Guiding Light: Cosmic Balance

Social media has been abuzz with pictures of the heavens lately, as the two great planetary benefics Venus and Jupiter appeared in a near vertical alignment with the significator of our mind, the (crescent) Moon in the constellation of Pisces. This alignment is very much still there to see in the Western skies an hour or so after sunset. Another spectacle awaits us on March 1, as the two gurus, Venus or Shukracharya, the guru of the asuras, appears to conjunct with Jupiter, or Brahaspati, the guru of the devas.

Knowledge, and in particular the Guru is immensely revered in Sanatan Dharma, even if one may be the guru of the asuras. It’s no surprise then that Shukracharya (Venus) is welcomed and honoured in the sign of Pisces, lorded by the Brahaspati (Jupiter), achieving planetary exaltation here.

Guru, the planet of pure Sattva represents the pursuit of knowledge, whilst almost quite diametrically opposite, Venus represents luxuries and the good things in life. In this instance, our Mind, the Moon seems to be coming under the gravitational pull of both of these opposing forces, so it makes for an interesting message to decode from the heavens!

In today’s day and age, everything that glitters has a stronger pull than anything that is probably actually better for us in the longer term. Shortcuts have become the norm and quick returns have become the name of the game. Pure knowledge has a dwindling fan base, with Tiktoks, shorts and reels reducing our intellectual appetite to grasp any subject to sub-minute attention spans.

In his book, Deep Work, Cal Newport writes about the importance of being able to focus, without distractions, on cognitively demanding tasks, and this remains as critical as ever to be able to deliver outcomes of any significance, and this of course is a Jovian trait. The results of deep work, or shall we say by products, can be riches, wealth, luxuries, all very Venetian things.

The message then, I suppose, is that in life we will always be forced to choose between what is seemingly shinier, but elusive and doing what is dharmic. The easier path will seem more glamorous and in contrast, the other path will be one of balance, hard work and in the pursuit of knowledge. Whilst cutting corners may yield quick results, they are seldom durable. Enjoying success that lasts usually consists of doing the hard graft, applying yourself, focusing on the effort and letting the results manifest as a consequence of your action. After all, like we discovered, even Venus (luxury) exalts in Jupiter’s humble Piscean abode!

Published on: Saturday, February 25, 2023, 06:00 AM IST