Surrendering our will to divine consciousness - the imagery of Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius

Are you interested in learning Vedic Astrology from an experienced teacher? Do you want to deepen your understanding of the ancient wisdom of the stars and planets? If so, you might want to check out the Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program, a two-year online course that covers all the essential topics of this fascinating discipline.

The Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program is offered on the teachable.com platform, where you can access the lectures, exercises, quizzes, and assignments at your own pace. You will learn about the fundamentals of Vedic Astrology, such as the rasis, the signs, the houses, the planets, the vargas, the dashas, the yogas, and more. You will also learn how to interpret charts, make predictions, and apply remedies.

If you are looking for even more rigour, you can also enrol in the Certification Pathway, a complementary program that allows you to submit your work for assessment at the end of each semester. There are nine semesters in total, and each one has a specific focus and theme. By completing the Certification Pathway, you will demonstrate your mastery of Vedic Astrology and earn an invitation to join the Practicum Year of supervised, applied Vedic Astrology.  Successful completion of the Practicum Year will entitle you to Certification from Asheville Vedic Astrology and its associated benefits.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself the quality of the work produced by students on the program. Today’s blog post is a paper written by one of our apprentices at the end of the first semester, which explores what we can learn today from the ancient texts about the Rasis.

We hope you enjoy reading this paper and find it informative and insightful. If you are inspired by what you see and want to join our program, please visit the Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program on teachable.com or contact me for more information. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey of learning Vedic Astrology.

Surrendering our will to divine consciousness - the imagery of Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius by Tegan Rynne 

The process of evolving between sign 9 to 11, sees us travelling through the inception, concretisation/manifestation, and ultimately the upheaval and relinquishment of our concepts and  ideologies. In these signs we are dealing with where/how we find meaning and the strengths of our beliefs (9), putting these beliefs into action (10), and the ability to detach from these beliefs (11).  When we undertake this process with strength, determination, and focus, we are able to surrender our will to divine consciousness, freeing ourselves from material existence and individualised  perception, thus facilitating the final step of our zodiacal journey into the 12th. 

With trepidation we proceeded through sign 8, parsing through the curtains of our minds. As our  truths and traumas were laid before us, with great fortitude, we learned the meaning of trust,  connection, and the power of vulnerability and openness. In the wake of sign 8, we emerge,  shining with vigour and strength, our eyes ablaze with the flames of purpose, our ears ringing with  the music of meaning, and our feet ready to join the dance of life. 

Sagittarius

In Yavana Jataka, sign 9 is described as a bow and an arrow taking aim, as it is here that one finds  their goals and is enlivened with a sense of purpose. The archer pulls his bow back, eyes looking  to the horizon with anticipation, as he sets his intention for the future. From sign 8 we learnt to  open our minds and hearts to the bigger picture of life, and fortified the connection we had with  ourselves in relation to the outside world. In sign 9 we step into that outside world, saddled with  determination and passion.

Jaimini Sign 9 (ref 2, 3)

This speaks to the idea of coming together with ones peers for a greater (spiritual) purpose, and  through the casting aside of ones body (vehicle), we become one with our message. Travel and  journeys (both literal and spiritual), for the purpose joining with others to further a divine mission  are indicated here- the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. This is also seen in Yavana  

Jataka which gives the indication of horses- a symbol of power, faith, and endurance, and the idea  of a man carrying a bow, with the rear of a horse, symbolising the joining together of separate  things to create something greater than the two individual parts. Truly a force to be reckoned with,  here we join with others to create a vision that is larger than ourselves, with the goal of carrying it  forward into the world (10th sign). 

Yet, we must also recognise that when one reaches constantly for such high ideals, there is  inevitable demise as we cannot ceaselessly hold ourselves to impossibly high standards. Here we  see the paradox of sign 9, where, should we weaken, falter, or wander off our path (without the  strength of a solid 8th to bolster our goals), we see ourselves crashing down, our high ideals  imploding within us and around us.  

Thus the importance of a focussed mind and clear goals are highlighted, as we cannot stay our path, or hit our target (10th), without aiming our arrow in the appropriate direction. If the 9th sign is  looking at the map and plotting the territory, the 10th is the terra on which we walk, as we translate  our concepts to concrete, a path paved by our experiences in the material world. With the support  and strength of a healthy 9th sign, the route of our journey in the 10th is clear and concise, free  from futile ventures and treacherous terrain. 

Capricorn

From the 9th sign we descend into the 10th, the arrow is released, our feet hit the ground, and we  waken into the material world. Our once glistening eyes now dart to and fro, surveying our  surroundings. What moves above us, buzzing in reach but out of sight, or beneath us, hidden in  the murky waters? With stillness we gather our thoughts, focusing each breath, a choice between  the trappings or the treasures of the present moment. 

In Yavana Jataka, the 10th sign is referred to as a sea monster, with the front of a deer and the  hind of a fish, once more illuminating the amalgamation of two different beings becoming one to  serve a greater purpose. Deer are land animals, fish are water animals, so here we have the ability  to navigate both water and land, which indicates that in this sign we need to master both the  material world and our inner emotional realm to be able to move forward. Yavana Jataka also  states that the 10th sign is moving through water, which is different to moving in water,  reinforcing that in this sign we must learn to navigate our emotional realm without succumbing to  the intensity of it’s depths. This, however, is no easy feat.

Jaimini Sign 10 (ref 2, 3)

In Jaimini the general tone of the 10th sign is comparatively negative to that of the 9th, indicating  that this is a sign of hardship and struggle. Here we find irritations (kandu) in our thoughts  (khecara) and emotions (jalacara), this is painful and makes us feel unworthy(dustha). If we allow  ourselves to get stuck in these negative thoughts and emotions we become knotted up (granthaya)  on the inside, a hardening of our heads and hearts. 

Where in the 9th we were enlivened with the prospect of our spiritual reckoning, in the 10th we are  plagued by the profundity of it’s weight. As we attempt to manoeuvre through the pits and peaks in  our path, we must learn to release the high-minded ideals that we clung to in the 9th, lest they  drown us in the river of life. When we rid ourselves of the shoulds and musts, and realise that we  are responsible not for the results of our actions, but only the action itself, we move with the current  rather than against it. Through this experience we understand the need to align ourselves with  something higher than our own ideals, as when we focus solely on our own trajectory, we lose  sight of the bigger picture of consciousness itself. A healthy and strong 10th sign allows us to  continue on our journey, despite the hardships. We learn that we have the capacity to understand  and move through difficult times, without the need to hold on to, or become trapped by, the  negativity associated with suffering. We understand that whilst we may not have control of the  outcomes of our actions, we do have a choice in how we react to them, this is the beauty and the  opportunity revealed to us in the present moment. Evolving through the 10th sign, we acknowledge  that we are part of a consciousness larger than our individualised experience, and accept our  karma with grace. 

Aquarius

After enduring the lessons of the 10th, we arrive at the 11th sign, where the precious jewels of our  ideals that we carried with us from the ninth so shiny and inviting, are re-examined with wisened  eyes.  

In Yavana Jataka, the 11th sign is described as a pot carried on the shoulder of a man, being  poured out. Similarly in Jaimini, we can see that this sign speaks of holding and maintaining  water. Shores, coasts, riverbanks, all suggest a knowledge of, yet separation from water. Thus indicating that sign 11 holds the boundary between material action and experience (10th), and  emotional peace (12th). (ref. 2,3).

Jaimini 12th Sign (ref 2, 3)

To hold is the intimacy of both knowing something and bearing the weight of it. Through the 9th  and 10th we filled our pot with our collection of stories gathered in the vicissitudes of our journey  thus far. Carrying this pot with us, into the 11th, we seek to understand and integrate our  experiences, pooling the water outside of ourselves for dissection. Gazing into the water we see a  reflection of our journey, the integrity and richness of which hinges on the strength of the previous  signs. Fields of poor grain as stated by Yavana Jataka symbolises the reaping of what we have  sewn; if we have not held true to our path or withdrawn from facing our karma it is in the 11th that  we bear the psychological consequence. Our lesson in the 10th was understanding that we have a  choice in the present moment to frame our experience, this is reflected in the 11th by the contents  of our pot. Is it filled with water, nourishing and quenching? Or is it a void, seeking constant  experience (gambling - Yavana Jataka) to nullify the emptiness?  

Our lesson in the 11th is to separate ourselves from the weight of our experiences- positive or  negative, by understanding that we, as a part of divine consciousness, are separate from our  stories, our burdens, complexes, paradigms and beliefs. By pouring out the contents of our pots we  allow what is in us to be externalised, and as we share our stories with others, we become known, we are seen and we see, that in the ocean of consciousness, our similarities outweigh our  differences. We learn compassion, not only for others but for ourselves, and we let go of the rigid  framework of our constructed ideals. The container for our existence is no longer suitable, and we  renounce the encumbrance of it’s weight, extending ourselves into the sea. 

REFERENCES 

1. Ryan Kurczack - Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship videos Rashi & signs class 

2. 2. Ernst Wilhelm - Jaimini Sutras - english writing for sanskrit words of sutras 

3. 3. https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/ - definitions for sanskrit words