Uttara Ashadha is the second half of the Ashadas. It is a Nakshatra that transitions two signs: Sagittarius and Capricorn, which are ruled by Jupiter and Saturn respectively. As per ancient Vedic wisdom, one of life’s greatest blessings is having great teachers. In Uttara Ashadha Nakshatra, the three great giants–Sun, Jupiter and Saturn–come together to bestow their teachings upon the individual born under this lucky lunar house.
Jupiter is the teacher of the higher conscious mind. It represents a bridge between the all-seeing consciousness of the Sun and the relatively minuscule consciousness of Planet Earth. People blessed by Jupiter have the innate ability to expand anything they seek and touch. Saturn, however, is the planet of restriction. We need both to manifest on planet earth.
Expansion and Restriction
Imagine if you were to wake up one morning and expand to the size of the sun. It wouldn’t work. Saturn is here to remind us that we need to live well within the restrictions, laws and regulations that anchor our world. We will all face restrictions that we need not only to accept, but we also have to find a way to thrive within them.
We cannot be all things to all people nor can we be everything. We have to work within the boundaries that exist. If we don’t, chaos will reign.
Uttara Ashadha is ruled by the Sun, the All-Seeing Father of the Cosmic Framework. Despite the magnificence and power of the Sun, one of its restrictions is that it is the prime anchoring force and thus cannot orbit or travel like the other planets.
Jupiter teaches us how to expand within our restrictions. Saturn either creates them or forces us to find a new path forward given the restrictions we face–or will need to face–in order to fulfil our soul task.
Saturn is a tough taskmaster that spares no one–neither friend nor foe. He reminds us that there are benefits to being small; just as there are benefits to being large. There is no such thing as ‘I am better and you are worse.’ If a small creature like a black widow spider can bring a relatively large human unspeakable and unbearable pain, then size does not matter at all.
Restrictions are not always a bad thing. Neither are obstacles. It is how we manage to expand given these restrictions and obstacles that will define our soul’s legacy on earth.
Yes, we are only a small planet in the face of the vastness of the Cosmos, but we can still lead rich, prosperous and fulfilling lives.
Visvedevas
The Visvedevas collectively represent the Lord of the Universe. They are not one deity, but many. They represent the Unity and the Duality. The planks of the bed, the symbol of Uttara Ashadha, indicate that our work is never complete. We can rest from time to time, but after that, we need to get back to work.
Similarly, in the Cosmic Framework, there will be periods when one of the planets is most active in our lives and in our consciousness; and other times when different planetary aspects take over. The key lesson, then, of this Nakshatra is remaining adaptable to the changing circumstances that we always find ourselves faced with.
Saturn and Jupiter are both planets that rule over traditional and ancestral knowledge. Jupiter brings to us the collective knowledge of our forebears. Saturn forces us to see whether their actions have had a positive or negative impact on our lives. For people who feel restricted by their forebears, the key here is to expand within the restrictions that you have been born with. This requires us, first and foremost, to accept the restrictions that have been placed upon us. It is only then that the truly expansionary work can begin.
The plank of a bed is a symbol for work that does not always permit us to rest. We are constantly at work, even when we are asleep or unconscious of the work that we are doing.
Obstacle or no obstacle, restriction or no restriction, expansion or no expansion–the true lesson of this Nakshatra is that there is work to be done. And whether you like it or not, you’ll have to do it.
