psychologically astrology

(I had written a bit on the nakshatra yoni in this post, now continuing on the same.)

Nakshatra नक्षत्र  is a Sanskrit word which means न क्षरति इति नक्षत्रः this means that the Naksahtra are fixed, they cannot perish or be destroyed, they are brilliant, clear and non-ambiguous, they are abstract energies, they cannot be changed. They represent the deepest subconscious energies within you. They are also called the Lunar mansions and are the foundations of Indian/ Vedic Jyotish. The 360 deg zodiac belt is divided into 27 Nakshatra-s of 13 deg 20 minutes arc length each. They are the metaphorical 27 wives of the Moon and he stays with each one of them for approximately one day in every lunar month. Each Nakshatra has different attributes and the Moon behaves differently as he stays in the different lunar mansions. So these energies directly influence your subconscious, emotions, intuition, your astral body etc. The most important Nakshatra in your chart is the one in which the birth Moon resides. Second would be the Nakshatra of the rising degree is also important. Also check out the Nakshatra in which your other birth planets are placed in.

Each Nakshatra is further divided into 4 sections called ‘pada’. Each Nakshatra pad thus is 3degree and 20minutes in arc length. There are 27 X 4 = 108 Nakshatra pada, which is the same thing as the Navamsha. And you know that the Navamsha the 9^th divisional chart is the most important. So study of the Nakshatra and their pada or Navamsha is the foundation of Indian Jyotish (Rashi or signs are more like an approximation!).

So continuing on our theme of Nakshatra yoni, this is the table showing the yoni associated with the Naksahtra-s. There are 14 yoni for the 27 Naksahtra-s.

Nakshatra (Dynamic aspect)	Nakshatra (Passive aspect)	Yoni (Connected being)
Ashwini	Shatataraka	Ashwa Stallion
Bharani	Revati	Gaja Elephant
Pushya	Kruttika	Mesha Goat
Rohini	Mruga	Sarpa Snake
Moola	Aradra	Shwan Dog
Ashleysha	Punarvasu	Marjar Cat
Magha	Purva-phalguni	Mushak Rat
Uttara-phalguni	Uttara-bhadrapada	Go Cow
Swati	Hasta	Mahish Buffalo
Vishakha	Chitra	Vyaghra Tiger
Jyeshtha	Anuradha	Mruga Deer
Poorva-ashadha	Shravan	Vanar – A being from other dimensions. (Always wrongly translated as ‘monkey’, In Sanskrit monkey is Markat)
Uttara-ashadha		Nakul Mongoose
Poorva-bhadrapada	Dhanishtha	Simha Lion

The Nakshatra are divided into active or potential. These are mentioned in the first and second columns. Fourteen of them are active, ie these energies are outwardly projected, active, like doing things, are more adaptable, changeable, bring about change, like micro-management etc. And thirteen of them are stable, change with difficulty, take the broader perspective, can sacrifice themselves for the larger cause etc. The third column is the yoni of the nakshatra in Sanskrit and the animal/being it is supposed to indicate in english.

When I was a child learning astrology, this table was very confusing. This Nakshatra yoni thingie is used in matching charts for marriage and is quite important. In most books you will find it is written that the reproductive organs of the person would be like these animals (so confusing!). Or that this expresses in the way sexual activity takes place (completely incomprehensible!). This is a very silly way of expressing the ‘yoni’ concept and it took me some time to understand this table’s real subtlety.

‘Yoni’ is a highly misunderstood Sanskrit (Devbhasha Samskrutam) word. It does mean the uterus and the female reproductive organs but that is the most superficial understanding. Sanskrit words have literally thousands of meanings depending on the reference point and your power to understand it. ‘Yoni’ is a very subtle word, it means the origin, how things have evolved, the gradual lowering of energy from the highest source. It means the form of existence which was fixed in you at the time of birth. How energy descended and become fixed, how it was set up. It has very deep spiritual and energy connotations.

So Yoni means more correctly the power of creation and the act of creation.

So open your Vedic/ Indian Jyotish software. Check out which Nakshatra your birth Moon is placed in. Read how this links up with the Yoni below. The most productive and comfortable way in which you prefer to express yourself. Your ideas, your emotions, your work. Everything you do will show this basic energy.

Ashwa yoni – You are independent, spiritually inclined, creative, good with working with your hands, skilled. You like initiating things and are dynamic as well as determined. You are honest, trust-worthy and hard working. You are overall very attractive and active by temperament. If someone crosses you, you cannot forgive easily and in fact will get back at him immediately.

Gaja yoni –  You are powerful, authoritative, protective, outwardly slow but capable of bursts of energy. Generally quiet and happy, but can get aggressive if limits are crossed. Intelligent, creative and understanding, you have good business sense. You can motivate people to work for you. Practical and spiritual both together.

Mesh yoni – You are an achiever and can reach to great heights, but only if you focus. Your moods can swing between aggression and patience. You are a loner by nature and like spending time with yourself, communicating can be difficult for you at times. You are capable of hard work and gain successes with time.

Sarpa yoni – You are unpredictable, very silent about your own self, the face you show others and the real you are totally different, very secretive. You are patient and can wait for ages till the right time when you move in a terrifying burst of speed. You are attractive have a hypnotic quality which attracts others to you. You are skilled and generally very successful in life.

Shwan yoni – You are faithful to your family, group or organisation. You have intelligence and ability both. If you accept regulations you can be a asset anywhere. A very good communicator, you are very versatile. You do not let out what you are thinking so easily, secretive about yourself. You are unafraid and follow your internal rules. Successes come with time and disciplined work.

Marjar yoni – You are secretive by nature, self-contained, efficient, patient, can wait till the right moment. You are more concerned about your personal interests always, the nature is more possessive. You are good with gaining information and keeping it till you need it. You can analyse people and situations correctly. You bounce back from any adversity, optimistic.

Mushak yoni – You don’t believe easily. Intelligent and capable of working hard, you are often quite successful in life. You can start small and then go on to bigger things in life. You can make use of every opportunity however small it may be. Once you start something you stick to it. You are lucky in life but sometimes your fixed notions about things can cause problems for you.

Go yoni – You are gentle, generous, kind-hearted and generally innocent. You are sensitive and emotional. Others can take advantage of your trusting nature, so choose your partners carefully.  Destiny and luck is often on your side. You are ambitious but in laid-back manner, low key. You go about life in a calm, collected systematic manner. Intelligent and perceptive, you are spiritually inclined. You are protective of the ones you love. You generally have a happy life.

Mahish yoni – You have strength and patience both. There is an inherent charm about you. You do not display your personal emotions much, a bit insecure. You want peace around you as internally you are sensitive emotionally. Optimistic, calm, patient and you can fight for what you want. You want your family around you, outgoing and strong. You do well in every profession where there is a public interface.

Vyaghra yoni – You are highly independent by nature, have a high opinion of yourself. Aggressive, ruthless, you are capable of firm logical arguments. Materialistic and very practical about things but you have good intuition also. You can work systematically, efficiently, create assets and material wealth. You later get into spirituality and excel here too. You are physically beautiful, lucky and fortune favours you. You never express your innermost emotions even to the love of your life. You feel a tiny bit of dissatisfaction for yourself which can cause problems in your relationships.

Mruga yoni – You are intelligent and capable of disciplined hard work and you do well in life. You are serious and aggressive about what you do. You like your social groups, family and friends. Communicative in general, you need to develop tact and diplomacy in dealing with things. There are often some confusions in the mind. But this confusion brings out your philosophical and spiritual side with time.

Vanar yoni – You are different, outwardly less serious about material things. You can get hasty and impulsive as you sometimes do not realise the seriousness of the issues. But you are intelligent as well as creative, so once you settle in life success follows you. You are good at teamwork and can be a good leader. You are good at learning and you keep on adding to your skills and abilities. Later you are emotionally mature, nurturing and have a philosophical outlook towards life.

Nakul yoni – You are intelligent, decisive and act with speed. You value your time alone and prefer solitude. Highly intelligent, charismatic, honest and regal by nature you are a bit apart from the general masses. You are a leader, impressive personality and do very well in life. You are popular and famous. Others like meeting you, but you keep your distance. When you do fall in love it is a very deep thing for you.

Simha yoni – Philosophical, religious and spiritual, you are quite practical about things. You take on responsibilities and like taking care of others. Dedicated and willing to fight for the cause you believe in. You have significant leadership qualities and like to keep yourself engaged in activities. Intelligent and charismatic, you often guide and help others. Social by nature you are the gentle but powerful king among men.

If you want to check out more about yourself, look up the Nakshatra yoni of the ascendant degree’s Nakshatra. This would give you more insights on your overall personality. The Nakshatra-s of the other planets will give insights on how their energies work within you. So if you feel like it do read a bit on the Nakshtra attributes, it can be a valuable pointer to know your own self better. Jyotish is the science of self-illumination so use the Nakshatra energies to delve deep into yourself.