Tuesday, June 19th

The New Moon occurred this morning at 8:02am PDTin the Nakshatra known as Mrigashira—the “Deer’s Head.” This cluster of stars lies in the constellation of Orion—the brightest being Bellatrix, which lies in the upper right hand corner. By the reckoning of Jyotish, or Sidereal Astrology, Mrigashira is equally dived between the latter part of Taurus, ruled by Venus, and Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury. This represents a shift from the earthly and material orientation of Taurus and Venus to the more intellectual perspective of Gemini and Mercury. The energy of Mrigashira is the Martian urge to explore and experience and enjoy as many different aspects of life as possible. The Ruler of this asterism is Soma, the Moon, who in this case is considered to be a man. Soma represents the very Sap of Life, the favored drink of the Devas--the gateway to experiencing the whole gamut of sensory delights. Soma is known for his prodigious sexual appetite and his many liaisons with women—one of these being Tara, the wife of Brihaspati, or Jupiter—the Guru of the Devas. Tara was impregnated by Soma and gave birth to Buddha (Mercury). At first Brihaspati would not accept his illegitimate son, but the child proved to be so charming that he was eventually taken in and raised by him. In a sense Buddha had two fathers—Soma (the Mind), and Brishaspati (Wisdom). The blending of these two energies produced Buddhi, or the awakened Mind, which is the source of our intelligence. The first part of Mrigashira, when the moon is till in Taurus, creates a desire to immerse ourselves in the material world and all of its comforts and delights and potential excesses. As the Moon passes into Gemini we begin to have a little more intellectual perspective on things and realize that material pursuits only offer temporary satisfaction, and that our true goal is Moksha, or Liberation. After the bloated feeling of sensual indulgence becomes intolerable, we begin to seek a more internal and lasting goal.

In the Ramayana, Seeta is enchanted by the golden deer and sends Rama and, eventually, Lakshmana to capture it. In their absence she is abducted by Ravana, the Demon King, and taken to his kingdom in Lanka. The Golden Deer represents the power of Maya (Illusion) to seduce us and create difficulties for us when we succumb to greed and desire. As Ravana’s prisoner, Seeta represents the Kundalini Shakti—the primal female energy that lies coiled three and a half times around the base of the Sushumna Nadi. Seeta’s desire for the deer led to her abduction, and Ravana’s stealing of another man’s wife ultimately led to his destruction by the hand of Rama, with ample assistance from Hanuman. It was Hanuman, of course, who leaped across the ocean to find Seeta, reported back to Ram, then led Rama, Lakshmana and an army of monkeys to battle in Lanka. Through his devotion to Rama and to Seeta, Hanuman was able to overcome great obstacles and reunite them.

Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the God of the Wind, and is considered to be the embodiment of Prana. He has the ability to descend to the Muladhara Chakra where Seeta (the Divine Feminine) lies imprisoned by the Demon King (Lust, Greed, Selfishness, etc.), and also the ability to ascend to Rama’s (the Divine Masculine’s) place at the Sahasrara Chakra. The Kundalini Shakti represents a knotting up of prana at the base of Sushumna nadi that lends itself to lower chakra activities—acumulation of wealth and security and indulgence in sensory pleasures. Through Hanuman’s (Prana’s) help, Seeta is liberated and reunited with Rama in the Anahata (Heart) Chakra—the perfect balance point between the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. Hanuman takes us deeply into the Heart and shows us the path to liberation through Love, Service and Devotion .