Vishaka – Branched, Forked Branches

Vishaka is from 20:00 of Libra until 3:19 of Scorpio. This is where Libra becomes Scorpio and it is a pretty intense Nakshatra because it is where Saturn is exalted at the very first degrees and the Moon is debilitated. It is where our relationships with others (Libra) becomes painful and brings a lot of insecurities, stress and fear (Scorpio). This is a Nakshatra that bridges those two things.

Vishaka – Branched, Forked Branches – Video

Deity: Indra and Agni

Sign(s)/Degrees: 20:00 Libra – 3:19 Scorpio

Ruler: Jupiter

Symbol:  Leaf-decked,triumphal gate, potters wheel

Story: Vishaka starts in Libra and the gods are Indra and Agni. Indra is the god of lightning and the god of the sky and Agni is the god of fire. Fire and lightning are two of the important metaphors for this section of the sky. These are two big, mighty deities in the Rig Veda. In the early Vedas, Indra was the hero and the king of the gods and the one who slain the dragon and stole all the water from the Earth.

Indra is the god that is related to the sky, lightning and that kind of force. Agni is the god of fire who is the one who purifies our intention. When we do ceremonies and pujas, it is the god Agni who takes our oblations and offerings up to heaven. Similarly, when we eat food, it gets digested and it goes into our mind. These two deities together rule Vishaka. It is where the air of Libra becomes the need to strengthen our emotional will in Scorpio.

Vishaka literally means fourth branch and it is related to triumphal archway. It often has a lot to do with justice, social righteousness and causes. There could be a lot of intensity here especially to do the right thing and a lot of righteous principle because of these two deities.

It is related to Jupiter in the Vimshottari dasha scheme. It is where Saturn is exalted and the Moon is debilitated. Once Saturn hits 20, then he is exalted, past that he is not. It is the exact exaltation degree of Saturn.

Saturn’s deepest exaltation actually happens as it is going through Swati and this is why we say the Hanuman chalisa in that section of the sky because hanuman is that deity that is related to Vayu. That is where Saturn is most exalted in the Nakshatra ruled by Hanuman or Vayu who is the father of Hanuman. There is an astrological symbol there but the exaltation degree of Saturn is the first degree of Vishaka which shows that mighty forbearance and determination to figure things out, get to the truth and be ambitious and motivated to bring righteousness and clarify important issues and causes.

It spills over into Scorpio where that energy is not so easy on the Moon because the Moon is where we want to be comfortable and  feel whole and Vishaka is about not caring whether we are comfortable or not and doing the hard work.

Vishaka, from Libra to Scorpio, is where we connect that realm of air and ideas with culture, righteous purpose and cause in order to bring about strength and inner power which has to do with Scorpio.