starworlds: Skanda-Neptune and the BP Oil Spill

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Skanda-Neptune and the BP Oil Spill

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes a picture inspires a thousand words -- as in the case of this post. The above video still of an oil plume rushing out of the ocean floor not only captures the source of our current oilapocalype, but also may suggest an energetic source based on astrological aspects. When I saw the name of the deep sea equipment monitoring the BP oil spill, I couldn't believe my eyes: MSV Skandi-Neptune.

Skanda is one of the many names of the deity associated with the planet Mars. It is described as having six heads, like the MSV Skandi-Neptune that offers multiple feeds and views of the leaking oil. In Sanskrit "skanda" means "that which is spilled or oozed," primarily referring to semen, but as Mars also rules tools, weapons, machines and their usage oil does seem related as well. Another name for Mars is Kuja, or Bhumija, "the one born from the Earth." Representing the hidden flame in matter, substances like coal, gas, and oil are seen as his energy manifested in Earth form.

As I indicated in previous posts the malefic red planet was been aspecting Neptune, the modern indicator of oil, since Neptune re-entered Aquarius on December 8, 2009. Mars will continue to cast a furtive glance at the gas giant until it enters Libra on September 6, 2010. On the day of the initial explosion on the Deepsea Horizon Oil rig, Neptune was in an exact exchange with the planet of sudden shifts, Uranus and a debilitated Mars in Cancer aspected the parvartana pair in an 8th aspect. In Vedic astrology Mars is said to make aspects to the houses that are 6, 7, and 8 from it, thus a 150 degree angle (or quincunx in Western astrology) , a 180 degree angle of opposition, and 210 degree waning quinqunx. A direct Mars will make aspects to first to the 8th house creating a tranforming event, then it aspects the 7th house revealing the reaction of the other, and then and finally it aspects the 6th house giving a healing solution. The 6,7,8 aspects of Mars are very similar to David Icke's problem-reaction-solution scenarios or Hegelian Dialectic. Its eight aspect to Neptune triggered a transforming event and catastrophe on a generational scale.

In late May Mars completed its intense eight-month journey through its sign of debilitation revealing among many things our own disabling addiction to oil energy. It entered the sign of Leo opposite the ruler of oil, Neptune in Aquarius, in a 7th aspect. The 7th aspect effects relationship and partnership. Since this time the world has been focused on who is responsible for this mess, and leaders such as President Obama and the CEOs of BP have been feeling the heat. President Obama has natal Mars in Leo at 29 degrees. This gandanta Mars is associated with three explosive malefics in his natal 8th house: Uranus, Rahu, and Pluto and as transiting Mars has hit those planets at 1, 3, and 13 degrees the heat has increased. Mars will make a return to his natal Mars on July 19, 2010, a week after the full Solar Eclipse on July 11, 2010. This will not be an easy week for the President, and we can expect fireworks at this time.

Mars enters Virgo on July 20, 2010 aspecting Neptune from a 6 position. The 6th aspect is related to health and service, so we start to see new stories about the toxic effect of oil on our health. Already stories are surfacing warning pregnant women to avoid the gulf, plans for evacuation of large numbers of gulf residents, and oil-soaked rains. Mars will conjoin Saturn in Virgo on July 31, 2010 at 6 degrees Virgo in exact opposition to Uranus at 6 degrees Pisces conjoined Jupiter and the Moon. The public (moon) will demand new and perhaps revolutionary (Uranus) answers to heal (Jupiter) the earth.

My guess is there will not be any real solution until Mars enters Libra on September 6, 2010 as it will no longer be aspecting Neptune. However it will be aspecting Uranus which is in exchange with Neptune, so its negative and exasperating effects may still be felt until Mars enters Scorpio on October 19, 2010. But as the rising sign in the event chart for the BP oil spill occurs in Scorpio in the 17th nakshatra Anuradha, and President Obama's inaugural chart has an 8th house Scorpio moon also in the 17th nakshatra within 3 degrees of the BP Oil spill ascendant, Mars in Scorpio may not be great either. It seem Mars could trigger more difficulty for the US, its leader, and the Gulf. Mars shifts into Sagittarius on November 30, 2010 and begins to line up with the next eclipse period. Thus Mars will be a key astrological player in this cosmic drama until the end of the year.

Last weekend I attended a Vedic astrology conference in which the world-famous astrologer Gayatri Devi Vasudev spoke about world and US predictions. She was concerned about the full lunar eclipse occurring on the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2010. Although I use a different US chart (Scorpionic America chart), I share her concern about the eclipse which also involves Mars in Sagittarius. Mars in the nakshatra of Purva Ashada conjoins Pluto, Rahu, Sun, and Mercury all in Mula during this eclipse. Mula is one of the most violent nakshatras as it is ruled by the goddess of destruction and calamities, Nirriti. In the Scorpionic America chart Mars is natally placed in the 11th house at 21 degrees Sagittarius with the south node Ketu at 20 degrees Sagittarius; and on the day of this lunar eclipse Mars will be at 16 degrees Sagittarius as it approaches the US natal Mars at 21 degrees. This could indicate a highly charged event that may effect the leader (Sun), business and group organizations (11th house) and institutes of learning (Mercury).

In addition Venus will be rising over Washington DC in the sign of Libra and constellation of Swati at the moment of the eclipse. Usually Venus in its own sign in the 1st house is considered very benefic, but it will be in the morningstar position. As I have discussed in previous posts Venus morningstar was viewed by many ancient cultures as harbinger of illness and death. Even modern research suggests a link between pandemics and her morningstar position combined with sunspot activity, which is likely to be high this fall. Swati is ruled by the deity Vayu, the god of wind, air, breath, and prana. It gives the power to scatter like the wind, pradhvamsa shakti. Thus the main elements involved with this eclipse are wind and fire, perhaps solar winds. We may have to take a deep breath to deal with the winds of change that may occur at the Winter solstice. Practice your wind-pacifying techniques like pranayama and mantra, and protect your lungs and immune system from scattered wind that can bring febrile disease with Vitamin D and other immune builders.

Namaste!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: wow Liz another enlightening post
thank you for writing!; June 27, 2010 at 7:36 PM
Patti Foy said...: I continue to absolutely love your writing and what you notice in terms of synchronicities. Skanda-Neptune: very cool. And how neat you got to meet Gayatri Devi Vasudev. I was at a conference YEARS ago where she spoke... How lucky we are that people like her share with us in person from time to time. Thanks again, and I'll be back! Namaste, Patti; July 3, 2010 at 9:28 PM
Anonymous said...: wow,
you are great astrology blogger.nice to visit your posts.
regards; August 14, 2010 at 9:04 PM

Aum saraswateye vidmahe, bramputriye dhi-mahi, tanno sarawati prachodayat

Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.

What is the Difference between Vedic and Western Astrology: 23 Degrees, Nakshatras, and Sidereal

Twenty-three is my quick answer to the question: "what is the difference between Vedic Astrology and Western astrology?" I don't mean to be cryptic, but 23 degrees is literally the difference between the Tropical and Sidereal zodiacs. It is called the Ayanamsha -- in Sanskrit ayana meaning solstice and amsha meaning portion -- and it refers to the difference between Tropical and Sidereal zodiacs.

The zodiac is a ring of constellations often referred to as signs, such as Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus. It is a cosmic clock around which our solar systems operates and how astrologers measure cycles of time. Most people do not realize that there are two distinct zodiacs. Vedic astrologers use the Sidereal zodiac and Western astrologers use the Tropical zodiac. The Sidereal zodiac is based on observations of planets lining up against the backdrop of the fixed stars. It is oriented to the center of the galaxy. On the other hand, the Tropical zodiac is based on the relationship between the sun and earth. It is oriented to the equinoxes. In Western astrology the spring equinox sets the beginning of the Tropical zodiac at 1 degree Aries, even though the sun is astronomically traveling in the light fields of Pisces. In other words, it does not correspond to observable position. Vedic astrology is called Jyotisha in Sanskrit, meaning the science of light, and Vedic astrology describes how the light emitted from the stars effects us. When Western astrology was in its early stages, the two zodiacs may have lined up; but over time the two moved apart approximately 50 seconds per year to the current 23 degrees of separation (even that number is debated, but the standard of India, the Lahiri ayanamsha is 23 degrees 10 seconds).

Vedic astrology is considered by scholars to pre-date Western astrology and is the only system that has accounted for the precession of the equinoxes. What is the precession of the equinoxes? The answer to that involves another occurrence of the number 23 (those familiar with the enigma of 23, like LOST and RAW fans, may find this amusing). Because Earth's axis is tilted 23° 27' in its orbit around the sun, its equatorial plane is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, the plane created by Earth's orbit. These two intersecting planes create an intersecting line called the vernal axis that occurs on the first day of spring, or Vernal equinox. As the Earth spins on its axis, its axis wobbles (precesses 50.3 seconds of arc per year or 1 degree every 71.6 years) very slowly over a period of about 24,000 to 26,000 years. As this occurs, the pole of the Earth inscribes an arc in the heavens called the precessional arc. The Earth's pole aligns with different stars throughout the precessional period. The current pole star is Polaris. Approximately 13,000 year ago it was Vega, one of my favorite stars. Earth's precessional cycle is also referred to as Earth's Great Year in the alchemical tradition, World Ages, or Yugas in the Vedas. David Frawley describes it a one year in the life of humanity.

In Vedic astrology there is a line of thought that suggests this 24,000-26,000 cycle (and even wobble of the earth itself) maybe be generated by a grand cycle of our sun with a companion dark star. Modern astronomy is studying this possibility as well. The ancient Vedic seers divided up the cycle into four world ages: the Satya(Truth or Golden), Treta (Third or Silver), Dwapara (Third or Bronze) and Kali (first or Iron) Ages. Each age describes a stage of awareness for mankind in which consciousness ascends, descends, and ascends in unending cycles perhaps due to the influence of this yet to be discovered companion star. Although New Age philosophers have described humanity as entering the Age of Aquarius, astronomically speaking that will not happen for approximately 300-400 years.

According to Vedic thought, the cycles of ascending and descending consciousness are connected not only to our rotation around a companion star, but also our cycle around the galactic center. According to David Frawley, "Vedic astrology orients the zodiac to the galactic center, or the central galactic sun, whose influence comes to us through fixed stars of the constellation Sagittarius." The galactic center is like our cosmic belly button -- it is sometimes called Vishnunabhi, or the navel of Vishnu-- the point from which our galaxy grew and expanded. Many ancient cultures studied and recorded their observations about this area of the night sky, including the Mayans whose calendar marks an astronomical event of our winter solstice aligning with the galactic center in 2012. It's like the earth's pole or antenna will be aligned and open to receive message from the source itself. [H]ohm is calling.

One of the most brilliant developments of the ancient Vedic seers was to further divide the zodiac into more identifiable parts. They did this by creating the Nakshatra system. In Sanskrit Nakshatra means lunar mansion. As the moon travels through the entire zodiac in 27-28 days, the ancient seers ascribed a Nakshatra for each day simplifying its location. Although too vast a subject to go into in this post, it is interesting to point out that the name for the Nakstratra that marks the galactic center is Mula, meaning root or source.

Another difference between Western and Vedic astrology is the modern use of non-observable planets and asteroids. As a Neo-Vedic astrologer I do consider some of the outer planets when I look at a chart, but I tend to be more interested in the fixed stars and Nakshatras. I marvel at how Western astrologers bring in new astronomical discoveries to their chart interpretations. Basically I see Western charts as a map of the same terrain as a Vedic chart, but indicating different types or levels of information. It's like comparing a topological map with a road map. I don't need to know the difference of elevation between Broadway and 3rd Avenue, but I might like to know the street number of Benaroya Hall. It all depends on what type of information one is seeking. Vedic astrologers come from a tradition and philosophy that focuses on the four aims of life: dharma (purpose), arthra (attainment), kama (desire),and the most important moksha (liberation). Western astrology is enriched by many diverse traditions and the information gleaned from it may be quite extensive and more suited for the modern mind. But for me, I've always been drawn to the stars in the night sky and have felt them speak to me in the language of light. And as Jyotisha is the science of light, it is the tool and filter I use to translate this information.

For a good video overview on precession click here.