Tapasya in Sanskrit means "heat".  In Vedic astrology but more commonly in yoga, it is used both figuratively and literally. Tapasya may be experienced as physical and spiritual suffering, as it is the burn through our ignorance, hubris and excessive, needless stuff.   Tapasya is something like the forest fires of late summer.  Sometimes, it is a lightening strike that starts the fires burning, ...

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"John" Edwards is an American politician who served as a US Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004  and 2008.    

Edwards is a Gemini ASC with Mars, Mercury and Uranus in the first house. Moon, Jupiter and Sun are in Taurus in the twelfth house.  Venus is placed in the eleventh house in Aries and Saturn is retrograde conjoined Neptune retrograde in Virgo in the fourth.  Pluto is conjoined Ketu in the second house and Rahu is in the eight.

The eclipses of December 31, 2009 and January 15^th 2010 have completed their run on John Edward’s first and seventh house, the houses of ego self-persona Vs.marriage and intimate partners.   Eclipses occur when the nodes are conjoined either the Sun or the Moon and are placed in opposition.  The nodes are identified as Rahu and Ketu and are represented as a serpent or dragon character in-half.

Rahu is political in nature and is associated with media and collective trends.  Rahu is notoriously toxic and intoxicating however, is also associated with a purging of the consciousness.  This purging is like the agitation and spin cycle of a washing machine.   Impurities caught up within the Mind, are agitated and spun-out.  The process of spinning is chaotic, intense and disruptive.  Upheaval is a common descriptive and is used often when describing  Rahu's activated state. 

Rahu is also associated with the affliction-Cancer and has been transiting Edward's seventh house , putting this house under great stress and 'upheaval'.  Edward's wife, Elizabeth, is a Cancer survivor and while at the height of the John's affair, her illness was revealed at a well publicized press event.  The manipulation of this sad event has come to light; the hyper-controlled, political 'spin-cycle' machine has turned against Edwards and now is the dreaded cleansing of the consciousness (moon) and emotions.  The snake has bitten the handler.

Rielle Hunter is described as a "new-age" hanger-on and former yoga teacher.  She approached Edward's in a bar, early in the presidential campaign, with 'visions' of  his aura.  This was apparently enough to convince Edward's, she would be the one to get him elected.  Hunter became Edwards videographer in addition to being his mistress thoughout  his failed, Democratic presidential nominee campaign.   Hunter is an intimate partner and represents dramatically, the delusional and toxic affect of Rahu.

Observe the media spin as John Edward’s adulterous affair continues to be revealed.

Ketu be continued...

        

Ketu transited out of Cancer the evening of November 2, relieving Mars of the darkness that the nodes of the moon bring.  All planets deliver at the end of their transit, unfinished business. Our November 3 elections was the completion of a great amount of business. They have come and gone with R71 passing.  As a result, R71 brings protection to the non-traditional and mixed family, a positive aspect of Mars with Ketu in Cancer.
 
As the moon rules Cancer and our consciousness, which is as variable as the phases of the moon, there are also negative affects.  Mars-Ketu in Cancer is also reflective of violence.  A Seattle police officer was shot execution style, on Halloween.  The killing appeared random initially yet was clearly planned.  It took the life of a popular 'teaching' police officer as he was training a new recruit.  Both were sitting in a squad car in quiet, wealthier neighborhood; one that borders a more violent and poor neighborhood.  The effect is dissonant, creating anguish and confusion.  There was no apparent conflict, no crime or reason for this death to occur.  The violent act took place at the edge of a 'safe' neighborhood. The police and fireperson family of Washington state has coalesced, rallying to the family of the dead officer.  Today, they demonstrated military like devotion to both family and community they protect, in a funeral parade full of ceremony.  I'll detail further, the after-effects of the recent nodal transit with Jupiter and Mars in Capricorn and Cancer but not today.

        

Mars with Ketu is the quintessential, spiritual warrior.  In the Bhagavadgita, Arjuna is Mars conjoined Ketu.  Mars is the warrior and Ketu is the spiritual seeker, the tail of the serpent.  The dark part and tail of this serpent lives underground, searching for a pinpoint of light in the great darkness.  This underground search represents ourselves looking inward, searching through our own dark night of the Soul.  Ketu as spiritual seeker is the indicator of enlightenment.  With Mars, this desire to transcend life's illusions and pain is sharp and burning.  Ketu is the 'Letting go' that is required in order ...<< MORE >>

Devotion and individuation may sound like opposites however, Mars's entry into Cancer combines these processes.  Devotion is defined as profound dedication. An earnest attachment to a cause or person, etc.  It is an assignment  to a purpose or an ecclesiastical, religious observance; a form of prayer.   Jung's definition of individuation is as follows,  "Individuation means the embrace of our innermost, last, and incomparable uniqueness, it implies becoming one's own self."   The former is associated with exterior relationship while the latter is an internal revelation.

Mars is a planet of action, courage and individuation. Where Mars is located in the natal chart and is by transit, we are challenged to know and understand ourselves. Mars classically is the god of war, forceful, powerful and like war, violent at times.  Courage is required in becoming your own person as we have to identify self and not-self.  This process begins in the family of origin.

Cancer is a constellation associated with mother, family, love and devotion,  Cancer, like the ideal family, is the place of security and nurturing.  In healthy family systems, we develop relationship skills, social values and positive self-esteem.  Ideally, healthy family systems nurture a secure ground for children to grow, develop and eventually create their own family systems (Jupiter is exalted in Cancer as the purveyor of abundance and growth). Healthy families nurture a loving and devotional character among it's members.  Unfortunately, in unhealthy family systems the opposite is true.  Devotion is replaced with enmeshment and a lack of personal boundaries. Self-esteem is difficult as a development process when there is no clear personality seperate from family members and the mother in particular.

It takes the power, force and courage of Mars to shear away the enmeshed, false self developed in a dysfunctional family.  This shearing away can feel violent and at times, is a physical experience of violence. Battered women know this well as they separate from a violent partner to become their own person. Painful as it is, and Mars is associated with pain and accidents, it is part of a necessary process.

Mars is debilitated in Cancer meaning this is not his 'happy place'. Promoting war and battle within family systems is not his paradigm. However, there is an archetypal, spiritual model for Mars in Cancer and it comes from the Bhagavadgita.  Bhagavadgita means, 'Song of God' and is a story of Arjuna, a prince and spiritual warrior.  The Divine God in the form of Krishna guides and consults Arjuna on many topics but first and foremost, in war. This war is the process of separation-individuation from his family.  To be continued....
 

        

Fall is the season when vata is most aggravated yet is also the best time to treat and balance vata.  We'll be experiencing a series of transits involving the foundational planetary lords this month of October 2009.  Saturn has already made his move into Virgo (9.10.09) and Mercury has stationed, conjoining Shani as of yesterday (9.29.09).  Mars heats up the watery realms of Cancer tomorrow (10.3.09).  Venus joins Mercury and Saturn in Virgo (10.9.09) in his debilitated position.  Mars and moon conjoin at the total eclipse point (10.12.09), did I mention Cancer is Mar's debilitation?  Jupiter stations in Capricorn (10.12.09) ...<< MORE >>

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Saturn’s transit into Virgo brings focus to both personal health and community health care.  Virgo is an earth sign and the natural sixth house ruled by Mercury.  The sixth house is associated with the intestinal system and specifically with digestion and absorption.  Saturn is friends with Mercury and functions well in Virgo. Both share a strong work ethic and pragmatic approach in dealing with life issues.  Both are utilitarian and systematic.  Depending upon the house number, Saturn in Virgo will be good transit as long as vata is managed appropriately.  

Sorting out life’s essential requirements on an emotional level, is ...<< MORE >>

Fall is the season in which Vata, the dosha associated with elements of air and space increase.  An increase in Vata is experienced physically as dry skin, stiff joints and degrees of sluggish bowel activity.  

Astrologically, the planets associated with Vata are Saturn and Rahu.  This September, Saturn moves from the constellation of Leo that is linked with the solar plexus into Virgo, the constellation associated with the stomach and intestinal system.  To manage Vata deranging Saturn through his transit in Virgo, we would do well to strengthen our Agni.  

Agni is a Vedic fire deity and in the physical ...<< MORE >>

Fall is the season in which Vata, the dosha associated with elements of air and space increase.  An increase in Vata is experienced physically as dry skin, stiff joints and degrees of sluggish bowel activity.  Emotionally, it indicates an increase in anxiety and fear.

Astrologically, the planets associated with Vata are Saturn and Rahu.  This September, Saturn moves from the constellation of Leo, which is linked with the solar plexus into Virgo, the constellation linked  with the stomach and intestinal system.  To manage vata deranging Saturn through his transit in Virgo, we would do well to strengthen our Agni.  Agni is fire and in strengthening our digestive fires, we increase our capacity to fight off viruses and bacteria.  Strong agni also increases our courage, creating greater capacity to weather change and the unknown.

Rahu is the point in space where the eclipsing of the sun and the moon occur and is the other Vata planet.  Rahu is associated with rougue illnesses and specifically, pandemics. Rahu is currently conjoined Jupiter, the planet associated with kapha, the dosha of earth and water in ayurveda.  However, in Vedic astrology, Jupiter is the planet linked with the element ether.  This may seem confusing until we understand that the power of Jupiter in his capacity to spread and expand space.  Jupiter conjoined Rahu would  indicate a spreading of rougue disease (there are more aspects to why this is a possibility which will be discussed on another post). This fall, we may see a mutatation of swine flu emerge with greater spreading and effect then last year.

Saturn as a vata planet, dries things up, stopping and or delaying activity and event.  In our digestive tract and bowels, this would be constipation and poor absorption however, if we treat Saturn with oils, herbs and correct ayurvedic treatment, Saturn can stop disease or the further spread of illness.  In Vedic astrology, this is called propitiating the planet.  

So, long story short…prepare for a coming astrological transit that will surely aggravate the effects of vata season with ayurvedic oils, herbs and bodywork correct for your dosha.  Be proactive in managing your immune system and bowel activity with correct nutrition and self-care routine.