The Primacy of Myth
Before we begin our journey through the 27 nakshatras (astronomically known as Asterisms) and how they might offer us insights into our own lives and the lives of our loved ones, we need to first talk about the technology upon which all of astrology is built — Myth.
In today’s world the word ‘myth’ is almost equated to fiction or fables. But that’s not the understanding the ancients had. Myths were devices that the ancient world used to convey a truth that they experientially knew to be true. Joseph Campbell, an American author and scholar, has done amazing work in comparative mythology that delves deeper into the power of myth. In his book ‘The Power of Myth’, he states,
“Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth — penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words. Beyond images, beyond that bounding rim of the Buddhist Wheel of Becoming. Mythology pitches the mind beyond that rim, to what can be known but not told.”
Vedic mythology goes to explain that the grahas (planets), are agents/avatars of Vishnu. Meaning, their job is to execute the desire of the god-head. The word graha in Sanskrit translates to ‘that which absorbs (or recieves)’. So, although in English we may use the word ‘Planet’, it’s way too simplistic to convey what is being represented by the word graha.
In Astrology, we are used to speaking of our Zodiac signs. These can be helpful, and also confusing depending on whether you ascribe to the tropical or the sidereal zodiac systems. Regardless of which system to ascribe to personally, picture this with me.
Remember the mythological snippet I mentioned earlier — grahas being avatars of Vishnu. We know that beyond the stars of the zodiac, there are lunar mansions (Nakshatras). Imagine each of the sections of these lunar masions as being their own universe. Each of these have their own nature, their blessings and their curses, and varying degrees of personality. As grahas (planets) are moving through the universe, at any given time, they will be directly going over any one of these lunar mansions (Nakshatras). When they do that, they do what grahas, as the word suggests, are supposed to do: absorb the nature of the lunar mansion (nakshatra) they are passing through. This imprint they recieve is then projected through to the constellations — this is where the zodiac signs come in. We observe these stars and make meaning as to what they mean to us personally and collectively.
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In Vedic Astrology, just like the myth surrounding the planets (grahas), each of the Nakshatras also have their own myths associated with them. The larger myth says that these Nakshatras are the 27 wives of the Moon. To portray the nature of each of these Nakshatras, each have their own story in relationship to the Moon. We will delve into each of their myths along the way.
Although nakshatra placements of all your planets in your birth chart can be useful, in this series I will only be exploring Jenma Nakshatras (Birth Stars). This is basically the Nakshatra where your moon was placed the moment you were born.
As we go through the series, pay attention to the myths associated with each of the Nakshatras. These myths will give you the primary clues into understanding how that particular Nakshatra can manifest.
One thing we will keep coming to over and over again throughout this series is the primacy of Myth.
Note: If you have don’t know what your Moon’s Nakshatra is, now is a good time to take a look. There are many astrology websites and apps that are freely available on the web. My personal favorite is the Cosmic Insights app. You can download the free version easily and create your profile so you can follow along.