Poison as cleansing - Slésha

Full Solar Eclipse in Aslésha Nakshatra

The Story of Krishna and the King of the Nagas (Vishnu Purana, Chapter 5)

Krishna and Balarama (incarnations of Vishnu) play as boys, exploring their surroundings. Krishna jumps into the pool of the king of the serpents and is immediately strangled, in mortal danger. Balarama summons the cowherds; the cows awaken Krishna's higher consciousness, reminding him not to be swept up in his human incarnation - his true, omnipotent nature can easily overcome the poison; the strangling is an illusion.

Once Krishna remembers his true nature, he frees himself effortlessly. Before striking back, the serpent king's wives ask Shiva for pardon and remind him (the Naga king) of his own fragility and limitation before Vishnu's infinitude. The serpent king acknowledges Krishna/Vishnu as the omnipotent source of all existence and pays homage.

Through this confrontation, the Naga king learns from his own greed and ignorant, malevolent tendencies - serpent-like traits that ultimately become a tonic: a means of learning his own place in existence (the netherworld/ patala loka). He asks for pardon and honors the one truly omnipotent presence.

The Reading: Poison as Cleansing

Theme for the eclipse: seeing your own vices/shadow side as a form of cleansing.  A rite of passage if you will. Knowing that you are that too, respecting your place in dharma, not shying away from your true nature but fulfilling it - and walking that path even when you make mistakes, even when you are not perfect. There is a place in dharma for you. Dharma also asks you to live your talent, to embrace your shadow sides, and to be aware of the poisonous effect this can have on yourself and others - and to hold that responsibly, respectfully, and reverently.

Ketu (the Serpent's Tail)

During this eclipse the sun is joined by Ketu. Ketu is the tail of the Naga and represents our ability to let go, to rise above what limits us on the path of spiritual growth, to dissolve, to enter deep meditation, and to live as an ascetic - the ability to emancipate ourselves from worldly life.

Jupiter: Dharma, Vision, and Direction

A strong connection with Jupiter at the eclipse point. Jupiter is exalted in (sidereal) Cancer, emphasizing the need and urgency to live in accordance with dharma. This is a cleansing, important moment to meditate on your direction/course, and to accept that some things are part of your karma and others are not - the latter can be given back and released. We are all connected in one pulsating collective consciousness, each playing our part. Jupiter is the teacher/guru: the one with vision, who governs growth, and who governs our sense of meaningful purpose.

The Moon-Jupiter connection concerns how we place ourselves within the structure of society: do we live in accordance with our talents, or do we shy away from putting ourselves and our skills out there - not only for our own life, but for the greater good? Dharma is always win-win. This eclipse is a moment to make yourself more visible, to notice and amplify your own visibility. When you shine your light in the most authentic way, without pushing others away, you become an example for others - not as 'better than', but as a contribution to the morphogenetic field.

Saturn

Saturn trine from Revati nakshatra – trine/ kona this eclipse and Jupiter pairing vision, motivation, and inspiration (Jupiter/dharma) with the responsibility and follow-through needed to get there (Saturn/karma).

All of these factors touch a sensitive part of our life, our being, our psyche: our ability to ascend to higher realms, but also our inability to hold on to things that simply are not part of our karma in this incarnation. This calls for courage and vigor.

Closing Thought: Coherence Between Sidereal and Tropical

Although tropical and sidereal astrology are studied separately, there is a clear thematic coherence: the tremendous courage needed to move through this stage of shedding - peeling off the serpent's skin. In Vedic (sidereal) astrology this is represented by Aslesha nakshatra, combined with the karma-dharma yoga between Jupiter and Saturn, and further linked to outward visibility/presentation via the Gajakesari yoga.

In the tropical (Western) zodiac we see a basket-shaped configuration involving Pluto - Pluto, too, reminds us of the need to ascend to higher realms and of our own place in the cycle of dharma. There is thus a beautiful coherence in theme between these two systems during this eclipse transit.

So many beautiful stories illustrating this. Even though we need to find our Myth in this liminal time we can learn so much from the ancient scriptures.

Remember that Patanjali teaches 

Pratjaksa Anuumana Agama Pramaniani 

The sources of Right Knowledge are, Direct perception, Inference, and Scriptural testimony.

Thank for reading!

Happy Purging xx

Melanie

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