“Look at the moon in the sky, not the one in the lake.”
Rumi
When modern humans read ancient mythologies and stories, we often dismiss them as evidence that earlier civilizations were not as intelligent and evolved as we are. We label their stories as silly fairy tales and supernatural ideas used to explain reality. They portrayed the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars as Gods and Goddesses with characteristics and personalities. Based on these stories, we assume that earlier civilizations were less developed than we are today and that their understanding of reality was almost childlike. We think that old imaginative tales from earlier civilizations reveal a lack of knowledge about reality and that they must have been stupid to believe in such tales!
But what if we are the ones who are less evolved or viewing history through a distorted lens? Might we be biased in thinking that nobody has ever been as wise as we are today and that we don’t understand the stories we inherited from our forefathers?
When we delve into the imaginative stories from our human past, we see that they frequently revolve around nature and the elements in our natural world, including the celestial bodies above us. These stories are often intricate accounts of how nature influences us, becoming increasingly relevant to modern humans as climate and nature change around us. However, we forget that nature also exists outside of Earth – in fact, the most prominent features in our reality are the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars that adorn the sky above us! We plan our days and nights around the movements of these heavenly bodies and rely on them for survival. Without them, we would not exist.
With all this in mind, we would like to share an ancient story about the moon’s journey around the Earth. It’s the story about the 27 Nakshatras of the Moon. The Nakshatras are an astrological belt that marks the moon’s path across the sky. Most people are familiar with the zodiac, the Sun’s perceived path across the sky divided into twelve signs. However, fewer people, especially in the West, are familiar with the Nakshatra belt, which represents the moon’s path. The Nakshatra belt is divided into 27 different sections of the sky, each with its symbols, characteristics, and powers that activate when the moon travels through them. The Moon takes 27,3 days to complete one orbit around the Earth, so it spends just over one day in each Nakshatra.
THE NAKSHATRAS – CONTAINERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
The Moon’s 27 Nakshatras are not well-known in the West, but they are a crucial part of Vedic astrology, an ancient wisdom originating from India. Despite being a part of everyday life in India, the origin of this knowledge remains a mystery. This makes the Nakshatras even more intriguing because they contain practical knowledge and profound wisdom about our earthly life. According to Vedic philosophy, there is no distinction between the spiritual and the material, and this is where the Nakshatras come in. They act as a bridge between these two worlds, connecting our consciousness to the material world. The moon, a symbol of the interplay between light and shadow, further adds to the mystery surrounding the Nakshatras.
The Nakshatras are enigmatic and multi-layered energies that offer endless wisdom to those who study them. They are like an onion, with each layer revealing new insights. One can find profound spiritual meaning or practical guidance for daily life by exploring them. The Nakshatras can manifest themselves in various forms, including mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical, related to the elements of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. Vedic philosophy says these levels are essentially the same and represent different layers of the same reality. The Nakshatras help us understand our complex reality, making them fascinating but challenging to understand fully. By delving deeper into the Nakshatras, we explore the depths of consciousness, which is a big mystery. As the mystics know, consciousness cannot be fully comprehended by the mind; it must be experienced.
The Nakshatras are 27 distinct sections in the sky, each carrying its unique consciousness. They can be considered containers of consciousness, with each Nakshatra possessing a fertile power capable of giving birth to concrete things in our world. Due to this power, they are often referred to as the wives of the Moon or the wombs that grow consciousness in a specific way. The Moon symbolizes the present moment, and the Nakshatra it is in governs all events, making it the ruling Nakshatra at that time. The ruling Nakshatra gives birth to and grows a specific fruit infused with the flavors and qualities of that Nakshatra. Every moment is born anew as the Moon moves through the different Nakshatras, impregnating the moment and fueling new creations.
SHAKTI – THE FEMININE POWER
The power of the Nakshatras comes from the Shakti within each one. Shakti is the force that lives in all things, that animates everything, a power that sets the consciousness in matter in motion. In Vedic philosophy, Shakti represents the feminine aspect or “wife” to the unmanifested consciousness of the male deity. It is the eternal dance of the masculine and feminine forces in nature that come together to create new life. Like the Sun, the male deity remains stationary in the center, shining its light, while the female Shakti – represented by the Moon – continuously dances around him, creating new forms and patterns with light. Shakti takes the light into her “womb” and grows it into form. She is the creative force that flows through all matter, causing it to grow and evolve in the material world. Shakti is the subtle feminine force that resides within the oak seed and grows into a giant oak tree when the conditions are right.
The Nakshatras, also known as the lunar mansions, are the 27 divisions of the sky through which the Moon passes each night – he spends each night with a new wife. Each Nakshatra is associated with a particular Shakti or energy that awakens as the Moon travels through it, producing different fruits and outcomes. While some Nakshatras are forceful and fierce, others are gentler and more nourishing. The Shakti in each Nakshatra manifests on different layers and can be suited for various purposes, such as starting or ending a marriage, learning something new, healing an illness, releasing what you no longer need, growing your devotion and friendships, or fueling individuality and focus. The unique Shakti in each of the Moon’s “wives” produces offspring infused with that energy.
Learning about the Moon’s movement through the different Nakshatras can teach you which activities are supported depending on where the Moon is. Knowing what growth is supported and what is not can help you navigate life more easily. It teaches you how to plan your activities to flow naturally with the growth cycles of consciousness and makes it easier to manifest what you want. This principle is similar to when we look at the moon’s tides when deciding when to fish in the ocean and when to wait. The fisherman knows to avoid fishing when the tide isn’t right because the fish won’t bite. And as we know, the Moon is responsible for Earth’s tides. Similarly, learning to navigate consciousness effectively allows us to flow more easily with the natural cycles of life.
A BRIDGE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
The Moon is often seen as a symbol of feminine power in nature. It represents a subtle force that helps to grow consciousness through the Nakshatras and fuels growth everywhere. Unlike the Sun, which symbolizes masculine power that is forceful and fully displayed, feminine power works in a more hidden way. It operates in darkness, where things are less visible than during the day. The feminine energy is mysterious because it pulls within; it grows the seed in the dark, nourishing it until it is strong enough to be born. The Moon transmutes the scorching sunlight into beautiful, soothing moonlight, giving nature time to rest and rejuvenate. The feminine force is quiet and subtle but also incredibly powerful. It is like the air that you breathe. It is subtle, and you may not even notice it, but you wouldn’t survive for more than a few minutes without it.
The Moon has a profound connection with the feminine forces in nature and is closely linked to the female reproductive cycle. It takes approximately 27,3 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth, but due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, it takes around 29,5 days from one new moon to the next. The growth of the moon and the menstrual cycle in the female body are profoundly linked, with the average menstrual cycle lasting between 28 and 29 days. This connection underscores the profound connection between the Moon and the human capacity to create new life. The word “mother” originates from the Latin word for “matter,” emphasizing the connection between the female and her ability to birth consciousness into the material world. In the Vedic system, the female is a replica of Earth. She is the one that bridges consciousness and matter, heaven and earth.
The Nakshatras are considered female. However, they possess masculine and feminine qualities and symbols, signifying the importance of opposing forces in creation. Each Nakshatra is associated with a yoni, meaning a womb that can grow and create. For instance, Ashwini Nakshatra is represented by the male horse as its yoni, while the female horse can be found as the yoni of Shatabhisha Nakshatra. Other yonis in different Nakshatras include the male and female elephant, male and female serpent, male and female tiger, and so on. Uttara Ashada is the only Nakshatra without a counterpart, and its animal symbol is the male mongoose. By comparing the animals, we can gain insight into the nature of the Nakshatras, such as how they would complement one another or what kind of offspring they might produce. For example, combining the lion with the horse would not be a wise choice, as it could harm the horse.
The growth of Shakti in the Nakshatras can be related to the three natural kingdoms on Earth: the animal, plant, or mineral kingdom. These kingdoms have different features and attributes; their behavior and growth differ vastly. Understanding the differences in these kingdoms helps us better understand each Nakshatra. There are nine plant Nakshatras, nine animal Nakshatras, and nine mineral Nakshatras. This gives us an added layer of how consciousness grows in each Nakshatra, making them easier to understand. Every species in the world has its unique way of surviving and thriving. Although plants, animals, and minerals are all part of nature, they function and evolve differently. Plants are flexible and adaptable, always searching and moving towards the light. They are sensitive to their environment and rely on water, nutrients, and sunlight for their growth and survival. Minerals grow very slowly and deliberately. They are rigid and inflexible but solid. You can stand firm on a rock and always rely on them for support. In the animal kingdom, growth is based on domination and submission. For example, in a wolf pack, the alpha male keeps the pack safe and robust while the others willingly submit to him. These different approaches in the various natural kingdoms demonstrate how they survive, evolve, and thrive on Earth. These qualities are also reflected in the 27 Nakshatras.