THUNDER and WATER

Beauty, Youth, and Discernment Discernment and duality play subtle tricks on our minds when it comes to Aśvinī Nakṣatra. What could two handsome, swift, ingenious, and powerful twins possibly have to do with health, morality, and virtue? Aśvinī is the first of the twenty-seven lunar mansions, spanning 0°00' to 13°20' of sidereal Aries. To understand its essence, we must understand its presiding deities: the Aśvin Kumāras. Divine twin horsemen. Physicians of the gods. Strong,

Death, Birth, and Passage The tonal whiplash of Bharaṇī Nakṣatra becomes apparent when one places its presiding deity, Yama—the Lord of Death—beside its symbol: the yoni, the feminine principle of creation and birth. This pairing raises two fundamental questions: Is birth ever truly separate from death? And more importantly...are the most profound beginnings ever painless? Bharaṇī spans 13°20' to 26°40' of sidereal Aries. On days when the Moon transits this asterism, I h

Healing, Poison, and Secret Knowledge Nakṣatras have a tendency to teach us about seemingly opposite concepts that are, in truth, inextricably linked. And few illustrate this lesson as clearly as Āśleṣā, or Ashlesha, Nakṣatra. I was discussing this star recently with a colleague. We both have Ashlesha prominent in our horoscopes—hers with Rāhu, mine as the Ascendant, near Jupiter in Puṣya. On days marked by Āśleṣā, she spoke of arguments, deception, and hidden motives. I spok

Staying Grounded Amidst Constant Change While discussing Svāti or Swati nakshatra with a dear friend the other day, both as a natal star and current lunar transit, two themes appeared over and over again — chaos and grounding. The conversation made me realize perhaps I had misunderstood this star...or only seen it for half of what it represents. Svāti is the 15th star of the 27 nakshatras, and to understand its energy, you must understand its deity: Vāyu (वात्). In the Rigved

The Search for Purpose Often, the search for purpose is not a lack of direction, but a misunderstanding of what direction looks like. Let’s take a step back and distinguish Dharma from Purpose. Dharma refers to right action and the pursuit of relational responsibility in alignment with one’s inherent nature and capacity, while modern “purpose” normally refers to personally chosen aims and life directions, which can still be grounded in dharma. Today we will speak mostly about

Archangel Michael, Mars, and the Warrior Principle in Jyotiṣa Most religious traditions embody, in one form or another, the energies of the nine Grahas. Their symbolism appears throughout sacred architecture, mythology, ritual, and scripture, often preserving planetary archetypes beneath theological language and cultural form. Within Christianity, the seven Archangels may be understood as expressions of the seven visible planetary forces. Among the most striking examples is S

Healing And Transformation The Sixth and Eighth Houses in Vedic Astrology: Complementary Yet Opposing Forces In Jyotiṣa, deeper insight into the houses often emerges when they are studied in relationship to one another rather than in isolation. Much like the passage in I Corinthians 13:4–5, where love is understood partly through what it is not, the nature of a house may become clearer through contrast with its complementary opposite. This contemplative approach is reflected

Visit to Enoshima shrine: Benzaiten as saraswati Recently, I paid homage to Benzaiten, or Benten, at Enoshima Shrine built in 552 C.E. in...

Fortune-telling through omikuji in japan. In Japan, omikuji are written fortunes offered at shrines and temples in Japan. Usually,...

Birth on amavasya, the dark moon. Amavasya is the day the Moon achieves its darkest phase before growing to full once again. In Jyotish,...

Using Jyotish to assess compatibility. Photo credit: @rosa.saito @lukomarcos Every connection we make with others will somehow shape or...

How does the Moon show your mother, mind, and relationships? Photo credit: @tailsandwingsphoto To a great extent, the health of your...

The Distortion Between Identity and Self-Perception Photo credit: @ivana.bari In Jyotiṣa, the Arudha Lagna reflects the image projected into the world: the visible personality, reputation, and the way others perceive us. Yet public perception is only one layer of identity. Equally important is the question of how we perceive and approach ourselves internally. This is where the Bhāva Lagna becomes significant. Sometimes who we attempt to be, who we imagine ourselves to be, and

Arudha Lagna: The Image Others See Photo credit: @alexandriaslens You are a complex and multifaceted being, yet only a portion of that complexity is visible to the world. Every interaction creates an impression, and that impression is rarely the complete truth of who you are. Sometimes it is remarkably accurate. At other times, it may differ significantly from your inner reality. Yet impressions possess power. In practical terms, how others perceive us can often have a greate

Turning sounds into numbers and numbers into sounds. Photo credit: @mochi.n.maru Computation, Sound, and Ketu in Vedic Astrology Computation is often associated with Ketu in Vedic astrology, reflecting abstraction, analysis, and the reduction of phenomena into subtle, non-material structures. Within this framework, numerology is used for various purposes, including birth chart rectification and the selection of auspicious names. Numerological systems function by translating s

Numerology decisions for sounds that do not naturally exist in Sanskrit (Devanagari). Photo credit: https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/ #Numerology serves many purposes in Jyotish, from birth rectification to auspicious naming. Numerology systems like #Katapayasha and #Katapayadi turn sounds into numbers and numbers into sounds. But what do you do when the sound presented does not exist in the system you are using? For example, the sound "Z" as in "zen" or "zebr

Planets represent desires and people in your life. Rashi represent settings and resources. Photo credit: @jordan_robins Pisces (Mīna) in Vedic Astrology Pisces, or Mīna, is a dual, feminine, sattvic, water sign ruled by Jupiter. It represents a deeply inward and dissolving flow of consciousness, associated with the natural twelfth house and its themes of withdrawal, spirituality, foreign lands, loss, liberation, and inner reflection. As the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces si

Your Sun's desires and the Ādityas. Photo credit: @davide.anzimanni The Twelve Ādityas and the Sun During the Sun’s annual journey through the zodiac, it is said to take on the symbolic “forms” of the twelve Ādityas, the sons of Aditi. These twelve solar deities represent different expressions of solar intelligence and consciousness as it moves through the signs. In order, they are: Dhātā, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, Indra, Vivasvān, Pūṣan, Parjanya, Aṁśumān, Bhaga, Tvaṣṭṛ, and V

The dispositor of your Moon. Photo credit: @gokuraz Shubhapati (The Lord of Auspiciousness) Shubha means auspicious, beneficial, or favorable, and pati means lord. In this context, the Shubhapati refers to the dispositor of the Moon. The Moon represents the mind, thought patterns, emotional responsiveness, mother, early life conditioning, sense of belonging, and nourishment. The sign in which the Moon is placed indicates the primary field of mental focus, while the condition

The yoga that fulfills all of your desires. Photo credit: @banksjourney Kalpadruma Yoga (Kalpavriksha Yoga / Parijata Yoga) Kalpadruma Yoga, also known as Kalpavriksha Yoga or Parijata Yoga, is traditionally described as the yoga of the celestial wish-fulfilling tree. It is said that a person with this combination has the capacity to significantly manifest or fulfill many of their desires, depending on its strength and activation in the chart. The wish-fulfilling tree “He or