[aetas-aurea]

I love seeing women be strategic, self-interested, financially aware, socially intelligent, emotionally detached enough to choose themselves for once instead of endlessly sacrificing themselves for everyone else. We are raised from birth to over-give, over-nurture, over-accommodate, over-explain, over-empathize and then the second a woman becomes intentional about what she wants, suddenly people start clutching their pearls about morality.

Centuries of documented, systematic, institutional abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, financial, legal) and we are supposed to feel guilty about a woman who figured out how to make the dynamic work in her favor for once. Absolutely not. The same systems that denied women the right to own property, to have bank accounts in their own names, to leave marriages without losing their children, to work without their husband’s permission, to press charges against the men who hurt them, to be believed when they spoke. These systems were built by men and maintained by men and benefited men for so long that the current generation of women is still navigating the residue of them in their daily lives. So when a woman uses what she has to extract resources, security, opportunity, or simply a more comfortable life, I genuinely cannot locate the moral problem. I have looked. It is not there.

I have very limited moral outrage left for women who manipulate, leverage relationships, marry strategically or otherwise use the systems available to them to secure wealth, status, comfort, or protection. Men built entire legal, financial and social systems around benefiting themselves and locking women out of stability, wealth, autonomy, credibility and safety and somehow I’m supposed to collapse in moral horror because a woman decided to secure the lifestyle she wanted through marriage, charm, strategy, proximity, whatever?

I actually think more women should stop feeling ashamed for wanting comfort, security, access, luxury, protection, influence or an easier life. Men have pursued those things openly and unapologetically forever. If a woman is smart enough to leverage beauty, charm, social skill, networking, marriage, desirability, or proximity to power to improve her life, I’m not sitting here calling her evil. I think she’s playing the game right.

[mesmercurial]

I keep switching ayanamsa because I am literally torn between galactic center mid-mula and lahiri. I am leaning toward the former but I keep switching back to the latter… it’s a never ending seesaw 😭 how can anyone decide??

my galactic center mid-mula vs lahiri placements:

- punarvasu sun vs ardra sun; - purva ashadha ketu vs mula ketu; - ardra jupiter vs mrigashira gemini jupiter; - mrigashira gemini mercury vs taurus mercury; - 7H mercury vs 6H mercury; - (jyeshta) mars ak & moon amk vs (mrigashira) mercury ak & (jyeshta) mars amk

and don’t get me started on my d9 chart lmao

[dhumavati]

Contemplations on Ardra Nakshatra and the Cruelty Inherent to Existence

"Did you say the stars were worlds, Tess?"

"Yes."

"All like ours?"

"I don't know, but I think so. They sometimes seem to be like the apples on our stubbard-tree. Most of them splendid and sound—a few blighted."

"Which do we live on—a splendid one or a blighted one?"

"A blighted one."

— Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Ardra Moon

Today, we’re going to contemplate Ardra, the nakshatra through which we may understand the exact nature and cause of universal suffering. This understanding of the universe forms the basis of my spiritual philosophy and why I am constantly screaming for our collective liberation.

When we think about what makes us suffer in life, we tend to point the finger at economic systems and societal flaws, describing them as the root causes of all suffering. Money, as we know, is said to be the “root of all evil.” But we must collectively understand that it goes much deeper than that.

All suffering comes from the foundational nature and structure of the universe. Its duality and therefore its inherent division are what causes us to continuously struggle with little to no returns for our efforts. To elucidate this, I came up with a way to easily visualize the concept through examining that which is the basis of life as we know it: DNA.

DNA is a molecule that not just humanity, but all life forms, strive to maintain the structural integrity of. To do this, life forms need energy. They need energy to carry out basic cellular functions, to protect themselves, and to reproduce—all of which serve to maintain the integrity and continuity of DNA. Energy is a resource that is finite, since all matter and energy in the universe is finite, as far as we know, and as far as what we have access to. Therefore, there is a finite amount of resources, which means that this process of structural maintenance cannot go on forever, because finite resources will run out.

On top of this, the universe is expanding and accelerating in its expansion. This causes an increase in entropy, where the universe becomes increasingly disorderly and it becomes increasingly impossible for things to maintain their structural integrity or “orderliness.” This universal phenomenon of destruction directly threatens the integrity of DNA. It thus becomes clear that life is fighting a fool’s battle against the very forces of the universe, with a finite amount of resources to maintain its own existence. It is a zero sum game.

This constant battle for resources is everywhere. This is what causes violence in all forms of life. It even causes violence (which I define as the destruction of structural integrity) to that which is not alive. And so, violence and oppression are not unique to human beings. In order for creatures to maintain their own structural integrity, they need to absorb resources, which necessarily entails the destruction of the structural integrity of other entities to gain the resources they either contain or possess.

This is why lions kill wildebeest, why cows kill grass, why humans kill non-humans and each other, why plants kill insects, why insects kill each other, and so on, and so on, and so on. Even when there is no direct killing involved, in the case of, for example, non-carnivorous plants, there is, in fact, a destruction of structural integrity. Plants photosynthesize by obtaining light from the Sun, which emits light due to a process in its core called nuclear fusion, where elements are fused together in a process that releases energy. This process is what essentially destroys the structural integrity of the Sun, which will eventually die. And so the destruction of the structural integrity of the Sun maintains the structural integrity of terrestrial plant life. And hell, even plants are incredibly violent to one another, and I know this thanks to this post I read the other day.

My point here, if I haven’t reiterated it enough, is that the process of maintaining one’s structural integrity necessarily entails the destruction of another’s, and this is precisely the violence that is inherent to the universe and that causes suffering for all. Therefore, the very nature of existence is suffering. The desire to exist in this universe is in itself the root of all evil, of all the violence that is enacted in the name of existing on one side of the [exists / does not exist] dichotomy.

In Ardra nakshatra, we are forced to confront this harsh reality head-on. Biblical scripture has referred to this universe as the Valley of Tears, reminiscent of Ardra’s teardrop symbol. This tikshna nakshatra shows exactly how the dualistic foundation of the universe is the cause of all violence. The very nature of conflict requires at least 2 entities, with one causing the destruction of the other or both causing the destruction of each other. An axe cannot cut itself. It must first be divided into axehead and axe handle, at which point the axehead can be used to cut i.e. destroy the handle. And so the very reason that violence, conflict, and suffering can occur is because of the very existence of division and duality. A schism, a rift, a crack, it may be called. Ardra with its core essence allows us to see this violent realm for what it is.

And more importantly, you may have heard it said that Ardra is the fall from the “Garden of Eden”, a supposedly paradisiacal place where everything is sunshine and rainbows in which Adam and Eve are living with all the little birdies and monkeys like it’s some kind of fucking Disney movie. Ardra is supposedly the “Fall” where we are thrust into a world of division and chaos. But it’s not. Now, I will state the most important teaching of Ardra, which is that:

We already exist in Hell.

Ardra is where our eyes are opened to the true horror of existence in this universe where everything is constantly eating each other in an incessant process of destruction and consumption. There are people being bombed, shot, and burned alive in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza right now. There is a wildebeest somewhere in Kenya being eaten alive by hyenas. There are thousands dying of terminal cancer. Some are dying of the Ebola virus. A lioness has just killed a wild dog cub. A pack of wild dogs is eating a pregnant impala alive, devouring her fawn too. A polar bear has just killed a seal and her pup. An orca has just eaten the liver of a great white shark and left the rest of the corpse to rot in bacteria that will feast on it. A neutron star is tearing a planet apart. A black hole is ripping a star apart. A baby crocodile has just killed a baby rabbit. There are people being tortured and murdered. There are non-human animals being tortured and murdered, by humans… Hell, even the fucking trees are killing each other. I could go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

And so in Ardra, there is no “Fall”. In Ardra, we simply realize that the “Garden of Eden” that we still exist and languish in has been the Hell we’ve been so scared of all along. Hell isn’t some distant subterranean place of fire and brimstone and suffering and torment.

Hell is right here.

[nourishingbroth]

torngat mountains | unknown photographer

[achillesinhighheels]

[heartsnmagic]

[dhumavati]

How do you read Vedic astrology while separating their world view about women? I’m having a hard time reading certain placements like Jupiter because they associate it with the husband and their successes.

Any recommendations or tips?

This is an excellent question; thank you for asking, fellow Hag 🧟‍♀️🩶

So one of the main ways is actually the easiest, which is simply removing the patriarchal element altogether. For example, conventional “wisdom” likes to say that Venus is Woman and Mars is Man… but both planets are in truth different facets of the Immaterial Feminine. It can be as simple looking at it from this point of view.

Going beyond this is uncharted territory. It’s where we as women make our own significations and our own meaning as we go along, because remember that a lot of the significations we currently have are based on thousands of years of male-centered philosophy. So our duty and privilege as women is to do the groundbreaking work of finding out what all these stars and planets mean on our own terms, in our own context. They are the jewels we are meant to find in our Patala Loka.

Jupiter understood in this way is our internal spiritual fire that we possess that allows us to see the truth and to become one with the truth. It is our collective power of spiritual ethics that we use to change the world. And this is so much more than anything that the patriarchy thinks it can give us.

When we truly understand our own power, we will wonder why we needed them to tell us anything at all.

[icaseybaybee]

[flowerais-deactivated20211031]

let love in. believe compliments. be vulnerable and soft-hearted. tell people you love that you love them. see beauty in everyday things. live life like you’re in a movie. don’t be afraid to begin again.

[sillybruja]

Hello there…what are the placements in the birth chart of someone who would do great in counselling/psychology field?

Hi there!!

Here is a list of different placements and aspects that I personally think would make counselors:

Most obvious would be strong scorpio placements -- especially moon, mercury, Pluto, scorpio ruled 8H, or 12H. These people are not only super comfortable diving in deep or going beneath the surface-level, they also very comfortable holding space for others and can be very psychologically perceptive.

Virgo placements -- specifically mercury or Virgo dominant people (stelliums / 6H stellium) and this is because these individuals pay close attention to detail and genuinely feel fulfilled helping others. They are very good at recognizing patterns as well, which is useful for this practice as they can help people find practical solutions to concerns and they notice subtle behavioral shifts in others that people could miss. Who doesn't love an attentive therapist?

People with heavy chiron influence in their chart. This one could be a little controversial, but I find these people to have a very natural healing ability. They know how to heal and hold space for others because this is like, a life long practice for them, unfortunately. The positive is that a lot of these people can really transmute their pain into power and then help others in return.

Strong pisces or 12H placements -- i think, for obvious reasons. They have a high level of empathy and emotional/spiritual understanding.They can make great therapists or even grief counselors, spiritual counselors or healers. But, they have to make sure they have boundaries.

Saturn in 6H/8H/10H or their saturn aspecting mercury/moon. They can be very emotionally mature, and can be very patient , professional, and serious when it comes to other people's time, trauma, and pain. They are very reliable counselors.

water sign moons or moons in water houses (4H/8H/12h) simply for emotional intelligence and understanding. Being able to read people as deeply as you do is a gift in and of itself, but its vital for counseling.

strong 8H placements would make great trauma therapists, social workers, rejuvenational counselors, exposure therapists, criminal psychologists, or crisis intervention specialists. They get emotional intensity because they are the definition of emotional intensity.

Virgo & pisces dominant just gives this perfect balance of attention to detail, routine & consistency along side deep healing work, subtle mind shifts and embracing change in more ways than one. These people know how to connection to everyone thus making them great therapists.

water or air moons (specifically cancer & gemini moons) making hard aspects to saturn. I find that these peopel were "destined" to heal others through communication, intimate settings, soul searching, etc.

I know I am missing a lot probably, but these are what come to mind right away! Do you have any of these placements? or any to add?

[buttslushie]

[cbo1emotion]

Rahu is so misunderstood..

This post might trigger many cause rahu is disliked and they’re gonna want to oppose and replace it with a different collection of planets. I do not want to hear it. As a Ketu dominated individual one thing i love love love about rahu energy they’re shamelessly obsessive in their interests/ desires and persuits and it gets them so far. I think the hate is to some degree jealousy lmfao.

Life literally has no choice but to let them have their way when they embody themselves -this is exactly because they’re obsessive. This is also where the manipulative aspect of this energy gets projected on to rahu because it WILL get its way. But it’s not afraid of practical ways of going about it— one of its homes is literally in a saturnian rasi —it just won’t restrict itself to that avenue alone. The energy that might be more avoidant of practical pursuits and may especially depend on manipulation (for typically.. only comfort’s sake) : is moon influence. Rahu it self doesn’t actually care, it works in convenience and sometimes comforts are not convenient-they will simply move on if they feel they must. This is where the identity-less aspect often projected on rahu comes about. But they are not identity-less, when you really think about it they’re the most identified. They’re exploring a bunch of different things that stimulates that itch within themselves. They are not identity-less in the ketuvian sense- ketu identity-less-ness is the “i know myself but ..do i really?” rahu identity -lessness is “idk myself but let’s find out” both energies are inside their own personalized projections of self ; and in an almost constant unconscious (or conscious) reflection of it. They shift/ they move , and are very shameless and open about it(especially rahu). Ketu doesn’t have shame we appear more esoteric /are more inclined to look to the past as a means to self reflection and self identity. Largely because we just trust it more. But for rahu they know how to work in a manner to make their own living more stimulating for themselves and almost enviously functional in its way too. Rahu is the pure human biological impulse to keep on going, it’s a very necessary part of human function abandoning it for spiritual “enlightenment” is a trap that will have you controlled by the exact destructive forces of rahu that are so disdained.

Signs of having a strong rahu not having shame in being obsessive or relentlessly concentrated and of course remembering you’re human and to give yourself a break sometimes. Of course there is no rahu without ketu and truth be told we are very similar. Rahu is just more transparent in its tendencies and to a degree can be quite ‘superficial’ because often its interests are coming from modern filtered or derived things-ketu can have the same problems honestly but we cling to history so we never quite loose ourselves in our consumption activities. Rahu is where innovation arrives ;its home in the air signs for a reason. And everybody secretly loves rahu— lovers that shamelessly pine, a crush that invigorates you, activists who relentlessly press on, people who are obsessive ab an aesthetic or lifestyle that stimulates them - it all seems useless because well.. we all will be 6 ft under eventually right? but it gives life a sense of direction in the mean time at least. Rahu is where you truly go to personalize your developing self. Listening to what truly entices you - being able to also separate but also leverage collective interests from your own -into your own , with your own. In the end creating a balanced nodal axis. Truth be told though, there is no strong rahu without a strong ketu and there is no strengthened ketu without an engaged rahu.

[aweirdlookingmermaid]

Rahu, the culture vulture and Ketu, the bigoted racist

Rahu can cause someone to explore cultures outside of one’s own background (significator of foreigners). When expressed negatively, this energy may show up as a person rejecting their native ethnic background to assume another’s motivated by the desire to gain its perceived privileges. This can also appear as cultural appropriation, where someone engages with another culture in a superficial or exploitative way, seeking personal gain without genuine belonging or respect for its origins.

Ketu functions as the counterpart to Rahu’s outward exploration of foreign and exotic influences, instead symbolizing withdrawal into one’s own cultural, ethic and national roots. Ketu’s the significator of our own ethic group and people. When expressed negatively, this energy can become overly insular, leading to exclusionary thinking or prejudice toward those who do not share the same ethic or cultural background. These can be some of the most racist people you’ll ever have the unfortunate chance of meeting.

[aweirdlookingmermaid]

[scorpionlafemme]

[dhumavati]

Spiritual Advice for Women Using the Vedic/Hindu System (especially Magha Women)

Okay, Magha gworlz. I know I’ve been somewhat nasty to you. And to be clear, this is not an apology.

-cackles-

However… Grandma Dhuma has a special gift for you today, and frankly for any woman who practices spirituality with the Vedic or Hindu system.

I explored in this earlier post why women should always question conventional spiritual authority, and it is of the utmost importance that we put this into daily practice. So what does it mean, materially, to use the Hindu system in a way that does not reinforce patriarchal constructs?

As it happens, Magha is actually the perfect nakshatra for me to explain how this is done, and we might initially think of it as ironic since this is THE patriarchal nakshatra, with its traditional ruling entity being those fucking Pitrs. Well, good thing we have Tara, whom I explained in relation to Ashlesha in this post, for those of us who haven’t read it yet.

So, “Pitrs” basically refers to one’s forefathers. In other words, one’s male ancestors. And when you look at all the male ancestors in your bloodline… ask yourself this: what is the probability that most of my male ancestors were degenerate pieces of shit?

The answer for everybody is basically….. very, very high. Pick any one male ancestor from your bloodline and you’d very likely want nothing to do with them. Especially if they were from the Middle Ages or some shit where there were even fewer social rights for women.

So if you are a Magha woman, knowing this fact might present you with a bit of a conundrum. Especially if you think you have to call out to these male ancestors in prayer, since they—after all—traditionally rule Magha nakshatra.

Don’t.

Please do not do this.

This is not just for Magha women, but all women.

Instead, call out to Tara. Tara sadhana is beneficial for all women.

And no, regardless of what you may be told, you don’t need a male to initiate you into Tara sadhana. These “gurus” ain’t shit and cannot give you what you need as a woman.

So, during the Full Moon in the month of Magha—also known as Magha Purnima—which takes place during the festival known as Magha/Shyamala Navaratri, the vidya Shyamala, who is more popularly known as Matangi, reveals our divine DNA, as opposed to our biological DNA. Also related to Magha is our good sis Tara, who is referred to as Magha-Nakshatra-Rupini (she who takes the form of Magha nakshatra) in one of her 1000-name hymns. The correlation is right here for all of us to see.

And to reiterate, what plays a central role here is the theme of “DNA purification”, where our divine DNA is revealed to us as a blueprint that we, as women, can use to free ourselves from our biological prisons and the patriarchal constructs that trap us in our biological prisons. Remember: Tara is the vidya associated with crossing the sea of samsara, with name Tara meaning “passing over, crossing, passage” and “ferryboat.” This mechanism by which Tara frees us from our biological mandates by centering our divine DNA is exactly how She obliterates the myriad of patriarchal constructs such as bioessentialism and mindless reproduction, which have caused so much suffering for women throughout the millennia. In other words, She is our way out of this cesspit of a dualistic universe.

So Magha gworlz (and any woman for that matter), call out to Tara. She is here, and She wants to help.

And again, please, for the love of all that is holy, do not call out to those fucking pitr males.

[pinkchailovrr]

jyestha natives often end up as the favorite aunt or uncle, or they just give off "cool aunt/uncle" vibes

[pikhugg]

🦌Jyestha Nakshatra🦅

I've noticed that Jyestha natives always get hooked on one interest and study it intensely. They might move on to another topic when they tired of it.

For example, a Jyestha native, as a child, might like dinosaurs and learn all about them. Their parents buy them dinosaur toys. Then they grow up and like Star Wars, knowing everything about it and enjoying humiliating people who don't know about the Star Wars universe. They think these people are pathetic because they aren't as interested in this world as they are obsessed with it, and Star Wars is such a part of popular culture so maybe you're ignorant for not being interested in that universe lol . Then they start liking Harry Potter, and so on...

And I feel that if they have a moon-ruled nakshatra it's worse, it makes them more nerdy

They hate feeling stupid about a topic, and they'll always research it more than you. Because why would you know more than them?

Maybe I described it in a rough way, hehe, well, I wanted the ~vibe~ to be understood. Obviously, not all jyestha "humiliate" or aren't humble, in fact, sometimes the opposite is true.

This is how I see people ruled by Mercury, especially Jyestha natives, always speaking in a very mercurial manner, using broad words and language: