at any other time during its orbit. It is exactly the closest when it’s celestial longitude is either exactly the same as the Sun (for Mercury and Venus, planets inside the Earth’s orbit) or exactly opposite the Sun (for planets outside of the Earth’s orbit).

To understand the visual phenomena of a retrograde planet you need only imagine you are traveling down the highway at 70 miles an hour and you pass a car that is going 60 miles an hour. From your perspective, in the faster moving car, the slower moving car appears to be moving backwards. This is exactly what happens with a retrograde planet. It is not actually moving backwards. But based on its current orbital position around the Sun it appears to be moving backwards from our orbital position on the Earth. See the diagram below about Mercury and Venus retrograde and combustion cycles.

As you observe this diagram you will see that Mercury and Venus are retrograde when they are in between the Earth and Sun, closest to the Earth. Outer planets would be retrograde when the  Earth is between them and the Sun.

With Mercury and Venus retrograde, they are the faster moving car. With the outer planets, We are in the faster moving car. But in both instances the planets are closer to the Earth when retrograde.

So, OK – we understand the astronomy – but how does that affect us astrologically and its energies being disbursed in our life.

There is no doubt that a retrograde planet will tend to act unpredictably. Why?, because our life on Earth – through the matrix of the mind and body and its relationship to time (astrology) – is moving forward. The retrograde planet appears to be moving backward. Thus, externally in the world, the retrograde planets’ energy become a source of confusion. We begin to hesitate externally with that thing. With Mercury for instance we become unsure of what to say, we doubt our communication abilities. We become aware of things that seem “unfair”. We may confuse important details that are necessary to move forward. None of this sounds very good does it? So why am I saying it strong? Well, here is why.

Just because something becomes a source of confusion externally does not mean it is bad or weak. In fact, the interruption of the Mercury issues (or any other retrograde planets issues) is a powerful catalyst for internalizing that energy and increasing its reflective power. This power of reflection is something we rarely use while happily going along with our smooth day to day life.

Here is an example. Every day we return home and we take our key and shove it in the lock turn the lock and open the door. We don’t pay attention to the key or the lock. We perform this task mechanically. That is, until one day we come home and the key does not enter the lock — or when we try to turn the key and the lock will not open. When that happens suddenly we pull out the key and examine it very closely. We then see that the key is bent, is dull, and getting worn. We notice the lock is also getting worn. Suddenly we pay attention to the key and the lock. The key and the lock were in that worn state for quite a while. But we didn’t notice it until it messed up externally.

When things are moving smoothly in our life, and we feel comfortable with them, we tend to fall asleep. Retrograde planets create confusion with their external nature. This confusion causes us to hesitate and reflect. This reflection is a powerful catalyst for understanding the inner, deeper nature of the life lesson related to that planet. In the Eastern/Vedic sense we are not necessarily here to be happy. Happiness is a part of life but we are here to learn the truth about who we really are. A retrograde planet as such is “strong” in delivering that lesson to us.

A person who has a retrograde planet in their birth chart will often hesitate with that energy, due to some confusion / lack of confidence with it. The hesitation and confusion will be seen in the areas the planet  rules as a House Lord. For instance, for Libra ascendant, Mercury rules the 9th (Gemini) and 12th (Virgo) houses. Thus, if a Libra rising person has mercury retrograde in the birth chart, things related to the 9th and 12th houses (personal philosophies, teaching, letting go of ideas) will be a source of confusion. But this confusion creates a powerfully reflective nature in the individual. This will be an area of life that is deep and rich within them. The external mistakes and hesitation bring about greater care in using that energy. Over time especially, this can be quite powerful. Based on the dignity and disposition of that natal Mercury (sign and aspectual strength) you predict whether or not these things will lead them to more or less strength.

Mercury retrograde cycles are very good for writing, organizing important projects, and even starting new projects if you find the right auspicious time (called Muhurta). Yet in general, important things such as signing contracts and other types of negotiated agreements where people have to pay attention to important details are better left when Mercury turns direct, if at all possible.

However, people go way overboard with the Mercury retrograde bogeyman analysis. Often you hear that “any contracts signed while Mercury is retrograde will surely get broken” and other things like this. I will tell you, as someone who watches the cycles all the time, I have started many successful things while Mercury was retrograde – including releasing a book and starting an entirely new set of classes and other important things. Now someone may say “well, what if you had waited until Mercury was direct, maybe it would have been even more successful”. Okay, that’s a valid point — and we will never know. Yet, the point is both of these things were very successful by the standard I chose to measure them. My book release paid for the first printing in 24 hours. My astrology classes led to $10,000 in unexpected income over the ensuing three months. Hardly what I would call a failure in any respect.

Between now and October 14 Mercury will be retrograde. However, he will be very well dignified in his own sign of Virgo. This is a great time for writing, reflecting upon important details, and communicating after you have gathered your details accurately. Because you see, the things that are most important to a planet is its dignity – the environment the planet is in.

Mercury in Virgo is always going to be powerful. So this is a powerfully good time for Mercury issues – communication, writing, organizing and managing details. There is nothing wrong with hesitating a little bit before we open our mouth either. One of the benefits of Mercury retrograde for sure.

astrology ayurveda geppi Mercury Retrograde sam vedic virgo zodiac

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Jupiter is the planet / universal force that brings these qualities to the Earth plane. A great teacher or great teachings remove darkness and allow us to sink into the depth of our truthful Self. Much of this revolves around expanding our personal philosophies and aligning with a higher purpose. As such, Jupiter rules this expansive, optimistic and hopeful nature. He rules the abstract mind that conceives of something big within us. Human beings all feel the need to expand and grow toward something big. That large, expansive nature is Jupiter. This is why Jupiter also is related to wealth.

Money in our hands is related to Mercury and Venus (we’ll discuss that some other time). But the concept of “wealth”, is an abstraction – like a dream. It is a means of expansion and growth. In many ways we are either pursuing wealth or truth/God. In this way, both are abstractions.

Jupiter is also well known as the planet who brings children. Ponder the nature of children and you will quickly realize they are also our greatest teachers. Not just because they grow up to be smarter than we are, but because the way we behave around children is much different than the way we behave around each other. Suddenly when we are around children we watch our language, we are more tolerant, we are more patient and forgiving and many other desirable traits. Think of how great it would be if we treated each other this way all the time. In fact, each of us is a child underneath it all and we would be well served to remember that. We all appreciate tolerance, kindness and patience. We all have something to teach each other and learn from each other. A dignified Jupiter in someone’s birth chart will show a person who has these traits.

Myth and Rolling With the Jupiter Effect into Tomorrow

Jupiter is in Sagittarius now, according to the Sidereal zodiac, the zodiac used in Vedic astrology. In Vedic astrology Sagittarius is called “Dhanus” – Bow. It is said to be the bow of Lord Indra – the king of the gods. This bow is actually the rainbow – and places Lord Indra on a horse with his bow pointed upward to the heavens. Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius, so he is very strong now. The planets travel around the zodiac and occupy each other’s houses and signs. When the planet is in its own sign it is like you in your own house. You are strong, confident and powerful when you are in your own domain.

When Jupiter is in Sagittarius as he is now, the higher qualities mentioned above manifest through us very easily. We become quite philosophical, optimistic and hopeful. The recent political campaign of Barack Obama is straight out of the “Jupiter in Sagittarius” textbook. John McCain is straight out of the “Saturn in Leo” textbook (Saturn is an old man and Leo is the sign of the government and landed, aristocratic power). This is why our current political campaign is so extreme. Both of these placements are occurring simultaneously.

Jupiter had been retrograde for several months. When a planet is retrograde it appears to be moving backwards in the sky from our vantage point on Earth. This makes its energy more of an internal factor and we lack confidence moving forward with it externally. Yet how interesting that since Jupiter turned direct on September 8, it is the Republicans who have hijacked the theme of hope with this young, energetic newcomer, Sarah Palin.

Politics aside, until early December there are great opportunities to deepen your personal philosophies and spiritual connection. Optimism, hope will be higher than usual, especially in the realm of spirituality. The world outside can always get us down, but there something deeper and more eternal than the temporary dramas we see playing out in the world. Deepen your connection to teachers, teachings between now and early December especially.

jupiter sarah palin retrograde sagittarius Mccain obama indra guru

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