The #Deer #Star of #Seeking
Tomorrow night’s Matangi’s Jayanti, the day and night during which Tantrics honour the Mahavidya Goddess Matangi, will happen under the auspices of the #Mrgasirsa #Nakshatra (lunar house). Mrgasirsa translates as the head of the deer and is symbolised by a Deer searching and scouring the land for nourishment.
It is formed of a cluster of 4 stars in the constellation of Orion, the brightest star of this Nakshatra is Bellatrix. These stars form the shape of a Deer head.
This #Mangala ( #Mars) Ruled Nakshatra traverses both Taurus and Gemini. Mangala being the ruling planet of this Nakshatra, gives the force to search and quest. This is the quality of enthusiasm that is the fountain of youth, ever seeking and searching to know and to find.
Right Under the Nose
Uniting Opposites
The desire to unite disparate parts is the wanderlust of the Tantric voyager. Opposite poles mysteriously magnetize and attract each other, while simultaneously also having the force of repelling or de-magnetizing each other.
We find that all the Mars ruled Nakshatra’s are possessed of the adventurous spirit. We see that all the Mars ruled Nakshatra’s sit between two zodiac constellations, they are half in one sign and half in another, giving them the quality that inspires the quest of searching to unify opposites.
In the case of Mrgasirsa the bridge is between Vrishabha (Taurus) and Mithuna (Gemini). Taurus is an earthly sign of heart that is ruled by Venus. It is concerned with the immediate earthly sensorial territory.
Gemini is Mercurial etheric sign of the metaphysical mind. It is concerned with travel and movement in the metaphysical spheres. We can see these opposites at play clearly in Mrgasirsa, we could call it the joinery between the head and the heart.
When the head and the heart move in harmony with each other, then we have a great level of practical wisdom. When they are out of sync with each other, then we have abstractive irrelevance in the earthly sense and overly emotional indulgence in matters of the heart.
The Deer is a most practical creature of heart, infact it is the animal that symbolizes the Heart-Chakta for Tantrics. The Deer possess the eyes of a lover and has the swift movements of the air ruled Heart-Chakra.
When we look at pictures of the Nebula of Orion, we very interestingly even see that it presents a heart shaped form to us.
The Deer beautifully brings the qualities of the heart and the head together. It is a measured creature that is in touch with the mysteries inherent in its environment. It is not a chancer that that looks for wonderment far afield, but rather discovers the delights that are right under its nose.
The Deer is known famously for having the musk gland. This gland produces a substance that has been widely prized in perfumery. The gland contains pheromones that strongly attract and affect the heart of those who catch the scent. It is a scent that Deers attract mates by.
All creatures have such glands that incite and allure. The musk of the deer has been recognised as exerting a particularly powerful impact upon the heart. This has made of it a much sought after commodity. The paradox is that the harvesting of this gland might be anything but heart-full in the exploitation of the Deer.
The Deity of Mrgasirsa is #Soma, Soma is the lunarly Elixir of life. Soma is the fountain of eternal youth and steady energy.
When Soma flows smoothly, the energy and the emotions are rhythmic and regular. Soma does not blow hot and cold, nor does it have drops and dips between energy and depletion. Soma is not a quality of excitement and restless stimulation, it is rather a smooth creamy continuity that brings life.
When Soma flows, then Prana (breath power) Tejas (psychic fire) and Ojas (watery essence) is abundant. Soma is the Elixir that the Yogins are careful to preserve. Without Soma, the waters of life run dry.
The Deer is a reminder of the cultivation and preservation of Soma. It is a creature that measures its capacities and knows its capabilities well. It is familiar with what its environment brings and has to offer. It equally knows dry well, what it’s environment does not have to offer. The deer is a teacher of the sacred heart that is practical to that which is right under its nose. It does not waste its essence in far off pursuits, but brings the vision of magic to the pursuit right under its nose.
On the path of the Deer, we are asked to measure our resources.
To go beyond what our resources actually are, is not the path of devotion, it is rather the opposite path that goes against the sacred heart.
On the path of the Deer, we are asked to look closely at the promises and searchings of chasing rainbows to the detriment of our Soma life fluid.
On the Path of the Deer, we are asked to look at, make use of and appreciate the particular shade of the green of our grass.
Way of the Deer
This Deer-driven star of Soma, shines the energy of searching and seeking. The spirit of the quest, and the wonderlust towards innocent discovery is reflected in the eyes of the Deer.
The wonderlust of ever looking, searching and being on the eternal quest for the magical Elixir, may far outdo the need to find and obtain the certain treasure when seen through the vision of a Deer.
The vision that looks deep into that which is below the nose, is the path of efficiency, functionality and appreciation.
If the vision of ever looking into the wonders that are hidden in our midst is not with us, then all love, appreciation and gratitude are thrown out of the window.
The Deer vision is the wonderment and devotion in each and every little thing that is in our path. The deer spirit, is the spirit that is attuned to catch the voice of the flowers and the scent of the Moon.
Mrgasirsa is made of two words, Mrga implies Deer and other related species, such as antelope and gazelle, and Sirsa, which implies the head.
This points towards the power of this star to shine down upon our highest point ‘the head’, and turn us towards the search of deep mysteries.
The symbol of this star is the inclined head of the focused deer, sniffing out it’s path. The ritual journey taken under this star is one of inclining our head to look into the basis nourishment of our spirit.
This concerns things that are very close at hand, so close as to be right under our nose. The deer is an animal that is a wanderer within its familiar territory. It is a very practical creature that is in deep contact with its immediate surroundings. It could be said that the Deer is the seeker of adventure in the familiar.
This quality of knowing, studying and appreciating it’s territory, makes the Deer incredibly adaptable to new conditions, perhaps like no other creature.
Sometimes we might live in a cycle of achieving things. We naturally may have to strive under a schedule of duties and fulfilling tasks. When things become monotonous, we might see it as an indication of a needed change. The change that the Deer eyed vision of Mrgasirsa brings to us, is a change of our vision, to deepen our focus into the magic that is around us and learn to look for the unfamiliar in the very midst of the familiar.
The wonder that is brought to us by the Deer-eyed gaze of this star is to keep the journey of-the-sparkling, ever with us.
When we aim for a distant star, we risk losing the closer scent of the magical things around us. By slowing down the frequency of our sniff, the scents of magic that are right-up-close to us come under our nose.
This star brings us to question things such as excessive movement, striving and speed.
The Search For What is There
Searching is a word that is redefined by this Star. The search for the magical Deer-eyed vision is what is implied by the wisdom of this Star.
A search that goes pushing and rushing along in pursuit of the treasure, blindly misses daisy secrets that only the Deer-eye catches.
It might one day arrive at the treasure, only to find a mirror that reflects back the dried up loss of power that such a blind journey created.
The vision of the Deer is one that catches the sparkles along its way. The Deer vision gathers the treasure in its very gaze. Learning the secrets of the Deer is the path of learning to honour the Deer-eyed-gaze.
The way back to the magical gaze of the Deer, might be an arduous path. A path where we come to question our internal power of soul. We may come to see parts in ourselves, where we have thrown out precious nourishing things from our heart in exchange for inedible dirt.
Exotic perfumes in distant lands sweep the heart into magical fantasy it could be said. But discovering the scent of the home we are in, the one right under-our-nose, unfolds a fantastical reality that we might be bypassing… or by-sniffing and missing the essential treasure of being.
We might miss the rainbow in search of the pot of gold if we lose the lesson of the Deer. We might have taken influence from some place, and feel that wonder is far away from where we are. Maybe wonder is so close that it’s in the very gaze that we see things with. In the gaze of the Deer
Mrgasirsa brings us its blessing if we tune in and listen to the frequency of its starbeams. This Star makes us Deer-eyed and Deer-nosed. It teaches us to be able to beam the focus of our psychic forces right to the fundament of where we are in each and every gaze and sniff.
Chasing the Golden Deer
The Golden Deer that captivated Sita in the Ramayana epic, is what starts the whole story of her abduction and resultant rescue under the powers of Hanuman’s devotion to restore Love.
Sita, upon seeing the golden Deer was so captivated by it beauty, that she just had to have it.
The Deer shimmered like the golden sun and had silver moonlike spots that entranced Sita, so much as, as to forget where she was and what was around her. Her desire for the Deer, caused her to lose all ground.
A whole odyssey of separation and battle ensued as a result of seeking the golden Deer, who was infact a trickster.
The teaching inherent in this tale is clear when we consider the quality of the Deer as outlined above. The search for the Golden Deer carried consequences for all involved, but the paradox is that without the overstepping of ones territory, the path of Karma does not unfold. Straying is a necessary part of learning.
Playing it too safe can be the path of living death.
Much blood and Soma may spill in the pursuit of the golden Deer, but it becomes a deep teaching of the nature of overstepping the lines of reality.
By the teaching of this Star, we are brought to question and look at our own golden Deer pursuits.
Spirit of the Deer
The Yogins consider the animals as teachers and emissaries of particular qualities of the Spirit. A theoretical study of the habits of animals is certainly a very interesting way to get familiar with the qualities of the various creatures that live on earth. Tantric’s meditate upon the animals and evoke their particular spirit and quality within themselves. Observing the actual animal by meditation and tuning in to its energy has been a favorite pastime of Tantric’s, as a way to learn and attune to the animals secrets.
Observing how the coat of a Deer changes with the seasons communicates many mysteries to us if we open the receptive channels to its teaching. Mimicking the bark of the Deer is a way to comprehend where the energy of the deer is located in its body and spirit. The sound of the Deer engages the heart and the throat equally. This becomes poignant when we consider the Venus and Mercury aspects that the Deer Nakshatra stands between, as hilighted above in the ‘Uniting Opposites’ section.
The spirt of the Deer is a determined but innocent one that is more interested in the divine play than in the divine accomplishment.
When we look at the gods who have a deer with them, we get some pointers into the meaning of this Star.
Krishna is the player of the celestial game known as Lila.
Lila is the romantic play of the spirit with all phenomena. Krishna is often pictured with the deer, as we see here above.
Another deity who rises upon Deer back is Vayu.
Vayu is the deity of the wind who rides swiftly upon Deer-back and carries the jewel of Pranic breath power to us. The Heart is the transformer of the common air element, into the the life force of Prana that the Yogins honour and awaken.
Soma
Soma, the Moon deity, is another who also rides swiftly upon deer-back. He plays an important position here as he is the ruling deity of Mrgasirsa.
The parentage of Soma is of worthy note and points to secrets of lunar balance. The Moon rules the psychic movements by its ever changing rhythms. To balance the Moon energy of the psyche is open the secrets of Soma.
Soma is born of Bhanu and Nisha, Bhanu is the hot fiery father, Nisha is the mother who is cool, dark and moist. The first child of this couple was Agni, the second was Rohini and the third was Soma.
Agni is the fire god of the Nakshatra Krittika. Rohini is the most fertile red star woman. Rohini’s Nakshatra stands right between Krittika and Mrgasirsa. We have seen that Mrgasirsa is the cool star of Soma.
Rohini is brought to her fruitful power by standing in balance balance Agni and Soma. Heat and coolness in balanced measure is needed for her to thrive.
The lunarly journey of the Moon, travels through these three Nakshatras in the sequence in which they were born.
Soma is the Moon, but it is equally the Elixiral fluid of magic and wonder.
The force of this Star is to translate the fountain of eternal youth to us here on earth by shining them to us by the light of the Moons fourth waxing night.
Those places where inspiration and wonderlust are most unstable in us, are brought to life by this particular Moonshine.
A Woman of Heart
The Deer is the animal that is connected to the Heart-Chakra. The Heart-Chakra resonates with the Green colour spectrum.
This brings us to Matangi, the Green Goddess of tomorrow night. We shall meet for the ritual that Annually honours Matangi.
She is the Green Goddess of unconditional Love. Matangi lays no condition upon the form that love is offered to her in. Her green-eyed vision sees with the eye of the Heart-Chakra.
Matangi is the deep essence of motherhood. Like a true mother who is equal about handling warm milk or warm shit, Matangi’s hands fear not to touch all sides of love.
Matangi is a powerful ally for us in determining the value of the things that we receive in our lives. Sometimes the most bitter medicine is administered with the greatest love, this is something that Matangi makes us aware of and sober enough to see.
Alternatively, sometimes the sweetest things are backed with empty sentiment that does not nourish anything deeper than our surface fancies.
