planets

Oils for massage and other remedies

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Oil of any kind is primarily linked to Saturn, and specifically sesame/til oil is the heathiest one for your body is and the specific ‘item’ of Shani. Now let’s check out some more in the remedies, very simple ones, more acceptable for the general public, So no mantra, yantra, tantra based stuff for now (I have written about these in my past several posts if you are interested).

So check out in your horoscope which planets are placed as follows

  1. Benefic planets if placed in the dushamsthan 6th, 8th or  12th house
  2. Malefic planets in the Kendra 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th houses or the Kona 5th or 9th houses.

If you have any planets like this it is possible that they are adversely affecting your life, so let’s balance out these energies by charity and intention. Giving away items associated with their energies may prove beneficial. The concept is that you owe a debt from your past life which you are paying off now. Do it with a clear heart and intention of karma balance.

Oils for massage and other remedies

The Sun – If your Sun is under stress or the 5th house of your chart is damaged, this means some inauspicious acts in your past life have put your personality/self-ego under stress. You may have violated ancient traditions that ruined your self-respect. This can manifest as struggles, legal problems, court cases, being accused for no reason etc. One solution is to perform any religious ritual prescribed by your faith. (Hindus can do a Satyanaryan puja). If you can get your close relatives to participate in this ritual it would be even better. Items associated with the Sun, which you can give away are saffron/kesar, wheat, copper, brown colored sugar or jaggery, red cloth, red flowers, red sandalwood.

Moon – If the Moon is badly placed or if the 4th house of your chart is under malefic influences, especially Ketu’s influence. In some past life you may have hurt your mother, perhaps thrown her out of your house. This may manifest as financial losses, diseases and debts with disproportionate mental stress. One solution is to put a silver coin in running water or the sea. If you can get your close relatives to touch this coin before you toss it, it will be even better. Items linked to the moon are white sandalwood, rice, milk, silver, sugar specifically misri/khadisakkar, white cloth, white flowers, camphor which can be given as Daana.

Mars – If your Mars is afflicted or your 1st house or 8th house is under the influence of malefics, especially Ketu, you owe your relatives something. You may have harmed your relatives in some way in your past lives. You may face unexplainable trouble and losses around your 28th year. If this is so the best solution would be to collect money from your family members, maybe an equal contribution from your close relatives and donate this money in a mutually agreed temple. Items you can donate to balance Mars’ energies are copper, masoor grains (red lentil, Lens culinaris), wheat, sauf/badisheb/fennel seeds, red cloth, red flowers, red sandalwood.

Mercury – If in your chart, the Mercury or your 3rd house or 6th house is under stress you have done some wrong to a sister or girl in your past life. So in this life you tend to have a lot of problems, losses in money, psychiatric issues, and no help forthcoming. The best solution is rather typical, take a few sea shells (yellow colored are best), burn them and put the ash in flowing water. If you can get your close relatives to touch the shells before you do this, it will give better results. Items resonating with his energies are green cloth, green gram/Moong grains (Vigna radiata), camphor, turpentine oil which can be donated in Nav-graha temples.

Oils for massage and other remedies

Jupiter – If the Jupiter in your chart or the 9th or 12th house is afflicted with malefics, especially Rahu, it is considered as a debt owed to the father. This may manifest as loss of saved money in the old age. The solution is to plant a peepal (Ficus religiosa) tree and take care of it so that it survives or do some seva/help out at your local temple. Jupiter linked items for donation/Daana are turmeric, jaggery or brown colored sugar, yellow flowers, yellow cloth, yellow sweets.

Venus – If the Venus or the 2nd or 7th house in your chart is under stress, it indicates a debt owed to a wife from a past life, maybe you tortured her. In this life this may manifest as grief and obstacles in performing religious and auspicious rituals. The easiest solution is to feed a white colored cow. Cow means a desi cow with a prominent hump. Such a cow has tremendous aura and she can give you blessings. Feeding her or even touching her will increase the power of your own aura. Venus linked items are ghee, camphor, curd, rice, white cloth, white flowers which you can give away as Daana.

Saturn – If your Saturn is giving bad results or if the 10th or 11th house of the chart is damaged this indicates that you cheated someone or tortured a helpless person in some life. The good option to create positive karma is to offer food to a few people who work as labourers. Items linked to Saturn which can be given away are black gram/urad grains, black cloth, (feeding a chapati/bread to ravens also works. Ravens are the link between the other dimension Pitra-lok and our Martya-lok. If by chance you owe your ancestors they can be satisfied by this act).

Rahu – If the 12th house is under stress this also indicates a type of ancestral debt where maybe a baby was aborted before birth. Imprisonment, betrayal, physical injury etc can be the results. Things which can be given away are yellow mustard grains, mustard oil, mixed seven types of grains, lead, blanket. Another option is to get a coconut, get every one in your close family to touch it and put it in flowing water/sea.

Ketu – If the 6th house is under stress this indicates that you have gone against your Dharma / conscience, against ‘God’ in some terrible way. In this life this manifests as being childless, diseased, haunted, losses in every way. You can feed a multicolored dog (this is a remedy from the Lal kitab or Arun samhita, and for some reason it does work) or donate sesame/til grains, blanket, lead, saffron/kesar, any seven types of grains mixed together in a Nav-graha temple.

You might find this a bit strange, but these very simple remedies work. A fistful of grain or a few drops of oil or a piece of cloth! The planets are linked some way to these things. So if you have a Navgraha temple near where you live you can offer any of these items to the planet moorthi installed there. The second option is to offer the item in flowing water/river or the sea. Donating them to genuine brahmins is also possible, but you may not find anyone who really deserves charity and these are rather typical items. So the best option is a temple or flowing water/sea. If you are facing exceptional problems and the planet is giving severely bad results then these items can be buried in the ground, but make sure that you do it in some lonely place. (Some of these are from the Arun samhita/ Lal kitab)

(When to give the Daana? refer to this post)

In Sanatan Dharm/Hinduism, everyone owes 3 types of debts. First is to the parents/ancestors, because they give us birth and take care of us. Next is to the society because it shelters us and offers us opportunities to live a fuller life. And finally to the Guru because he shows us the path to liberation and helps us find our real self. And these have to be repaid. The first one is repaid when we do our Dharma of taking care of our parents as per our conscience and by having good children to carry on the family. The second one is when we contribute positively to the society by helping others either by doing charity (if you can afford it), and being kind/helpful to others around you. And the third one is very cryptic, you don’t have to pay anything here. You repay the debt you owe your Guru when you practice what he has shown you and you finally gain your objective.

Planets energies and food you love

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Today a fun post on the food you eat and how it is linked to your planets. I had written about fragrances associated with planets in an earlier post here. Your food choices are also linked to the planets in your chart. See if you can spot your favourite and maybe not so favourite food and thus your planetary influences. The food and taste that a planet likes is linked to its basic nature.

Planets energies and food you love

Sun – Sun the Ruler likes refined stimulation, he is linked to a pungent sort of taste. A Sun-dominant person prefers a combination of pungent/bitter/astringent tastes. You can increase the energies of your Sun by eating hot spices, pungent vegetables, ginger, cinnamon, peppers, mustard seeds and chillies. Sour fruits like oranges, peaches, plums, grapes etc are also liked by the ‘Sun’s’. Fasting regularly, perhaps once a week /fortnight is also beneficial for you. You like the flavour and smells of volatile essential aromatic oils. You also like stimulants and diaphoretics (foods which make you sweat!).

Moon – This planet is partial to salty tastes, but also loves the heavy rich sweet taste of dairy products. Moon dominant persons are attracted to wholesome nutritive foods, which are a mix of sweet/salty/sour. Comfort foods, soothing foods and soups which remind you of maternal love and provide support to the mind and emotions. Soft foods where you don’t need to chew much. You can increase your lunar energies by consuming dairy products, milk and cream. Starchy foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes are also a favourite here. If you eat non-vegetarian stuff, Moon likes all sorts of seafood, seaweeds, fish, crab and lobster. In fruits you will prefer sweet, watery and juicy fruit like melons.

Mars – If you are a Mars dominant person you will prefer sour, acrid and a combination of bitter/pungent tastes. Mars the warrior like the tastes of fermented foods, alkaloids, poisons, stimulants and narcotics. By this I don’t mean that they eat such substances directly. Plants naturally produce such chemicals in minute quantities which are liked by Mars. Foods which are hot, spicy and pungent add to his energy. Onions, garlic, mustard, pickles, peppers and chillies are a favourite here. Alcohol and red meat also increase the energies of Mars, but these 2 are highly tamasic (heavy energies can lead to a ‘dulling’ of the spiritual self) and should be ideally avoided. Small amounts can be had at intervals but please remain in control of yourself.

Mercury – This planet favours astringent tastes. He is the thinking process, so maybe these foods help keeping his computer cool! If you are a Mercury dominant you will prefer a combination of cooling/pungent tastes. Vegetables like celery, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, green beans, peas, salads may be your favourites. Astringent fruits like pomegranates, bananas, cranberries and apples. Mercury likes the taste of tanins (eg tamarind) and volatile oils of a calming nature like mint and fennels.

Jupiter – The planet of expansion naturally loves oily/sweet tastes. If you are a Jupiter dominant you might like the combination of oily/sweet/pungent tastes. You might be drawn to foods like butter, ghee, sesame oil, nuts and seeds. Grains like wheat, oats and rice cooked with a bit of oil would also be a favourite. You might like tonic foods and herbs which help in building the body and the blood.

Venus – If you are Venus dominant you will prefer sweet tasting food, and the most preferred combination is sweet/bitter/astringent. Obviously the foods under this category will be sugar, honey, jaggery, sweet potatoes, mung beans, barley, candy chocolates, etc. You will like sweet fruits like dates figs, grapes, bananas, mangos, prunes etc. Venus likes the taste and flavour of fragrant essential oils and spices like basil, fennel, mint, nutmeg, saffron, vanilla etc. It is very easy to overindulge in these forms of food so be careful (Venus’s trademark – activities leading to addictions)

Saturn  – Saturn is inclined to bitter tastes, and prefers a combination of astringent/bitter. If you are a Saturn dominant person you might eat light and less. You might fast more often and prefer a diet composed of detoxifying foods, blood purifiers and raw foods. Salads, sesame seeds, sesame oil, coffee, dark chocolates, bitter gourd, greens, vegetables belonging to the cabbage family attract you. Also ‘drying grains’ like barley, millets, rye and corn. Among fruits you will prefer the astringent pomegranates and apples. You really like cooling foods.

Now in Ayurved there are 6 primary types of tastes/Rasa/essence, and for a balanced meal you should have a bit of all 6 in on your plate.

  1. Sweet – is a combination of Earth+Water. Very familiar taste in our diet. Eg sugar.
  2. Sour – is a combination of Earth+Fire. This is also a very familiar taste, it immediately increases the flow of saliva. Eg lemons
  3. Salt – is a combination of Water+Fire. We all know the taste of salt. Eg table salt.
  4. Pungent – is a combination of Fire+Air. The pungent taste is a dry heat that stimulates the tongue. Eg chillies
  5. Bitter – is a combination of Air+Ether. We tend to avoid this taste, but it is deeply cleansing and removes toxins and bad fats from the body. Eg coffee
  6. Astringent – is a combination of Air+Earth. This is a taste of dryess produced in the mouth by tannins in the bark, leaves and outer rinds of fruits and trees. Eg pomegranate

We are all quite health conscious these days and quite familiar with a healthy balanced diet and we all do strive for a healthy life style. But if you look into your food choices closely and try to match them with your horoscope and planetary energies you will find patterns. Our food and water does affect our mood. And if you so desire you can change your dietary pattern using your horoscope. So your newest astrological remedy for boosting weaker planets or balancing the energies of the horoscope is now at your dinner table!

 

Planets energies and food you love

Planets to help you in your Pregnancy

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The planets have a significant influence on our development right from conception. While we are in the mother’s womb, her horoscope had overarching influence on us, then followed by the father’s horoscope. A human pregnancy lasts for about 280 days. We think of it as 9 months, but more correctly its is about 9 Solar months and 10 exact Lunar months. (One Lunar month is for 28days.) The Lunar month is more important here as menstrual cycle too is linked to the moon. So one human pregnancy is 10 Lunar months of 28 days each.

We can use astrology to help a pregnant woman and her baby. We can use our Intentions and the energies of the planets harnessed through their specific mantras. Each planet governs a specific phase of the in-womb development, thus strengthening the planetary influences by reciting their mantras always helps.

Now check out the horoscope of the pregnant woman. Check out the following especially, and the other planets too, as each one of them is involved in creating a new human baby.

  1. 5th house – its sign, the occupant planets, and the owner planet – this is the house which creates the child
  2. 8th house – the reproductive organs of the mother
  3. Sun – natural ruler of the 5th sign of the zodiac will influence the creation of the child wherever he may be placed.
  4. Mars – The natural owner of the 8th sign of the zodiac and the energy and vitality of the reproductive organs is linked to him.
  5. The relative strength of all the planets should be examined, especially the debilitated or combust or retrograde planets and the planets located in the 6th house, 8th house and 12th houses should be checked. Planets under the influences of malefics may also need to be supported during the pregnancy.
  6. The transiting planets over this period of pregnancy should be given due attention too.
  7. One point to highlight. Abortion, Miscarriage and Medical termination of pregnancy can be seen from that month’s ruling planet, if he is adversely placed in the mother’s birth and transit charts and both and her 5th and 8th house shows additional malefic influences.

Planets to help you in your Pregnancy

The first month of 28 days – This period immediately follows intercourse and is ruled by Venus/Shukra. The sperm and ovum combine to produce the embryo. A time of very high activity in the embryo where the cells are set up in blocks destined to be the new body. The cells are still fluid in the sense the programming is not yet fixed. The cells are still totipotent, one initial cell can give rise to several types of cells. During this period if the mother’s chart has a weak birth Venus or even if the current Venus in transit is combust, retrograde or with malefics, the mother needs to support herself and her child by reciting the Venus mantra, “Om draang dreeng draung sah Shukraya namah Om”. At least thrice or 108 times everyday. If the father or others want to support they can by reciting this version “Om draam dreem draum sah Shukraya namah Om”

Second month of 28 days – This period is ruled by Mars/Mangal. By now the cells of the fetal body have become rigid. The totipotency has been replaced by pleuripotency. The cells destined for the liver cannot re-programme themselves to become the muscle now. Thus rigidity has set in. Shape of the body is discernible. If the mother’s Mars is weak or the transit Mars is afflicted or retrograde or combust etc it is necessary to help the fetus with his energies. The mother must recite, “Om kraang kreeng kraung sah Mangalaya Namah om” thrice or 108 times, and the father will recite, “Om kraam kreem kraum sah Mangalaya Namah om” to help his wife and the growing baby.

Third month of 28days is ruled by Jupiter/Guru – this is a period of rapid expansion and the shape of the fetal body becomes more defined. The fetus becomes aware and now onwards can preceptively respond to the mother/father. Here it is necessary to provide him energies of Jupiter, depending on the Jupiter in the mother’s chart and also the position of the transit Jupiter currently if combust etc. The mother should recite, “Om graang greeng graung sah Gurave namah Om”, thrice or 108 times daily, and the others can help her and the baby by reciting, “Om graam greem graum sah Gurave namah Om”.

Fourth month of 28 days is ruled by the Sun/Surya. The baby’s intelligence expands and the divine spark helps it in establishing its soul’s energies during this period. The Vedic Sanskar of Pushban is performed during this period to help establish the energies of the Sun in the fetus. The strength of the body increases, bone and muscle structure begin to form. To help the fetus during this period and enhance the energies of the Sun available to it, the mother should recite, “Om hraang hreeng hroung sah Suryaya namah Om”, either thrice or 108 times daily. And the father and others will recite, “Om hraam hreem hroum sah Suryaya namah Om”. Especially if the mother’s Sun in the chart is badly placed or debilitated or the current transit Sun is placed with malefics, like Rahu/Ketu Saturn etc or there is to be an eclipse during this period.

Fifth month of 28 days is ruled by the Moon/Chandra here the circulatory system of the fetus is in place and his blood and blood cells start functioning, the immune system develops. A sense of emotional self is initiated. The fetus can now understand its emotions and express them too. This is a critical period in the development as the mind and emotions are taking root. The mother’s chart Moon should be examined and if in a bad position/sign/aspected or with malefics or debilitated it needs to be strengthened. If there are any eclipses during this period be very careful. Especially be careful on the amavasya/new moon day falling in this month.

Planets to help you in your Pregnancy

Sixth month of 28 days is now ruled by Saturn. The bones, nerves and supporting frame of the body gets defined, Hair and nails grow out. This period is also crucial because here the capacity for endurance of the child is being laid down. The mother can support the Saturn in building the body of her child by reciting his mantra, “Om praang pring praung sah Sanishcharaya namah Om”. The father should recite “Om praam prim praum sah Sanishcharaya namah Om”. This will be essential in case of badly placed Saturn in the cart of the mother or the current transiting Saturn being combust, retrograde or debilitated etc.

Seventh month of 28 days is ruled by Mercury. here the baby can now think, its nervous system and brain development has now reached a critical stage. It is clearly aware of its own fetal body and the signals which it receives from its mother and the outer environment too. It can feel. It’s intelligence and awareness has reached a significant stage and it can understand. It would be ideal if the mother recites the beej mantra, “Om braang breeng braung sah Budhaya namah Om.” either 3 times or 108 times daily and the father recites “Om braam breem braum sah Budhaya namah Om” for the growth of his unborn child’s wisdom and intelligence. Especially if the mother’s birth Mercury or the current transit Mercury is not well placed this remedy would be critical.

Eight month of 28 days is ruled by Lord of the Mother’s ascendant sign seen from her birth chart. This is a highly critical period for the mother and child, and the Vedic Sanskar of Seemantonayan is performed during this period for protection of the fetus and the mother. The mother needs to keep herself surrounded by positive vibrations and keep herself happy. If by chance the woman prematurely delivers during this period it would be disastrous. This is the period where the complete personality of the fetus is being decided. The mantra to be recited is the beej mantra of the ascendant lord seen from the mother’s birth chart.

Ninth month of 28 days is ruled by the Sun/Surya again. Here the fetus gains an understanding and control of his own body. He is well on his way of being a person. He can feel hunger and thirst. Fetal images of the fetus sucking his thumb etc are from this period onwards. It starts finalising its body structures in preparing for delivery. The mantra here is again the beej mantra of Sun/Surya to be recited by the mother and the father.

Tenth month of 28 days, is again ruled by the Moon, this is the last phase before delivery occurs. This baby’s mind and emotions are now active and it is mentally prepared for the delivery. Child’s mind becomes active and it gets ready for delivery. Recitation of the beej mantra of the Moon will help immensely during this period ensuring the safety of the mother and her child. Natural delivery will occur in this period when there is a link between the mother’s Moon sign, Mars sign and the transiting Moon and Mars positions.

Thus after this hectic activity of 280 days, the baby is born into the world as a separate individual with his its own horoscope charted out with its chosen life-events. As the mother and the father, it is our responsibility to help as much as we can, with Mantras, Intentions and Will-power on the spiritual plane. With our assets, presence and support on the physical plane and with Love and Understanding on the emotional plane. If we can do this for our child, right from its conception, we would have successfully completed our debt to the society by raising a responsible, well-adjusted individual, an asset to the society.

 

Planets to help you in your Pregnancy

 

Manifest your desires using your green thumb

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There is another hot word doing the rounds, ‘manifestation’. In every website on energy and consciousness there is a section on how to manifest your desires in 10-steps! Well, here is one really easy step for you. Plant a seed! Literally..

Manifest your desires using your green thumb

First think about what type of desire you want to manifest, logically human desires can be of the following categories, no more than these.

  1. Finances
  2. Health
  3. Profession
  4. Relationships
  5. Spirituality

Then choose your seed. Actually! Choose a robust plant, which you can plant from a seed, suited to the place and season you are in! You will now charge this seed with your intention and plant it in a pot. Water it and care for it. Add intention. As it grows so will your desires manifest. This is a secret of the Universe!

In India, women have been doing this seed/ plant/ manifestation thingie for ages and ages. Women are traditionally home-makers, it is the most difficult thing to do, ‘make a home’. They are in-charge of maintaining the house, ensuring a balanced diet, balancing the household-accounts, maintaining relationships within the social hierarchy, raising children as responsible citizens, and then finding a daughter/son-in-law, and even more, that is a lot of work. So the Indian woman uses the energies of the Universe channelized through a Tulasi plant. She plants a Tulasi in her house. Tulsi is botanically Ocimum tenuiflorum and an indispensable plant in Indian spiritual traditions. The plant is charged with her energies and her request for help. She prays to the Tulasi, considers it as an aspect of Devi Laxmi, the Goddess of Prosperity, everyday. She intends prosperity, health and happiness and gets it too, for every member of her home. This is the magic of nature channelized through intention!

Manifest your desires using your green thumb

So now let’s do it. If you have chosen the desire and the seed whose growing energies will fuel your desires, this is how you go about it..

  1. Plan to plant your seed on the day which resonates with your desire.
    • Sunday – children, intelligence, creativity, higher education, gambling
    • Monday – mind, emotions, home, comforts, land, vehicles, property
    • Tuesday – physical body, health, vitality, competitions
    • Wednesday – communications, early education, money from trade
    • Thursday – expansion of all positive traits you desire
    • Friday – partnerships, business, relationships, love
    • Saturday – work and energy to perform sustained work, money from work
  2. Choose something that you like, tulasi, geranium, fuschia, oh, whatever feels good to you! You can also choose a fragrant plant resonating with that planet’s energy, refer this post. Get a plant which is easy to grow in your house. Get its one seed. Keep it on a green colored cloth on your altar/puja ghar, for some time.
  3. While it is on the altar, surround it with all the objects of power that you have. Maybe a rune? Or a mantra written on a paper? Or reiki? Or call on your favourite deity or the energies of the Universe.
  4. Cup your palms around the seed and tell it your desire. Feel it listening and absorbing your emotions. Feel it growing into a healthy plant bearing flowers/fruits. You are powering it with your intention so be true.
  5. When you feel satisfied, take this seed and plant it in a pot in your house. Intend it to grow and for your desires to manifest with its growth.
  6. Water it, tend to it regularly with the same intention in mind. Reinforce it.
  7. If the plant grows properly, your desire too will manifest.
  8. If it dies or fails to germinate, then re-think on what you were trying to materialise. Maybe it was not appropriate for you or hurtful for someone else.
  9. After it has grown and your desires also manifested, it will, as per its natural life cycle, flower, fruit and eventually die naturally. This is ok as your desires will have already been satisfied by this time.
  10. If you have planted a kitchen herb or fragrant plant, you have another advantage of being able to use it also as such.

This seeding-desire thingie may sound a bit funny, but it works. It has always worked for ages. The Tulasi is proof of the power of Intention coupled with Nature. The energy of a seed is limitless, it can power its own growth and also your intention. Trust and be patient. Nature will manifest your desires!

 

Manifest your desires using your green thumb

Depression, what does the horoscope say?

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Am getting more questions related to mental problems like depression, suicidal thoughts, not fitting into the society and wanting to remain apart. It is rather worrying to see young men and women getting such emotional lows for no good reason. I have written on addictions and on psychiatric issues.

There are cycles in human society. During one ancient period, invasions were a regular feature, so I guess Mars was more important then, being alert, going with an army to kill, or being able to defend one’s home and village were important life skills. But in this cycle, my and your lives are dominated by communication, you wake up to a Whatsapp msg and sleep with your Facebook. If you don’t get enough likes on your posts, you feel uneasy and if someone writes something critical about the post, the whole day goes in depression! You read other’s thoughts, people whom you have never even met, and these posts affect you more than they logically should. You pore over every comma, full-stop and try to find meanings in every tiny word.

But then if your mom scolds you for eating junk food, you don’t even look at her. If your teachers ask you to switch off your mobiles in class, you allege ‘freedom of expression’ and get that teacher scolded from the principal. You do not value real in-depth knowledge, much less wisdom. The social structure has changed, your home has become the like-minded group of your Internet, not the physical solidity of the 4-walls. You now derive your emotional security and happiness from the virtual world. You let your these virtual groups define your personality. You find pleasure in the ephemeral, get bored and then search for new topics to pleasure you, till you feel jaded. And you value this virtual temporary stuff more than the real solid long-lasting stuff that was once the foundation of the society.

Depression, what does the horoscope say?

So you see, from the paragraph above, if you have paid attention to the keywords baby-steps for the horoscope, there is a lot you can analyse. In our world today the following have gained more importance,

Mercury – He is the agent of all sorts of communications, databases, number-crunching, juvenile chit-chat, nit-picking and details. He is a superficial adolescent spending time with same-age groups chattering, gossiping. Now attention spans even getting shorter, maturity getting lower and nervous excitement higher.

He is rapidly becoming the foremost planet of our times, so let us see what is his take on the matters of mental health. Examine just this one all-important placement, the 3rd house from the birth mercury sign. This is the place where your thoughts tangle and complicate and play with themselves till they cause mental stress. Thoughts here repeat in never-ending loops, which is not good for normal analytical reasoning. The sign, house and planet in this 3rd from mercury demand mental attention and energy. Distracted, depressed and compulsive thinking is seen from here.

Any planet placed in this 3rd from Mercury causes mental chatter. So pay special attention to this mental-energy draining location when evaluating mental stress. These planets, house, sign give their other effects in life as always, and some of these may be excellent but as far as mental processes are concerned they disrupt. Eg Saturn placed here, will give mental oppression, hard mental work, bitterness, negativity, oppression and depression. eg. Moon placed here will color every thought looping into your brain with emotion, creating anxiety, worry, fear of emotional loneliness, of losing mental/emotional stability and loss of comfort.

If this house is vacant, it is better as the mind functions without pre-conceived bias. This problem of ‘sticky’ feelings/opinions is less severe. This house has the past karma of faulty mental processes from past lives which has to be experienced and completed.

Back to analysing our current time-cycle.

Saturn – the solid hierarchical social structure as defined by Capricorn is moving more to the quick-changing similar-minded group structure as defined by Aquarius. The more exotic is good, the more rules flouted the better, everyone making profits even better. You are at your ambitious best, wanting to jump upwards, till you over-reache and fall on your face.

Moon – the mind, which loves to flit from subject to subject. With the Internet, there is no dearth of subjects, the mind is in a whirlpool, of messages, likes, pings and hashtags, that it is getting dizzy not quite knowing where to look. Mind needs comfort and emotional security/stability, but here it gets nothing of that sort. Nothing to anchor itself in these shifting sands of the virtual world. There was a time when a mother or father meant security and love, but now these relations have stopped existing. The mind has lost its roots.

Mars – He is the vitality of the personality, but he seems to be failing in a strange way. You rarely see a person being a vital male or a female brimming with the force of his/her personality. Misshapen, fat, ill and worse, mentally weak, is what this current population is moving onto. Reproduction is also being affected, with assisted reproductive technologies and overall weaker children being born.

Jupiter – No one really bothers with his gift of deep wisdom and knowledge. Very few genuine teachers and equally few deserving students. Jupiter finds himself trumped by Mercury for the time being.

Sun – He is the source of divine intelligence and the creativity associated with it. But now creativity also seems to have been warped. From the elegance of Elvis’s songs in the past to Miley screeching in recent times, just for a comparison.

Venus – He is capable of giving you Moksh, the final esoteric wisdom if you can transcend his pleasure-able tests. But in this world of instant gratification and zero patience, you fall in his traps of girl/ boy-friends, addictions, make-up, fad-diets and superficial beauty.

Rahu – the world is abound with risky ambitions, the scale of which has gone global. Rahu’s nature is to over-extend and eventually fail. If in the past your business failed, only your close groups would know about it and you would get over it quite quickly too. Now the entire world knows about this, never forgets it and your past failures will be online forever haunting you.

Ketu – Now we all are dissociated from the real world. I guess this says it all. A bit more about Ketu, the embodiment of dissociation, the agent of separation, detachment, and despair. These are the ‘pure’ results which will be of course modified as per other factors, planets, aspects, sign and house.

  • Ketu in Aries or Scorpio – generally lethargic but intermittent spurts of unpredictable, aggressive or violent activity. Typically passive-aggressive behaviour.
  • Ketu in Taurus or Libra – is an escapist by nature. Quite active and gets into several aimless relationships with weird persons. Destruction of money, wealth and relations is often a result.
  • Ketu in Gemini or Virgo – mental confusion, anxious and aimless chatter, wrong illogical analysis, querulous arguments. Will interfere into the lives of others, basically cannot be trusted.
  • Ketu in Cancer – psychic, nervous, painfully insecure, over-sensitive, terrified of abandonment, dependant. Prefers to remain in isolation and is scared of life overall.
  • Ketu in Leo – Is a nutcase who thinks himself to be the emperor. Meaningless self-righteous self-promotion. Is sometimes wildly excited and then easily offended.
  • Ketu in Capricorn or Aquarius – extremely detached from everything represented by society. No motivation and zero interest in life. Wears depressing colors drab looking is generally disinterested.
  • Ketu in Sagittarius or Pisces – carries the load of global human despair. Wants to ‘help’ humans, takes to travelling to ‘help’ large scale humanitarian problems. Ineffectual and an escapist.

Depression, what does the horoscope say?

This time-cycle is replete with challenges and at the foremost are the challenges posed by Mercury, the agent of thought and analysis. So if you feel despondent and depressed, open your horoscope and analyse everything to do with Mercury. Try to analyse how Mercury links up with Ketu/ South node and the rest of the planetary forces.

Think yourself back to yourself. You can do it, just give it a try.

We can analyse everything if we can learn to break it down to components. Astrology, Tarot, Runes, any divination tool is about this. These tools empower, they tell you what you have sub-consciously chosen, and then give you the option to change your wish again this time by conscious efforts. These conscious efforts mean consciously working with energy, with your Self. You yourself are conscious energy.

Remember you are never helpless, you always have a choice. Your conscious Will can and does intervene. You just have to intend the Change.