"I'm just doing my karmas" ~ Indian expression that means, 'I'm simply tending to my responsibilities'
*Vedic Astrology, or Jyotisha, is considered the “eye of the vedas” it has been used by yogic people, families and people in positions of leadership for thousands of years to guide everything from life decisions to spiritual practices. It is a powerful way to attune to cosmic order and cultivate more peace, clarity and right action at the right time. Jyotish can be used to map individual or global karma.
The previous piece was about the gathering of planets which may have been overwhelming your mind and making it difficult to make clear decisions. As that group starts to dissipate over the next few weeks, we have a remedy to the overwhelm built in to the sky sphere. The karmic planet Saturn is now going to be “retrograde” in the practical but ambitious sign of Capricorn for several months. We will be called to tend to the practical details and responsibilities of life to polish ourselves in the long term!
What I describe here is JUST starting… so this is something to watch for and be aware of in the months to come – all the way to October. Watch for these themes to unfold and know to heed the call when the do!
Karma & Responsibility
Saturn is brings the themes of seriousness, responsibility and difficult tasks. Saturn in Capricorn can double down on this theme. This time is about structures, practicalities, systems, and the work that is difficult but refines us. Think about the administrative, laborious, and task-oriented aspects of life – this is about things like answering emails, flossing your teeth, making phone calls, fixing broken things in your house, strategizing education or profession, turning the soil, etc etc etc. It’s the nitty gritty.
Saturn is considered a planet of “karma” in that it relates to our regular mundane karmas {our actions}, as well as our hidden karmic patterns, and ancestral influences. There can be an element of unpacking and healing the past karmic patterns at the ancestral or individual level. This can be done in practical and subtle ways. More on this below.
Returning & Reassessing
A “retrograde” planet appears to be “moving backward” from earth. And it will call us to sort of “go back” and deal with things of the past – whether at an ancestral, karmic or practical level. In order to move forward, we will have to look back or go back and…
Re-assess
Reflect
Review
Revise
Redo
Refine
At an individual level, you can actually get the most out of this time by taking time to go back to refine and re-address all of our structures, systems, discipline and responsibilities in our homes, health, habits, profession and relationships. You may find themes or even people from your past reappear!
And go ahead to take time to tend to all the practical tasks that weren’t complete in the past or could be refined. Magic can come from these practical things. It won’t seem fancy or like you are yet stepping into your ultimate “dream life” but this is the “practical magic” that must be done for those dreams to be accomplished later. This is a time to say –
What work or study still needs to be done?
How can I refine or improve?
What habits, belief structures, ideas, systems need to be deconstructed?
Retrograde Saturn can also call you toward ancestral healing, and past karma healing. This re-visiting the past through various therapeutic, yogic, subtle, magical realms is a form of magic that can also have a practical and “hard work” element to it, which ultimately gives good fortune in the future.
A time to grow, willingly
You can dream, and step toward your dreams but think about the practical disciplines that must be done to get there or the things of the past that must be completed. This is a good time to put one foot in front of the other, and follow the suggestions above. If there are areas of your life, studies, work, relationships, habits, viewpoints that need reflection, revision, refinement… step into that. If there are practical matters that must be dealt with, tend to those first! It really is time to do some of the tasks that are not our favorite but are so important.
Pause. Take a Breath.
Amidst going back, revisiting, re-assessing the past, and tending to the practical matters of our karmas at every level, it is essential to tend to your heart, nourish your heart and do all the nourishing practices and studies that keep you inspired and nurtured. It is not easy to do the “practical magic” so you need some of that divine magic too – these can take the form of gentle yogic practice, mantra sādhana, listening to nature, studying scripture and time with a supportive sangha {community}. Those nectar-fortifying supports really make it possible for you to get to the other tasks at hand!
The mind analyzes, the heart allows. The softened heart is nourished, receptive & holds the mind in its throne.
I hope this is helpful. Feel free to reach out & let me know if it is! And feel free to share this with the people you love.
In the final part of this series I'll share more about the "spiritual side" of this time, which is in fact very powerful & sacred. More to come.
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