Ardra nakshatra - The inconsolable human!
In this new year to help people, I am putting a sale on my readings. I have reduced the prices drastically 70-80%. Hope people take advantage of this price reduction.
As life was interfering, I was not able to write for the last three weeks. Also, the personal readings on my store are catching up slowly. That also keeps me away from writing. But I decided this week, I need to write and post a blog. As per the amazing response and comments I got for Moola, a Kethu ruled nakshatra, this time I thought I would tackle Ardra or Thiruvathira(i) in Malayalam/ Tamil, a Rahu ruled nakshatra. And today of all the days, the nakshatra under which I am writing this blog post is exactly Thiruvathirai or Ardra in the lagna of the current place chart where I am. Lagna is the physical form taking shape of the Ardra blog.
Numerology: We have discussed Rahu many times. According to my perspective, Rahu is the grand illusion of the material world or Maya. Every human and even celestial beings get tied in this rope. We all have heard the sage Narada in Hindu mythology. There is a story even he got duped by the illusion of the material world and found himself in tremendous hassles. So think about us, mere humans. But Rahu is not bad as well. He can be the greatest healer as Dhanwantiri himself. The nakshatra Sathabhishek ruled by Rahu is 100 healers in its highest energy. But in the lower form Rahu can be a cheat and takes action with deceit. Rahu behaves according to the mind he is associated with. The mind decides, a cheat or the highest healer. From this, we can realize how important Moon or mind is in Vedic astrology.
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| Betelgeuse, tenth brightest star in the sky and the second brightest star in the Orion constellation Image credits - Adam Block/Steward Observatory/ University of Arizona, via Wikimedia Commons |
Ardra or Thiruvathira nakshatra, comes sixth from Ashwini in the house of Gemini or Mithuna. Let us look at the numerology. Six according to Vedic astrology is the house of Virgo. As Gemini, Virgo is also ruled by Mercury. Mercury is logic, rationality or Buddhi. Sixth house is the house of every day activity, debts, diseases and sickness. But the same Virgo also rules writing, logic, inner wisdom of a sage. In tarot, Virgo is signified by the card - Hermit. A hermit is someone who does a lot of inner query and inner exploration, so that they can later teach or guide others.
Without a good Virgo house, it is pretty much impossible to write with deep logic and rationality. Therefore, many scientists, doctors, healers and writers have placements in Virgo. As Ardra is the sixth nakshatra, this Virgo energy can have an underlying say with this lunar mansion. Due to the debts and diseases angle, the person can have a feeling that they may fall victim to debt or diseases. This constant worry and stress may bring eventually the physical manifestations as well. We will come back to this worry/ stress nature later.
In the ancient system of numbering from Krithika, this nakshatra comes as the fourth. Four is solid foundation, four legs of a table or the four pillars of a house. But many times, the six energy of worry overtakes this foundation energy of four. From the number four to six, including the number four, it is three numbers- 4, 5 and 6. Four being the foundation number of home, the worry and stress the person would communicate to their family members, as Ardra comes three nakshatras later. Three is the number of communications. Above stressing themselves, they would unfortunately stress others as well.
As Mercury is logic and Rahu works very well with the logical energy, they would come across as very logical in their concept and ideas. But the concept itself would be stress or worry invoking. Later we would discuss, the energy of Ardra is of chaos and confusion. Due to this truth, the person would like to talk about current politics (6 energy of every day), hassles in the family (4 energy), current politics (chaos) or about wars going on like the Ukraine war or the pandemic news (confusion).
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| Orion Constellation Map - Image credits - Torsten Bronger derivative work: Kxx,via Wikimedia Commons |
Constellation, house and symbolism: Ardra comes from 6'40° to 20° Mithuna or Gemini in the star Betelgeuse. It is the tenth brightest star in the sky and the second brightest star in the constellation of Orion. As the star itself is bright, the Ardra people can be the central attraction of a pleasant chat in a huge group of people and can talk up a storm (the storm God Rudra). The brightness of the star makes sure Ardra folks are known by the people in the community and they have a persona of brightest among a lot of people. But due to the worrisome/ stress bringing nature of Ardra, Rahu, the lord of confusion being the ruler, they would have no clue about this innate brightness.
Rahu is a charmer and a magician. As the nakshatra comes in the third house of communication with Mercury as the ruler of the house, they can use words and logic ruled by Mercury to talk and charm their way into other people's hearts. People would accept the person as very friendly and very jovial. But this is for the sixth house of every day job and matter. For the home folks of four, it may not be always the charm and joviality. It can be stress or worry. But the unfortunate part is the person themselves are two hundred times more stressed. Only the overflow stress finds others.
There is another reason for this. Gemini is the sign of twins. The dual nature is inborn and inherent. If the outer twin is calm, the inner twin is flustered. If the inner twin is calm, the outer twin is flustered. According to the graha that gets placed in this nakshatra these dynamics plays out. Moon getting placed here, the mind brings two natures. If it is the Sun, the personality or ego brings this double nature. If Mercury gets placed in this star the communication and logic would have two very different flavors. When one twin is conducting the business or talk, the other twin can create play or ruckus. The person would flip-flop between the twins.
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| Rahu, the dragon head eating the Moon (mind) with a gusto Image credits - សុខគឹមហេង, via Wikimedia Commons |
In truth, this asks for the strong will power of the person. That is Mars. But according to Vedic astrology Mars is inimical to Mercury. This upholding of the will power won't happen because being in Gemini the effect of logic with Mercury as the ruling lord is extremely strong. The question Mars would ask is "Can you transcend your logic - Mercury to take charge of the will of the heart- Mars?" Instead, due to the strong influence of Mercury they would choose logic and rationality more. If they could choose the will power then things Mars brings would be much different.
The same Ardra is symbolized by a tear drop as well as a diamond. The tear drop shows the pain and the stress they have in their mind or life due to this star. Inside the person is very pained and crying about something and that inconsolable tears are manifesting as stress on themselves and others. I know Ardra people who due to this stress eating them are not able to sleep or exist calmly. But if they can overcome this pain, capture the will power of Mars (Kuja) the person from a flimsy teardrop would transform into diamond of a person- strong, sharp, tough and not flustered by simple every day happenings of the sixth house energy of Virgo. Virgo energy is there due to the sixth star.
But as the star is ruled by Rahu, the Maya or illusion part becomes a constant friend in their life. Only when that Rahu's head can be cut by the inner truth as Vishnu, the person can find deep inner peace and calm stance in their truth. The diamond or will power (Kuja) also brings another aspect. Kuja is Kumara (the youth) whose another form is Karthikeya. The spear of victory, Vetrivel of Karthikeya was given to him by his mother Parvathi, whose another form is Durga. Rahu, the energy is ruled by Durga. This shows using the will power as tough as a diamond laden spear, the person needs to cut through the illusion of Maya to reach their inner truth of the heart. This inner truth would bring the blessings of Durga whose another name is Vishnumaya. Vishnumaya is the illusion or yoganidra (meditational sleep) the person has that is covering their inner truth - Vishnu.
Mythology: Now why the person is stressed and worried? The answer to this comes in Hindu mythology. Sathi, Daksha's daughter married God Shiva, which was against the wishes of her father. Even though Shiva was God, Daksha's who was very rich thought otherwise. In his perspective Shiva was penniless living in the icy peak of Mount Kailasa within the mountains of Himalayas with deer skin for his dress, ash for accessory and demons (Bhootaganas) for company. Daksha didn't consider that Shiva was a God, enlightened and deeply aware about the workings of the Universe itself. In his eyes, Shiva had no value and was irrelevant.
But Sathi was deeply in love with her consort and thought otherwise. Once Daksha decided to do a yaga or fire sacrifice. Sathi, wanted to go to meet her sisters and mother. But Shiva or Sathi had no invitation due to the bitterness Daksha had for Shiva. Shiva chided Sathi not to go. Sathi kept on insisting to Shiva about her wish to attend the ritual. Finally with deep and heavy heart Shiva agreed to her wish and said she can go without him. But he also forewarned her about her father and what could ensue. Finally, Sathi with the demons went to the ritual on Shiva's bull Nandi.
Shiva roaming the worlds carrying the body of Sathi
Image credits - See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons
Seeing Sathi coming on a bull with the demons (Bhootaganas) accompanying her, all the invitees started laughing at her. To add insult to injury Daksha started scolding Shiva saying how incompetent and worthless his son-in-law was. Sathi already upset she was getting laughed at further insulting her husband by Daksha became salt being rubbed on the injury. She became angry, bold and blazing. Remember this is the same energy of Shakthi who in Sanga period took birth as Kannaki. I have written a blog on it. First, she communicated she was not the daughter of Daksha any more. Even though she loved her dad nothing was going to stop her from defending her consort. She became angry like a wildfire, started standing up for her consort and gave a piece of her mind. As Shiva had already forewarned her and due to the truth, that she didn't listen to that loving advice, she was also hesitant to go back to Kailasa. In that anger and pain, she created a fire through meditation and self-immolated herself.
The question can come, she too was a Goddess and could have charred the whole yagna hall using her meditational power. Most probably there are back stories to back up this act. But I do have a few points that poke the head of patriarchy here. Did Sathi needed permission to see her father from her spouse? Didn't she have her own inner power and was she a will-less person between two loving males in her family? Sathi herself is Shakthi or energy incarnate. Couldn't have she changed the outcome of the story with her meditational power? But it is a mythological story and questions may be irrelevant.
Anyway, as soon as Sathi died in the meditaional pyre, the bull - Nandi and the other demons ran to Kailasa to inform Shiva this information. Shiva who was heartbroken, enraged and fuming as a wild-fire rushed to the yaga hall with his Bhoothaganas. There he started doing the Thandava or the dance of death of an enraged and angry human of a husband. His demons started to kill the invitees, poke the eyes out or maim the limbs. Heads rolled, eyes popped and trunks got detached from limbs. In that angry dance Shiva plucked a lock of hair from his head and beat it on the floor. From that the terrible, angry dark Goddess Kali (here, Kali becomes the daughter of Shiva as he created her) and the terror of an asura, demon Veerabhadra took form. They started devouring on the invitees, sages and humans.
This Thandava dance and the chaos in the ritual hall is the underlying energy of Ardra. Here Shiva was so strong he created two personalities Kali and Veerabhadra. Shiva was raging like wildfire and angry, from a meditative Shiva he transformed into the ferocious and fear invoking storm God, Rudra. This is another aspect of Ardra that the person becomes angry and volatile like Rudra, if they are flustered. This is the energy space of the nakshatra. But that anger and rage can be controlled by the person if Durga as well as Karthikeya are invoked. Remember, Shiva accepted wisdom or jnana from Karthikeya later.
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| Urdhav Tandava by Shiva, Tanjore temple Image credits - tommy, via Wikimedia Commons |
Once the people were killed and the ritual hall itself was demolished, with inconsolable sadness Shiva started roaming around the fourteen worlds carrying the dead body of his dear wife on his shoulders. This symbolizes the tear drop of Ardra nakshatra. Nobody could console or pacify him. Anyone coming in front of him was destroyed by the might of his third eye (Trikannu). For eons and eternities, Shiva roamed around with the dead body on his shoulder. It took eons for Parvathy to come into the picture and marry Shiva. The foundational energy of home (four provided by Parvathy) came much later compared to the chaos of the lower form of number six. This chaotic nature of the ritual hall, Thandava and the deep sadness and inconsolable energy of Shiva is the energy of this nakshatra.
How to tackle this energy? The first point we need to keep in mind is that the person is extremely powerful wherever and whichever planet gets placed in Thiruvathira. Shiva is a very powerful God - the masculine incarnate. Above this he is enraged and very angry. So, only a powerful Soul who can handle this energy would take birth in this star. But the person themselves may have no realization about this truth. This is due to the fact, Rahu rules this nakshatra. The inner and personal truth of Vishnu is kept hidden under a veil of the illusion or Rahu. Others could feel this underlying power and energy while the person themselves would have zero idea or clue. Rahu would mask it.
The person would feel they are a victim of circumstances as the energy is the chaos of the ritual hall. A lot of people have been invited to watch the yagya or show in the physical life. All have some complaints, hassles or worry. Remember some invitees have no limbs, some no eyes and some no life itself. So, all the people who bring experiences into their life would have complaints or worries of their own. As Shiva also came with Bhootaganas, some friends or acquaintances could bring the cheat or deceiver energy. If the person is deeply unaware, they themselves can embrace the lower energy of Rahu.
Many can be highly wise or knowledgeable as Rahu in his highest form is a magician of a healer. But in lower energies Rahu is the wheeler dealer of a gambling pit or Black Jack table. Rahu is already a very volatile shadow energy and above that Shiva is another terror of an energy. Think of both the energies and that of the anger of Sathi, the anger of Daksha and the making fun of Sathi by others. All these once a while would poke their heads in the person's life. They can hurt others by their comments, digs or devaluation in an unaware state. Daksha poked at Shiva and his perceived incompetence. But in truth the same Shiva also is a yoga or meditation incarnate. This again brings the dualism of the twins of Gemini. One twin behaving like one way and the other twin behaving the other way.
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| Head of Rahu cut by Vishnu as Mohini Image credits - Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Usually, the person brings some deep sadness or pain from a past life. The root cause of this pain is kept in the heart or the subconscious mind. The person themselves may have no clue about this or may not even have access to this information in this lifetime. The access to this information many times is tied up to the grace we bring from previous lifetimes - Purvapunya. According to the fifth lord and Ganesha who rules the body of the snake - Kethu, the person may get access or not, to transform the situation. As this energy sits within the subconscious mind or DNA, it attracts similar experience to the person.
They would try to fix the situation but may get more and more entrenched in it. Because the root energy of some long-lost dynamics is sitting within the core of the person in the DNA or the subconscious mind. The person must realize this is an energy from a past life, start to do self-work, take the spear of a will power, cut the head of confusion, chaos, anger, illusion and rage - Rahu. Then through thorough self-reflection go deep within to the ancestral/ spiritual realm of Kethu with the help of Ganesha - wisdom, Karthikeya - will power, Durga - inner intention and find the inner or personal truth for oneself - Vishnu. All these divine energies can be used as per one feel to cut out the confusion of the Rahu ensnared mind (Moon) or another graha.
The chaos and confusion they feel others are bringing to them is not outside, but the deep root cause sitting within. The energy of being made valueless or devaluation either happened in a past life or in the very early childhood. In the above story the energy of devaluation comes. Daksha devalued Sathi as well as Shiva. Somehow and somewhere the Soul would get devalued and they would start to feel they are powerless and valueless. But remember this is a very powerful Soul - A Shiva as storm God Rudra who is doing a Thandava.
They may feel they are powerless, are getting devalued and being taken to task. In truth, it is the ancestral and spiritual guides who are taking them to task to make them realize their own truth of how powerful of a Soul they are. This work of finding their inner power is cut out for them by the ancestors. Until they themselves realize this, people loads and loads would come to complain, bring hassle and even put them down. The answer to their deep pain lies not outside but deep within their core. Because of the devaluation they feel, they also devalue people who try to bring value to them. A person who feels no value can't accept the value another gives. Unfortunate truth.
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| Rudra Shiva Temple Statue, Tala Image credits - Post of India, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons |
The truth is that they are not a flimsy tear drop that is getting thrashed but a diamond of a Soul who has some innate wisdom to share. Shiva as Rudra is the energy. Shiva in meditative pose is the first teacher - Dakshinamoorthy. The wisdom and knowledge lie not with Rahu, but with Kethu. Wherever Kethu gets placed in the chart, there they have deep inner wisdom. But the access is not going to be easy as the anger, rage, ego and chaos of Rahu first needs to be transcended and transformed. Until then the person would flow between Sathi asking permission, Sathi going to the ritual hall with companions, there she as well as Shiva getting devalued, a previous situation (Sathi) coming to an end, Shiva enraged doing Thandava, creating terror of circumstances or worries as Veerabhadra or Kali, destruction of the yaga and finally roaming around the worlds with a previously finished situation (the dead body). It is not necessary these energies have to be outside as physical experiences. They can also be inside eating up the person keeping them away from calmness, peace as well as sleep.
This is just a small snap shot of Rahu ruled Ardra nakshatra. The key of truth to their peace and calmness lies within the ancestral and spiritual realm with Kethu. If we truly want to see an inconsolable Soul who is deeply pained, angry and always finding chaos/ confusion as their guest for life, find an Ardra ruled human. We can get a glimpse of the angry Thandava of Shiva as the storm God Rudra with Veerabhadra, Kali and Bhootagana for an ensemble. It is indeed a tough energy to tackle and only a very strong Soul could handle it. Hope, Ardra realizes this and becomes humble/ effective to work at this. Ego, arrogance and selfish rides would propitiate the lower energy of Rahu.
Wishing every Ardra to find the deep joy and peace their Kethu can provide. I can just wish. The inner work is theirs to do. That is always a personal choice and free will!
Thank you for reading! Hope all of you are doing great and keeping your loved ones and yourself safe. As previously discussed, we are not yet out of the woods regarding the pandemic or the many different variants. We may have to live with the virus as any other diseases like flu, malaria, cholera or the common cold. Eventually hopefully every human would develop immunity against it. We may have to find ways to boost our immunity, improve our physical, mental, emotional health and live with the pandemic as another every day happening. I wish you good and safe weekend, and I'll see you in two weeks! 😉