Annular Solar Eclipse

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"Drew Lawrence" <drewjlawrence (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>Annular Solar

EclipseSat, 1 Oct 2005 15:05:22 +0100

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSEBy Drew LawrenceDrew Lawrence

Consultationdrewjlawrence (AT) hotmail (DOT) comwww.drewlawrence.comOn Monday, October 3,

2005, we will experience an annular solar eclipse in the sign of VIRGO. The

second solar eclipse of 2005 is confined to the Eastern hemisphere. It crosses

the Iberian peninsula in Spain and stretches across the African continent.

Europe, Western Asia, the Middle East and most of Africa will fall within the

shadow

of this eclipse.The path of the annular solar eclipse begins in the North

Atlantic at 08:41 am Greenwich Mean Time (this is not Daylight Savings Time).

The maximum eclipse occurs at 10:31 am. The eclipse ends at12:22 pm and lasts 3

hours and 41 minutes.An eclipse is generally an inauspicious event since the

planets which are the luminaries, the givers of light, are overshadowed or

eclipsed by other celestial bodies. In Vedic mythology and astrological

calculation, we always find the presence of either lunar node, Rahu or Ketu, in

conjunction with the eclipsed planet. Rahu and Ketu are known as chaya-graha in

Sanskrit which means 'shadow planets' since their purpose is to carry and

project the

shadow upon the other planets. This they accomplish both on the personal or

individual level and the collective or world level. Rahu and Ketu reveal the

force or nature of the shadow or negative behavior pattern and its consequences

so that it can be recognized, exposed to the light of day, and subsequently

resolved and removed. There will be only 3 degrees of separation between the

Sun and Rahu during this eclipse.The eclipse effects of October 3rd in the sign

of VIRGO can be triggered around the time of eclipse but will also likely be

experienced for the next 3 1/2 years.EFFECTS OF THE SOLAR ECLIPSE(According to

Classical Sanskrit Astrological Texts)If the Sun sets while being eclipsed at

the time, the autumn crops will fail and the kings in the land will suffer.If

the eclipse happens in the second division of the sky (12th house), farmers,

heretics, traders, business people, merchants, governors, rulers,

and military leaders will meet with destruction.An eclipse which takes place

while the Sun travels in his southern course will have an adverse effect on

merchants, business profits, laborers and labor unions.If the solar eclipse

begins in the north it will devastate the intellectual class consisting of

teachers, healers, counselors, doctors, lawyers, priests, writers, professors

and scientists.If the eclipse takes place in Virgo, it will afflict crops,

countries abounding in rice paddy fields, poets, writers, journalists and

musicians.Since Mercury aspects the eclipsed Sun, the result will be that

butter, honey or oil will become costly and hard to obtain. Kings, rulers and

political leaders will suffer. Saturn also aspects the Sun which will cause

rains to diminish and is likely to produce famine and thievery.Since the Sun

will be in the constellation of HASTA during the eclipse, we can expect the

following effects:Salespeople, traders, merchants, business people, commercial

ventures, imports and exports, tariffs and trade agreements will be adversely

affected.The businesses of shipping, freight, delivery, communications,

couriers and messengers will suffer setbacks.Politicians, diplomats,

ambassadors, and embassies will come under fire.The price of textiles, fabrics,

cloth and yarn will be driven upward.We may see the collapse or structural

failure of bridges, dams, canals, levees or tunnels. The cost of building or

repairing such structures may outstrip original estimates.The price of ink and

printing will rise.People who advocate on behalf of the forgotten and

disenfranchised segments of society will endure greater difficulty in reaching

their goals.The market value of grains, such as corn, wheat, rye and barley

will surge.More thieves, robbers, burglars and swindlers will be

caught and made to face justice.VEDIC MYTHOLOGYThousands of years ago, the

demons and the gods were instructed by Vishnu (God Himself) to churn the Ocean

of Milk at the base of the universe in order generate the sacred soma, the

nectar of immortality. When the nectar of immortality was produced, the problem

was to distribute it between the gods and demons. To give it to the demons would

mean to give infinite strength to those who would use it with poor judgment or

from a limited, egotistical perspective.To remedy the situation, Vishnu took

the form of a beautiful damsel named Mohini (the bewilderer) and told the

demons to arrange themselves in a row in order to be served their share of the

nectar. In preparation for the intense experience of drinking the nectar,

Mohini asked the demons to close their eyes and meditate. If anyone opened his

eyes, he would lose his chance to share the nectar due to his

impatience. The materialistic and self-involved demons waited and waited. Mohini

distributed the nectar only to the gods.It is generally a female divinity, a

virgin, who protects and bestows divine knowledge or revelation to the lower

beings. Mohini tried to teach the demons that one should not strive for

physical immortality and its benefits but for the supreme knowledge that

transcends all material enjoyment and sensory perception.The demon Rahu who is

thought to be a serpent-like character, had no intention of cooperating with

Mohini's plan and hid himself in the row of gods, directly between the Sun and

the Moon. The Sun god passed the jug of nectar over to him and he took a drink.

At that time, the Sun and Moon gods recognized him and called out to Mohini,

"This is Rahu, the demon, in the midst of the row of gods!" The nectar had only

gone as far as his throat when Mohini threw Her discus at him, severing his head

from his body. But since the nectar was already in his head, his head became

immortal like the other gods. Rahu went on to perpetually eclipse the Sun and

Moon as payback for their treachery toward him. Ketu is considered to be the

tail of the serpent, since Rahu and Ketu are always exactly 180 degrees

apart.WHAT TO DO DURING AN ECLIPSEIn Vedic times, many thousands of years ago,

it was the custom to enter a river, particularly a sacred river, such as the

Ganges, or the ocean or other body of water and chant mantras and offer prayers

for purification and to reduce negative karmic reactions for the duration of the

eclipse. Solar and lunar eclipses are generally very inauspicious, with certain

rare exceptions. It is nonetheless an advantageous opportunity for fasting,

prayer and worship of God. Fasting should be observed for the whole period of

the eclipse in order to nullify the reactions of past negative or

egocentric activities.It is also recommended to give in charity to the poor as

much as possible during the time of a lunar or solar eclipse. If you cannot

afford to give in charity, then simply give charity within your mind, that is,

envision yourself doing it just the way you would on the physical plane. The

spiritual benefit for you will be the same.Pregnant women should never look at

an eclipse since it is thought to have a potentially negative effect on the

health of the foetus.NOTE: For those of you who are currently in a major or

minor period of RAHU, this is the optimum time to offer prayers, chant mantras,

and perform rituals, such as offering incense, candles or flowers to the shadow

planet, Rahu. Specific kinds of charity are recommended to be given in order to

pacify Rahu. Donate one or more of the following: any black article; hessonite

(cinnamon stone); coconut; coal; old coins or foreign coins to

a diseased or homeless person.Drew LawrenceThe FieldBallybetagh RoadBallybetagh,

KilternanDublin 18IrelandIn Ireland: (01) 294-6888From U.S. 011 353 1

294-6888www.drewlawrence.com

 

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