The Meanings of our Stars - From Sufferings, mistakes, challenges, lessons, on to Happiness, joy & success!

May 29, 2005

The Meanings of Our Stars....

There's an astrological perspective, an appreciation of the significance of the inherent meaning

of our Stars, that's a natural value judgement.

Such and such (Astrological configurations), are good, and such and such are bad.

Even people who don't understand Astrology, or their inherent symbolisms, still are living the realities of these Astrological forces.

In pre-Astrology or pre-Jyotish, there's an astrological meaning inside of us where Nature herself, seems to play the role of Guru.

In those that don't consciously understand their Astrological forces, Nature is the one that's giving back the inherent meanings, ie. consequences, of our actions, choices, and pursuits.

Maybe we're having a lot of accidents, or are prone to fits of anger, or irritability, even blaming others, full of resentment, and the like.

We may not understand intellectually our Astrological forces or 'Chart' but we are certainly living the realities of those forces.

At some point we may finally 'get it', that we're the one's that need to change.

We may realize that we've got to slow down, or learn to dissipate our anger and that we are the real source of our irritableness, blaming, resentment, and the like.

What happened, why did we change?

We changed because we don't like pain!

We changed because we don't like suffering, having accidents, disappointments, frustrations and the like.

The inherent meaning of our Astrological lives are happening already, even before we consciously come to understand them, intellectually.

What happens however when we make a conscious effort to understand the rules, principles, and ideas of Astrology, is that we begin to live our lives more on the level of knowledge, and not just on the level of experimentation.

Then, when we read about our Mars, or kuja dosha, or malefically functioning Mars, suddenly it all makes sense.

Ahhh, that's why I was having so many accidents, and heat rashes, irritability, blaming others, angry, and on and on.

But, the end result is the same. Whether we get it, from Nature, kind of accidentally, or come to understand ourselves and our situation, through the wisdoms of Astrology; still, at some point we come to realize, .... " I'm the one that has to change my ways! "

So, we find ways to balance Mars.

Maybe we're told to wear red coral.

Or, maybe we're told to do this Mars mantra.

Or, maybe we're just told to learn to slow down or be less Marish!

Whatever the Astrological 'remedy' the point is we try and balance ourselves, to change ourselves, in such a way that that pain or uncomfortableness goes away.

I remember in my life, where I used to have lots of accidents. I had my first one, (in career), almost 30 years ago. I had a friend hold a ladder while I climbed up it. At the top, (I was trying to fix the ladder extension, on the top), my friend lost his hold and I came tumbling down, about 12 feet.

A number of years later, I'm remodeling this house, and I'm rushing to get the project done. The general contractor's in a hurry, urging us to go faster and faster and, I'm up for the challenge. I put one of my scaffoldings, up, (ladders & planks), and then I think, " mmmm, if I can find another plank, to put up next to the first scaffolding, then I can get it done even faster! "

Well, I'm scrambling faster and faster, and then, suddenly I find the scaffolding falling out, from underneath myself. 32 feet this time. Oh, my,..... I think.... Actually, everyone tells me later, they hear only this expression: " OHHHHHHH SHHHHHHITTTTTTT! " coming reverberating from around the house.

I and all my equipment, ladders, scaffolding, everything, come tumbling down, and I land in the mud, on my butt, with all the equipment falling all around me.

When they take me to the hospital to patch up this one hole in my leg, and check me out, I'm thinking " why did this happen to me? " I'd been studying Jyotish now, for about 4 years, and I knew my dasas and transits. None of them were related to my Mars, so why?

Later, it occurred to me, " Oh, my goodness, it's in my chart, that I go too fast? " I have Mars/Cancer in my 10th, and I've always had accidents in career.

But, now I thought " It's in my chart, itself, so maybe always I have a tendency to go too fast, and maybe that tendency is worse, during different dasas and transits, but maybe, just maybe I can gain advantage by knowing this. "

Well, that was over 13 years ago, now, and I'm happy to say, since that time, now, I haven't had one single accident.

What happened?

Did it just get, evolved, by itself?

Or, did I participate in the realization that I'm accident prone?

Nature herself, was trying to tell me, but I didn't really get it, until I learned through Jyotish, or Astrology, that Mars was over there, and not so good, and maybe that was the reason why I was having so many accidents.

Then, it just came to me. I'm supposed to change my thinking, in this way!

I'm supposed to learn to adjust. That's what the natural symbolism of accidents is all about, anyway, and Jyotish already is saying that this problem is due to this weak, malefically functioning Mars.

So, I guess I'm supposed to go slower!

Sounds stupid, now, of course, but at the time, it wasn't and in truth, the nature of all our malefics, 'grab us', because of their very malefic, and concealing/binding nature.

Our benefics, though we're living them, just as naturally and effortlessly; don't' get us into trouble.

In fact, through them, we spontaneously do the right thing, and enjoy the natural, and positive consequences of their natures.

I had a couple of what I now realize are benefics. Everyone has some!

Mine were Jupiter in Pisces, and Sun in Leo. Now, I understand in those aspects of myself, I did get wonderfully positive results.

But, in all the rest, whew!, what a contrast to the nature of my few benefics.

But, then I began to study Jyotish, and especially the meanings of Exalted Planets really charmed me. I would read about so-called Exalted Planets and then I started meeting people who had those Exalted Planets.

I especially have this one Exalted Saturn friend who I noticed every time I was around her, I'd feel soooo settled, even peaceful, and patient. Over time, it slowly began to occur to me, " hey, I can be like that! "

That was the beginning of my real appreciation and growth of the Saturn, within me. Previously Saturn was another of my abundant list of malefics, hehe!

Saturn was in my 12th house, and even though it was supposed to be this great Yogakaraka, being I have a Libra Rising, still, the symbolisms of my Saturn, in the 12th, seemed to be very clearly symbolic of all the grief, losses, frustrations, delays, disappointments, and the like, that I experienced.

" But, I can be like that! " , was the beginning of my Saturn shift.

Suddenly it had become clearer to me, that we're supposed to be refining and improving our malefic situations.

In real life, whether we're accident prone, or prone to sickness, at some point we can get it: " Hey I've got to learn about health! "

Maybe we start reading up all about health, or maybe we read an Ayurvedic book, on balancing the doshas, and getting more in-tune with all the cycles of life.

Did you know there's a daily cycle?

There are in fact, even mini-cycles throughout the day.

There's something called a pitta cycle, which occurs naturally around 12 noon, each day.

This is why it's so natural to eat, during this time. The natural 'pitta' energy of the day, is so high that it's extremely beneficial to eat and metabolize food.

This is why it's not thought to be so healthy to eat at night, or right before bed.

Wow, who would ever have guessed, that there was a real reason behind my parents telling me to do this or that, and go to bed early!

I always hated going to bed early. All of my life, I was a nite owl, and didn't like to go to bed earlier. Then, even when I heard that it was better for one, to go to bed earlier, before 10pm, so that one is asleep during the natural kapha cycle of the later evening; I found it very hard for me to do that.

Then, I studied my chart, and realized why. My Saturn, which is probably the planet that governs routines, cycles and rhythms, being in my 12th house; the inherent wisdoms of Saturn, were lost to me.

So, I started studying those rhythms more, and began my search for whether I could change those tendencies within me.

Of course I found staying up late, was not all that it was cracked up to be. I always felt a bit drained, the later I stayed up. Then, I would notice that sometimes, I'd have times when I did go to bed, more early, and I noticed, that I really felt marvelous that next day!

So, we're living these Astrological forces. They pervade each and every part of ourselves. Our Psychology, even our bodies, our Physiology, are a flood of Astrological qualities, tendencies, and inclinations.

But, Jyotish has a value system. Such and such an Astrological configuration is good, while such and such is not so good.

What is this for?

Now, I understand that this value judgement is so that we learn to stop feeding, supporting or creating our negative or malefic tendencies. In addition, as we gain the perspective that certain of our own tendencies are incorrect, then we can consciously begin the process of re-learning those, so-called malefic ones.

For me, I had already been in the process of realizing that my Mars impulse was too much, or too fast. Already Nature had been trying to show me, that my Saturn was out of balance and that I needed to improve my Saturn sense.

But, nothing can compare to discovering consciously that there is an inherent meaning in the symbolisms of our charts.

When I realized that these symbolisms; positive and negative really did fit me well, I thought: " There must be a meaning to these symbolisms? "

Though it took me a long time to discover these, still at some point I got it. The benefics don't need to change, they're already good, balanced, or naturally positive. In fact I realized, in those areas of my 'few', hehe, benefics I did enjoy some small measure of joy and success.

Now, I tell people where they have their own benefics: " Learn to understand and utilize your benefic strengths, more! "

But, maybe, now, just maybe, we're supposed to also gain some learning from our malefics.

Maybe we're meant to change those things, that are presently corresponding to our unhappy, disappointing, frustrating, grievous, and suffering characteristics.

Certainly our malefics do, already, correspond with our unhappinesses.

So, maybe, just maybe, these same malefics are really trying to tell us, something that we haven't quite gotten so far?

Maybe there's a truth to the old adage: " There's a blessing, there in disguise! "

You'll hear this sometimes, in those that got held back from what they thought they wanted, or after some personal loss, tragedy, and the like.

Upon reflecting upon their demise, and even loss, suddenly sometimes, you'll hear people say: " Now I realize it was really for good! "

Wow, what an expression. Who could ever believe that getting sick, and in the bed, for 2 weeks, or even the hospital, could have a happy result?

Though, it's not because of the suffering that a good, benefic consequence comes out of it.

It's because we begin to see the light, as to the fact, that we're supposed to refine our physical motion, or be more cognizant of needing more rest and going to bed earlier, and taking better care of ourselves. Suddently we do, just get it; there is an inherent meaning even in our sufferings and losses.

But maybe, just maybe, there's a real symbolism there within our malefics, that's really, our " blessings in disguise " ?

Now, looking back in retrospect, I can say, this is really a very easy thing to verify.

Stay up late for 2, 3, even 4 nites in a row, and watch how that affects you.

You'll feel tired, the first day, more irritable and snappy, the second, then, even a little angry the 3rd, and finally by the 4th day, almost ill, and wasted kind of feelings and reality.

Then, take the opposite tact, and get more rest, for 2, 3, even 4 days in a row.

The first day, you feel a little better. The second, you start to feel strangely kind of normal. Then, the 3rd and 4th days, you begin to feel a wholeness, a reserve, an inner strength, that you haven't had for.... you don't even know how long.

What happened?

What's going on, in such experiences?

In the first one, we're actually undermining the very Saturn, balance inside of us.

As a result of this strain, staying up too late, not being in-tune with the natural rhythms, or cycles of nature, or the day, or ourselves, we immediately begin experiencing the greater, malefic nature of our Saturns.

We feel uneasy, we begin to feel unsettled, and then, quickly we feel listless, imbalanced, and finally become sick.

So, what's happening when we make a conscious stab at being more in-tune, over those days?

We're actually strengthening our Saturn by getting more rest, re-chargeing the batteries a little, functioning more and more regularly, in-tune with Nature, with that daily cycle, and even our own, Physiology.

So, maybe, just maybe there's a different symbolism there, within especially our malefic ones that maybe, just maybe we're meant to unfold.

Once you start on this path, you'll find yourself, discovering the most amazing pearls of Wisdom.

Can it be this easy?, you think. Can this really be the reason why I've been experiencing all my problems, challenges, griefs, disappointments, and sufferings?

Well, take a few steps in this direction.

Identify your Malefics, whether they're Mars, Saturn, or Moon, Venus or Jupiter.

See, if you can not only understand why they're malefic, but now, seek to understand how they might become more benefic!

Fortunately, we have this great perspective from Jyotish, itself.

We already have the knowledge and consequences of Benefic Jupiters, Venus', Mercuries and Moons.

We also, have, already, some ideas and descriptions of what the so-called natural malefics like Mars and Saturn might be like in their more balanced, healthy, Own Signs, or Exalted states.

Maybe then, there's a message there, for us, within our own, functional malefics.

I certainly hope so. Otherwise, life would be so cruel, if we were only supposed to experience the consequences of our mistakes, and not be able to learn the lessons of our challenges.

Fortunately, life is very kind. Life is not just about punishment. In fact, at this very moment, Nature can forgive us our trespasses, and those that trespass, against us.

In this very moment, if we create a new, better, more life-supporting, and more positive action, thought or perception, immediately, life will take that new action, and begin creating for you a new, more positive, and uplifting consequence.

It's called karma, or " as you sow, so shall you reap. "

Figure out a way, any way, to become more in-tune with the truerer, benefic nature of any and all of your functional malefics, and immediately, you will feel better!

We actually, are born for this realization.

Unfortunately, it's kind of become forgotten.

Now, today, in this special light of increasing positive value from many of the other Vedic sciences; like meditation, yoga, and Ayurved, now, we can take solace and begin our own Vedic revival in this very important field of Jyotish.

Jyotish, too can become a knowledge of renewal, of transformation, and life affirming, progress, and prosperity.

The key, is we have only to learn how to un-learn our maleifics, and begin experiencing and enjoying their naturally benefic status, and we will find ourselves, living the truest life, that we were actually meant to live!

Jai Guru

Sincerely,

Mark Kincaid