Tag: nakshatras (Page 10 of 13)

• Span: 03°20′ Pisces to 16°40′ Pisces
• Deity: Ahir Budhanya
• Dasha Lord: Saturn
• Symbol: Back legs of a funeral cot
• Animal (Yoni): Cow (female)
• Shakti or power: Varshodyamana shakti = power to bring rain

Ahir Budhanya is the name of the mysterious deity behind this star. The name translates loosely into “serpent of depth”, and it refers to a serpent that lives under the earth’s surface or at the bottom of the ocean — in some accounts. This deity is mysterious, as not much was written about him, unlike with other nakshatra deities. One of the few pointers related to him is that he is said to bring and maintain the fertility of earth, something related to the shakti of this nakshatra.

Going deeper, or at least attempting to, he is one of eleven Rudras. Rudra is an incarnation of Shiva, denoting his fierce form. Rudra means “to howl/roar”, so Rudra refers to “the destroyer” or “the furious one”. Rudra is associated with storms, strong winds and destruction. He is the deity ruling Ardra nakshatra. That is Rudra. Rudras, on the plural, refer to eleven deities or incarnations responsible for bringing happiness and helping realize the work of the gods. Ahir Budhanya and Aja Ekapada (deity of Purva Bhadrapada) are two of these eleven Rudras.

From that understanding, we can infer a few things. First, that this star is related to Shiva, or ruled by Shiva, in some degree. Second, that this star is deeply related to Purva Bhadrapada (something rather obvious, as they form a pair of stars) and Ardra. These 3 stars are related to Rudra, related to Shiva, so all of them become related to each other through this.

Speaking of the name itself, Bhadra translates into good, happy or prosperous. Pada means foot. So Bhadrapada means “the lucky feet”. Uttara Bhadrapada is the “latter lucky feet”. This name could be associated with the main symbol behind this pair of nakshatras, the feet of a funeral bed. Purva Bhadrapada represents the front portion of a funeral cot, while Uttara Bhadrapada represents the back portion.

Like the Phalguni pair, we have a bed being represented here. In the case of the Phalguni stars, the bed represented comfort and rest. Here the bed refers to a coffin or some other platform for the dead. Purva Bhadrapada relates to death itself, while Uttara relates to our post death state.

Death here can be both literal and symbolic. On a symbolic sense, death represents transformation of any kind. Purva would refer to shocking events, traumatic subjects, that lead the native towards transformation. While Uttara Bhadrapada would refer to transformation itself. Sleep, our daily death, could also be another symbolic interpretation. Uttara Bhadrapada refers to deep sleep, while Purva refers to the start of sleep, our preparation towards it.

Another symbol related to this star is a wiseman, like the elder advisers of ancient tribes. This stems again from the name of the star, Bhadra mainly refers to luck, but it can also mean someone skillful or wise. These natives tend to be wise, and they frequently end up in positions of advice or guidance.

This nakshatra is very different from other stars, such as Purva Phalguni or Ardra, where we can see a clear pattern of behavior or clear preferences manifesting. Here the preferences are extremely variable, and the manifestation of the star tends to be subtle. You can find very peaceful natives, you can find very fiery natives, they could deal in a truckload of different professions; focusing on superficial characteristics and details here is usually not the best path, as the variety is huge and the focus is on the subtle.

The keywords here are wisdom and stillness. Whichever the details of these natives lives, a key point will always be wisdom. They will always be dealing with providing knowledge, advice or guidance in some degree. Similarly, their calmness or stillness is to be noted. They act in a well-thought manner, never hastily. They always keep the big picture in mind, acting reasonably and usually cooling things down. They tend to create calm and peace wherever they go.

The wisdom aspect is reinforced by many of the symbols here, starting from the name itself, as described above. The shakti, or the power, of bringing rain shows nourishment. As the rain waters the crops, providing nourishment through harvest, so does a guru teaching wisdom. The same can be said of the cow symbolism, nourishing with her milk.

On the stillness front, the cow isn’t the fastest animal in the world, Saturn denotes things that are slow, and Ahir Budhanya is said to sit still unless something happens. This acts a double-edged sword. On one side, stillness promotes peace, calm, contentedness and a knack for cooling down or appeasing others. On the other hand, it could lead to laziness, procrastination or a total lack of action.

The Bhadra aspect of luck is very much present here, and usually these natives are very fortunate. They tend to have an easy time earning money, handling money and dealing with businesses. A lot of times, they will benefit from gifts, inheritances or bonuses. They might benefit from friends and people around them as well.

Similarly, they are very charitable and compassionate, frequently helping and offering a hand to the people around them. They also tend to be very reasonable when dealing with others, giving and taking, instead of just taking from others.

Another strong trend here deals with reclusiveness. These natives are private, and they could be fond of keeping secrets. Keeping things to themselves or settling in their own little world, instead of sharing everything with the world. They are prone towards early retirement, or some kind of isolation/distance from their former pursuits.

This is not a good day for negative activities, such as lawsuits, conflict and fights. As this is a star that stands still, any active requiring a lot of movement or exertion is unfavorable. This is not a good day for travelling.

Predictively, this star represents wisdom, any planet here will provide or deal with wisdom in some manner. For instance, the 4th lord could mean that the mother is a very wise person. The 11th lord could mean that the native find wisdom through his friends. Some degree of fortune or luck could also be associated with this star. A major point with this star deals with stillness, or a lack of movement, so planets placed here could show areas in life where we could procrastinate or not act much. This points to an area in life where we will need a push, or stimulation, to get us going.

Planets like Sun, Mars and Jupiter tend to act better here, as they stimulate the natural stillness of Uttara Bhadrapada into action. Usually, at some point in life, some event or person will have to push or trigger the native into action.

Examples

• Steve Jobs (U. Bhadrapada Moon 14° Pisces):
  • Although Jobs spent most of his life dealing or leading technology efforts, his actual work in this field always dealt more with advising or orienting others. While people like Steve Wozniac tinkered and enjoyed it, Jobs much preferred staying in the side lines orienting and giving ideas.
• Joseph H. Pilates (U. Bhadrapada Moon 13° Pisces): German physical fitness trainer, inventor of the Pilates method. With stretches, assisted exercises, and movement focused on improving strength, flexibility and stamina on those that practice it
  • Here we have the meanings of advice and wisdom, but also the nature of the exercises follows the idea of “stillness” or “lack of movement” from the star.
  • Pilates exercises have a very focused/controlled range of motion, allowing the person practicing to focus on specific muscles or areas of the body, reducing the impact of the exercise on other joints or body parts.
  • Pilates can even be used as physical therapy or practiced by disabled people.
  • During World War I, Joseph was put in an internment camp, along with other German citizens living in England. During his period there, he taught self-defense and wrestling, boasting that people would come out stronger out of the camp. This shows mental perseverance, as he tried working and improving, instead of wallowing in depression/desperation with the sad fate of being held prisoner.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, this star has a much subtler expression than other nakshatras, which makes the job of finding examples harder. I’ve found this star to be very prominent in academia, with professors or researchers, in various fields.

See more Nakshatra posts here

• Span: 06°40′ Gemini to 20°00′ Gemini
• Deity: Rudra, the roarer
• Dasha Lord: Rahu
• Symbol: teardrop, diamond, head
• Animal (Yoni): Dog (female)
• Shakti or power: Yatna shakti = power to make an effort

Rudra is a vedic god, said to be an incarnation of Shiva. His name can be loosely translated to “the roarer”, the word Rudra can mean “to cry” or “to howl”. Rudra is the god of storms, strong winds, destruction, death, time, auspiciousness and animals.

Rudra represents all things wild and uncontrollable; representing chaos, disorder, confusion, destruction and havoc. The main goal here is transformation or purification. Nobody enjoys hard lessons, but most people won’t change without a strong push. Similarly, without clearing things out, there is no space for new things. Rudra represents this clearing out, opening space for the new, as well as the purification of all things.

The name Ardra can be translated into “green”, “fresh” or “moist” again making reference to renewal, to some fresh manifestation. An alternative name is Arudra, making a clear allusion to Rudra. The main message of Ardra deals with the Dance of Shiva, the eternal cycle of destruction and creation, death and rebirth.

The main symbols behind this star are a teardrop, a diamond and a head. The teardrop represents the destruction, the traumatic events, the storm affecting us. The diamond represents the radiance, the creation, the freshness after the storm. The head represents the human condition, with a mental focus, stuck at manas or the mental level of consciousness.

This nakshatra has a strong liking for all things wild, unusual, weird and strange. These natives will usually involve themselves with alternative cultures, fringe ideologies, different religions and things somewhat dissonant from what is common around them. Obviously, there are degrees of this, but the very least is that the Ardra native will be attuned to a foreign language or foreign culture. At most, these natives could be daredevils, hurricane chasers or all kinds of bizarre activities.

Their form of communication is another clear marker. Their dark sense of humor is employed to keep a pleasant environment around them, they will have an alluring presence. There is a tendency here to shock with speech, to say harsh or exaggerated things in order to get a reaction. A sarcastic or shock jock nature is a frequent point with these natives.

These natives are usually very intelligent. Going back to the head symbol, this star has a strong mental focus, which strengthens their mind. This gives them quick wit, a good memory and a strong intellect. Usually these natives will have a few interest areas where they are very knowledgeable, and can easily recite facts about it. For instance, an Ardra native could be a geography buff, knowing all about different countries or different areas of the world.

The mental focus signalizes, also, that these natives live a lot in their own heads. A lot of their problems could stem from mental excesses or overthinking. An Ardra native, even when quiet, will always have something going in his mind. They are constantly thinking, constantly planning and calculating, constantly running scenarios on their head. They have frequent mental storms running alongside a calm exterior façade.

Transformation is a key thing in these natives lives, this is what the storms represent. Transformation is never easy, in fact, some say that each transformation/change in life is a small death. Similarly, Ardra will go through troubles, traumatic events, scandals, ups and downs and turmoils that will trigger change in his life. Usually, these personal storms tend to be short, happening and going away fast. Also, there is always improvement for the native after these events.

Learning to ride the tiger or weather the storm is very important for Ardra, learning to deal with transformation (and the work/sacrifice required for it) is a key lesson in their lives.

Ardra deals with extremes on all senses, and dealing with transformation is one of them.

On one hand, some Ardra natives might crave the constant transformation, the constant movement and agitation. These natives might be constantly creating situations, uprooting their lives and forcing change in their world. Change is good, specially for Ardra. But it can become a cargo cult. You can’t just change for the sake of changing, you have to take the time to learn your lessons, to understand what had to change and why.

On the other hand, some Ardra natives might avoid conflict and avoid change. These natives will go through a storm, they will pretend it didn’t happen, and move on without changing anything. With these cases, they will usually go through multiple storms, multiple troubles, in the same area until they change.

On the first extreme, I’ve met a woman who moved 5 times in about 3 years, all because “she needed a change” and she felt that moving into new homes would give her that. All while uprooting her children and going through all that trouble.

On the second extreme of avoidance, I’ve had a man who had several setbacks, all lining him towards abandoning a certain profession, which he didn’t even enjoy. He chose not to do it, in order to please his family, who had a long dream for him to pursue said career. After years of trouble, multiple complicated incidents related to this career, he finally changed and things went well.

A key point is to learn balance, to change and transform in a conscious manner. Although, if I had to pick the worst path for Ardra, it would be the one where a native avoids change. This star is all about transformation. If a native goes overboard, uprooting and changing all the time, some troubles will occur, but the natural flow is happening. If a native never changes, not only is he creating problems, but the flow of the nakshatra is being interrupted. This avoidance of change, a lot of times, stems from a degree of laziness on the part of these natives

The shakti or power of this star deals with making efforts, reaching goals. Similarly, the diamond symbolism alludes to effort, as finding a diamond is a hard thing on itself, but polishing and making it perfect is even harder. These natives, on their best, are hard workers for themselves and the world. But, in some cases, learning about putting in the effort and creating gold becomes an important turning point in life.

Something that I notice about these natives is that their lives require a little bit of chaos at all times. Even when they are still, or when they are supposed to be resting, they will find something to do. They will get involved with some mental activity or arguments. An example is singer Cher, who has an Ardra ascendant, she used to watch C-SPAN (a political channel in the US) and call-in the shows as a listener to argue about politics. Similarly, these natives can be frequently found on online arguments and discussions.

This “required chaos” becomes specially interesting for the natives who avoid change. A lot of times, they will find sudden troubles or issues knocking on their door, uprooting them and again reinforcing the need for change. Alternatively, subconsciously they will create or build-up tension towards an argument/conflict. Said conflict becomes another storm in their lives, triggering transformation. They will feed the elephant in the room, until it grows tall enough, to put it metaphorically.

Catharsis is a key thing for Ardra, releasing the past, letting go of things and moving on. This is what the teardrop represents, a short burst of sadness, to clear things up and allow us to move on.

Another key point of their existence is finding depth, understanding things to their deeper details. Ardra loves to analyze things, dissecting and going deep like a butcher, tearing ideas/things apart to understand their inner workings. These natives can be great researchers, analysts and critics. They are always able to find out (and point) areas for improvement.

In any area of knowledge, these natives will tend to develop great insight. Usually, some of their areas of focus deal with technology, electricity, aerospace and air-travel, as well as most areas of occult knowledge. Maybe even a combo of areas. These natives are very multifaceted, with multiple diverging interests.

Emotionally, these natives tend to be like a child, they can go from crying to smiling in a very short amount of time.

Ardra’s wild energy creates some issues on an emotional level, these natives can act in antisocial or negative manners at times. These natives can be extremely ungrateful towards people that helped them, not thanking them, not recognizing them or not cutting them some slack when these people need help. Similarly, these natives have a hard time admitting and accepting their own errors, they love playing the blame game. Blaming people for theirs mistakes, finding a way to pin their faults onto others.

Two big areas of growth for these natives, that will improve their lives and karma, deal with learning about gratitude and acceptance. Being grateful to others, giving back to those that helped you. Accepting and admitting your own mistakes, learning from them and moving on, instead of paralyzing yourself on a blame game.

As a daily star, Ardra favors all activities related to electricity or technology. It favors discarding old items, demolishing things or any kind of clearing of the past. Good for confronting problems or long standing issues. Great for research and analysis. Excellent day for worshipping fierce deities, like Rudra and Kali.

This star is unfavorable for new beginnings. Not a great moment for marriage, travel, ceremonies or friendly activities.

Predictively, Ardra will represent people that carry this wild and caustic energy. 11th lord here could show unusual and chaotic friends, for instance. Any planet in Ardra shows turbulence, transformation or ups and downs. For instance, the 2nd lord could show the parents divorcing or separating. The 10th lord could show ups and downs in career, or a major change in career at some point. A final meaning deals with controversy or conflict, Ardra planets will tend to shock or create some degree of upheaval.

Examples:

• Vanessa Williams (Ardra ascendant 16° Gemini): American singer, actress and former beauty contestant.
  • She was crowned Miss America in 1984, among controversy, as many criticized her choice for the title.
  • Nude photos, taken in 1982, that she thought had been destroyed by the photographer resurfaced as they were bought and published by Penthouse Magazine.
  • The public scandal forced her to resign her title. After the scandal, she shifted her focus into a career as actress and singer.
• Temple Grandin (Ardra Mars 17° Gemini): American animal behaviorist
  • An autistic child, she grew up experiencing constant fear, anger and sadness.
  • Upon visiting her aunt’s cow farm, she observed how the animals reacted to stress, and this inspired her to find ways to manage her own stress, as well as in helping animals and livestock do the same.
  • She invented the hug box, a soothing device for autistic people. She went on to specialize on animal care and animal stress relief.
  • Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Ardra becomes a focal point by ruling the ascendant.
• Kurt Cobain (Ardra Moon 19° Gemini): American musician who wrote anguished and emotional lyrics, died by suicide at the age of 27.
  • As a child, he was diagnosed as hyperactive and given amphetamine-based drugs. Those caused him insomnia, which were counteracted with sleeping medication.
  • His parents divorce was another traumatic event in his childhood, which caused him to antagonize both of his parents.
  • His life was filled with turbulations, emotional pain and overall inner suffering.

See more Nakshatra posts here