#SVHATI #NAKSHATRA
THE #STAR OF UNFOLDING #DESTINY
#Breathe, breathe, breathe deeply
And I was seething, breathing deeply
Spitting sentry, horned and tailed
Waiting for you.”
D. Bowie – The Width of a Circle
Dear Friends of the #Healing #Circle of the #Breath
Tonight’s Full Moon will be in the star of unfolding destiny. This is #Swati Nakshatra. It is a single star known commonly as #Arcturus.
This Star is far North of ecliptic belt and is an outsider star that is not really part of a team. We see this principle of the outsider expressed when we consider another name of this Nakshatra which is #Nishtya. Nishtya means outsider and very much expresses the energy that this star brings to us.
The energy of Svhati
awakens the thinker outside-the-box
and teaches us how to get along
with the radical forces
that blow around and rustle
the leaves in the garden of our soul.
This further brings us to the word Svhati. Svh translates as ‘the self’ and Ati relates to ‘a high amount’. So, quite literally Svhati means ‘the star of much self’. This star is often called the hyper-individual star, it is an outsider star that raises themes of individual drive and destiny.
This star is ruled by the Rahu who is the Northern Node of the Moon. Rahu is the ever-hungry head without a body that is responsible for eclipsing the sun. The energy of Rahu keeps us following the taste of our karmic involvements. The energy of Rahu does not distinguish between good or ill effect, just in the same way it is possible to follow a destructive path with great conviction and energy.
Rahu is a very hungry concentrated energy that goes into areas of addiction and obsession. If the forces of Rahu are made conscious, he breeds focus and power of determined will, that can be channelled into the unfolding of our destiny.
The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
When the full Moon is in the lunar house of Svhati, it transfers its teaching to us most generously. Under the star of Svhati we are given a blessing to gaze into the ways we are using our life-breath. Upon the psychic plane, under the auspices of Svhati – by the concentration of our life-force – we are fully given a glimpse into our unique individual and independent expression of life.
Our breath is the link to our individuality, the patterns of breathing that we have are at the essence of individual expressions and responses to life. By opening the doorways of Prana, constraints of the self are literally released into the wind.
We see that a new born baby exerts its independence from the mother’s womb by the taking of its first breath. We come to this world upon the inbreath and leave upon the outbreath, Vayu is the one who takes us through our destiny with every breath.
The Musical God of Breath
The ruling god of this star is Vayu who is the god of the wind element. Vayu is the deity who brings us the energy of Prana, which is the life giving principle in the air element. Prana is distilled from the air as awareness is made more subtle, rhythmical and tender.
The air element is also the element that transfers sound. Vayu happens to be the god of the celestial musicians who transfer the wisdom of sound through the air element.
The symbol of Svhati is a tiny sapling trembling in the breeze. Svhati Nakshatra awakens those parts of us that rebel against constraints upon our tendencies of individualism.
Those parts of us do not seem to fit into the constraining circumstances that destiny puts us into, are the special teaching that the star of Svhati brings to our awareness.
Svhati transmits the teaching of how to work within restraints and keep a dignified sense of empowerment. The power of this Star is independent of circumstances and conditions. We are talking about the deep internal power of Prana.
The Sword of Force
Svhati’s lesson is very much about how we deal with restraints. Another symbol of Svhati is the sword, in fact Svhati also means sword. The doubled-edged sword of exerting our individuality is what Svhati makes us aware of.
When we intelligently identify the things that constrain life, then we might gain insight into the opposite. This way we learn to move through our destiny. Svhati Nakshatra is the energy that seeks to move through constraints by finding a solution. We could say that Svhati welcomes the challenge of restraints.
This is the energy of forbearance, patience and strategy. Such a standing takes a rhythmical steady involvement of the breath. If we consider the opposite of this, then we can see the malfunctioning expression of Svhati.
When the energy of Svhati malfunctions, we lose the awareness of strategy and we can start going off course in the use of our power. This is the energy that is not able to hold its power, regulate itself and compromise cleverly while it considers the strategy out of its predicament. Such a stance is ultimately defeating and deflating. It either sets one up against things at one’s own expense of breath, or at the opposite pole, causes resignation in declining the strategic, regulated use of life force.
What then is the panacea for the malfunctioning of the energy of Svhati? The answer lays with the god of this star. We have seen how Vayu is the lord of wind and breath. When we work with the breath, then we bring Vayu into his full power. When Vayu is in his full power, then we have a healthy unfolding of our individual capacities without having to brandish the sword to prove ourselves.
Remember that the sword is one of the symbols of Svhati Nakshatra.
A Single Breath
All battles that we envisage are battles within our very own breath. By guarding the power of our breath, we strengthen the true power of our individual life expression.
Though it might blow like a single sapling in the wind (another symbol for Svhati), it can maintain its unique power because it does not waste its breath against the many winds that blow.
On a practical level, wind (Prana) is strengthened through working with the breath, all introverting and focussed activities strengthen the Prana. Moving slowly and steadily with awareness of every breath is the surest way to the power of Prana.